Sunday night, Dan and I were cooking dinner when we found ourselves in negotiations over the last half cup of brown sugar. He wanted it for the ham, I wanted it for the sweet potatoes and acorn squash. Just as Dan offered to split it with me, leaving us both a little short of what we really needed, I remembered the Molasses Episode of Good Eats in which Alton Brown made white sugar into brown sugar. But… was there any molasses in Dan’s kitchen? I checked the baking pantry and came away happy. We both had enough brown sugar to cook without compromises, and dinner was saved (cue heroic music).
Make your own Brown Sugar:
You may already know this tip, but I thought it was a useful thing to know as we enter the Holiday Season. Never run out again…
1 cup granulated sugar
1-2 tablespoons molasses
- Mix sugar and 1 tablespoon of molasses with a fork until well blended (I found using a mash and scrape motion worked best).
- If you like a darker brown sugar, add another tablespoon of molasses and mix well.
More reasons to keep molasses in your pantry:
- Fresh ginger and chocolate gingerbread and Gingerbread babycakes from Dorie Greenspan (via Serious Eats)
- Hank’s barbecue sauce from Simply Recipes
- Ginger-molasses cookies from Molly Wizenberg (Orangette)
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Good to know. I just bought some molasses to bake cookies but probably won’t use it again for a long time. Now I can put it to work.
I am so intrigued by this recipe.. I want to experiment with holiday baking using this.. thank you!
Thank you so much for this post. I did not know about that. I am currently living in Holland…and they don’t have brown sugar..I really miss having it!. But now I can make my own, yea.
Chris, they do have brown sugar in Holland…light and dark, right next to the white sugar! Only the molasses, where am I going to get that here? ;)
Patricia, I’m in the dark. Would you enlighten me as to what else molasses is good for? I mean this in all sincerity and am not being cheeky. I’ve never-ever bought a jar because I never knew what to do with the stuff. And they come in BIG jars. And I don’t like wasting stuff. And I rarely bake sweets because I’m the only one in our home (aside from eager kitties) who will eat it. Granted, the post office workers like me when I bring them extra goodies, but still. Please, Master Yoda?
Annemarie, I’m pretty sure we have molasses in Holland. It’s usually just called “stroop”. Try a Jumbo, which has a larger section of “import” food items.
Wow, fancy meeting an entire delegation in the Netherlands on a food blog. How cool is that?
Love this tip! I’ve been doing this for years. Nice not having to buy one more variety of sugar at the grocery store.
Wow, glad to find this recipe! I am in Italy now and cannot find brown sugar. I used to add caro syrup to the colored brown sugar I found in Hungary but this is better.
I brought molasses back with me last time I was in the states. It is great for Gingersnaps!!
Isn’t molasses what they call treacle in England? Hope that helps some.
You know, I was in bed this morning thinking about how I could infuse sugar with orange flower water – I bet this method would work just fine. Thanks for another excellent post!
I did not know that. Great tip.
Thanks so much!!! I really didn’t know this,and I just went and got 1/2 gallon of homemade syurp,for some of the old molasses cookies.Thank you again,and we’ve learned to expect some of the “Best”,out of you!!!
Fantastic tip. Would have never thought to do that. Thanks!!
I actually never tried to make brown sugar, so this is a great tip. I’ve made powdered sugar, but never brown :)
Whoa. This just opened some delicious time portal for me. I had no idea you could make your own brown sugar. Thanks for the tip!
Wow, this great to know. I am going to forward this on to my sister who has a running list of baking substitutions/recipes. I like the new look of the blog. :)
wow. not likely i’m going to try it (i’m really lazy), but good to know how it can be done!
Um, well now I need a recipe for molasses, so I can make brown sugar haha. I guess I will have to go to the store for that. Lovely photos!
Ok so I live in Montenegro and can’t find brown sugar. Can you substitue maple syrup?
Thanks!
Hi Missy,
I wouldn’t substitute straight maple syrup for brown sugar, but if you mix the maple syrup with regular granulated/cane sugar you would get maple syrup… not the same as brown sugar but could be good. Do you have molasses or treacle in Montenegro?
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