Is Brown Sugar Healthier Than White Sugar?

Short answer: Brown sugar and white sugar are both concentrated sugars. Brown describes molasses content, not whether the sugar came from cane. Trace nutrients are not a reason to use more.

Selected foods: Brown sugar (with molasses) and Sugar. These specific preparations are compared below.

Which to pick for your goal

If you want	Better pick	The numbers
Fewer calories	About the same	brown sugar 380 kcal, white sugar 387 kcal per 100 g
Less sugar	About the same	brown sugar 97 g, white sugar 100 g per 100 g
Overall (Nutri-Score)	About the same	both E

Small differences count as a tie: a few calories or a few tenths of a gram won't change your day.

Nutrition side by side, per 100 g

Per 100 g	Brown Sugar	White Sugar
Calories	380 kcal	387 kcal
Protein	0.1 g	0 g
Fat	0 g	0 g
incl. saturated	0 g	0 g
Total carbohydrates	98 g	100 g
incl. sugars	97 g	100 g
incl. fiber	0 g	0 g
Salt	0.1 g	0 g
Nutri-Score	E	E

Rounded values from exact USDA records (see * Data and sources below). Different brands, cuts and recipes can have different values. Diary food cards and the alternative versions below retain their own typical recipes.

For the same amount: 50 g

Equal amount	Brown Sugar	White Sugar
Calories	190 kcal	194 kcal
Protein	0.1 g	0 g
incl. saturated	0 g	0 g
incl. sugars	49 g	50 g
incl. fiber	0 g	0 g

In a typical serving

One serving	Brown Sugar	White Sugar
Serving	teaspoon, 4 g (0.1 oz)	teaspoon, 4 g (0.1 oz)
Calories	15 kcal	15 kcal
Protein	0 g	0 g
Sugars	3.9 g	4 g
Easy walking to burn it*	5 min	5 min

* For a 70 kg (154 lb) person; the app works it out for your weight and your activities.

Portion size usually moves the numbers more than the choice between two similar foods: a heaping serving of the “healthier” one can easily outweigh a modest serving of the other.

Blood sugar angle

Brown sugar has 98 g of carbohydrate per 100 g (97 g sugars, 0 g fiber); White sugar has 100 g (100 g sugars, 0 g fiber). This table is not a measured glycemic-response comparison; the amount eaten and the rest of the meal matter. Glycemic index values vary by variety, ripeness and cooking, so treat any single number with caution — and eat either with vegetables and some protein.

Other versions: typical diary estimates

The first two rows repeat the selected USDA records; other rows are typical diary estimates, without an exact source-record match. The cut, fat level or recipe can change the result. Per 100 g:

Per 100 g	Calories	Protein	Sugars	Fiber	Nutri-Score
Brown Sugar	380	0.1 g	97 g	0 g	E
White Sugar	387	0 g	100 g	0 g	E
Honey	304	0.3 g	82 g	0.2 g	D
Maple syrup	260	0 g	60 g	0 g	D

*Data and sources

Sugars, brown — USDA FDC 168833 (SR Legacy; published 4/1/2019).
Sugars, granulated — USDA FDC 169655 (SR Legacy; published 4/1/2019).

Retrieved 2 October 2026. USDA composition is per 100 g; drink values per 100 ml use the record’s measured household weight, with the USDA customary cup of 236.6 ml. Displayed cup servings remain 240 ml. Carbohydrate includes fiber on this US site; salt is sodium × 2.5. The food records are historical reference values, not current brand guarantees.

WHO guideline on free sugars: honey, syrups and fruit-juice sugars count as free sugars. WHO guideline on saturated and trans fats: consider replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat.

FAQ

Which has fewer calories, brown sugar or white sugar?

They're about the same: brown sugar 380 kcal, white sugar 387 kcal per 100 g. In a typical serving that's 15 kcal for brown sugar (teaspoon, 4 g) and 15 kcal for white sugar (teaspoon, 4 g).

Is brown sugar or white sugar better for weight loss?

No single food makes you gain or lose weight — the day's total does. Gram for gram they're close in calories (brown sugar 380 kcal, white sugar 387 kcal per 100 g), so neither is a shortcut. The portion usually matters more: a typical serving of brown sugar (teaspoon, 4 g) is 15 kcal, of white sugar (teaspoon, 4 g) 15 kcal.

Which has less sugar, brown sugar or white sugar?

About the same: brown sugar 97 g, white sugar 100 g per 100 g. A typical serving has 3.9 g of sugars for brown sugar and 4 g for white sugar.

Does this comparison apply to every brand or recipe?

No. The main table uses the two specific USDA foods named and linked on this page. Fat level, ingredients, trimming, cooking and water content can change the result. Use the same amount for a fair comparison and check the label for the product you actually eat.

Log it and see your day

In Calories Not Count every food gets a Nutri-Score grade, a sugar–salt–fat–fiber traffic light, fair same-calorie swaps and the minutes of movement it costs for your weight and your activities — no scale needed. Goals like lower sugar, more protein or more omega-3 can be set in the diary, and swaps there are ranked for that goal.