Turbinado Sugar?

What is turbinado sugar and how is it best used in baking?

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• How Do I Use Turbinado Sugar in Baking?
• Turbinado vs. Demerara Sugar
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Turbinado sugar, considered a coarse sugar, is a partially refined sugar similar to brown.

Except turbinado sugar is dry and has loose, crunchy large crystals.

In contrast, brown sugar is soft and moist and compacts easily. That's why you'll readin cookie recipes the instruction "one cup packed brown sugar."  

If you’ve ever used Sugar in the Raw or Florida Crystals in your coffee or tea, you’ve had turbinado sugar.

How Do I Use Turbinado Sugar in Baking?

Turbinado doesn’t melt like white, refined sugar or brown sugar so the best way to use it in baking is as a crunchy sugar topping for muffins or cookies.

I like to roll my grandma's gingersnaps in colored sanding sugar for the holidays but when I make gingersnaps at other times in the year. I use these brown sugar crystals instead.

If you're going to make ribs, you could also swap it for brown sugar in the rib rub.

Turbinado vs. Demerara Sugar

Demerara sugar is actually a type of turbinado sugar. The crystals are large, crunchy and golden. 

Demerara is more popular in the UK where people eat it on cereal or in tea.

The name is from a region in Guyana in South America where large amounts were first made–according to How Baking Works by Paula Figoni.

The name is derived from the manufacturing process, which entails a centrifuge or turbine.  

This large grain sugar has about two percent molasses.

People tend to villainize white sugar and put brown, coarse sugars on a bit of a pedestal. Remember partially refined or raw sugars are no better for you than refined white sugar. You're getting empty calories.

Turbinado sugar tends to be a favorite of vegans because bone char isn't used in the manufacture the way it is for refined, white sugars.