What can I say about brown sugar? Top of mind: there are so many varieties that it can get downright confusing which to use. And what difference will it make in a recipe if I use one or the other? What if it’s not available in my part of the world?

Truth: when you get to the grocery aisle, you’re spoilt for choice. I used to always buy what was recommended in a recipe that I wound up with a boatload of containers filled with different types of brown sugars. I would have light muscovado for this recipe; demerara for that recipe; palm sugar for another; and so on. But because brown sugar not only adds sweetness but also flavor to all baked goods, it made sense to have them at hand.

Thanks to Marie Kondo, I’ve had a change of heart.

If a recipe calls for a sugar that has a caramel nuance, I simply substitute brown, light, dark or regular. If I know that the sugar called for has a special inimitable taste like Malacca Sugar, then I use Malacca Sugar.

Here’s a table of the types of brown sugars substitutes I’ve come across and use:

Type of Brown Sugar	Substitute With
Turbinado	Light brown sugar
Golden	White sugar
Demerara	Light brown sugar
Muscovado	Brown Sugar
Light Muscovado	Light brown Sugar
Dark Muscovado	Dark brown sugar
Palm	Use the real thing. Light brown sugar is a poor substitute.
Coconut	Use the real thing. Light brown sugar is a poor substitute.
Molasses Sugar	Dark brown sugar
Maple Sugar	White sugar + maple extract
Malacca Sugar aka Gula Melaka	Use the real thing. Brown sugar is a poor substitute.

Now comes the even handier part: make your own brown sugar! Simply mix white sugar with molasses. When making and using brown sugar, remember that the more molasses, the stronger the flavor, the darker the color.