Is Sugar Vegan? Find Out Which Sugar Is Vegan

Is sugar vegan?

Most sugar is vegan, but not always. Sometimes it’s complicated to find out if a particular sugar is vegan or not. We have put together a comprehensive guide to help you determine which sugar is vegan and which is not.

If you don’t want to get into much detail, here’s the quick answer:

• Beet sugar is always vegan.
• Cane sugar, when labeled organic, natural, raw, or unrefined, is also vegan.
• Avoid refined sugars that do not mention any of the above descriptors.
• Try to avoid refined sugar altogether; there are much better sugar alternatives, such as maple syrup.

Different types of sugar

Refined sugar, also known as table sugar, is most commonly used in baking. There is white sugar, brown sugar, and powdered sugar, which are all classified as refined sugar.

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Refined sugar comes from two sources: sugarcane and beets.

Whether the sugar is made from sugarcane or beets, the taste and texture are almost identical. The main difference is the refining process.

Sugar made from beets is always vegan. The process of making sugar from beets doesn’t require any animal ingredients and is rather simple.

Cane sugar, on the other hand, which is much more common, is a little more complicated. So, is refined cane sugar vegan? It depends.

What makes sugar not vegan?

Refined cane sugar requires a lot more processing than sugar made from beets. To make refined sugar from sugarcane, the sugarcane stalks are crushed to separate the juice from the pulp. The juice is then processed, filtered, and bleached with bone char. This is where white sugar gets its color from.

Now, it’s important to mention that this type of sugar doesn’t contain bone char. But as bone char is part of the process, it’s not considered vegan.

Yet, not every refined sugar is processed like this. This is why it’s really hard to tell if refined sugar is vegan or not.

How to tell if sugar is vegan

Sugar from sugar beets is always vegan as the process doesn’t involve bone char. If you want to find out if sugar from sugarcanes is vegan or not, have a close look at the label. But if you really want to make sure your sugar is vegan, go for beet sugar, as the taste and texture are almost identical.

How to tell if cane sugar is vegan

Look out for the following words on the product to check if the sugar is vegan or not:

• Organic
• Unrefined
• Natural
• Raw

When a product label uses any of these words, you can be sure that no bone char was used in the process of making the sugar. You can also tell by the color of the sugar. For example, organic sugar is made by boiling the sugarcane and spinning it in a centrifuge. It’s then dried and made into sugar crystals. This type of sugar is not as white as sugar processed with bone char but tastes completely the same.

Healthier sugar alternatives

Many people try to avoid refined sugar altogether for health reasons. There are many alternatives to refined sugar:

• Maple syrup: To replace white or brown sugar, substitute 3/4 cup of maple syrup for each cup of white or brown sugar. Reduce liquids by 3 tablespoons for every cup of maple syrup.
• Coconut sugar: To replace brown sugar with coconut sugar, substitute with a 1:1 ratio.
• Stevia: Can be used for baking. Substitute 1/2 teaspoon of undiluted stevia powder or 1 teaspoon of liquid stevia extract for each cup of sugar.
• Brown rice syrup: Can be used to substitute for brown or white sugar.
• Agave nectar: Substitute 1 cup of sugar with 2/3 cup agave nectar.