Light and Dark Brown Sugar Recipe

Bowl of homemade light brown sugar next to a plate of chocolate chip cookies

5 from 33 votes

Light and Dark Brown Sugar Recipe

If you're out of brown sugar, don't worry, you only need 2 things to make your own light and dark brown sugar in under 5 minutes! It's exactly the same as shop-bought and as easy as 123! (I also give substitutes for those who don't have molasses.)

Prep Time1

Cook Time3

Course: Dessert, Drinks

Cuisine: American, International

Servings: Cup

Calories: 828kcal

Author: Zen

Equipment

Food processor, totally optional You can just use your hands, a fork or spoon!

Ingredients

1 Cup Granulated White Sugar Don't use powdered white sugar!
1-2 Tablespoons Molasses Use 1 Tablespoon of molasses light brown sugar and 2 Tablespoons of molasses for dark brown sugar. See notes for substitutes.

Instructions

Mix the granulated white sugar and the molasses together by hand till all incorporated. Alternatively, if you’re feeling lazy, use a food processor to give the mix a few whirls- I only recommend this is making a huge batch (if not you're just adding to the washing up!)
After everything has been mixed well, store in an airtight jar. Add a slice of bread to prevent lumps.

Notes

Molasses Substitutes

Black treacle: as mentioned above, this is actually a type of molasses and is the best molasses substitute.
Maple Syrup: this sweetener also has a complex flavor that can work in a pinch.
Neutral Honey: some honeys have very distinct flavors of spices and herbs. Avoid those as they won't taste like brown sugar!

For all 3 substitutes: use 1 Tablespoon per Cup of white sugar for light brown sugar and 2 Tablespoons per Cup for dark brown.

Tip: if you're vegan, make sure your sugar is free of bone char.

Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its veracity.

Nutrition