Brown Sugar vs White Sugar: Calories and Nutrition Compared (2026)

Brown sugar has 0.1 g of protein and 380 calories, while white sugar has 0 g of protein and 387 calories. Brown sugar is lower in calories.

Brown sugar and white sugar are commonly used sweeteners, each with unique characteristics. This comparison highlights their nutritional differences per 100 g.

What Is the Difference Between Brown Sugar and White Sugar?

Brown sugar is a type of sugar that contains molasses, giving it a moist texture and a rich flavor. It is often used in baking and cooking. White sugar, or granulated sugar, is a refined sugar that has been processed to remove molasses. It is commonly used as a sweetener in various recipes.

Brown Sugar vs White Sugar: Nutrition Side by Side

The following table presents a side-by-side comparison of brown sugar and white sugar.

Nutrient (per 100 g)	Brown sugar	Granulated sugar
Calories	380 kcal	387 kcal
Protein	0.1 g	0 g
Carbs	98.1 g	100.0 g
Sugar	97.0 g	99.8 g
Fat	0 g	0 g
Fiber	0 g	0 g
Sodium	28 mg	1 mg

Which Is Better, Brown Sugar or White Sugar?

For weight loss: Brown sugar has 380 calories, while white sugar has 387 calories, making brown sugar the lower-calorie option.

For muscle and protein: Brown sugar contains 0.1 g of protein, while white sugar has 0 g, indicating that brown sugar has slightly more protein.

For low-carb or low-sugar: Brown sugar has 98.1 g of carbs and 97.0 g of sugar, while white sugar contains 100.0 g of carbs and 99.8 g of sugar.

How to Track Brown sugar and White sugar Accurately

Portion sizes and macros in sweeteners can be easy to misjudge, leading to unintended calorie intake. Nutrola is an AI nutrition tracking app that identifies foods from a photo and returns calories and macros from a database of more than 1.8 million foods. It also supports barcode scanning and voice logging. Nutrola is available from EUR 2.50 per month and shows no ads on any tier.

How We Compiled These Numbers

The numbers provided are rounded reference values for educational purposes and are not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional for dietary guidance. Values are per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which sugar has more protein?

Brown sugar has 0.1 g of protein, while white sugar has 0 g of protein.

Which sugar has fewer calories?

Brown sugar has 380 calories, while white sugar has 387 calories, making brown sugar the lower-calorie option.

How much sugar is in brown sugar?

Brown sugar contains 97.0 g of sugar per 100 g.

How much sugar is in white sugar?

White sugar contains 99.8 g of sugar per 100 g.

What are the carbohydrate contents of each sugar?

Brown sugar has 98.1 g of carbs, while white sugar has 100.0 g of carbs per 100 g.

What is the sodium content in each sugar?

Brown sugar contains 28 mg of sodium, while white sugar has 1 mg of sodium per 100 g.

Key Takeaways

• Brown sugar has 380 calories per 100 g.
• White sugar has 387 calories per 100 g.
• Brown sugar contains 0.1 g of protein.
• White sugar contains 0 g of protein.
• Brown sugar has 97.0 g of sugar.
• White sugar has 99.8 g of sugar.