I am so thrilled to be able to share about this product with you all. I know that many of you already feel that half my recipes have some unheard of ingredient (millet, quinoa, sorghum-hey, they are old friends to me!), and so I do hate to introduce yet another new product to you. But I think that you will be glad I did because….
This sugar is amazing!
What it is
Coconut sugar is a traditional sugar made from the sap of coconut flowers. It is boiled down to create either dry sugar blocks, a soft paste, or a granulated form. I should mention that the names” palm sugar” and “coconut sugar” are used interchangeably, but the sugars are different. This can cause a little confusion. For example, the brand I got was called palm sugar, but was actually made from coconut sugar tree flowers. Since I don’t know the value of palm sugar, I just look at the ingredient list to make sure it’s made from coconut trees.
What It Tastes Like
The brand I have tried (put out by J and A importers) tastes much lighter than unrefined cane sugar, maple syrup, and honey, while avoiding tasting like straight sweetness. It almost tastes like it has just a tad of maple syrup in it. It’s not quite as sweet as cane sugar. It also has the advantage of not turning dishes so brown like rapadura would. Sally Fallon recommends this sugar in Eat Fat, Lose Fat, but I hadn’t tried it until recently. I am so glad that I did! It’s wonderful.
Low on the Glycemic Index
And this is exciting, it actually has a low glycemic index! This may be a good sugar for diabetes. I know that many of you like using agave syrup for it’s low GI rating, but remain concerned about reports of the damage it’s high fructose content can cause. Others of you prefer stevia, but there are definite disadvantages to that sweetener as well (taste, for one).
This sugar’s GI index is at a low 35 (anything under 55 is considered low). Agave syrup’s GI rating seem to vary from 27-41, so coconut sugar is very comparable. And coconut sugar has the advantage of being a traditional sugar too.
I wondered if coconut sugar would have the same characteristics of agave syrup by having a high fructose content, but apparently it doesn’t (which is good news).
“The composition of coconut sugar (also known as gula kelapa, jaggery or gur) obtained from three locations in Indonesia was determined using HPLC. Sucrose was the major component of all samples (70-79%) followed by glucose and fructose )3-9% each). Minor variations in sugar content between samples were observed, probably due to differences in processing, raw material quality and variety of coconut (Pumomo, 1992).” Source
Full of Minerals
On this article, you can see the comparison of one brand of coconut sugar to brown cane sugar to see the nutrient difference (coconut sugar is much higher) plus more information.
Where to Find It
I have found a source for very, very cheap coconut sugar at my local ethnic store (I think it’s Korean). It only costs a few dollars for a quart. So the other advantage is price. It’s very cheap. Check out your local ethnic stores, and I bet you will find it too.
The two common forms of coconut sugar I have found at my store are the pasty type in the jar
and the rock solid one, which you have to grate to use.
Obviously the softer kind is much easier to use, and that’s what I recommend you get.
But there is one other form that I have seen online, that looks more like a granulated form. It can have a slight caramel taste from what I am told. The kind I get tastes very light, so I am curious to see what these other brands taste are like. So even if you can’t find it locally, there are many online places you can buy it at.
I am still just starting to experiment with it, but everything I have made with it have turned out beautifully! I hope to share some recipes using it soon.
The last advantage? When buying coconut sugar, you help small farmers too!
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I have been cooking with coconut sugar, coconut flour, and gluten free oat flour. I’m making great baked goods and still losing weight.
You have to tweek the recipe but its worth it.
Hey – why don’t you share some of your recipes!! I would always love to hear them!
Thanks
I just bought some of the granulated coconut sugar, and it has a resemblance to a kind of brown sugar I had once but can’t remember the name of. But, it has a very mild taste, not acidic like most sugar has.
Curious as to the ratio for coconut sugar to sugar in baking. Would you use equal amounts in your recipes?
I found solid brown-sugar type disc of palm sugar in an Asian market here
and I grate them when needed. I love the mild taste and if its as healthy as they
say, I will be experimenting w/ it too in my baking. I have been eating a green
papaya salad since last yr and found them to be very addictive., the sweetner in it
is sugary palm., its delicious & mild. A little goes a long way. Try it! Share some
recipes when you can, love to try yours., my blood sugars have been climbing recently
and desperate to try safer ingredients in my food related to sugars..thanks
Sugar is sugar. Palm sugar is mostly sucrose, just like table sugar, and breaks down in the body to glucose and fructose, the later of which has a comparatively low GI, but is bad for your liver and the leading suspect in most cases of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and any number of cancers. The micronutrients in honey and palm sugar and other un- and less-refined sugars are a bonus, but at the end of the day, sugar is sugar is sugar, and it is unhealthy.
