Welcome to All About Sugar, where we explore the fascinating world of one of baking’s most essential ingredients! From the science behind how sugar is grown and processed to the sweet chemistry that happens in your oven, this page dives into both the art and science of sugar. Whether you’re teaching students about where their ingredients come from or experimenting with texture and flavor in your recipes, you’ll find resources here to help you understand and bake smarter with sugar.

Sugar or sucrose is a carbohydrate occurring naturally in every fruit and vegetable in the plant kingdom. It is the major product of photosynthesis, the process by which plants transform the sun’s energy into food.

Download Sugar STEM Field to Table, Grades 7-12, English and Spanish. Also Resource Toolkits GR K-2; Gr 3-6 and Gr 7-12.

 Sugar for home baking is produced in greatest quantities from sugar cane and sugar beets.

Brown sugar: Sugar crystals contained in a molasses syrup with natural flavor and color components. Dark and light brown sugars may be substituted according to individual preferences for product color or taste. See Types of Sugar.

Demerara sugar: Demerara cane sugar is crystallized from the initial pressing of pure cane and has a light golden color from the molasses left behind after minimal processing, a slightly larger crystal than granulated sugar and a delicate crunchy texture. It is perfect for baking, sweetening your coffee or as a topping on your cereal, fruit or desserts. Also may be called turbinado and raw cane sugar. See Types of Sugar. It is processed just enough to be safe to eat.

Granulated sugar: Fine or extra-fine white sugar crystals. Often referred to as “white sugar” in home baking. See Types – White Sugar, Brown Sugar, Liquid Sugar | Sugar.org

Muscovado sugar: Another type of unrefined sugar, darkly flavored from sugarcane juice left in during the production process. It tends to be sticky and can be used just like brown sugar. See Types – White Sugar, Brown Sugar, Liquid Sugar | Sugar.org

Raw Cane Sugar:  About 98% sucrose and tan or brown in appearance; it is a coarse, granulated solid obtained on evaporation of clarified sugar cane juice. See Types – White Sugar, Brown Sugar, Liquid Sugar | Sugar.org and Sugar Refining and Processing.