Homemade Brown Sugar: How to Make Light or Dark Brown Sugar in 2 Minutes
Learn how to make homemade brown sugar with just 2 ingredients. Make light or dark brown sugar in minutes with white sugar and molasses.
What Is Brown Sugar Made Of?
Amazingly, only white sugar and molasses!
So, one day when I did not have brown sugar on hand to make my favorite Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Focaccia, I decided I was going to figure out how to make it.
It was so easy! If you have a hand or counter-top mixer, you can throw it in and have it do the work. But, it was a cinch to just mix up sugar and molasses by hand.
I’ve even thrown each into the mixing bowl with other ingredients and mixed it all up at once. No separate bowl or clean up needed.
How to Make Homemade Brown Sugar
- Measure 1 cup of granulated white sugar and add it to a bowl.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of molasses.
- Mix thoroughly with a fork or whisk until the molasses is evenly incorporated into the sugar.
- Use in any recipe that calls for brown sugar.
- Store any extra in a sealed jar or bag.
How Much Molasses Do You Need?
Just a tablespoon or two!
With these two ingredients on hand, you actually don’t have to keep a bag of brown sugar in the cupboard or pantry.
And, mixing it up fresh means it always soft and easy to use.
How to Make Light or Dark Brown Sugar
1 cup white sugar + 1 tablespoon molasses = light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar + 2 tablespoons molasses = dark brown sugar
For light brown sugar, use 1 tablespoon of molasses. For dark brown sugar, use 2 tablespoons. I sometimes just eyeball it and end up with something in between that is totally delicious.
If you want to get nerdy and need the formula for your brown sugar to be very precise, Serious Eats explains more of the science behind it and how to use more specific ingredients and weights to create something more reliable.
I just like molasses and don’t mind if it’s not perfect. That seems to be the Maxon Made way. Let’s just make life easier and move forward.
Common Questions about Homemade Brown Sugar
Yes.
Light brown sugar uses less and potentially lighter molasses.
Honestly, anything will work. The darker and stronger the molasses, the darker your brown sugar will be.
Yes! It’s smart to mix up a few cups at a time with a mixer so you have some on hand for next time.
Storing any extra in a sealed bag or jar will help keep the moisture in, but If you store it for too long, the sugar may lose its moisture, causing it to get hard and clumpy. To resolve this, you can add a small piece of bread to the container. The brown sugar will absorb the moisture from the bread and stay soft. Remove the bread when it becomes stale and hard.
You can also use a brown sugar keeper, a small piece of terra-cotta made for this purpose.
Not really. Only molasses will create a true brown sugar. But, if you’re out of molasses, you still have options. Coconut sugar can often be substituted 1:1 for brown sugar, though the flavor profile may change. Maple syrup or honey can work in some recipes but may require adjustments to the amount of liquid in the recipe. For the closest homemade version of brown sugar, molasses and granulated sugar are the way to go.
Scoop it into your measuring cup and pack it in. Why? Because the sticky crystals can leave pockets of air between them, and less brown sugar can change the texture and flavor of baked goods.
Make Brown Sugar Whenever You Need It
The best thing about this little hack is now you have no reason to panic the next time you run out of brown sugar.
Keeping two simple ingredients in your cupboard – white sugar and molasses, will save you every time.
You can make exactly as much as your recipe calls for or more to have on hand for next time. It’s just one less specialty ingredient to keep stocked and one more simple kitchen skill to have in your back pocket. You got this!
Homemade Brown Sugar: How to Make Light or Dark Brown Sugar in 2 Minutes
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 fork or whisk
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1-2 tbsp molasses
Instructions
- Measure 1 cup of granulated white sugar and add it to a bowl.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of molasses.
- Mix thoroughly with a fork or whisk until the molasses is evenly incorporated into the sugar.
- Use in any recipe that calls for brown sugar.
- Store any extra in a sealed jar or bag.
Notes
Nutrition
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This little kitchen hack has saved me so many times. Once I learned how easy it was, I don’t buy brown sugar anymore. I hope it helps you too!