Run out of brown sugar? No problem. With white sugar and molasses you can learn how to make brown sugar to use in your favorite baking recipes.
A mainstay for topping Steel Cut Oats or for rolling up with cinnamon in Jumbo Orange Cinnamon Rolls, brown sugar is one of those grocery staples you don’t want to run out of. But if you do, rest assured you can make your own!
Brown sugar is sometimes essential to a recipe. You can’t make a good Cinnamon Roll without it. And Not Mushy Oatmeal really tastes its best with a sprinkling of the sweet stuff.
Forget about making Molasses Crinkles without it. The flavor and texture just aren’t the same.
Sometimes you really need brown sugar.
It was a few pantry challenges ago when we ran out of this staple. I didn’t want to go to the store to get more, lest I be tempted to buy other things that we probably didn’t need while I was there.
So, I figured out a way to create a baking substitution for it instead!
Why This Works
Now, it’s important to remember that you can’t make something from nothing. I can’t conjure it out of thin air. But, I could consider what happens during sugar cane processing.
- The sugar cane is shredded and then juiced.
- The juice is clarified, concentrated and crystallized.
- The crystals have even more liquid removed, resulting in raw sugar.
- The raw sugar is purified further, then melted and filtered. Molasses is a by-product at this point.
- Then the sugar is crystallized, dried, and packed for shipping.
The amount of molasses left in the sugar determines what type of sugar you have: white, light brown, or dark brown. White sugar has more of the molasses removed while dark brown sugar has more molasses remaining.
So, in the absence of a bag of this classic sweetener, I can recreate it by adding molasses back into white granulated sugar!
Ingredients
All you need to make your own brown sugar are two ingredients:
white sugar – You’ll need plain granulated, white sugar. Powdered sugar will not work for this.
molasses – You know the stuff you buy at the holidays for one recipe and then never use again? This is the time to use it up!
Step-by-Step Instructions
So, that’s what you do.
- For every cup you need, measure out 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of molasses.
- Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl, working the molasses into the sugar with a fork or a pastry blender. This may take a few minutes and seem impossible at first, but it will come together. Trust me.
- And voila! Store it in an airtight container at room temperature.
Dark Brown Sugar Variation
To make dark brown sugar, you would do the exact same thing as above, but add 2 tablespoons molasses to the granulated sugar.
FAQs
First, make sure you are keeping it in an airtight sealable container instead of the bag it comes in once it’s been opened. Then you can add a piece of white bread or a few marshmallows on top. These will add some moisture and help keep it soft.
It can be used as a sweetener in baked goods like Gramma John’s Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies or Vanilla Pear Brown Sugar Muffins, sauces, marinades, and beverages as well as a topping for oatmeal or fruit.
Since this sweetener contains molasses it also contains some minerals, such as calcium, iron, and potassium that white sugar is lacking. It also has a deeper flavor than white sugar, thanks to the molasses.
Recipe Costs
When you’ve run out of brown sugar and can’t or don’t want to run to the store, it make sense for a practical standpoint to make your own. How does it pencil out, money-wise?
Here are the prices from a mid-range grocery at non-sale prices:
- sugar: $0.22/cup ($1.99/4#)
- molasses: $0.14/tablespoon ($3.40/12 oz)
This pencils out to $0.36 cents/cup!
The cheap brand costs $2.49/32 oz, or $0.55/cup. Turns out homemade is cheaper than store bought!
More Kitchen Tricks
How to Make Brown Sugar
Equipment
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and molasses in a bowl. Work the ingredients together with a fork until the molasses is completely distributed throughout the sugar.
- Store the brown sugar in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- To make dark brown sugar: Do the exact same thing as above, but add 2 tablespoons molasses to the granulated sugar.
- How do I keep my brown sugar soft? – First, make sure you are keeping your brown sugar in an airtight sealable container instead of the bag it comes in once it’s been opened. Then you can add a piece of white bread or a few marshmallows on top.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on January 12, 2020. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Janna
Making your own pantry staples is an essential skill that all of us need to learn. They are inexpensive and so easy to make.
An additional note: When your brown sugar becomes hard as a rock, do not throw it out. Put it in a bowl and place a dampened (not saturated and not squeezed hard) paper towel or piece of clean cloth on top. Cover with a tight fitting lid or plastic wrap and leave it for a few hours or overnight. It will soften beautifully.
Thanks for all the great information.
Jessica Fisher
Thanks for sharing a great tip, Janna!
Diane
I so gratefully thank you for this advice. I love baking and I’m finding that so many recipes call for brown sugar. Who would’ve thought that it was so easy. Now, to buy molasses. Thank you!