I love baking perfectly chewy chocolate chip cookies. They are my guilty pleasure comfort food! And my trick to making them perfect? Sticky brown sugar. Making cookies with just granulated white sugar or other sweeteners never gives you the same result. Unfortunately, there have been times when a cookie craving has hit, and I’m fresh out of brown sugar. So, I learnt how to make it myself at home. Creating your own brown sugar is a breeze – it’s quick, easy, cheap, and matches store-bought perfectly! With just two basic ingredients in your pantry – white granulated sugar and molasses, you’ll never be without brown sugar again. What a relief! Read on to learn how you can make it, too, both the light and the dark kind!
Essential Ingredients for Homemade Brown Sugar
Makes 1 cup of brown sugar
- 1 cup of granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses for light brown sugar or 2 tablespoons for dark brown sugar.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Brown Sugar at Home
DIY Light Brown Sugar
Step 1: Add the cup of white sugar to a mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add one tablespoon of molasses.
Step 3: Mix with a silicone or rubber spatula until well combined.
DIY Dark Brown Sugar
Step 1: Add the cup of white sugar to the mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add two tablespoons of molasses.
Step 3: Mix with a silicone or rubber spatula until combined.
Advantages of Making Your Own Brown Sugar
The two main advantages of making your own brown sugar at home are accessibility and price. If you have a big old jar of molasses in the pantry and plenty of white sugar, you can make it in just a few minutes rather than having to go and find it at a store. The second is the price. Brown sugar can be a bit costly, but white sugar is as cheap as chips. A large jar of molasses can make plenty of brown sugar, as you only need one to two tablespoons per cup. Win-win!
Expert Tips for Perfect Homemade Brown Sugar
The main tip is the mixing technique. When moving your molasses through the sugar, lumps will form. As you are mixing, squish the lumps down against the bottom or sides of the mixing bowl until they disperse. This is why using a rubber or silicone spatula is the best tool for this recipe.
How to Store Homemade Brown Sugar Properly
Storing brown sugar properly is crucial to prevent it from hardening and losing moisture. To maintain its softness, use an airtight, food-safe container like a glass jar with a rubber seal. Keeping it in a pantry is fine, with no need for freezing, as brown sugar has an indefinite shelf life. If you choose to freeze it, place it in a sealed container in the coldest part of the freezer. Thawing at room temperature takes about six hours, or you can use a microwave for quicker defrosting. Freezing may alter the texture, especially if the sugar is very soft and moist.
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FAQs
The best type of sugar to use for making brown sugar at home is granulated white sugar. Other types of sugar, such as coconut sugar or raw sugar, can alter the texture and taste of brown sugar.
Homemade brown sugar can last indefinitely if stored properly. Keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place to prevent it from hardening. If it does harden, you can soften it by placing a slice of bread or a damp paper towel in the container overnight.
If you don’t have molasses, you can use alternatives such as maple syrup, honey, or corn syrup. These substitutes will provide a similar moisture content and sweetness, although the flavor may differ slightly from traditional brown sugar made with molasses.
How to Make Homemade Brown Sugar
Ingredients
Makes 1 cup of brown sugar
- 1 cup of granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses for light brown sugar or 2 tablespoons for dark brown sugar.
Instructions
DIY Light Brown Sugar
Step 1: Add the cup of white sugar to a mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add one tablespoon of molasses.
Step 3: Mix with a silicone or rubber spatula until well combined.
DIY Dark Brown Sugar
Step 1: Add the cup of white sugar to the mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add two tablespoons of molasses.
Step 3: Mix with a silicone or rubber spatula until combined.
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