Coconut sugar (Coconut palm sugar)

No E-numberSweetenersOrigin: Plant

Get a personal answer

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Every diet

VeganYes

Coconut sugar is boiled palm sap.

Gluten-freeYes

HalalYes

KosherYes

KetoNo

Coconut sugar is mostly sucrose.

Low-FODMAPDepends

A trace of inulin from the sap can bother a sensitive gut. A pinch in coffee is a small dose.

The short answer

Coconut sugar is boiled sap from the coconut palm. It is vegan, it tastes a little of caramel, and it is still mostly table sugar under another name.

60/100

Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberNone

Comes fromPlant

What it doesSweeteners

Glycemic index—

Daily limitNot set

Also calledCoconut sugar, Coconut palm sugar

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive

🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive

🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive

CaliforniaNo extra rules

Coconut sugar is sold as a sugar, not as an additive. The US, the EU and Canada do not give it an E-number. Marketing often calls the glycemic index low. Measured values jump around, and the crystals are still mostly sucrose, so this page does not publish a single index.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

The crystals are tan and taste of caramel and a little butterscotch. They swap into a recipe at about the same spoon as white sugar.

Where it comes from: Coconut sugar is sap from the flower stalk of the coconut palm, boiled down to crystals. It is mostly sucrose, the same molecule as table sugar, with a little of the sap's minerals and a trace of inulin.

Why it’s in food

Sweetens coffee and tea
Replaces white sugar in cookies
Colors a crumble topping
Sells a less refined image on a package

Often found in

Cookies and banana breadCoffeeCurries that want a little sweetnessGranolaEnergy ballsHot cereal

Also listed as: Coconut sugar, Coconut palm sugar, Coco sugar, Coconut sap sugar

Health & gut impact

Mostly sucroseConcern

Coconut sugar is crystallized palm sap, and the main sugar in that sap is sucrose. Minerals in the brown color do not turn it into a non-sugar.

Composition of coconut palm sap sugar

Glycemic-index claimsUnder study

Brands often quote a low glycemic index. Published numbers for coconut sugar do not agree with each other, so a low number is not a reason to treat the spoon as free.

Varying glycemic-index reports for coconut sugar

What can I use instead?

Table sugar

Ratio: Use the same spoon

Best for: Any recipe that does not need the caramel note

Maple syrup

Ratio: Cut other liquid slightly

Best for: A pourable vegan sweetener

More sweeteners:

Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) E950Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K, E950) is a zero-calorie sweetener approved in the US, EU and Canada. EFSA re-checked it in 2025 and raised its daily limit. It's usually paired with sucralose or aspartame to hide a slightly bitter aftertaste.Use in moderation Advantame E969Advantame (E969) is an extremely intense sweetener related to aspartame. Regulators approve it, and the amount in a food is tiny next to the daily limit. It does not carry aspartame's phenylalanine warning at normal use.Generally safe Agave syrup (Agave nectar)Agave syrup is a plant sweetener that is mostly fructose. It barely moves blood sugar, and it is still sugar: skip it on keto and in a low-FODMAP elimination.Use in moderation AlluloseAllulose is a "rare sugar" that tastes like sugar but has almost no calories and doesn't raise blood sugar. It's keto-friendly and browns like real sugar in baking.Generally safe

Common questions

Is coconut sugar keto?

No. It is mostly sucrose.

Is coconut sugar lower glycemic than white sugar?

Some labels say so. The measurements disagree, and the crystals are still sucrose.

Is Coconut sugar safe?

Use in moderation (60/100). Coconut sugar is sold as a sugar, not as an additive. The US, the EU and Canada do not give it an E-number. Marketing often calls the glycemic index low. Measured values jump around, and the crystals are still mostly sucrose, so this page does not publish a single index.