Learn how to make your own brown sugar at home – with just 2 ingredients. It’s so simple and only two ingredients so you may never buy traditional brown sugar at the store ever again! All you need is granulated cane sugar and molasses. I include recipes that make it easy for you to make light and dark brown sugar – whichever is your favorite.

Brown Sugar Substitute

I know the panic we all face when you’re those amazing chewy cookies that require brown sugar and realizing you’re out. What’s worse is when you actually have brown sugar but it’s stiff and hard.

So what now?

This is why I always keep molasses in the pantry even if it’s not a common ingredient. With sugar and molasses, you are making it the legit way. Even better – you control how much depth of flavor (and color) you want to add.

This recipe can be used with any recipe that requires brown sugar. Make this recipe, keep it in your pantry and use it as normal. How simple is that?

What You Need

This almost feels too straight forward. You really only need two ingredients to do this.

• Granulated cane sugar: This is a cheap staple. I love that this means I only need to buy bulk sugar and not two different sugar products.
• Molasses: Don’t let this one steer you away. This is likely in your average American super market or grocery store. You probably pass by it. Also, a little goes a long way. I’ve found that one jar can last me for 10-20 batches depending if you’re making light or dark mixes.

One tip: check your molasses. You want to turn over the container and ensure it only has one ingredient on the list. Molasses and nothing else.

How To Make Brown Sugar

Can you take a guess at how to this if it only requires two ingredients? You simply mix it. I actually prefer to mix it by hand but you’re able to use a stand mixer if you prefer.

You may find that the sugar clumps. All you need to do is pick up the clump and smush it with your fingers and it will re-incorporate. I also find it’s helpful to use both hands in a bowl and smush (read: mix) it like you would play-doh.

Why bother cooking from scratch?

Sure, being mid-recipe and not having the ingredients you need is a reason to make this at home. However, learning to make essential ingredients you need at home is a way of life that we should all embrace.

I’ve talked about this a number of times but your ability to reduce your dependency on grocery stores and supply chains, you set your family up to be self-sufficient and more self-reliant. Information like this can be passed down to your children and you are more able to own your food chain.

The other major benefit is the savings – it is cheaper to buy less ingredients in bulk than to buy a number of derivative products that all individually have their own markup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this work as a brown sugar substitute?

Yes, this is actually brown sugar. You can make this instead of buying brown sugar and use it 1:1 in any recipe.

What do I do if my brown sugar becomes hard?

You don’t have to worry if your brown sugar gets hard. It happens! All you need to do is add a piece of bread to the container and within 8-12 hours, your brown sugar will be soft like it’s day one.

How do I store it?

You need to store your brown sugar in an air tight container. I personally like to use either a wide mouth mason jar or a large plastic container. Regardless of material, just make sure it truly gets a good seal. This way it’s better than leaving it in the store bought plastic bag where it’s bound to harden in days.

Can I make this without molasses?

So technically, yes. You can use 100% pure maple syrup in place of molasses however it may not have the same depth of flavor and it will not have the same color profile. If you’re truly in a pinch, try a small batch but it will not be true brown sugar.

Additional Articles You’ll Love

• Beginner’s Guide To Cook From Scratch
• How To Become Self-Sufficient
• How To Stop Buying Groceries