Is Eating Brown Sugar Okay if I Have Diabetes?
Health ConditionsDiabetes

Can I Eat Brown Sugar if I Have Diabetes?

Can I Eat Brown Sugar if I Have Diabetes?
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Updated on April 8, 2026
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Are you wondering whether brown sugar is better for you than white sugar when you want to eat a sweet treat but need to control your blood sugar levels? Before you grab that dessert, here's what you need to know about brown sugar and diabetes.

Brown Sugar and Blood Sugar Levels

Brown sugar is a combination of table sugar and molasses. The molasses provides it with its unique texture and brown color. Brown sugar has a deeper, more caramel-like flavor than regular sugar, which creates a richer taste in some baked goods.

But molasses is yet another form of sugar. So, just like white sugar, it's a carbohydrate. That's the macronutrient with the largest effect on your blood sugar levels.

 “Brown sugar really isn't any different than any other type of sugar from a nutrition standpoint,” says Blake Metcalf, RD, an assistant professor of population health at Arkansas Colleges of Health Education and a delegate for the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 1 teaspoon (tsp) of packed brown sugar has:

  • Calories: 17.5
  • Protein: 0 grams (g)
  • Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 4.51 g
White sugar is very similar, based on USDA data, with 1 tsp containing:

  • Calories: 16
  • Protein: 0 g
  • Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 3.98 g
The foods you include in meals also affect your blood sugar levels. If you want to occasionally enjoy a sugary treat or dessert, it’s a good idea to eat it with some protein or healthy fat to slow down the rise in your blood sugar. In general, you could aim to balance protein, carbs, and fat at every meal and snack. This should help reduce or prevent blood sugar spikes when you’re living with diabetes, and that's good for your overall self-care.

Added Sugars

Like white sugar, brown sugar is an added sugar. That means it’s not naturally found in foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products.

Eating foods with a lot of added sugars can increase the risk of weight gain and obesity. It can also make you more likely to develop long-term (chronic) health conditions like heart disease.

 What’s more,  a systematic review and meta-analysis from China involving 47 studies and more than 1.2 million participants found a significant link between sugar intake and the risk of depression.

“It's recommended that people keep added sugars to less than 10 percent of total calories,” Metcalf says. The World Health Organization (WHO) takes it a step further. According to the organization, it’s ideal to limit added sugar to 5 percent or less of your total daily calories for the largest health benefit.

“Most importantly,” Metcalf explains, “a person's blood sugar control and lifestyle habits will ultimately need to be considered before making decisions about when and how often it is appropriate to consider eating added sugars.”

Sugar Substitutes for Baking With Diabetes

If you'd like to replicate the taste of brown sugar without its blood sugar-spiking effects, you can choose from use several alternatives, often made with sucralose or stevia.

 Some sweetener brands also offer a brown-sugar baking blend, which is usually made from 50 percent brown sugar and 50 percent zero-calorie sweetener.

Another idea is to use zero-calorie sweeteners as standalone alternatives to brown sugar. They're 100-percent calorie- and carb-free, but they may contain added flavors and colors to help match the taste and appearance of brown sugar.

While sweeteners like honey, molasses, and maple syrup may seem like good alternatives to brown sugar, they're all considered sugars. So eating them will affect your blood sugar levels like brown and white sugar would.

The Takeaway

  • Brown sugar is a combination of table sugar and molasses. It contains slightly more calories and carbohydrates than white sugar.
  • Brown sugar counts as an added sugar. It belongs to a group of sweeteners that health experts say should make up no more than 5 to 10 percent of your daily calories.
  • You can lower the amount of sugar in baked goods by replacing brown sugar with a healthier alternative, such as a sweetener made with sucralose or stevia.

FAQ

Is brown sugar healthier than white sugar for those with diabetes?

No, similar to white sugar, brown sugar is also an added sugar. It contains slightly more calories and more carbohydrates than white sugar.

For best health, it’s ideal to get 5 percent or less of your daily calories from added sugar, according to the World Health Organization. Recommendations from the American Heart Association suggest daily limits of less than 9 tsp for men and less than 6 tsp for women.

The healthiest way to sweeten foods and drinks is with fresh and frozen fruit. Natural sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup contain some beneficial nutrients, but these qualify as added sugars and count toward your daily sugar intake limits.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Sweeteners - Sugars. MedlinePlus. April 1, 2025.
  2. Manage Blood Sugar. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 15, 2024.
  3. Sugars, Brown. USDA FoodData Central. April 1, 2019.
  4. Sugars, Granulated. USDA FoodData Central. December 16, 2019.
  5. Diabetes Meal Planning. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 15, 2024.
  6. Get the Facts: Added Sugars. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 5, 2024.
  7. Xiong JH et al. Association of Sugar Consumption With Risk of Depression and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Nutrition. October 16, 2024.
  8. Healthy Diet. World Health Organization. January 26, 2026.
  9. Substitutes for Sugar: What to Try and What to Limit. Cleveland Clinic. June 14, 2023.
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Elise M. Brett, MD

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Elise M Brett, MD, is a board-certified adult endocrinologist. She received a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and her MD degree from the Icahn School of Medicine ...
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