Ever started baking and realized you’re out of brown sugar? No need to panic or rush to the store! You can easily make your own brown sugar in a matter of minutes. Making your own sugar allows you to control the texture and flavor to your taste, plus you get to whip it to your desired shade of brown. It’s super easy and only requires two ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen: white sugar and molasses. Let’s walk you through it, so next time you’re in the middle of a recipe and realize you’re out of brown sugar, just stir it up and it will be ready in no time. Whisk!

Ingredients

White granulated sugar: This is the base of your brown sugar.
Molasses: This is what gives brown sugar its distinctive flavor and color. You can use light or dark molasses depending on your preference.

Making of Light Brown Sugar

Light brown sugar is usually 3.5% molasses. It’s perfect for adding to tea or coffee, and can be swapped out for plain sugar in many different applications.

For light brown sugar, you’ll need 1 cup of white sugar and 1 tablespoon of molasses.

Put the white sugar and molasses in a mixing bowl. Use a fork, a whisk, or even your hands to combine them.

Mix until the molasses is fully incorporated into the sugar. This might take a few minutes, so be patient. You’ll know it’s ready when the sugar turns a light brown color and has a slightly sticky texture.

Put your homemade brown sugar in an airtight container to keep it fresh. If you don’t plan on using it right away, it should stay soft and usable for weeks.

Making of Dark Brown Sugar

Dark brown sugar has double the amount of molasses as its lighter counterpart at 6.5%. The additional molasses gives it a complex, toffee-caramel like taste.

For dark brown sugar, you’ll need 1 cup of white sugar and 2 tablespoons of molasses.

Just like with light brown sugar, mix the white sugar and molasses in a bowl.

Stir until the molasses is evenly distributed throughout the sugar, resulting in a darker, richer brown color and a more robust flavor.

Keep your dark brown sugar in an airtight container. Proper storage will prevent it from drying out and hardening.

Tips and Tricks

Shades of brown: If you prefer your brown sugar lighter or darker, feel free to adjust the amount of molasses. More molasses will make it darker and richer, while less will keep it lighter.

Hardened sugar: If your brown sugar hardens, don’t worry! You can soften it by placing a slice of bread or a damp paper towel in the container for a few hours or overnight. The moisture will transfer to the sugar, making it soft again.

Types of molasses: Light molasses will give you a milder flavor, while blackstrap molasses will result in a deeper, more intense flavor. Experiment to find what you like best.