Most people believe demerara sugar is the same as brown sugar. They are not completely wrong, after all, demerara is a brown-colored sugar. However, just because demerara and brown sugar have similar colors, it doesn’t mean they are the same thing.
Table Summary
| Demerara | Brown Sugar |
| Minimally processed | Mixture of processed white sugar and molasses |
| Deep, earthy flavor | Sweeter than demerara |
| Coarse and crunchy texture | Soft texture |
| Large crystal size | Fine caster-size crystal |
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Definitions
Demerara sugar is a large-grain sugar produced from sugarcane. Unlike white sugar, it is minimally processed, which allows it to maintain some of the natural vitamins and minerals which occur in sugarcane. This type of sugar has a deep, earthy flavor and coarse, crunchy texture.
Brown sugar is usually a mixture of white refined sugar and molasses – which means it is (very) slightly healthier than white sugar. In comparison to other types of sugar, brown sugar has a moist consistency, which makes it easier to mix into doughs.
Demerara VS Brown Sugar
Although they might look similar and have the same color, demerara and brown sugar are very different products. While demerara is minimally processed, brown sugar tends to be a mixture of molasses and white sugar. Demerara has larger crystals which make it crunchy, while brown sugar has smaller crystals which give it a softer texture.