Turbinado Sugar Has Crunch and Flavor—Here’s How to Use It in Baking and More

If you're a home cook or baker who loves exploring different ingredients, you've probably sampled several sugar options beyond the standard light and dark brown sugar—including turbinado sugar, one of several caramel-hued sweeteners available. Turbinado sugar is chunky, sparkly, and crunchy and often labeled with words like "natural" or "raw." But it's not really a raw or natural version of brown or granulated white cane sugar—nor is it a comparable substitute. It is, however, a versatile ingredient with its special uses.

To learn more about turbinado sugar, we consulted a pastry chef and a culinary nutritionist, who shared tips for enhancing your recipes and diet with this unique product.

What Is Turbinado Sugar?

Turbinado sugar is derived from sugar cane but contains some molasses from the refining process since it is less processed than regular white sugar. This accounts for its caramel color, says Tricia Williams, holistic nutritionist, chef instructor, and founder and CEO of Daily Dose by Tricia Williams, and Food Matters NYC. Some of turbinado sugar's defining features include:

• Caramel flavor: Turbinado sugar not only has a caramel color—it also has a caramel flavor.
• A bit richer: Its taste is stronger than light or dark brown sugar. "The molasses taste makes it feel slightly rich, which is not an adjective I'd normally associate with sugar," says pastry chef Fany Gerson, the chef and owner of Mexican ice cream parlor and bakery La Newyorkina and Fan-Fan Doughnuts, and author of several cookbooks, including Mexican Ice Cream.
• Bigger crystals: Turbinado's sugar crystals are larger than those in regular brown sugars, as well. "It has a granular texture to it," says Gerson, noting that this sweetener is layered in both texture and taste. "It's brown sugar with a bolder personality."

How to Use Turbinado Sugar in Recipes

Because turbinado sugar doesn't melt smoothly into other ingredients and retains its crunch, you shouldn't use it as a substitute for brown sugar in baking or other recipes unless you want a more crumbly or drier result.

Finishing Sugar

"It's most commonly used as a crunchy topping," says Gerson. "I think of it as a finishing sugar." She uses it like a flaky sea salt and even loves it on fresh fruit. "I'll lightly sweeten whipped cream with confectioners' sugar as a topping, then sprinkle on turbinado. It adds a layer of sweetness and flavor," she says.

After brushing pie crust or challah dough with egg yolk, she'll sprinkle it on for extra texture. "I also love it on top of a cobbler," she says. A dash can also elevate a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.

Savory Uses

Turbinado is also a great addition to a spice rub for poultry or pork, says Gerson. She also recommends topping sweet potatoes with a turbinado toward the end of roasting—or mixing the sugar into candied nuts for a textural contrast.

Lattes and Libations

You can rim a coffee cup or cocktail glass with turbinado sugar to elevate these drinks, Gerson says.

Buying and Storing Turbinado Sugar

Like other brown sugars, turbinado has a higher moisture content than granulated white sugar and should be stored accordingly to prevent it from drying out. "It's not very forgiving," says Gerson. "Keep it in an airtight container."

If your turbinado sugar has hardened, try Gerson's trick for softening any brown sugar: "Put a piece of white bread in it," she suggests. "[The sugar] absorbs the moisture in a few days."

Is Turbinado Sugar Healthy?

Turbinado sugar is not exactly healthy. In this case, raw or natural doesn't mean better, and in fact, it's actually not raw at all, says Williams. It has trace amounts of calcium and antioxidants from the molasses, as well as trace amounts of antioxidants, but this isn't enough to make turbinado sugar a "healthy" part of your diet. "It may have a lower impact on blood sugar, but at the end of the day, it's still sugar," says Williams. "It should be treated as a recreational treat."