How Sweet It Is: Make Your Own Brown Sugar

This is the story of a woman who had BIG PLANS to bake something for her family, but she forgot to check her pantry for all the ingredients — like brown sugar, which was missing — and then the stores were closed.

What’s a baker to do? No need to panic! Just make your own brown sugar.

Soften Brown Sugar With This Pantry Item

While unprocessed, naturally brown sugar is available, most of what we buy and bake with is refined sugar mixed with molasses. The percentage of molasses varies from 3.5% to 10% and this accounts for the difference in colour and intensity of flavour. Brown sugar has a high moisture content that makes it ideal for baking certain desserts, like crumbles and cookies, and is easy to make at home.

Always have these two ingredients on hand: sugar and molasses. Both have a shelf life of forever, so there’s no need to worry they’ll turn before being used up.

What You’ll Need:

Instructions:

  Measure 1 cup of white sugar into a mixing bowl.

  Add 1 to 3 tablespoons of molasses, depending on the colour and flavour desired. I recommend starting with one tablespoon at a time and then adding more if needed. Stir lightly with a fork.

  It will be clumpy. Don't worry that you've missed a step. You haven't; there aren't many of them.

  Start the stand mixer and let it run for 10-15 minutes. Doing this by hand is possible, but not advisable. You'll lose any baking ambition you had by the time the sugar and molasses are mixed.

  Once the sugar and molasses are combined, store whatever is unused after baking in an airtight container.

Yields 1 3/4 cups lightly packed brown sugar.

Congratulations! It's that easy to make brown sugar.

Bon appétit!

Now that you've made your own brown sugar, try baking an easy and delicious peach blueberry crumble. 

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