Brown Sugar vs. Simple Syrup

Nutrition comparison of Brown Sugar and Simple Syrup


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of brown sugar versus simple syrup (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in brown sugar and simple syrup:

  • Both simple syrup and brown sugar are high in calories, carbohydrates and sugar.
  • Brown sugar is an excellent source of calcium.
  • Simple syrup has more thiamin and riboflavin, however, brown sugar contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
  • Simple syrup is an excellent source of iron.
Detailed nutritional comparison of brown sugar and simple syrup is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Brown Sugar (Sugar, brown) and Simple Syrup (Syrup, Cane) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Brown Sugar src
Image of Simple Syrup src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both simple syrup and brown sugar are high in calories. Brown sugar has 41% more calories than simple syrup - simple syrup has 269 calories per 100 grams and brown sugar has 380 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, brown sugar is similar to simple syrup for protein, carbs and fat. Brown sugar has a macronutrient ratio of 0:100:0 and for simple syrup, 0:100:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
Protein ~ ~
Carbohydrates 100% 100%
Fat ~ ~
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both simple syrup and brown sugar are high in carbohydrates. Brown sugar has 34% more carbohydrates than simple syrup - simple syrup has 73.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and brown sugar has 98.1g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Both simple syrup and brown sugar are high in sugar. Brown sugar has 33% more sugar than simple syrup - simple syrup has 73.2g of sugar per 100 grams and brown sugar has 97g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Brown sugar and simple syrup contain similar amounts of protein - brown sugar has 0.12g of protein per 100 grams and simple syrup does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

The B Vitamins

Simple syrup has more thiamin and riboflavin, however, brown sugar contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both brown sugar and simple syrup contain significant amounts of niacin.

Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
Thiamin ~ 0.13 MG
Riboflavin ~ 0.06 MG
Niacin 0.11 MG 0.1 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.132 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.041 MG ~
Folate 1 UG ~

Minerals

calcium

Brown sugar is an excellent source of calcium and it has 538% more calcium than simple syrup - simple syrup has 13mg of calcium per 100 grams and brown sugar has 83mg of calcium.

iron

Simple syrup is an excellent source of iron and it has 407% more iron than brown sugar - simple syrup has 3.6mg of iron per 100 grams and brown sugar has 0.71mg of iron.

potassium

Brown sugar has 111% more potassium than simple syrup - simple syrup has 63mg of potassium per 100 grams and brown sugar has 133mg of potassium.




Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Brown Sugar or Simple Syrup .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Brown Sugar (Sugar, brown) and Simple Syrup (Syrup, Cane) .

Brown Sugar 100g

( 100 g )
Daily Values (%)

Simple Syrup 100g

( 100 g )
380KCAL 19%
41% calories
269KCAL 14%
98G 39%
34% carbohydrates
73G 29%
97G 33% sugar 73G
28MG 2%
sodium 107%
58MG 4%
Vitamins and Minerals
83MG 8%
538% calcium
13MG 1%
0.71MG 4%
iron 407%
3.6MG 20%
9MG 3%
magnesium 11%
10MG 3%
133MG 6%
111% potassium
63MG 3%
thiamin (Vit B1) >999%
0.13MG 12%
riboflavin (Vit B2) >999%
0.06MG 6%
0.11MG 1%
10% niacin (Vit B3)
0.1MG 1%
0.04MG 3%
>999% Vitamin B6
0.13MG 3%
>999% pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
1UG 0.3%
>999% folate (Vit B9)
0.12G 0.2%
>999% protein
2.3MG 1%
>999% choline
0.05MG 4%
149% copper
0.02MG 2%
0.06MG 4%
>999% manganese
4MG 1%
phosphorus 100%
8MG 1%
1.2UG 2%
71% selenium
0.7UG 1%
0.03MG 0.4%
zinc 532%
0.19MG 2%
1.3G Water >999% 26G


NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS (either food): total fat, Starch, Alcohol, dietary fiber, chlorine, chromium, fluoride, iodine, molybdenum, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, biotin (Vit B7), Vitamin B12, Vitamin K, cholesterol, trans fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat.

FAQ

Does simple syrup or brown sugar contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both simple syrup and brown sugar are high in calories. Brown sugar has 40% more calories than simple syrup - simple syrup has 269 calories in 100g and brown sugar has 380 calories.

Does simple syrup or brown sugar have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both simple syrup and brown sugar are high in carbohydrates. brown sugar has 30% more carbohydrates than simple syrup - simple syrup has 73.1g of carbs for 100g and brown sugar has 98.1g of carbohydrates.

Does simple syrup or brown sugar contain more calcium?
Brown sugar is a rich source of calcium and it has 540% more calcium than simple syrup - simple syrup has 13mg of calcium in 100 grams and brown sugar has 83mg of calcium.

Does simple syrup or brown sugar contain more iron?
Simple syrup is an abundant source of iron and it has 410% more iron than brown sugar - simple syrup has 3.6mg of iron in 100 grams and brown sugar has 0.71mg of iron.