Brown sugar is a popular sweetener used in baking, oatmeal, coffee, and more. While you can buy it at the store, brown sugar is easy to make at home with just two ingredients – white granulated sugar and molasses.
Why Make Your Own Homemade Brown Sugar?
There are a few benefits to making your own brown sugar rather than buying it:
It’s more economical – Since it only requires sugar and molasses which you may already have on hand, homemade brown sugar costs less per cup than store-bought.
You control the flavor – By adjusting the amount of molasses you add, you can make light or dark brown sugar to suit your taste and cooking needs.
No additives – Some commercial brown sugars contain additives or anti-caking agents. DIY brown sugar contains just pure cane sugar and molasses.
Easy 2-Ingredient Recipe
The ingredients to make homemade brown sugar couldn’t be simpler:
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
That’s it! Here’s the easy process:
Pour the granulated sugar into a mixing bowl.
Add the molasses and use a fork to work it into the sugar.
Continue mixing until fully incorporated, about 2-3 minutes.
When finished, the sugar will be moist and evenly brown in color with no streaks. Use it cup-for-cup in place of store-bought brown sugar.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months. Over time, the molasses may separate a bit or dry out, so you can add a teaspoon of water and remix before using if needed.
Making your own brown sugar is super quick and lets you control the flavor profile. Give it a try with this easy homemade recipe!
Using a fork, begin to work the molasses into the sugar.
Continue to mix the sugar and molasses together until fully combined. This process can take a few minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the sugar is an even brown color, with no streaks of molasses left.
Notes
Store your homemade brown sugar in an airtight container at room temperature. It’s ready to use in any recipe that calls for brown sugar!
Lindsey Chastain is the founder and Managing Editor of Waddle and Cluck, a digital magazine for people building a more self-sufficient life. A working homesteader and professional journalist, she writes from real experience on a real piece of land. She is also the founder of The Writing Detective, a writing and content strategy firm.
