Best Panela of 2026
* We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.
Panela is a traditional Latin American sweetener that is gaining popularity worldwide due to its unique flavor and health benefits. Made from evaporated sugarcane juice, this unrefined sugar has a rich caramel-like taste and a grainy texture. It is commonly used in desserts, hot beverages, and savory dishes, adding a distinct sweetness and depth of flavor. Panela is also known for its high mineral content, including iron, calcium, and magnesium, making it a healthier alternative to processed sugars. Whether you're a culinary enthusiast or simply looking to explore new flavors, panela is a must-try ingredient that will elevate your cooking and baking to a whole new level.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Panela
Iberia Panela Fraccionada
Iberia Panela is a 32-ounce package of raw, unrefined cane sugar from Colombia. It has a lightly sweet molasses taste with warm, caramel undertones, making it a unique and flavorful ingredient. With its versatility, you can use Iberia Panela as a 1:1 replacement for almost any sugar. Whether you're adding it to your coffee, cocktails, baking, or cooking, it serves as a great substitute for both brown and white sugar. What sets Iberia Panela apart is its traditional handmade process that has been used for centuries. The raw sugarcane juice is dehydrated over low heat until it becomes a thick syrup, which is then cooled into bricks. This sustainable process is fueled by dried sugarcane stalks, making Iberia Panela an eco-friendly choice. Additionally, Iberia Panela contains naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants, providing you with added health benefits.
Fela Panela Brown Sugar Cane 32oz
Fela Panela Sugar is a delightful way to experience Colombian culture through its unique flavor. Made from high-quality sugarcane, these easy-to-use rounds dissolve quickly, making them perfect for adding a rich, caramel taste to your favorite recipes. You can enhance your beverages, like coffee or aguapanela, with a simple drop of a Tejito. Plus, this natural sweetener is packed with essential minerals, supporting your health while providing a quick energy boost. With Fela's dedication to traditional panela-making, you can trust that you're getting an authentic taste of Colombia in every use.
Goya Panela Brown Sugar Cane
Goya Panela Brown Sugar Cane is a 100% natural sweetener made from brown sugar cane. It is a popular choice in central and Latin America, where it is known as panela or piloncillo. With its authentic flavor, Goya Panela Sugar can add a touch of sweetness to your life. It comes in three varieties: square, round, and cone. The square and round shapes make it easy to measure and use, while the cone shape is perfect for grating. Whether you're sweetening your morning coffee or adding a hint of sweetness to your favorite recipes, Goya Panela Sugar is a versatile and delicious choice. If you're looking for a high-quality brown granulated sugar, Goya Panela Brown Sugar Cane is the way to go.
Just Panela Organic Unrefined Cane Sugar
Just Panela Cane Sugar offers a premium, natural sweetener made from raw, unprocessed sugar cane. This product is perfect for those looking to add a rich, deep flavor to their coffee, baked goods, or meals while enjoying a more nutritious alternative to refined sugars. Since it retains essential minerals and nutrients removed in typical refining, it supports a healthier diet. You can use it confidently knowing it contains no chemicals, preservatives, or artificial colors, ensuring a pure and natural ingredient in your kitchen. With this cane sugar, you get both taste and health benefits in one convenient package.
Goya Foods Panela Brown Sugar Cane
Goya Panela Brown Sugar is a delicious and nutritious 100% natural brown sugar cane that captures the unique flavor and essence of cane sugar. It retains its molasses content, providing wholesome flavor and superior cooking and baking results. This convenient and versatile sweetener, also known as Panella or Piloncillo, is perfect for preparing delicious desserts, marinades, and beverages. With Goya Panela Brown Sugar, you can sweeten your life and indulge in the authentic taste of Central and Latin America. Its commitment to quality ensures that if it's Goya, it has to be good! Available in a pack of 24, 16 oz round packs, you can easily find it on Amazon, Amazon Fresh, and Prime Pantry.
TAMARIN FRUITS Panela
TAMARIN FRUITS Panela is an organic, all-natural, and vegan unrefined evaporated sugar cane juice, artisanally made in Colombia. This 1-pound package of brown granulated sugar is perfect for sweetening coffee, adding to oatmeal, baking, and making treats and desserts. With TAMARIN FRUITS Panela, you can also make a delicious all-natural energy drink by diluting it in water and adding lime. This versatile product offers a healthier alternative to refined sugar, allowing you to enjoy the natural sweetness of sugar cane while avoiding artificial additives and GMOs. Whether you're looking to sweeten your beverages, enhance your breakfast, or create mouthwatering desserts, TAMARIN FRUITS Panela is the perfect choice.
