List of unrefined sweeteners

This list of unrefined sweeteners includes all natural, unrefined or low-processed sweeteners.

Sweeteners are usually made with the fruit or sap of plants. But can also be made from the whole plant or any part of it, some sweeteners are also made from starch with the use of enzymes. Sweeteners made by animals, especially insects, are put in their own section as they can come from more than one part of plants.

From sap
The sap of some species is concentrated to make sweeteners, usually through drying or boiling.


 * Cane juice, syrup, molasses, and raw sugar, which has many regional and commercial names including demerara, jaggery, muscovado, panela, piloncillo, turbinado sugar, Florida Crystals and Sucanat, are all made from sugarcane (Saccharum spp.).


 * Sweet sorghum syrup is made from Sorghum spp., similar to sugarcane.


 * Agave syrup is made from the sap of Agave spp., including tequila agave (Agave tequilana).


 * Birch syrup is made from the sap of Birch trees (Betula spp.).


 * Maple syrup, taffy and sugar are made from the sap of tapped maple trees (Acer spp.).


 * Palm sugar is made from by tapping of the flower stalk of various palms to collect the sap. The most important species for this is the Indian date palm (Phoenix sylvestris), but other species used include palmyra (Borassus flabelliformis), coconut (Cocos nucifera), toddy (Caryota urens), gomuti (Arenga saccharifera), and nipa (Nypa fruticans) palms.


 * The sweet resin of the Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana) was considered by John Muir to be better than maple sugar.

From roots
The juice extracted from the tuberous roots of certain plants is, much like sap, concentrated to make sweeteners, usually through drying or boiling.


 * Sugar beet syrup (ZuckerrübenSirup in German) is made from the tuberous roots of the sugar beet (Beta vulgaris). Sugar beet molasses, a by-product of the processing to make refined sugar, also exists but is mainly used for animal feed.


 * Yacón syrup is made from the tuberous roots of yacón (Smallanthus sonchifolius ).

From nectar and flowers

 * A "palatable" brown sugar can be made by boiling down the dew from flowers of the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca).

From seeds
The starchy seeds of certain plants are transformed into sweeteners by using the enzymes formed during germination or from bacterian cultures. Some sweeteners made with starch are quite refined and made by degrading purified starch with enzymes, such as corn syrup.


 * Barley malt syrup is made from germinated barley grains.


 * Brown rice malt syrup is made from rice grains cooked and then cultured with malt enzymes.


 * Amazake is made from rice fermented with Koji (Aspergillus oryzae).

From fruits
Many fresh fruits, dried fruits and fruit juices are used as sweeteners. Some examples are:


 * Dates, date paste, spread, syrup ("dibs"), or powder (date sugar) are made from the fruit of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera).


 * Jallab is made by combining dates, grape molasses and rose water.


 * Pekmez is made of grapes, fig (Ficus carica) and mulberry (Morus spp.) juices, condensed by boiling with coagulant agents.

A variety of molasses are made with fruit:
 * Carob molasses is made from the pulp of the Carob tree's fruit.

From leaves
In a few species of plants the leaves are sweet and can be used as sweeteners.


 * Stevia spp. can be used whole, or dried and powdered to sweeten food or drink.


 * Jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum), has sweet leaves, although not as sweet as Stevia.

By animals

 * True honey, made by honey bees (Apis spp.) from gathered nectar.


 * Stingless bee honey, which is more liquid than true honey.