Coconut sugar has a glycemic index of about 54, compared to 60-64 for regular table sugar. That places it in the low-to-medium GI range, but the difference is smaller than many brands suggest. Some coconut sugar packaging claims a GI as low as 35, a number that doesn’t hold up under independent testing.
Where the GI Number Comes From
The widely cited GI of 54 comes from testing that compares blood sugar response after eating coconut sugar to the response after eating pure glucose (which scores 100 on the scale). Foods below 55 are considered low GI, 56 to 69 are medium, and 70 or above are high. Coconut sugar sits right at the border between low and medium.
That 35 figure you may have seen on product labels traces back to a small study conducted in the Philippines, where most coconut sugar is produced. Independent researchers have questioned that result, noting that sucrose and brown sugar both score around 64 in controlled tests, and coconut sugar’s chemical makeup is too similar to score dramatically lower. The real-world number is likely in the mid-50s, not the mid-30s.
Why It’s Slightly Lower Than Table Sugar
About 70% of coconut sugar is sucrose, the exact same molecule that makes up table sugar. The remaining 30% is a mix of individual glucose and fructose molecules plus trace minerals. Chemically, coconut sugar and cane sugar are close cousins.
The small GI advantage likely comes from inulin, a type of soluble fiber found in coconut palm sap. Inulin slows glucose absorption in the gut, which can blunt the blood sugar spike after eating. Table sugar and corn syrup contain no inulin at all. However, the amount of inulin in coconut sugar is modest, which is why the GI difference between coconut sugar and table sugar is only about 6 to 10 points, not the 25-point gap some labels imply.
How It Compares to Other Sweeteners
- Table sugar (sucrose): GI of 60-64
- Coconut sugar: GI of roughly 54
- Brown sugar: GI of about 64 (essentially identical to white sugar)
- Honey: GI varies widely by type, typically 45-64
- Pure glucose: GI of 100 (the reference point)
Coconut sugar lands a few points below table sugar and roughly in the same neighborhood as many honeys. It is not comparable to truly low-GI sweeteners or sugar alcohols that score in the teens or single digits.
Calories and Blood Sugar: The Bigger Picture
Coconut sugar contains about the same number of calories per teaspoon as regular sugar: roughly 15 to 18. It also raises blood sugar through the same mechanism, just slightly more slowly. For someone managing diabetes or watching their carbohydrate intake, the practical difference between a GI of 54 and a GI of 60 is minimal. Your total portion matters far more than the type of sugar you choose.
Cleveland Clinic dietitians have been blunt on this point: coconut sugar is “no better and no worse” than regular cane sugar when calories and overall metabolic impact are considered. The trace minerals it contains (small amounts of iron, zinc, and potassium) are too low per serving to offer meaningful nutritional benefit. You would need to eat an unreasonable amount of sugar to get a significant dose of any of them.
What This Means for Cooking and Baking
If you prefer coconut sugar for its caramel-like flavor or its less processed production method, those are valid reasons to use it. It substitutes 1:1 for cane sugar in most recipes, though it adds a slightly darker color and a hint of butterscotch taste.
What it won’t do is transform a high-sugar recipe into a low-glycemic one. Swapping coconut sugar into a cookie recipe nudges the GI down by a handful of points, not enough to change how your body responds in a meaningful way. If blood sugar control is your primary concern, reducing the total amount of added sugar in a recipe will always have a larger effect than switching the type.