Homemade Brown Sugar Recipe (How to Make Brown Sugar) (2024)

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPEBrown sugar is an essentialingredientand a BoldBakingBasic. It adds an irresistible caramelly, toffee-likeflavor, a richer color, and a lovely moistness and softness to baked goods. It’s also perfect for adding a warm sugar note to dressings, sauces, and marinades, and it’s a delicious sweetener for coffee and tea.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 6/13/2023, to include additional step-by-step photography, Pro Chef Tips, and answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Homemade brown sugarelevates everyrecipeit’s used in and because you can make it as light or dark as you like, you can give your cooking a personal touch. It’s economical, you can make the amount you need, and it’s fresh.

I know brown sugar is not available in all countries, but I don’t want you to leave it out of yourbaking, and with thishomemade brown sugar recipe, you’ll never have to be without it again. It’s just twoingredientsand two steps–what could be simpler?

Table of Contents

• What is Brown Sugar?
• Tools You Need
• Ingredients
• How to Make Brown Sugar
• How to Store Brown Sugar
• What Can I Use Instead ofWhite Sugarin thisRecipe?
• What Can I Substitute for Molasses?
• FAQs
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• RecipesThat Use Brown Sugar

What is Brown Sugar?

Brown sugar is simplywhite granulated sugarcombined with molasses. Adding molasses giveswhite sugara richer, deeperflavor. Because of the added molasses, brown sugar is moister thanwhite sugar.

Sugar is made from thejuiceof sugar cane or sugar beets. Thejuiceis evaporated untilcrystalsform, and then thecrystalsare spun in a centrifuge to separate them from their liquid. That liquid is molasses. Brown sugar is made in a reverse process–molasses is added back towhite sugar.

• Bowls
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Airtight container

Ingredients

• Granulated Sugar aka regular sugar orwhite sugar

You can substitute caster sugar, which has more finely groundcrystalsthan granulated sugar. Substitute it in a 1:1 ratio.

• Molasses

I recommend using mild or dark molasses. Blackstrap molasses has a slightly more robust flavor and may taste a bit too strong.

You can substitute blacktreacleat a 1:1 ratio.

How To Make Brown Sugar

Combine molasses and sugar in a mixingbowl.

Rub in the molasses with your fingertips until the molasses is blended in.

How Do I Store Brown Sugar?

The air evaporates themoisturein brown sugar, leaving you with a rock-hard clump of unusable sugar.

The best way to store brown sugar is to store it in anairtight containerwith a slice of bread. Check out my articleHow to Store Brown Sugarfor more details.

What Can I Use Instead ofWhite Sugarin thisRecipe?

For best results, use granulated sugar (aka regular sugar orwhite sugar) OR caster sugar.

• Turbinado,demerara, andraw sugar: These sugars still retain some of the molasses from the refining process. Their larger grains make them better for a sweet and crunchy topping and they’re not recommended for generalbakingpurposes because they don’t easily dissolve in a dough or batter.
• Coconut sugar:Coconut sugaris drier thanwhite granulated sugar. If you substitutecoconut sugarfor granulated sugar, it’s recommended that you add an additionaltablespoonof liquid or fat (oil or melted butter) to yourrecipe.

What Can I Substitute for Molasses?

For best results, use mild or dark molasses or blacktreacle.

• Fancy Molasses, also known as Gold Star, can be substituted, but the results will be different because Fancy Molasses has a lighter and sweetertaste.
• Other molasses varieties like carob molasses, which has a rich, chocolate-likeflavor, and grape or date molasses, which has more of a fruityflavor, can also be used.
• Not recommended are lighttreacle(golden syrup),honey, andmaple syrup, because they lack the deepflavorof molasses.

FAQs

Do You Recommend anyBrown Sugar Substitutes?

• Muscovado sugar: This brown sugar is less refined, so it retains much of its molasses component. Muscovado has more complexflavors, with more pronounced caramel and toffee notes. It can be substituted for brown sugar, but since it’s moister you might have to sift it to remove clumps.
• Jaggery (made from palm sap or sugar canejuice), rapadura, or panela (boiled crushed cane sugar): You can substitute the granular form of any of these for brown sugar, and they can be substituted in equal amounts.

What’s the Difference Between Light andDark Brown Sugar?

Dark brown sugarhas a bolder molassestastethanlight brown sugar. In commercial varieties, the concentration of molasses to sugar varies from 3.5% for light and 10% fordark brown sugar.

Can I MakeLight Brown SugarintoDark Brown Sugar?

Yes. Simply add atablespoon of molassestolight brown sugarto make it intodark brown sugar.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• White sugarshould not be used when brown sugar is specified in arecipe. Not only does it adversely affect thetaste, but brown sugar lowers the acid/alkaline balance in arecipe, so it’s often used withbakingsoda for leavening.
• To measure brown sugar, firmly press it into the cup with your fingers or the back of a spoon. Level with the rim of the cup. The brown sugar should hold the shape of the cup when it is turned out.
• To fix crumbly brown sugar, you can grind it in afood processorto make it finer and remove lumps, or in arecipethat calls for melted butter and brown sugar, melt the brown sugar first then let it cool down to room temperature and continue as directed in therecipe.
• Soften brown sugar using the microwave. Place the hardened sugar in a microwave-safe bowl, and then place a damp paper towel on op. Microwave on medium for 30 seconds, or until it’s soft.

How to Use Your Brown Sugar

This brown sugarrecipeis ESSENTIAL inrecipeslike my Best-EverChocolate Chip CookieRecipe, Best-EverBrownieRecipe,Sticky Toffee Pudding in a Mug, andGingerbread. All of theserecipeshave something in common, they have acaramel flavorwith a gooey, treaclytexture. This sugar does that, that’s why I don’t want you to leave it out.

• How to Make Caramel
• The Best Sugar Substitutes
• How to Make Rolled Fondant
• How to Make Powdered Sugar
• How to Make Condensed Milk

And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Everyday!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved ON 6/13/2023, to include additional step-by-step photography, Pro Chef Tips, and answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Full (and printable) recipe below!

Ingredients

Instructions