A lot of healthy baking recipes  seem to call for Sucanat or turbinado sugar as sweeteners.

What are they, exactly?  And what makes [these sweeteners] healthy?

– Carmen Kerr
(City withheld), MN

Sucanat and turbinado sugar are, nutritionally speaking, very similar to table sugar.

Sucanat is an abbreviated term for Sugar Cane Natural.  Its nothing more than dehydrated cane juice that has not had the molasses removed.

Turbinado sugar is also a less-processed version of white sugar.

Consequently, its crystals are larger, its color is darker, and its flavor is more distinct.

There are two specific reasons to include these sugars in your baking:

1. Impart a particular flavor or texture to baked goods (turbinado sugar is slightly higher in moisture than white sugar)
2. Use completely vegan sweeteners (most sugar-refining processed utilize animal byproducts during the filtration stage)

Substituting a cup of white sugar for a cup of Sucanat does not make a dessert healthier or less caloric.