DIY Brown Sugar Recipe & Tips

Brown sugar isn't exactly exotic-it should be a pantry staple. However, it is very frustrating to find, in mid-recipe-preparation, that it has hardened to fossil status, or that there is only a bit left. Of course, white sugar can be substituted, but it's just not the same. Brown sugar imparts a richness and depth that refined sugar, or even other types of "better" sugars, just cannot emulate.

Luckily, there's a simple solution: make your own brown sugar. A lot of people are under the impression that brown sugar is an altogether different type of sugar than normal white, refined sugar, and more akin to raw , unrefined, or other more expensive or "natural" sugar products. However, the truth is, the brown sugar you purchase in the grocery store is simply regular white refined sugar, with molasses added.

It is very easy to make it from scratch then, from two pantry staples: white sugar and molasses. There are several compelling reasons to make your own brown sugar. It is far more economical in the long run, takes up less pantry space, and perhaps best of all, freshly made brown sugar tastes great.

It can be easily tailored for recipes and to your own preferences of light and dark. The more molasses you add, the darker the resultant brown sugar-it's so simple. Of course, it can also be made in advanced and kept in an air-tight container; it stores as well as, and in the same manner as regular store-bought brown sugar.

Below is the easy recipe and a few tips for making your own brown sugar. The amounts yield 1 cup of medium brown sugar.

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
1 tbsp Molasses

Directions

Measure 1 cup of white sugar into a medium size mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of molasses, and mix thoroughly.

Notes& tips

Because of the thickness of the molasses, the "mixing" is more of an "incorporation" of the sugar into the molasses. Begin by spreading the molasses around the sugar with the fork, with a stirring motion. You'll notice darker clumps forming-break these up with the fork and continue stirring.

Now, this next step is the key to getting the brown sugar mixed completely. When it is mixed fairly well, with a somewhat uniform color, and most of the clumps out, wash and dry your hands very well. Use your hand to sift through the mixture, taking all of it, in turn, between your thumb and fingers, using a rolling motion. Continue until it is perfectly combined, usually only about 20-30 seconds.

It is important to get all the lumps of concentrated molasses combined. The molasses is a liquid, and when heated, will "melt" and get very carmelized-and not necessarily in a good way; it can cause burning and scorching to your baked items, and it is also very difficult to remove from bakeware.

Keep this same idea in mind if you are tempted to make very dark brown sugar. Although it tastes really good and rich, the extra liquid content of the molasses will throw the balance and proportions off the recipe and it may be ruined.

To take advantage of the taste of very dark brown sugar, either use it only in recipes that call for such, or sprinkle it on finished baked items, if appropriate. As state, for very light sugar, use less than 1 tablespoon per cup of white sugar (start with about ½ tablespoon and adjust the ratios from there.)

For darker brown sugar, mix a regular recipe with the proportions in the recipe above, then add about ¼ tablespoon at a time until the desired darkness is reached. On a final note--very dark brown sugar is also excellent in coffee!