UNREFINED SUGAR
2025 BUYING GUIDE
In my quest to help home cooks navigate the complex world of sweeteners, I’ve captured unrefined sugars sold in the U.S. so you can see exactly how they look. This guide covers everything from how unrefined sugars are made to how they differ in crystal size, flavor, and texture. Whether you’re curious about sucanat, muscovado, or other unrefined sugars, this helps you understand their true nature—even if their nutritional value is similar to white sugar.
WHAT IS UNREFINED SUGAR?
Unrefined sugar—also known as whole cane sugar, Sucanat, or muscovado—is a type of cane sugar made directly from cane juice in a Sugar Mill.
Unrefined sugars are produced in cane-growing countries, coming straight from the freshly harvested cane in sugar mills. A sugar mill is always located close to cane fields to press the juice as soon as the cane is harvested. The refining process used vary with the manufacturer, but it always involves collecting cane juice, clarifying it, and boiling its water off.
Unlike refined and raw sugars, unrefined sugars retain most or all of the original cane molasses. Traditionally, unrefined sugars are not centrifuged at any stage, allowing the natural molasses to remain intact. They have between 8 to 14% molasses content, which gives them a strong flavor and intense brown color. They are substitutes for regular refined brown sugars but offer a more complex flavor.
Chemically, unrefined sugars have the same two main components: sugar and water. The sugar portion is made up mostly of sucrose—a double sugar—along with smaller amounts of glucose and fructose, which are simple sugars. Typically, unrefined sugars contain about 90% sucrose and 5% invert sugar (a mix of glucose and fructose), with the remainder being mostly water. Water content varies from 1–3% in granulated, brick, cone, or block forms to as much as 50% in syrups and molasses.
Unrefined sugar have many local names. Most are traditional artisan sugars, produced in small batches around the world using hundreds of years old know-how — such as muscovado (Philippines), piloncillo (Mexico), jaggery (India), rapadura (Brazil), kokuto (Japan), and panela (Colombia).
Sucanat (a registered trademark which stands for Sugar Cane Natural) is an unrefined sugar produced by a patented drying process that prevents clumping, caking, or hardening.
Some unrefined sugars may be certified organic. Learn more on my Organic Sweetener Buying Guide or dive deeper in my blog post Organic Sugar: What Does it Actually Mean?
COMPARING CANE SUGARS
Cane sugar means any sweet product derived, directly or indirectly, from sugar cane. We can buy them in refined, raw, and unrefined forms. All of them are, in fact, refined, but the least refined of all cane sugars are the so-called unrefined.
The diagram above breaks down the three main types of cane sugar based on how much processing they undergo.
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.
NEW IN 2025!
After years of analyzing unrefined sugars sold in the U.S., I’m bringing you the best in 2025. WhatSugar – The Sweetener Co. is my new line of certified organic sugars and alternatives. Handpicked for exceptional quality, our unrefined sugar is sourced from Brazil, brought to you by a small USA-based business you can trust. Click here to get the launch alert.
COMPARING UNREFINED SUGARS
Names, Color & Crystal Size
In this section, you’ll find real images of over a dozen urefined sugars sold across the U.S., so you can see exactly how they compare in name, color, and crystal size. From sucanat to muscovado, this visual guide helps you spot the differences at a glance and choose the best unrefined sugar for your recipes.
The photos below are real and unedited taken to show you exactly how unrefined sugars look—not studio-perfect shots. My goal was to help you recognize the differences at a glance when you’re shopping.
