Wondering what to do with demerara sugar? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 14 recipes to put it to work.

What is demerara sugar?

Demerara is a coarse cane sugar with large, hard, amber crystals and a light molasses note. It takes its name from the Demerara region of Guyana, though most jars today come from elsewhere. The crystals are bigger and drier than turbinado, with a firmer crunch.

That dryness and size are what make it a finishing sugar. Sprinkle it over muffins, scones, or shortbread before baking and the crystals hold their shape through the oven, leaving a sparkling, crackly top instead of melting into the dough.

Where the Crunch Pays Off

Reach for demerara when you want texture you can see and hear. It is the classic crackle on a crumble topping, as in this Blackberry & apple crumble, and the sugar that finishes the streusel on cakes like Apple, Prune & Armagnac Cake with Streusel Topping.

It is also a coffee sugar by habit. The big crystals dissolve slowly, so the first sips taste a touch less sweet than the last, which some people prefer over the all-at-once hit of fine sugar.

In a creamed batter the hard crystals are a liability, not an asset. They resist dissolving and can leave a gritty crumb, so keep demerara for the top of the bake rather than the inside.

For how sugar behaves in baking and how to store it, see sugar.

Quick facts

In Chinese

德梅拉拉糖

British (UK) term

Demerara sugar

en français

de cassonade

en español

azúcar Demerara

Recipes using demerara sugar

There are 14 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 14 recipes