No brown sugar at home? No problem! You can make your own brown sugar substitute with 2 simple ingredients: granulated sugar and molasses!
Brown sugar season is here — though I use brown sugar year-round, I tend to go through more of it in the cooler months. If you reach for brown sugar and your jar is empty, you can quickly make a perfect substitute using just granulated sugar and molasses.
This homemade version mimics store-bought brown sugar in texture and flavor and works in any recipe that calls for brown sugar. You can easily make light or dark brown sugar by adjusting the amount of molasses (details in the recipe below).
Brown sugar ingredients:
To make brown sugar at home you need only:
• granulated sugar
• unsulphered molasses
Granulated sugar is essentially brown sugar with the molasses removed, so we’re simply adding molasses back to recreate brown sugar.
How to make brown sugar at home:
Making brown sugar is simple: combine granulated sugar and molasses in a bowl and mix until the molasses evenly coats the sugar. The mixture may clump at first; keep stirring until it resembles store-bought brown sugar. Use this homemade brown sugar as a 1:1 substitute in any recipe.
It may look slightly lighter than commercial brown sugar, but the flavor and texture are virtually the same and it performs identically in baking.
Homemade brown sugar storage:
Store your homemade brown sugar the same way you would store store-bought: in an airtight container or resealable bag in a cool, slightly humid place. Proper sealing prevents the sugar from drying out and turning into a hard lump.
If your brown sugar does harden, it can usually be revived by adding a slice of bread or a damp paper towel to the container for a few hours to reintroduce moisture.
Check out these other recipes:
• Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Eggs
• Pumpkin Sheet Cake
• Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies
If you try this or any of my recipes, please leave a comment and review — I love hearing your feedback! Tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you make.
Homemade Brown Sugar Recipe
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- Author: Mimi
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup
Description
No brown sugar at home? No problem! Make a quick brown sugar substitute with granulated sugar and molasses.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 – 2 tablespoons unsulphered molasses
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and molasses. Use 1 tablespoon molasses for light brown sugar or 2 tablespoons for dark brown sugar.
- Stir until the molasses evenly coats the sugar and the mixture resembles store-bought brown sugar. It may clump at first — keep mixing until it comes together. Note: the color may be slightly lighter than commercial brown sugar, but it works as an equal substitute in recipes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
Enjoy!