I don't recommend it. Here's why: According to this detailed article about white sugar vs brown sugar , brown sugar is acidic, which means it works really well with baking soda (which is alkaline). Brown sugar and baking soda make these bars rise up into chewy, soft bars. If you use white sugar, the texture will be different and you might get that terrible metallic taste that happens when the baking soda isn't paired with an acidic ingredient. Liquid sweeteners, like maple syrup, make the bars too moist and they don't hold together well.