Sugar Talk
Sugar Talk
Is demerara sugar the same as brown sugar?
The short answer, no. Demerara sugar and soft brown sugars look similar at a glance, but they are made differently, look, taste and feel different, and behave differently in recipes. Demerara is a large-crystal cane sugar with a crunchy bite and mellow toffee notes. In everyday use, “brown sugar” usually means soft brown light or dark soft brown sugar: fine-crystal, moist, and blended with refiner’s syrup and treacle for consistent colour and flavour.
Many food and beverage professionals ask “is demerara sugar brown sugar?” and compare “brown sugar vs demerara.” This article sets out “demerara sugar vs brown sugar” clearly so you can specify the right ingredient.
Why the difference matters for food and beverage manufacturers
Texture, moisture, colour contribution, and dissolution speed all change with crystal size and how the sugar is made. Choosing between demerara and soft brown sugars affects surface crunch on biscuits, chew in cookies, colour stability in sauces, and how quickly sugars dissolve or invert during processing. Getting this choice right means fewer reformulations, more predictable bake or boil profiles, and a product that looks and tastes as intended.
What is demerara sugar
Demerara is a cane-derived crystalline sugar recognised by its large, golden-amber crystals, crunchy texture, and gentle molasses note. Demerara’s brown demerara sugar crystals are large and crunchy, giving visible sparkle. In specs, you may see “demerara sugar brown crystals” to describe their colour.
Ragus supplies demerara to industrial food and beverage customers who need consistent, specification-controlled lots for toppings, inclusions, and selected bakery, cereal, and beverage applications. It is prized for visual appeal and crunch where a finishing sugar is required, and for mellow flavour where a subtle cane note is desired.
What brown sugar is and what it’s not
In the UK, brown sugar generally means soft brown light and dark soft brown only, and not cane muscovado sugars, or other cane browns. Soft brown sugars are fine, caster-size crystalline sugars blended with precisely controlled Ragus refiner’s syrup and treacle formulation to achieve target colour, moisture, and flavour strength. The result is a soft, packable texture with quick dissolution and reliable Maillard and caramelisation behaviour in baking and cooking.
How they are made: cane versus blends
- Demerara (cane): A cane sugar with relatively large crystals, delivering crunch and a mellow toffee note. Ragus supplies demerara for applications where crystal integrity and surface sparkle are desired.
- Soft brown sugars (beet-based blends): Typically refined white sugar, often beet, sometimes cane, blended with Ragus’ unique refiner’s syrup and treacle formulation to specified strengths. The blending step creates the moist, squeezable texture and richer flavour profile customers expect from a soft brown sugar.
Brown sugar vs demerara sugar: quick comparison
Application guidance by category
The functional properties summarised in the table means soft brown and demerara sugars are best suited to different applications.
Bakery and biscuits
- For crunch and visual appeal: Choose demerara to top cookies, muffins, and pastries. Large crystals survive baking, delivering sparkle and bite.
- For chew and colour inside the crumb: Choose soft brown light for subtle caramel tones or dark soft brown for richer notes. Brown sugars’ higher moisture and treacle content support chew and even browning in cookies and cakes.
Breakfast cereals and granola
Demerara crystals add visual definition and texture in cluster coatings and inclusions. Where even colour and fast dissolution are needed in syrups or binders, soft brown light often performs better.
Sauces, marinades, and ready meals
Brown sugars integrate quickly and deliver predictable colour. Use dark soft brown when a deeper hue and richer molasses character are required. Demerara can be used where a light cane note is sufficient but allow for slower dissolution.
Hot and iced beverages
For a mellow cane note and pleasant mouthfeel in the cup, both demerara and soft brown can work with coffee, but demerara better complements coffee’s bitter notes. Demerara’s larger crystals dissolve slower, adding a sensory cue; soft brown integrates rapidly. Demerara is often used in cocktails such as mojitos to both sweeten and add texture.
Practical specification tips
- Crystal size: If the brief calls for a visible topping that survives bake, specify demerara with a defined crystal range.
- Moisture and colour: Choose soft brown light for subtle colour; dark soft brown when a deeper tone is essential. Specify colour (ICUMSA or L* a* b* if relevant) and moisture ranges.