Generic Panela Colombiana Brown Sugar Cane Mayte 8 Pack
The Generic Panela Brown Sugar is made from pure Colombian sugar cane, giving you a natural and rich sweetness that enhances your drinks and dishes. You can choose between a 4-pack or 8-pack, making it easy to get the right amount for your household or cooking needs. This panela is great for adding a sweet touch to your coffee or tea, or for making traditional Colombian drinks like agua de panela. Its deep caramel flavor also brings a warm, natural sweetness to baked goods, making your recipes taste even better.
Fit Lane Nutrition Bulk Demerara Sugar 4 lbs
Fit Lane Demerara Sugar offers a natural and rich sweetness that enhances your coffee, tea, and baked goods. Its large golden crystals dissolve slowly, giving your drinks and desserts a deeper, more complex flavor. Because it is minimally processed, this sugar keeps its natural molasses, which provides a unique caramel-like taste that you won’t find in regular sugars. Made from freshly squeezed sugar cane juice, it guarantees a pure and authentic flavor every time. Whether you want to sweeten your morning beverage or add a special touch to your recipes, this sugar makes it easy and delicious.
Goya Panela Brown Sugar Cane 16oz
Goya Panela Sugar is a completely natural brown sugar cane product, perfect for adding a touch of sweetness to your meals. This sugar is commonly used in Central and Latin America, making it an authentic choice for those looking to enhance their culinary creations. Available in various shapes such as square, round, and cone, it offers versatility in use. By choosing Goya, you are guaranteed quality and taste, ensuring that your dishes are flavorful and delightful.
Generic Panela Colombiana Brown Sugar Cane 4 Pack
The Generic Panela Brown Sugar offers you a natural sweetener made entirely from pure Colombian sugar cane, giving your drinks and dishes a rich, authentic taste. You can choose between a convenient 4-pack or 8-pack, making it easy to pick the right amount for your needs. This sugar is very versatile, perfect for adding sweetness to your coffee or tea, or for cooking traditional Colombian recipes like agua de panela. Plus, its deep caramel flavor enhances both beverages and baked goods, bringing a natural and delicious richness to everything you prepare.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is panela just brown sugar?
No, panela is not just brown sugar. While brown sugar involves refining, panela does not. Panela retains its molasses, giving it a more complex caramel flavor compared to brown sugar.
2. Is panela healthier than sugar?
Panela is not healthier than regular sugar. It still contains the same number of calories as regular sugar and can contribute to weight gain if consumed in excess amounts.
3. What does panela taste like?
Panela has a lightly sweet molasses taste with warm caramel undertones. It is raw, unrefined cane sugar from Colombia and is known for its unique and flavorful characteristics.
4. Why is panela so expensive?
Panela can be more expensive due to the process of retaining its molasses, which gives it a more complex caramel flavor and makes it richer in minerals and vitamins. Additionally, factors such as production location and market demand can influence its price.
5. Is panela sugar OK for diabetics?
Panela, as a more complex carbohydrate, can be a good choice for diabetics and athletes. It can be used as a natural sweetener in various dishes and retains some nutrients.
6. Is panela the same as turbinado?
Panela can be used as a replacement for brown, white, and turbinado sugar in beverages, baking, and cooking. It offers a textural component with hints of caramel, molasses, raisin, and spice.
7. What is the unhealthiest sugar substitute?
Artificial sweeteners like sucralose, saccharin, and aspartame, as well as high fructose corn syrup, agave, and brown rice syrup, are considered some of the unhealthiest sugar substitutes. It is best to avoid these sweeteners when possible.
8. What is the unhealthiest sugar?
Processed high fructose corn syrup is considered one of the worst types of sugar due to its potential negative effects on health. Some experts compare the addictive effects of sugar to that of cocaine.
9. Is panela cheese healthier?
Panela cheese is a healthier option compared to other cheeses. It contains a higher percentage of water and a lower amount of fat, making it suitable for people with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, or diabetes.
10. Can you eat panela raw?
Yes, panela is traditionally consumed raw. It is a raw sugar produced and consumed throughout Latin America.
11. How do you eat panela?
Panela can be enjoyed in various ways: - Crumbled: It can be used as a topping for dishes like huevos rancheros, tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, and nopal salads. - Sliced: Add sliced panela cheese on top of Mexican sandwiches like cemitas or tortas. - Fried: Panela cheese is also delicious when fried. - Baked: It can be used in baked goods.
During our panela research, we found 24 panela products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 12,511 customer reviews through our big data system to write the panela list. We found that most customers choose panela with an average price of $12.70.
The panela are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of panela, including Iberia, Fela, Goya, Just Panela, Tamarin Fruits. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 384 consumers with an average rating of 4.7.
Ashley Abels is a former restaurant executive and has worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years. She is also a gourmet who loves tasting different cuisines and trying out all kinds of cooking methods. The food she writes about will make you want to try it!