RAW SUGAR
2025 BUYING GUIDE
In my quest to help home cooks navigate the complex world of sweeteners, I’ve captured raw sugars sold in the U.S. so you can see exactly how they look. This guide covers everything from how raw sugars are made to how they differ in crystal size, flavor, and texture. Whether you’re curious about turbinado, demerara, or other raw sugars, this helps you understand their true nature—even if their nutritional value is similar to white sugar.
WHAT IS RAW SUGAR?
Raw sugar—also known as turbinado sugar, demerara sugar, washed sugar, or evaporated cane juice—is a type of cane sugar made directly from cane juice in a Sugar Mill.
A sugar mill is always located close to cane plantations to press the juice immediately after harvest. Put simply, the refining process goes like this: clarified cane juice is evaporated, then crystallized once to form sugar crystals coated with molasses. A centrifuge is then used to separate most of the molasses from the sucrose crystals.
Only trace amounts of natural molasses remain—about 2 to 3%—giving raw sugars their delicate flavor and blond to light brown color.
Raw sugars typically have over 97 percent sucrose, and small amounts of invert sugar (fructose plus glucose). Their crystals are dry and free-flowing, which means they pour easily and do not clump. They usually show an attractive sparkle.
Raw sugars come in a range of crystal sizes, from medium (slightly larger than table sugar) to coarse. Coarse crystals do not readily dissolve and have a crunchy texture. You’ll also find sugar cubes and syrups made from raw sugars shown below.
Even though raw sugars are less processed than table sugar, they are only slightly less refined. They’re often seen as a healthier choice, but nutritionally, they offer no real advantage over white refined sugars.
COMPARING CANE SUGARS
The diagram above breaks down the three main types of cane sugar based on how much processing they undergo: Unrefined Sugars, Raw Sugars, and Refined Sugars.
It shows how sugarcane is processed at either a sugar mill or sugar refinery, depending on the level of refinement.
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Unrefined Sugars (like jaggery, piloncillo, and panela) retain all the original cane molasses and are the least processed. They're often sold as solid blocks, coarse crystals, or thick syrups. You can see exactly how they look in my Unrefined Sugar: 4 Myths and How it Compares with Common Sweeteners.
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Raw Sugars (like turbinado and demerara) are made by removing nearly all of the natural molasses through a single crystallization step, leaving behind a light coating. These sugars have dry, sparkling crystals and a light blond to brown color. You can learn all about them in my Complete Guide to Raw Sugars. Certified organic sugars and syrups are also raw sugars and I share everything I discovered while trying organic sugars across America in my post Organic Sugar: What Does it Actually Mean?
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Refined Sugars (like white granulated, superfine, and powdered sugar) are highly purified through multiple crystallizations, removing all molasses from around the crystals. Brown sugars in this group are typically white sugar crystals re-coated with molasses. You can see them all on my Guide to Refined Sugar. Refined sugar can be made from either sugarcane or sugar beets, with white granulated sugar being the most popular sweetener of all.
COMPARING RAW SUGARS
Names, Color & Crystal Size
In this section, you’ll find real images of over 20 raw sugars sold across the U.S., so you can see exactly how they compare in name, color, and crystal size. From fine turbinado to coarse demerara, this visual guide helps you spot the differences at a glance and choose the best raw sugar for your recipes.
The photos below are real and unedited taken to show you exactly how raw sugars look—not studio-perfect shots. My goal was to help you recognize the differences at a glance when you’re shopping.
