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CALORIC SWEETENER

Sugars and Syrups

On my quest to discover all caloric sweeteners on store shelves across the United States, I found over 80 types of products. Here is the complete list.

What is a Caloric Sweetener?

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  • Caloric sweeteners are produced from plant saps—including flower nectar extracted by bees—fruits, starches, and milk. Their sources are sugar cane, sugar beet, flower nectar, agave, coconut and maple trees, sorghum, corn, barley, brown rice, dates, pears, and apples. Keep scrolling to see them all.

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  • A caloric sweetener contains two major portions --- sugar and water. It is a solution of one or more sugars in concentrated form. Honey is about 80% sugar, maple syrup around 66% sugar, and table sugar 99.9%. The remainder is mostly water. The sugar portion is mainly composed of glucose, fructose, and sucrose, no matter where it comes from and how it is produced.

 

  • In regards to composition, caloric sweeteners are not too different from one another: Those in solid form (granulated, powder, cubes, tablets, blocks) contain over 90 percent sugar and provide about 16 calories per teaspoon. Caloric sweeteners in liquid form (syrups, nectars) have over 50 percent sugar and about 22 calories per teaspoon. They do differ in how they affect the taste and texture of foods.

 

  • All caloric sweeteners are natural (found in nature) and, except for raw honeycomb, are processed and refined in one way or another. The favorite of all sweeteners, table sugar (granulated white sugar), is the most familiar and versatile caloric sweetener. The term sugar can cause confusion as it has many definitions, so refer to my blog post What Is Sugar, Anyway? 

TYPES OF REFINED SUGAR

From Cane or Beet

Molasses are from Cane Only

  1. Granulated sugar (table sugar)

  2. Fine granulated sugar

  3. Extra fine granulated

  4. Superfine sugar (quick dissolve sugar)

  5. Ultrafine sugar (baker’s special, baker’s, or caster)

  6. Powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) 

  7. Fondant sugar (icing or frosting sugar) 

  8. Sparkling sugar

  9. Sanding sugar

  10. Light (golden) brown sugar

  11. Dark brown sugar

  12. Pourable brown sugar (Brownulated)

  13. White sugar cube, tablet, gourmet sugar

  14. Rock sugar (sugar swizzle stick, sugar crystal)

  15. Brown rock sugar (sugar swizzle stick, sugar crystal)

  16. Simple syrup

  17. Invert syrup (medium invert, golden syrup)

  18. Full invert syrup

  19. Light molasses (mild or Barbados molasses)

  20. Dark molasses (full or medium molasses)

  21. Blackstrap molasses

TYPES OF RAW SUGAR

All from Cane

  1. Washed or turbinado sugar, evaporated (dehydrated, dried) cane juice | Medium size crystals

  2. Demerara or turbinado sugar, evaporated (dehydrated, dried) cane juice | Coarse crystals

  3. Organic sugar

  4. Organic powdered sugar

  5. Organic light brown sugar

  6. Organic dark brown sugar

  7. Demerara or raw sugar cubes

  8. Raw cane syrup (organic cane syrup or invert syrup)

  9. Organic molasses

TYPES OF UNREFINED SUGAR

All from Cane

  1. Whole cane sugar

  2. Sucanat

  3. Light muscovado sugar

  4. Dark muscovado sugar

  5. Jaggery

  6. Ground Jaggery

  7. Piloncillo

  8. Panela

  9. Ground Panela

  10. Okinawa Kokuto

  11. Traditional Cane Syrup

  12. Traditional (open kettle, home style) molasses

SUGAR FROM SAP, STARCH, FRUIT & MILK

Sap-derived sweeteners are concentrated fluid, nectar, or juice extracted from plants

  1. Honey

  2. Raw Honey

  3. Organic Honey

  4. Organic Raw Honey

  5. Organic Light Blue Agave Nectar

  6. Organic Amber Blue Agave Nectar

  7. Organic Agave Nectar from Salmiana Plant

  8. Organic Agave Powder

  9. Organic Coconut Sugar

  10. Organic Coconut Nectar

  11. Golden Delicate Maple Syrup

  12. Amber Rich Maple Syrup

  13. Dark Robust Maple Syrup

  14. Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup

  15. Organic Golden Delicate Maple Syrup

  16. Organic Amber Rich Maple Syrup

  17. Organic Dark Robust Maple Syrup

  18. Organic Very Dark Strong Maple Syrup

  19. Organic Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup

  20. Maple Sugar/Cream/Cubes

  21. Organic Maple Sugar/Cream/Cubes

  22. Sorghum Syrup or Molasses

  23. Apple Sugar

  24. Date Sugar

  25. Organic Date Sugar

  26. Date Syrup or Nectar

  27. Organic Date Syrup or Nectar

  28. Apple Juice Concentrate

  29. Blend of Fruit Juice Concentrates 

  30. Pomegranate Molasses

  31. Lucuma Powder

  32. Fruit Powder

  33. Organic Barley Malt Syrup

  34. Brown rice syrup

  35. Organic Brown Rice Syrup

  36. Organic Cassava or Tapioca Syrup

  37. Sweet Potato Syrup

  38. Lactose

  39. Goat Milk Lactose

  40. Fructose Crystals

  41. Glucose

  42. Corn Syrup

  43. Organic Corn Syrup

  44. Corn Syrup Solids

  45. High Fructose Corn Syrup (Pancake, Waffle, or Table Syrups)

  46. Blends of caloric sweeteners (Table Syrups, Agave Powder, Honey Granules)

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