Big Tree Farms Organic Brown Coconut Sugar, Non-GMO, Gluten Free, Vegan, Fair Trade, Natural Sweetener, 1 Pound (Pack of 6) (Packaging May Vary)

My family has a history of hypoglycemia, and at one point, I became so sensitive to sugar that I would start to have vertigo or become nauseous if I ate a single cookie or candy bar. That was many years back, prior to diagnosis, when I was a distance runner, primarily consuming a high-carb, low-fat diet. I now follow a paleo diet and rarely eat any type of sugar or grain. It is nice to make things for my boys, and I like to make the occasional muffin or bread (banana bread, in particular). I tried several packages of several different brands, and all of them cause a slight uptick in my blood sugar levels, but it's nothing like the huge spike that I get from regular sugar. This matches well with the low reported glycemic index numbers (I've seen everything from 18-35, but all are low enough to be useful for me). I prefer the blonde variety as it has more of a brown sugar flavor, and it acts like brown sugar (it's hygroscopic-absorbs water to keep things moist), while the standard varieties have more of a sorghum or molasses flavor. This is also available as coconut nectar from another company, and while this is useful for candy-making, it is difficult to ship in anything larger than a small bottle. Coconut Aminos are also available as a source of trace minerals and amino acids. They make a great alternative to soy or tamari, and it has significantly higher amounts of trace minerals and similar levels of aminos as Bragg's Aminos, which are not wheat- and gluten-free.

Like others, I heard about this product on the Dr Oz show and because I have a family history of diabetes, thought I'd give it a try. I'm 35 and have always liked things super sweet but for several years I've been cutting down because I started feeling the effects of too much sugar in my diet. First I used the good 'ol white sugar, the standard type you use in baking. Then I went to organic sugar that isn't as processed and is light brown in color. The next step was to try this organic coconut palm sugar. It doesn't have the sweet taste to it that sugar does but it works fine in my coffee and tea and satisfies my sweet tooth enough. Reluctantly, one day I added it to a batch of cookies I was making instead of using the white sugar. I was certain the cookies would turn out awful but since I and my two little kids were going to have a few, I thought why not. To my surprise, this was the BEST batch of cookies I've ever tasted out of my kitchen. The coconut palm sugar gave the cookies a caramel taste. Last but most importantly, I'm not over weight, normally around 115 lbs but I've always carried fat in my thighs. Can I tell you how QUICKLY I lost fat from that area....it was amazing! The only time of the day I use sugar was in the morning in coffee and in the evening in hot tea. So, just from switching these two drinks a day from sugar to coconut palm sugar made a big difference.

Like brown sugar. Great in hot beverages. Glycemic index (how much rise in blood sugar) of this is about 56, cane sugar is about 65, glucose is about 100. Glycemic load of 5 grams (The glycemic load (GL) is obtained by multiplying the quality of carbohydrate in a given food (GI) by the amount of carbohydrate in a serving of that food.) of this is 3, cane sugar is 6. Portions still matter but if you are cup for cup using this as an alternative in baking or using less, you should come out ahead. I use less because I like less sweet things. Sadly it is not an excuse to eat lots of cookies.

This product isn't cheap, but it tastes good. It tastes a lot like brown sugar, in my opinion. I bought it to use in meals for my mother, who has been confined to bedrest and was recently diagnosed as a diabetic. So far, I have only used it to make a lower-carb poppyseed dressing for the chicken slaw she likes so much. When the weather is cool enough to bake, I'd like to make her some coconut meringues using partly this sugar, and partly something else such as Splenda or xylitol. My mom takes Glucophage and has had fairly good blood sugar levels when she eats reasonably, so I'm probably not the best qualified to comment as to how it could affect someone whose diabetes is more severe. My only suggestion would be for the company to consider going with a different bag, since the zip-close top on this doesn't work, and I'm keeping it in another bag. FYI, the carbs listed for this product are the same as regular brown sugar, although I understand different carbs metabolize differently. Update: This makes the most fantastic apple crisp, especially if you use part almond flour in the crumb topping too. 2013 update: Because I ordered so much of this, I have also used it at home and it's hard to tell it from brown sugar, including in cookies. I just use the same amount of brown sugar required in a recipe and it works great. Really love this stuff!

As someone that lives with Diabetes, I am always on the lookout for healthy ways to create baked goods that aren't as harmful as those that use regular sugar (whatever the form). This sounded like it would be spot on so I took a chance! The first item I made was some pumpkin bread. The recipe called for one cup of sugar and it states that you use Blonde on a 1-1 basis so I did. The recipe also calls for a small amount of agave nectar and some maple syrup (also a small amount). Imagine my surprise when I tasted it and it wasn't the least bit sweet! It was okay for me, but my husband wasn't thrilled so I had to sprinkle some sugar on it when I gave it to him. For myself, I did the same thing but used Stevia figuring there was enough sugar in the recipe. It worked out great! I will definitely order this product again and recommend it to others but let them know they might want to use a bit more. I am pleased to find something that is a healthy substitute for processed sugar and that doesn't cause me to go through an extreme high followed by the inevitable crash.