Homemade brown sugar is a simple combination of granulated sugar and molasses. Here's how to make both light and brown sugars at home.
Makes1 cupPrep5 minutes
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Brown sugar is the sticky, fragrant sweetener that adds moisture and flavor to so many of our favorite baked goods, from chocolate chip cookies to banana bread. But if you find yourself staring into an empty box, don’t fret — you’ve likely got everything you need to make brown sugar from scratch.
So whether you need a cup or a pound, or light or dark, you’re just two ingredients away from it. Here’s how to make brown sugar at home.
Quick Overview
The Best Way to Make Brown Sugar
Wondering how to make brown sugar at home? It’s as easy as adding molasses to sugar. Here are a few ways to combine the sugar and molasses together:
Large bowl and fork. This is low-tech and easy — simply mix together molasses and granulated sugar in a bowl.
Zip-top bag. You can mix the molasses and sugar in a zip-top bag. Just make sure the bag is tightly sealed, then massage the mixture until combined.
Food processor. Giving the molasses and sugar a few quick pulses in the food processor is the fastest and easiest way to mix up brown sugar at home.
Although we often think of them as two totally different entities, brown sugar is simply sugar that contains molasses. The difference between white granulated sugar and brown sugar is how the sugar is processed. In granulated sugar, all of the molasses is extracted from it. In brown sugar, molasses is retained, creating a darker color with a rich, caramel flavor.
What’s the Difference Between Light Brown Sugar and Dark Brown Sugar?
The only difference between light and dark brown sugar is the ratio of molasses to sugar. Dark brown sugar has more molasses, so you’ll need more of it to make dark brown sugar at home. The following ratios (and the recipe below) yield 1 cup brown sugar, but the recipe can easily be scaled up. For example, you could use 1/4 cup molasses for every 1 pound of granulated sugar.
Light brown sugar: Use 1 tablespoon molasses for every 1 cup sugar. Dark brown sugar: Use 2 tablespoons molasses for every 1 cup sugar.
How to Store Homemade Brown Sugar
Your homemade brown sugar can be stored in an airtight container, where it will keep well for up to one month. You can keep brown sugar soft with a terra cotta brown sugar saver or store it in a zip-top bag, making sure to squeeze out all the air.
Homemade brown sugar is a simple combination of granulated sugar and molasses. Here's how to make both light and brown sugars at home.
Prep time 5 minutes
Makes 1 cup
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
1 cup
granulated sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons
molasses (not blackstrap)
Instructions
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Measure 1 cup granulated sugar. Measure 1 tablespoon molasses for light brown sugar or 2 tablespoons for dark brown sugar. Place the sugar and molasses in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.
Pulse until the molasses is completely incorporated into the sugar, about 1 minute. Alternatively, place the sugar and molasses in a medium bowl and use a fork to slowly work the molasses into the sugar.
If not using immediately, store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 month.
To make light brown sugar, combine 1 cup white granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp.molasses (increase to 2 Tbsp.molasses for dark brown sugar). No need to whip out the blender or food processor—you can mix this by hand.
White sugar plus molasses. A combination of white sugar and molasses is your best bet for a brown sugar substitute, as that's exactly what brown sugar is made of (1). ...
While they are produced differently, resulting in distinct tastes, colors, and culinary uses, brown sugar is often simply processed white sugar with molasses. Contrary to common belief, they are nutritionally similar. Brown sugar contains slightly more minerals than white sugar but will not provide any health benefits.
Brown sugar contains about the same number of calories per teaspoon as white table sugar. The main difference between table sugar and brown sugar is the presence of molasses, which gives brown sugar its distinct color, flavor and moisture. The molasses used to make brown sugar comes from sugar cane, not sugar beets.
Homemade brown sugar is simple and easy and tastes exactly like store-bought! You'll never run out of brown sugar if you keep two simple ingredients on hand: white granulated sugar and molasses. The recipe ingredients are for light brown sugar. For dark brown sugar, double the amount of molasses.
Mix 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses to mimic a cup of light brown sugar. Mix 1 cup of granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons of molasses to mimic a cup of dark brown sugar. If you don't have molasses on hand, you can combine white sugar with another liquid sweetener, like maple syrup or honey.
Stir about 2 tablespoons of honey, maple syrup, or agave into 1 cup of granulated sugar. NOTE: These substitutes (honey, syrup, agave) will not produce a result as close to brown sugar. The sugar will not be as dark and the flavor will not be as deep and rich.
Combine sugar and molasses in a mixing bowl. Using your fingertips rub in the molasses until the molasses is completely incorporated and the sugar turns brown.
Brown sugar, which is made of refined white sugar with molasses added, has more moisture than coconut sugar, making it better for certain baking recipes. Coconut sugar gets its deep brown color and flavor due to cooking and has no other ingredients added to it.
Molasses is my preference when making brown sugar. However, you can substitute maple syrup for the molasses, but the overall taste and texture will be slightly different. Is it cheaper to make your own brown sugar? Yes, it is more cost-effective to make your brown sugar.
Add a tablespoon of buckwheat honey to a cup of white granulated sugar. This honey is darker than orange blossom or wildflower honey and has a strong flavor much like molasses that will come through in the resulting sugar.
1:1 BROWN SUGAR REPLACEMENT: Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener matches the sweetness of brown sugar, helping you fill your kitchen with a healthy cup-for-cup alternative to ordinary baking ingredients.
Refined brown sugar is simply white sugar with molasses added to it. This means that brown sugar is pure, unrefined sugar and undergoes less processing than white sugar, allowing it to retain some of its molasses content and natural brown color.
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