Barbecue sauce is a staple condiment in many types of barbecue cooking. It adds a sweet, tangy, and often spicy flavor to grilled or smoked meats like chicken, ribs, and pulled pork. Most barbecue sauce recipes call for brown sugar as one of the main sweetening ingredients. But what if you don’t have any brown sugar on hand? Can you substitute regular white granulated sugar instead?
The short answer is yes, you can use regular granulated white sugar in place of brown sugar when making barbecue sauce. But there are a few important differences to keep in mind.
The Differences Between Brown Sugar and White Sugar
Brown sugar and white sugar both come from sugarcane. The difference lies in the processing.
Brown Sugar
Brown sugar contains molasses, which gives it its distinctive brown color and flavor. Molasses is a thick, brown syrup that remains after raw cane sugar juice is boiled and the pure sucrose crystals are extracted.
To make brown sugar, some of the extracted molasses is re-added to the refined white sugar crystals. Light brown sugar contains 3.5% molasses, while dark brown sugar contains 6.5% molasses. The higher molasses content gives dark brown sugar a deeper color and stronger flavor.
The molasses provides brown sugar with these attributes:
- Sweet, rich, caramel-like taste
- Moist, soft texture – brown sugar absorbs moisture well
- Darker color ranging from golden brown to almost black
White Sugar
White sugar is pure sucrose that’s been refined to remove all traces of molasses and other impurities from the raw cane juice. It contains no molasses at all. The complete lack of molasses gives white sugar these characteristics:
- Neutral, one-dimensional sweetness
- Dry, grainy texture
- Pure white color
So in summary:
- Brown sugar = white sugar + molasses
- White sugar = pure sucrose without molasses
The molasses is the key to the flavor and moisture differences between the two sugars. Keep this in mind when substituting one for the other in recipes.
Substituting White Sugar for Brown Sugar in BBQ Sauce
When making barbecue sauce, brown sugar is often used because the molasses adds rich caramelized flavors. It also helps balance and thicken the sauce.
But you can still make delicious barbecue sauce with regular white sugar. Here are some tips:
Adjust the Amount
White sugar is sweeter than brown sugar ounce-for-ounce due to the lack of molasses. Use about 10-25% less white sugar than the recipe calls for with brown. For example, if the recipe wants 1 cup packed brown sugar, use around 3/4 to 7/8 cups white sugar instead. Start on the lower end, and adjust to taste as needed.
Add Molasses
To replace some of the flavor lost from the molasses, you can add a small amount of molasses to the white sugar. Use about 1 teaspoon of molasses per 1 cup of white sugar. The molasses will also help add moisture and thickness.
Increase Acid and Spices
Molasses contributes its own rich, bittersweet flavor notes. To mimic this without it, bump up flavor-boosting ingredients like:
- Tomato paste or ketchup for acidity
- Spices and seasonings like chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic, mustard
- Worcestershire or soy sauce
- Liquid smoke
Use Brown Sugar Alternatives
Products like Sucanat or coconut sugar contain some molasses content and can be subbed for brown sugar. Date sugar or maple syrup also add sweetness and moisture.
Don’t Pack the White Sugar
Since it’s drier than brown sugar, don’t pack white sugar into the measuring cup – use loose, unpacked sugar to get the right amount.
Example Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce Recipe
Here is a typical brown sugar-based barbecue sauce recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions:
- In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
- Use immediately or allow to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Converting the Recipe to Use White Sugar
To make the conversion, here are the adjustments:
- Use 3/4 cup white sugar instead of 1/2 cup brown sugar
- Add 1 teaspoon molasses
- Increase chili powder to 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Add a dash of liquid smoke (optional)
So the ingredient list would be:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Dash of liquid smoke (optional)
The cooking instructions would remain the same. Taste and adjust sugar and spices as needed.
How the Sauce Would Differ with White Sugar
While you can certainly make delicious barbecue sauce with white sugar instead of brown, there will be some subtle differences:
- It won’t have quite the same rich, caramelized flavor
- The sauce may be slightly thinner
- The color could be a bit lighter
- It will be sweeter due to lack of molasses cutting the sweetness
But the white sugar version will still taste great on barbecued meats, especially if you boost flavors with extra spices, acidity, etc. Add a touch more tomato paste or cornstarch if you need to thicken it up.
Comparison of Nutrition for Brown Sugar vs. White Sugar
There is very little nutritional difference between brown and white sugar. Here is a nutritional comparison:
| Nutrient | Brown Sugar (1 tbsp) | White Sugar (1 tbsp) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 52 | 49 |
| Carbs | 13 g | 12.5 g |
| Sugar | 12.7 g | 12.5 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Protein | 0 g | 0 g |
As you can see, the two are nearly identical nutritionally. The very slight differences come from the small amount of molasses in brown sugar. So whether you use brown or white sugar comes down to flavor preference, not nutrition.
The Bottom Line
While brown sugar adds great caramelized flavor to barbecue sauce, you can certainly make a tasty sauce using regular white granulated sugar instead. Just use less white sugar than the recipe calls for with brown sugar, and punch up flavors with extra spices, acidity and molasses or substitutes. The sauce may be a bit thinner and lighter in color, but will still taste great with your barbecued meats. And the nutrition profile is essentially the same for both sugars. So in a pinch, go ahead and use that white sugar if you don’t have brown!