- Dissolution: Time-critical processes, like short heat exposure, or cold processing, usually favour soft brown sugars because they integrate quickly.
- Process compatibility: In high-shear or long-boil processes, large demerara crystals will dissolve; in short or low-shear steps, they may not, by design.
Common misconceptions
Searches like “demerara sugar brown sugar,” “brown sugar demerara sugar,” and “demerara vs brown sugar” mix up terms. Demerara is a large-crystal cane sugar; brown sugar vs demerara sugar differs in crystal size, moisture, flavour strength, and dissolution.
- “Demerara is just another brown sugar.” Technically demerara is a brown-coloured sugar, but in practice the term “brown sugar” usually refers to soft brown sugars. Treat the two as distinct ingredients with distinct functions.
- “Brown sugar always tastes the same.” Treacle and syrup blending allows manufacturers to create varying strengths, so flavour and colour differ between light and dark.
- “Either will dissolve instantly.” Dissolution rates differ markedly with crystal size and moisture. Choose based on process time and desired texture.
Responsible sourcing at Ragus
Ragus sources responsibly grown and processed primary cane and beet sugars from approved suppliers in Africa, Asia Pacific, the Caribbean, Europe, and South America. For soft brown sugars, Ragus blends refined primary sugars with treacle and refiner’s syrup in its UK facility to deliver consistent, specification-driven ingredients. Ragus supplies cane demerara in line with its sourcing strategy and quality controls.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
No. Demerara is a large-crystal cane sugar; “brown sugar” usually refers to soft brown light or dark soft brown, which are fine-crystal blends.
Sometimes. Expect less moisture and slower dissolution, plus a coarser mouthfeel. For identical crumb and colour, use soft brown light.
For toppings, use another large-crystal sugar designed to hold crunch. For batters, light brown/soft brown light is the closest flavour substitute.
If unavailable, use dark soft brown for richer flavour, or a blend of refined white sugar plus treacle/syrup, adjusting for colour and moisture.
Its large crystals resist melting during typical bake times, preserving bite and sparkle on the surface.
Often yes. The higher moisture and treacle content in soft brown sugars can promote chew and even browning.
Soft brown sugar. Fine crystals and moisture help it integrate quickly; demerara is slower.
They are similar in being large-crystal cane sugars, but specifications and flavour can differ by source and process.
Usually less. Dark soft brown contributes deeper colour and stronger molasses notes.
Use demerara for visible crystal definition and crunch; use soft brown when you need rapid dissolution and uniform colour in a binder.
No. Demerara is large-crystal cane sugar; brown sugar is soft brown light or dark soft brown, blended for moisture and flavour.
No. Light brown sugar vs demerara differs in crystal size, moisture, and dissolution. Light brown is a soft, fine-crystal blend; demerara is coarse and crunchy.
Crystal size, moisture, flavour intensity, and dissolution rate. Choose by application: topping crunch (demerara) or rapid integration and colour (brown sugar).
Same distinction reversed: brown sugar integrates fast and adds moisture; demerara gives texture and visual appeal.
Pick by outcome: crunch and sparkle = demerara; even colour, chew, and quick mix-in = brown sugar.
Key takeaways
- Demerara and soft brown sugars are not interchangeable if you need specific texture, dissolution, or colour outcomes.
- Choose demerara for a topping or inclusion for crunch and sparkle; soft brown sugars excel when you need quick integration, moisture, and controlled flavour strength.
- Define the application first, then specify the sugar that delivers it by crystal size, colour, moisture, and dissolution profile.
Ragus manufactures functional pure sugar ingredients for industrial food and beverage applications, enhancing flavour, texture and appearance. To learn more about our pure sugars, contact our Customer Services Team. For more sugar news and Ragus updates, keep browsing SUGARTALK and follow Ragus on LinkedIn.
Ibrahim Belo
With a primary responsibility for manufactured product quality control, Ibrahim works within our supplier chain, factory and production laboratory. He has a focus on continuous improvement, implementing and maintaining our technical and quality monitoring processes, ensuring standards and product specifications are met.
