Liquid Sweeteners: Types of Liquid Sugars & Syrups

Even in a time where crystalline sugar is readily accessible, many industries prefer liquid sugars and sweeteners for their products. Thanks to their long shelf lives and ease of use in many different applications, liquid sweeteners have been a popular choice since its inception. Some liquid sweeteners like honey and maple syrup are naturally occurring in liquid form, but other sweeteners can be made into liquid syrups simply by adding some water, or extracting the sugar using water, like with molasses.

Virtually any type of sugar can be made into a liquid sweetener, with varying results. At home, you likely have white and brown sugar you can easily convert into a simple syrup on your own to use in your morning coffees or holiday cookie recipes. However, liquid sugars are very important in the food and beverage industry, used by chefs, confectioners, brewers, bakers, baristas, bartenders, and more! Beyond just simple syrup, different sugars play different roles with different foods and beverages, so it is always wise to have the right sweeteners on hand.

We at Indiana Sugars know all about liquid sweeteners and the advantages they have for dozens of different applications. Learn more about the best sweeteners to use for different products and how to get the best quality ingredients in bulk from us.

Top Liquid Sweeteners for Baking

Some of the most popular liquid sweeteners offer complex flavor profiles to create uniquely layered tasting products. Using liquid sugars over granulated sugars helps produce baked goods with moist and fluffy textures. There is no question sugar is essential for any bakery, but some turn to liquid sugar to experiment with their recipes and for cost effectiveness.

Molasses

Molasses is the resulting product when sugarcane juice is evaporated into boiling water. The leftover liquid is deep colored with a maltier, less sweet taste than brown or white sugars. Recipes that call for spices like nutmeg or cinnamon pair nicely with using molasses as the chosen sweetener. If you are baking fall and winter goods, molasses should be a staple in your kitchen. You can substitute molasses for sugar at a 1:1 ratio if you go by product weight. Just be mindful of what type of molasses you use, since results can vary greatly depending on how strong the molasses is. For instance, blackstrap molasses turns quite bitter once baked, so it should only be reserved for more savory goods instead of sweets.

Maple Syrup

Real maple syrup is found naturally from tree sap and possesses a more robust flavor than regular simple syrups. You may not know, but maple syrups are given different grades based on their color and taste. Beginning with golden, the lightest and more delicate flavored maple syrup, the grades increase in color and flavor as you move up the scale to amber, dark, and very dark syrups. Note that many commercial syrups are not actually genuine maple syrup, they are typically some variation of corn syrup.

Honey

Additionally, some bakers choose to use honey for its extra sweetness and higher acidity. Honey has a unique, almost florally flavor that adds extra dimension over sugar. Just be careful with how much you use, since honey contains fructose, making it sweeter than regular white sugar. Honey tends to work well as a substitution for granulated sugar in cake recipes.

Best Liquid Syrups for Iced Coffee

Any coffee shop knows the importance of maintaining a large supply of liquid sweeteners to create sweetened coffee beverages, or supply to their guests to allow them to sweeten drinks to their liking. While packets of granulated sugar or other crystalline sweeteners are commonly used to sweeten up drinks, liquid syrups have a much easier time dissolving into hot drinks, creating a more uniformly sweetened beverage.

Liquid Sugar and Organic Liquid Sugar

You are likely already very familiar with liquid sucrose, the liquid, syrupy form of your standard table sugar. Liquid sucrose is without a doubt the most commonly used liquid sweetener, and has many practical uses in many industries outside of just the beverage industry. When sweetening beverages, liquid sugar offers an advantage over granulated sugars, since the crystals are already dissolved. Liquid sugars are ready-to-go and easy to use, a given choice for any coffee shop. Many specialty coffee drinks use syrups with various flavorings. You can easily use liquid syrups to infuse different flavors like hazelnut or vanilla for even tastier results.

You can also use organic liquid sugars if your coffee shop is looking to cater to those seeking natural ingredients only. Organic sugar tends to be unrefined, retaining some molasses which gives it a brown tinted color. Most white sugar is refined to remove impurities, but organic unrefined sugar still needs to strictly follow National Organic Program (NOP) standards.

Regardless if the syrup is organic or not, we at Indiana Sugars only use the highest quality ingredients. Before it is delivered to you, our liquid sugar is pasteurized and filtered to ensure it is completely sterile and clear, meaning you won't have to worry about this process yourself. Both products are available in five gallon pails, 55 gallon drums, 275 gallon totes, or a 48,000 gallon truck, so no matter your size, we have you covered.

