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5 from 2 votes

How to make brown sugar

Make your own brown sugar at home with two simple ingredients!
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon molasses

Instructions

Food processor method

  • In the bowl of your food processor (or a high speed blender also works), add the sugar and molasses.
  • Blend or pulse until the molasses is mixed in thoroughly. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl if some molasses is stuck on the sides. After blending, I still find I need to work in some of the molasses by hand. I simply transfer by hand and rub in the molasses with my fingers.

Making brown sugar by hand

  • In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar and molasses.
  • Stir together with a spatula, wooden spoon, fork or whisk. After an initial mixing, using clean hands rub the molasses into the sugar to evenly combine.

Notes

  • Light vs. Dark brown sugar- You can make a light brown sugar version or dark brown sugar version. The only difference is how much molasses you will add. Dark brown sugar will have twice as much molasses added.
    • For light brown sugar: Add 1 Tablespoon molasses for every cup of sugar
    • For dark brown sugar: Add 2 Tablespoons molasses for every cup of sugar.
  • Molasses substitutions -If you don’t have molasses, you can swap it out with another liquid sweetener that will make for a sticky, moist sugar. Try swapping and using: 
    • Honey
    • Maple syrup
    • Agave nectar
  • Storing: Brown sugar over time will lose moisture and turn from softy and fluffy into a giant hard brick if left exposed to the air. Be sure to store in an airtight container to keep it moist and from drying out. You can also add a few things to your container to help keep the brown sugar from drying out: 
    • Brown sugar bear
    • Slice of bread
    • Tortilla
    • Apple slice
    • Marshmallows