Recipes

4 Types of Sugar to Sweeten Your Holiday Baking

Four types of sugar might seem excessive, but trust us—you’ll be reaching for them all baking season long
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"Change in all things is sweet," Aristotle said, meaning, "Make sure you have these four sweet types of sugar on hand so you can change things up during the baking season." (Trust us—that's definitely what he meant.) Keeping four types of sugar on hand might seem excessive at first, but the baking season is long, and you'll be amazed at the variety these sugars will lend your recipes.

Get the Recipe: Ultimate Sugar Cookies

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    1/4

    Granulated

    The ubiquitous sweetener found in most cookie doughs. Go for the regular white stuff, not superfine.

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    2/4

    Brown

    A must for chewy cookies. Light brown is more commonly used and has a less assertive flavor than dark, but swapping is fine.

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    3/4

    Powdered

    This snowy sugar makes cookies tender and, thanks to a hint of cornstarch, golden-brown delicious. It’s also essential for icing.

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    4/4

    Coarse

    Whether raw or sanding sugar, it’s primarily used in decorating to add bling and texture.

Alison Roman is a former senior food editor for Bon Appétit and columnist for the New York Times cooking section. She is the author of bestselling cookbooks Nothing Fancy, Dining In, and Sweet Enough and the host and producer of CNN’s (More Than) A Cooking Show with Alison Roman, the creator of a bi-weekly ... Read More
Senior food editor, emeritus