Liquid Sugars for Distilleries

Sugar is simply the foundation of distillation. Sugar is extracted from ingredients like wheat, corn, or malt to create alcoholic beverages. While these beverages are obviously naturally sweetened, most distillers will add additional sugar to improve the taste and the shelf life of the final product. Just like coffee shops, breweries and distilleries should always have plenty of liquid sweeteners on hand if they want to be successful.

Invert Sugar

Invert sugar, also sometimes referred to as golden sugar in certain parts of the world, is a very popular choice for commercial beverage production. Invert sugar is naturally sweeter than many other sweeteners because it consists of sucrose. Breweries and distilleries take advantage of the extra sweetness since they can use less product to achieve the same level of sweetness as regular granulated sugar. You may end up saving money by needing less product, but invert sugar's long shelf life also invites a chance to save money by purchasing in bulk!

Distiller's Grade Liquid Sucrose

Along the same line as invert sugar, distiller's grade sugar is a premium liquid sucrose sugar product. Indiana Sugars makes it easy for beverage producers to find the perfect sweetener for their products. Our distiller's grade sugar products are designed to create crystal clear beverages due to the ultrafiltration process performed on our sugar. This product is ideal for reducing haziness, creating carbonation, and extending the shelf life of distilled beverages. Just like invert sugar, a little bit goes a long way with this extra sweet sugar. Indiana Sugars creates products that we know will help make our customers' jobs easier. You won't be able to find this product anywhere else!

Liquid Sweeteners for Making Chocolates

What would candy be without sugar? Confectioners and chocolate makers require sugar for their treats, and often liquid sugar is the most resourceful option when producing chocolates in bulk. To achieve a smoother, velvety texture in chocolate and other confectionary treats, most times liquid sugar is the better alternative because of slower browning and better solubility. Sugar is key for innovation in the confectionary industry, and experimenting with different kinds may unlock all kinds of new sweets that no one has tried before. Although you can use any of the sugars mentioned above, here are a few more commonly used liquid sweeteners used for making chocolates.

Corn Syrup and High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

If you're looking for the most cost effective option, high fructose corn syrup should be your go to. Indiana sugars offer corn syrups at varying levels of sweetness, so you can ultimately control how sweet your treats are. HFCS also promotes more vibrant colors in your final products. Corn syrups help with creating softer textures, enhanced flavors, bulkier textures, and preventing crystallization. As a result, many large businesses and bulk food or beverage distributors turn to corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup as their sweetener of choice.

Liquid Maltitol

For those looking for a lower calorie option, liquid maltitol is a sugar substitute with half the calories of regular table sugar. You may not be as familiar with liquid maltitol, but it contains many of the same properties as liquid sucrose, including being colorless with a syrupy texture. Maltiol, however, has about 75 to 90% of the sweetness of sucrose. Candy makers may want to use liquid sugar substitutes since they do not promote tooth decay or negative effects on blood glucose levels. Maltitol also has the added benefit of browning at higher temperatures. This means chocolatiers don't have to be on high alert when creating delicate candies, as the burning point is much higher.

Although not a naturally occurring sugar, Indiana Sugars still only supplies the best ingredients, so you are getting the purest sweeteners available on the market, even from our sugar substitutes.

- Our Most Popular Liquid Sweeteners for Candy Making -

Where to Buy Bulk Liquid Sweeteners

Indiana Sugars is the top sugar and sweetener provider for a reason. Just as you will stand out with our array of high quality sugars and sweeteners, we guarantee we will stand out with our commitment to customer service. At Indiana Sugars we are looking for partners, not just customers, to work together by establishing long-term relationships. It is what we do best, and for good reason. These are just a few of the things we do best:

Timely Deliveries

We know how important it is to always have a reliable stock of ingredients. Your business depends on always having the highest quality ingredients on time. That is why we respond quickly. In most cases, we deliver it within 24 hours to customers within a 300-mile radius from one of our locations across the country. Customer service is where we excel, and we know the incredible importance of expedited shipments. Plus, buying in bulk from us means fewer deliveries and restocks are needed!

High Quality Products

Sugar and the food and beverages industries go hand in hand, so you will need the highest quality products around. Our sweeteners allow you to create pure, clear, vibrant, and most of all, delicious products. We filter and test all of our products before they get to you. For a built-in way to stand out from the crowd, simply start with the best ingredients on the market from the people who know sugar best.

Market Knowledge

With nearly 100 years of experience in manufacturing and distributing blended sugar products, we promise operational excellence – every time. We help inform your decisions. Our timely market, product, and industry information are readily available to help you make informed product decisions. We are on your side. We want to pass savings to you by providing our products in bulk so you can pass the savings onto your customers. We will always look for an opportunity to help you save. If you have questions or need help finding the best products for you, get in contact with us today.