How to use date sugar in baking

Made from dehydrated pitted dates, date sugar is a versatile whole food sweetener and a healthy substitute for regular sugar made from sugarcane or sugar beets, basically anyone can start using this extraordinary sweetener. However, when using date sugar, it is important to keep in mind that it is essentially dried fruit, which means it absorbs a lot of liquid and it won’t melt or dissolve like regular table sugar. It is also sweeter than many other natural sweeteners. When baking or cooking with date sugar, it is important to take these characteristics into account and adjust your recipes accordingly. To help you with that, here are some tips:

How to Substitute Date Sugar for Regular Sugar in Baking

Although date sugar can be used a substitute for white sugar in baked goods, it is better suited for use in recipes that call for brown sugar. When using date sugar as a substitute for regular white or brown sugar, a good rule thumb is to use 2/3 to 1 cup of date sugar for every cup of regular sugar the recipe calls for. In addition, you may want to consider increasing the amount of liquid in the recipe to account for the fact that date sugar absorbs moisture. And, bake with care because date sugar burns easily.

Uses Beyond Baking

Using date sugar in baked goods like pies, tarts, cakes and muffins may be the most obvious way to use date sugar, but it is by no means to only way to use this all-natural sweetener. Adding a small amount of date sugar is a great way to sweeten smoothies, particularly blended green smoothies which are naturally less sweet than fruit smoothies. If you like your popcorn sweet rather than salty, try using date sugar instead of white sugar next time you are prepare a bowl of popcorn. When exploring new ways to incorporate date sugar into your diet, it is also important to be aware of the limitations of this whole food sweetener. One of the most notable limitations is that unlike regular white or brown sugar, date sugar does not dissolve when stirred into water or other liquids. Therefore, date sugar is not a good sweetener for drinks like coffee or tea.