How Does Swapping In Turbinado Sugar Affect Cookie Recipes?

If you've ever been to a coffee shop or taken a stroll down the baking aisle at your local grocery store, you've probably noticed turbinado sugar  (also known as raw cane sugar) and wondered what it is exactly and how it differs from the white stuff. Turbinado sugar is a type of brown sugar made from boiling and crystallizing sugar cane juice. Minimally processed, it gets its delicate brown hue and caramel flavor from the natural molasses in sugar cane.

Whether you use it to make brown sugar syrup or add it to your homemade teriyaki sauce, turbinado sugar adds a warm richness to anything it touches. Since it's made from the same ingredients as table and brown sugar, in theory you should be able to add it to your list of ingredients next time you make your go-to cookie recipe – only, not exactly.

We spoke to Erin Jeanne McDowell, cookbook author and host of Happy Baking on YouTube, who explained that if you want to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie, using turbinado sugar isn't as simple as swapping 1:1.

For starters, turbinado and white sugar weigh  differently. As McDowell explained, "White sugar has a volume of 198 grams per cup while turbinado is 180 grams per cup." So, while you can use turbinado sugar to make cookies, "Swapping the ingredients in equal measure will change the sweetness and flavor of the cookie but also potentially the texture." After all, turbinado comes in large, coarse crystals, whereas other kinds of sugar are more finely ground.

"Altering the type of sugar may cause changes in the cookie's spread while baking and can therefore cause it to become thinner or thicker than originally intended," McDowell said. "Turbinado sugar doesn't dissolve as readily when mixed using the creaming method and may produce a denser dough, while granulated sugar will produce a slightly fluffier one."

The large crystals of turbinado sugar also soak up more moisture than regular granulated sugar, which can result in a drier cookie texture. There's also the difference in flavor to contend with. Turbinado has a distinct molasses flavor that's more pronounced than most brown or white sugar.

With that being said, McDowell went on to say, "Most cookies could be made to use turbinado sugar, but they may require other adjustments to maintain the texture and sweetness of the original recipe." If you substitute turbinado sugar 1:1 to make cookies, consider grinding it in a food processor until it's finely granulated. This will help it absorb more easily into the batter and create an optimal cookie texture. Alternatively, you can use it as bakers readily do -– as a garnish.