Sugars & sweeteners
A bag of cane sugar can go into a kombucha first ferment, a soda syrup or your coffee. Organic cane sugar leads the list, then honey, maple and a zero-sugar option, with plain grocery sugar last as the baseline.
What clean means here: USDA Organic cane sugar
Organic sugar can’t be decolorized with bone char (the organic rule allows only plant-based charcoal as a filter aid), and it keeps a trace of its molasses. Two other label words are worth knowing: “raw” isn’t a regulated term for honey, but “Grade A” on maple syrup is a USDA grade.
Source: 7 CFR 205.605 (organic allowed substances), USDA maple syrup grades, USDA extracted honey grades
Our picks
-
Florida Crystals Regenerative Organic Raw Cane Sugar
$10 · 6 lb pouchShop Florida Crystals Regenerative Organic Raw Cane Sugar on Amazon
Cane sugar that’s both USDA Organic and Regenerative Organic Certified, with a trace of its molasses left in.
-
Wholesome Organic Cane Sugar, Fair Trade
$15 · 10 lb bagShop Wholesome Organic Cane Sugar, Fair Trade on Amazon
A 10 lb bag that works out cheaper per gram than the smaller organic pouch, with a Fair Trade mark as well.
-
Nature Nate’s Organic Raw & Unfiltered Honey
$18 · 32 oz bottleShop Nature Nate’s Organic Raw & Unfiltered Honey on Amazon
Honey for flavoring a second ferment or sweetening coffee. “Raw” isn’t a regulated term for honey, so the organic seal is the claim to go by.
Standard kombucha recipes feed the first ferment with cane sugar; honey is a second-ferment flavor.
-
Coombs Family Farms Organic Maple Syrup, Grade A Dark
$22 · 32 fl oz jugShop Coombs Family Farms Organic Maple Syrup, Grade A Dark on Amazon
Maple syrup with a USDA grade on the label. Gram for gram it costs several times as much as sugar, so we suggest it for coffee, where you only need a spoonful.
-
Lakanto Classic Monkfruit Sweetener
$17 · 1.76 lb bagShop Lakanto Classic Monkfruit Sweetener on Amazon
A zero-sugar monkfruit sweetener for coffee and finished soda.
There’s no sugar in it for yeast to eat, so it can’t feed a ferment. Keep it out of a kombucha first ferment.
-
Domino Pure Cane Granulated Sugar
$5 · 4 lb bagShop Domino Pure Cane Granulated Sugar on Amazon
Plain grocery sugar and the cheapest here per gram, so the organic premium below is measured against it. Conventional cane sugar may be decolorized with bone char; organic can’t be.
The clean premium
- Kombucha: Florida Crystals Regenerative Organic Raw Cane Sugar costs $0.02 more per bottle than Domino Pure Cane Granulated Sugar, or about $0.50 a month at five a week.
- Soda: Florida Crystals Regenerative Organic Raw Cane Sugar costs $0.02 more per glass than Domino Pure Cane Granulated Sugar, or about $0.50 a month at five a week.
- Espresso: Florida Crystals Regenerative Organic Raw Cane Sugar costs less than a cent more per latte than Domino Pure Cane Granulated Sugar, or about $0.16 a month at five a week.
- Cold brew: Florida Crystals Regenerative Organic Raw Cane Sugar costs less than a cent more per glass than Domino Pure Cane Granulated Sugar, or about $0.16 a month at five a week.
DrinkIY doesn't run ads. Commissions on links like these are our only income, and they don't change what you pay. How we make money →
Run the numbers
Certifications and ingredient lists are the manufacturers' label claims as we last checked them, not our own testing. They change, so read the current label, especially for allergens. Cost information only; nothing here is nutrition or medical advice. Full terms & disclaimers →