Brown Sugar

• Use brown sugar measure for measure in place of the granulated sugar in your brownie recipe. The brown sugar will mix and sweeten the same, but may lend a slightly molasseslike flavor to the cooked treat. The darker brown the sugar you use, the deeper this flavor will be.

Sugar Alternatives

• Sucralose is a heat-stable sugar alternative to use in brownies. Sucralose replaces sugar measure for measure, but be warned: Your brownies may cook more quickly than they do when made with granulated sugar. Angie Thayer of Wilton, the cake and confection company, suggests checking on the brownies 4 to 5 minutes before the recipe's projected bake time. Other sugar alternatives include stevia and acesulfame potassium, but these are usually used to replace just a portion of the granulated sugar in a recipe -- so they may not be of help when your sugar jar is empty. Note that whole-leaf and crude stevia extracts are not a Food and Drug Administration-approved sweetener; only derivatives of stevia are deemed as safe by the FDA.

Agave Nectar

• Agave nectar, which comes from the agave plant, is another possible substitute for granulated sugar in a brownie recipe. You should use 2/3 cup of agave for every cup of sugar. Because agave nectar comes in liquid form, you'll also need to reduce the liquid ingredients in your brownies by 2 to 4 tablespoons to preserve the texture.

Maple Syrup

• Using maple syrup to make your brownies lends a distinctive flavor, which you may find quite pleasant. Use 3/4 for every cup of granulated sugar and decrease the liquids by 2 to 4 tablespoons for every cup of syrup used. You may need to add a little more baking soda and decrease the oven temperature by about 25 degrees to prevent caramelizing of the brownies around the edges. Use 100 percent maple syrup if possible. Avoid using maple-flavored syrups, which are mostly corn syrup, or low-calorie syrups that often contain aspartame, an artificial sweetener that turns bitter when heated.