You’re seeking a scoop of sweetener to perk up your morning oats or are mixing up a batch of grandma’s chocolate chip cookies. You head to the pantry to grab your bag or canister of brown sugar only to find it MIA. It’s so simple to whip up a brown sugar substitute at home that’s essentially a DIY version of the store-bought stuff, we asked our Test Kitchen to walk us through how to make brown sugar.
Homemade Brown Sugar Ingredients
To make commercial brown sugar, manufacturers simply add molasses to granulated white sugar. It’s remarkably easy to recreate this process at home. All you need is:
- Granulated sugar, aka white sugar or table sugar: To make this kind of sugar, processors extract the juice from sugar cane or sugar beets, then boil that juice to allow the water to evaporate. Next, the raw sugar is spun in centrifuges to remove a sticky brown substance that surrounds the sugar crystals. Psst…this portion that’s spun off at this point is actually molasses, which is what we’ll be adding back in. At this point, the refined sugar crystals are placed through a natural filtration process that removes any impurities and helps turn the sugar bright and white. The finished product is chemically pure sucrose.
- Molasses: As we hinted to above, this is a thick, syrupy, and dark substance created as a byproduct of the sugar-making process. Nearly all commercial molasses is “unsulphured,” and there are typically three kinds of molasses available at most supermarkets and online retailers. We wanted to walk you through all of your options as you’re preparing to master how to make brown sugar.
- Light: Mild in flavor and color and considered by many to be the gold standard or “regular” molasses if a recipe doesn’t specify, light molasses is made from the first boiling of the sugar syrup. It’s a lovely supporting cast member that doesn’t overpower a recipe.
- Dark: Darker, thicker, and less sweet than light molasses, dark flavor is what is created during the second boiling of the sugar syrup. It has a more forceful flavor presence and is less sweet, making it an ideal option for savory recipes (that often call for a tablespoon or two).
- Blackstrap: Very strong in flavor and not ideal for sweet recipes, blackstrap molasses earns brownie points for being slightly richer in some minerals than light or dark molasses. It’s extremely dark in color, thick in texture, and bitter in flavor, and is made when the final portion of the sugar syrup left in the barrel is boiled for a third time.
The formula for homemade brown sugar is a cinch: To make homemade light brown sugar, use light molasses. For homemade dark brown sugar, opt for dark molasses.
Test Kitchen Tip: Now that you know what you’ll need to follow our guide for how to make brown sugar, let’s take a moment to focus on the “how much.” Just like with flour, it’s important to measure sugar correctly. To do so, spoon the granulated sugar into a measuring cup until it’s slightly over the top edge, then level off the top with a straight edge, such as the back of a butter knife. Since molasses is sticky, we like to coat our measuring spoons in nonstick cooking spray before pouring in the molasses. This creates a slick surface that allows the sticky syrup to slide off evenly (rather than stick to the spoon, which can result in uneven measuring).
How to Make Brown Sugar
Read on for our best homemade brown sugar recipe.
Ingredients
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1 cup granulated sugar
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2 tablespoons molasses
Directions
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Stir Ingredients Together
Stir together and use immediately according to your recipe.
Test Kitchen Tip: As you stir together the homemade brown sugar ingredients, the molasses may clump up a bit in the sugar. If you notice this happening, simply use a spatula to mash them against the side of the bowl (shifting the spatula from side to side to “mash” the clumps if necessary) until the clumps no longer remain and the mixture is even in color and consistency.
How to Store Brown Sugar
Store this DIY brown sugar in an airtight container, such as a zip-top bag (with as much air pressed out as possible), a large jar, or a food storage container with a lid for up to 6 months for best results. Keep brown sugar in a cool, moist environment outside of the fridge. (In other words, cellar conditions would be ideal.) To reduce the risk of hardening, consider adding a terracotta brown sugar bear—yes, these actually work!
If your homemade brown sugar hardens, transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the surface of the brown sugar with a piece or two paper towels that are between damp and wet, but not dripping. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then microwave on high for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Use a fork to separate the clumps in the sugar, then use immediately.
How to Use Brown Sugar (Homemade or Store-Bought)
You can use this DIY brown sugar recipe as a one-to-one replacement for brown sugar in any recipe.
Besides in your morning java or oats, brown sugar plays nicely in both savory and sweet applications. For brown sugar-infused party snacks, we’re sweet on Spicy Apple-Glazed Meatballs and Bourbon-Brown Sugar Nuts. As for easy weeknight dinners, Soy-Glazed Flank Steak with Blistered Green Beans and Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Onions never disappoint. The brown sugar lends just enough sweetness to accent the savory beef and pork. And on holidays, your menu will be golden if you add a glossy, sweet-and-savory brown sugar-glazed item as the main dish, like Brown Sugar and Whiskey Glazed Ham or Double Mustard-Brown Sugar Glazed Roast Turkey.
As for the sweets, we highly recommend that you wake up your morning routine (and allow yourself to spend a few more minutes in bed!) by meal-prepping these Fruit, Nut, and Brown Sugar Freezer Oatmeal Cups in advance. All that’s left to do is heat and eat. If you have a bit more time for a leisurely brunch, try a Puffed Oven Pancake with Brown Sugar-Banana Sauce or a batch of semi-homemade Shortcut Sugar Buns. Of course, we can’t forget about dessert. Besides in your family heirloom cookie recipes, set aside some sweetener for Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Custards and Brown Sugar and Pecan Air-Fryer Apples.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 19 | Calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 5g | Carbs |
| 0g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 48 | |
| Calories 18.7 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 0.4mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 4.8g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 4.8g | |
| Protein 0g | 0% |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 1.8mg | 0% |
| Iron 0mg | 0% |
| Potassium 12.9mg | 0% |
| Vitamin D 0IU | |
| Ash 0g | |
| Caffeine 0mg | |
| Carotene, alpha 0mcg | |
| Choline, total 0.1mg | |
| Copper, Cu 0mg | |
| Energy 78.1kJ | |
| Fluoride, F 0mcg | |
| Folate, total 0mcg | |
| Magnesium, Mg 2.1mg | |
| Manganese, Mn 0mg | |
| Niacin 0mg | |
| Phosphorus, P 0.3mg | |
| Pantothenic acid 0mg | |
| Retinol 0mcg | |
| Selenium, Se 0.2mcg | |
| Theobromine 0mg | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0mg | |
| Vitamin A, IU 0IU | |
| Vitamin A, RAE 0mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 0mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0mg | |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 0mcg | |
| Water 0.2g | |
| Zinc, Zn 0mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
