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Making your own brown sugar at home is super easy and quick. All you need are two simple ingredients: sugar and molasses. This recipe is perfect when you run out of brown sugar and don’t want to make a trip to the store. By combining sugar with molasses, you’ll have fresh, homemade brown sugar ready in minutes. It works just as well as store-bought brown sugar in any recipe and saves you from dealing with hard, clumpy brown sugar that’s been sitting in the pantry for too long.
Brown sugar is a versatile sweetener used in many of our dessert recipes. It adds moisture and a rich caramel flavor to a variety of delicious baked goods. It’s essential in our gooey deep dish chocolate chip cookie, flavorful bananas Foster, crunchy butter pecan granola, and our moist mini spice cake.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Brown Sugar Recipe
- Quick and Easy: You only need two ingredients and a few minutes to make it.
- Freshness: Make just what you need, so it’s always fresh and never hard or clumpy.
- Cost-Effective: Save money by using what you already have at home instead of buying more.
- Versatile: Works in any recipe that calls for brown sugar, from cookies to marinades.
- Customizable: Easily adjust the molasses to make light or dark brown sugar depending on your needs.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch brown sugar recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is used as the base for this recipe. It provides the necessary sweetness and texture.
- Molasses: This gives brown sugar its distinctive flavor and color. We use molasses in many of our recipes, such as Molasses Cookies, Gingerbread, and Baked Beans.
Recipe Variations
There are a few ways to customize this brown sugar recipe:
- Light Brown Sugar: Use less molasses for a milder flavor.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Use more molasses for a deeper, richer taste.
- Spiced Brown Sugar: Add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg for a spiced version.
- Vanilla Brown Sugar: Mix in a bit of vanilla extract for a hint of vanilla flavor.
How To Make Brown Sugar
- Measure the Ingredients: For a small batch of light brown sugar, measure 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of molasses (similar to treacle in the UK). To make dark brown sugar, add an additional tablespoon of molasses.
- Combine the Ingredients: Place the sugar in a medium-sized bowl and add the molasses. Use a fork, rubber spatula, or your fingers to mix the molasses into the sugar thoroughly.
Note: The molasses may form clumps in the sugar. To get rid of them, use a spatula to press the clumps against the side of the bowl. You can also use your fingertips to break them up. Continue until the sugar is smooth and free of clumps.
Expert Tips
- Adjust the Molasses: This recipe uses 1 tablespoon of molasses for each cup of white sugar. If you want dark brown sugar, increase the molasses to 2 tablespoons per cup of sugar.
- Molasses Substitutes: If you don’t have molasses, you can use 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup, golden syrup, or agave nectar per cup of granulated sugar. The flavor will be different, but the texture and moisture will be similar. These substitutes work in a pinch.
Best Ways To Use Brown Sugar
Homemade brown sugar is incredibly versatile. Here are a few ideas on how to use it:
- Baked Goods: Perfect for cookies, cakes, and muffins.
- Oatmeal: Sprinkle it on your morning oatmeal for a sweet, caramel flavor.
- Marinades: Add it to marinades for a rich, sweet taste.
- Sauces and Spreads: Use it in barbecue sauces and apple butter.
- Coffee or Tea: Stir it into your coffee or tea for a sweet twist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Homemade brown sugar lasts as long as the ingredients’ expiration dates. Mine generally lasts for several months. Store it in an airtight container to keep it fresh.
Absolutely! It works just like store-bought brown sugar in any baking recipe.
Brown sugar hardens when it’s exposed to air because the moisture evaporates. To prevent this, store it in an airtight container to keep the air out and retain its moisture.
While you can use light and dark brown sugar interchangeably, they aren’t exact substitutes. Using dark brown sugar instead of light will give your dish a slightly stronger flavor and a darker color, and it might slightly change the texture.
Yes, this homemade version is brown sugar. If you run out, just mix granulated sugar with molasses to make your own light or dark brown sugar.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this quick brown sugar recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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How To Make Brown Sugar – Small Batch
Equipment
- Fork, spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
Instructions
- Place the sugar in a medium-sized bowl and add the molasses. Use a fork, rubber spatula, or your fingers to mix the molasses into the sugar thoroughly.
- Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for 1 month.
Notes
- Adjust the Molasses: This recipe uses 1 tablespoon of molasses for each cup of white sugar. If you want dark brown sugar, increase the molasses to 2 tablespoons per cup of sugar.
- Molasses Substitutes: If you don’t have molasses, you can use 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup, golden syrup, or agave nectar per cup of granulated sugar. The flavor will be different, but the texture and moisture will be similar. These substitutes work in a pinch.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This works very well. If you have light brown sugar but need dark brown, just add the 1 tbsp per cup to the light brown. You can use the same approach if you need dark corn syrup and only have light: 1 part molasses to 3 parts light corn syrup. This cuts down on pantry staples too. I make your pecan pie with 1 tbsp molasses and 3 tbsp light corn syrup.
Love this site (and the cookbook which does have recipes not on here).
Thank you, Ed. I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes. Thank you for your feedback.