Whole sugarcane flour as an innovative ingredient for brown sugar replacement and fiber enrichment in muffins

Growing consumer demand for foods with lower added sugar content and increased dietary fiber has encouraged the search for alternative ingredients that combine nutritional and technological functionality. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional and technological potential of whole sugarcane flour (WSF) and its feasibility as a partial replacement for brown sugar in muffins, focusing on dietary fiber enrichment while maintaining technological and sensory quality. Muffins were produced using a completely randomized design, with 25% and 50% replacement of brown sugar by WSF at two particle sizes (48 and 65 mesh), resulting in four formulations (25WSF48, 25WSF65, 50WSF48, and 50WSF65) and a control formulation (C) containing brown sugar. Particle size significantly affected the proximate composition and technological properties of WSF (p < 0.05). The flours exhibited high dietary fiber content (15.41–19.41%), low glucose content (2.24–2.27%), and low moisture (2.61–2.81%). The 65-mesh WSF showed lower fiber content (15.41%), lower water-holding capacity (2.06 g/g), and a higher water solubility index (30.02%). WSF incorporation significantly affected the nutritional composition, color parameters, and texture profile of the muffins (p < 0.05). Replacing 50% of brown sugar with WSF increased the fiber content approximately threefold, reaching 3.09% and 2.49% in muffins prepared with 48- and 65-mesh WSF, respectively (p < 0.05). Although WSF incorporation affected muffin color (p < 0.05), the hardness, springiness, and gumminess of 25WSF65 and 50WSF65 did not differ significantly from those of the control (p > 0.05), indicating preservation of relevant textural characteristics. Sensory evaluation was performed with 58 consumers, of whom 73% reported consuming whole-grain or fiber-enriched foods and 55% reported consuming brown sugar. WSF particle size significantly influenced consumer preference, with muffins containing 48-mesh WSF being the least preferred (p < 0.05), whereas 25WSF65 was the most preferred formulation. No significant differences were observed between 25WSF65 and 50WSF65 for sweetness and texture (p > 0.05). The 25WSF65 formulation achieved an overall acceptability score of 6.63 on a nine-point hedonic scale and an acceptance index above 70%, with sweetness (7.21) and sweet aroma (7.02) reaching approximately 80% acceptance. Overall, WSF proved to be a promising functional ingredient for muffin formulation, enabling up to 50% replacement of brown sugar and an approximately threefold increase in fiber content. Particularly, 65-mesh WSF allowed substantial brown sugar replacement while maintaining key textural properties and consumer perception of sweetness and texture, highlighting its potential for developing fiber-enriched bakery products with reduced added sugar.