Ever find yourself in the middle of a recipe, suddenly realizing that you're missing an ingredient? Sometimes that means your out of luck, and you better get yourself off to the grocery store, but sometimes there's a way around it. Since the one time I ran out of brown sugar mid-recipe and used this substitute, I haven't looked back. It's been homemade brown sugar all the way, from that point on, because making your brown sugar is really that easy. And really, it just doesn't seem worth it to pay for brown sugar when you can make it yourself in a couple of minutes with two basic ingredients: granulated sugar and molasses. The result will be rich, soft, ready-to use brown sugar just like you buy in the store (but better!)
Recipe Card
DIY Brown Sugar
If you're still buying brown sugar at the grocery store, stop! It takes two ingredients and a few minutes to make you're own fresh, lovely golden brown sugar.
- Yield: 6 ½ cups brown sugar, loose 1x
Ingredients
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- ⅜ cup unsulphured molasses (6 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Add molasses to sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer*. Beat together until molasses is evenly dispersed through the sugar, making it the color of brown sugar**.
- Store in an airtight plastic bag with all of the air pushed out before sealing.
Notes
*You can also use a bowl and fork and mix the brown sugar by hand, but you'll want to do a smaller quantity at once.
**It might be my imagination, but my homemade brown sugar seems to look a little orange from the molasses when I first make it; then the colors seems to become normal after a few hours.
***In case you're trying to do the math, the ratio of sugar to molasses here is 1 cup of sugar to 1 ½ tablespoons molasses. If you want your brown sugar to be darker, just add a bit more molasses.
Kath says
where do you get molasses from?
alexandra says
You can find molasses at the grocery store in the baking aisle, or you can buy it online. The grocery store typically sells small jars, but online you can find a big jug that will last you forever.
Chocolate Lady says
OK...I think I may have just bought my last bag of brown sugar after reading this. Problem of the day for my homeschooled kiddos will be to calculate the cost savings we'll earn by making our own. Thanks!
alexandra says
I stopped buying it completely! And as much as this will make me sound like some sort of sugar fiend (I promise I'm not!), if you buy the sugar and molasses in bulk-size it really saves money!
Anna says
I didn't know you could do it! I rarely use 'real' sugar and tend to use stevia most of the time. I could *technically* make brown stevia if a recipe called for brown sugar.,. hmmm
brighteyedbaker says
I suppose you could make your own brown stevia! Go for it. :)
Rafaella says
Wow! I never thought about it...
Thank you for this wonderful tip... I'm gonna try it very soon.
brighteyedbaker says
You're welcome! I never used to think about it either, but once I did it once, it just became something that I make rather than buy. It only takes a few minutes and it's so easy. Plus, it works!
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Love this! I had to do this the other day because I ran out(or couldn't find) my brown sugar. I think I might just start doing this all the time!
brighteyedbaker says
Once you do it once, it just seems practical to keep doing it; it's so easy, fast, and effective!
Sandra Rose says
I agree with you. This is easy to make, but even better is how well it keeps. It never hardens!
brighteyedbaker says
Very true :)