Agreed. Only two sweeteners are acceptable: Stevia and Yacon Syrup which goes directly to the intestines and feeds healthy flora with lots of FOS. Yacon may seem expensive, but a little goes a long way and, as a recovering sugar addict, I can attest that it is a very satisfying, tasty replacement.
Agave is poison. I can’t believe how it covers the shelves at Whole Foods. Worse than corn syrup.
http://www.braintoniq.com/is-agave-bad-for-you-fallacy.php
please, where can i find a good suppliers of coconut sugar in bulk.
Whole Foods on sale right now @ $3.99 lb
we supply in bulk..
Costco has it
Hey Kimi
. I got some coconut sugar on sale at New Seasons and would like to know what the ratio is to regular sugar when substituting it in a recipe?
Hey Evie, You can use the same amount, but it won’t be quite a sweet as cane sugar is.
Just getting onto the coconut bandwagon and so far I am loving everything about coconut. Coconut sugar is something I am going to try. Thanks for all the information. I am a baker by trade (retired) and I love to bake but want to keep my weight down and as I am diabetic sugar is something I need to watch along with fats. Thanks Cheryl Ann
I use coconut sugar for a “out of this world” healthy raw chocolate recipe that I make for Christmas every year & the advantage is that it will melt unlike the date sugar that the recipe orginally called for.
I just read this article on the Tropical Traditions website… had you heard this before? The article says that coconut/palm sugar isn’t sustainable, and converting coconut trees to sugar-producing trees means the trees can no longer produce coconuts for coconut oil, flour, etc…. a bit concerning, if true.
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/coconut_palm_sugar.htm
As with many new and innovative products, this is all very confusing. If anyone else has any info, please share it. Here is an article I found disputing the claims of the one linked above.
http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/collection-of-coconut-sap.php
I buy coconut oil products from tropical traditions. They are concerned about the production of the oils if we demand sugar. Interesting view point-valid concern!!!!
Coconut Palm sugar that is sold in Asian markets in paste or solid forms can often be cut with cane sugar. Safest is to buy an organic brand that is granulated. There are now a few brands on the market.
I wouldn’t say it’s cheap. I found it at our local store for $5.49 per lb when brown sugar is $ 0.89 per pound at the same store…
Though, it’s expensive I buy it from time to time and I LOVE IT.
Please make sure you are using “Coconut Sugar” and not the sugar that has “Palm Sugar” added to the name, “whatever palm sugar” should not be confused with just “coconut sugar”, which is made from the sap of cut flower buds of the coconut palm, instead of from the sap of the tree itself. If is “whatever palm sugar” that means they are damaging the trees (palms) to make the sugar.
Regarding the sustainability question:
I just bought some granulated coconut sugar at a health food store, and the package claims that it is harvested sustainably.
I have just recently started using coconut palm sugar…my husband takes sugar in his coffee and I wanted a healthy alternative. My question is if anyone has had problems with their stomach after using this type of sweetener? My husband has developed some rather “loose bowels” and we can’t figure out what is causing this problem. This is the only thing new to his diet….just curious if anyone else has noticed a difference.
Your husband may well have a sensitivity to coconut. Most people will not have this problem, but like any food, there are always a few people in the population who are sensitive to it.
If he is having digestive issues as a result of using the coconut sugar, he should avoid it and probably all coconut products, as it is obviously causing inflammation, which is not healthy at all.
I know it tastes good, but you NEED to know that this is going to affect all the rest of the products made from coconuts . What no one is warning consumers about is that coconut palm trees cannot produce both coconuts and coconut palm sugar! When the sap used to make coconut palm sugar is collected from the flower bud that will eventually form a coconut, that tree can no longer produce coconuts! Think about that for a minute. No coconuts = no coconut oil, no dried coconut, no coconut flour. Is coconut sugar worth giving up these other valued products that come from the coconut??
I did read articles which disputed this claim. They even claim that because a coconut tree produces several flower stalks, one can be cut for sugar production and others can be left for fruit production. I do not know enough about the biology of the coconut tree myself, yet, to say which, if either party is correct.
I will have consult with my colleagues in the plant biology department.
Below is a link to one of the sites I refered to above:
http://bigtreefarms.com/index.php/page/faqs#rumors
hey Kimi, I would accept what u said because it is very much useful for diabetes as the GI value in it very low.
J’Adore Coconut Sugar! Just used it, but actually heard of it a couple of years ago. I was using Agave, but started having a weird reaction. My face would itch a little and I would get these tine little itchy reactions. Started Coconut Sugar Yesterday, and so far so good. I would be alright with Agave if I used it minimally, and I liked the taste much more than honey. The thing is… I like sugar in my morning tea – which seemed to begin to be too much. Thanks for this post.
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