How to Make Brown Sugar
If you’ve ever run out of brown sugar mid-recipe, you know how frustrating it can be. The good news? You don’t need a store run—homemade brown sugar is incredibly simple to make with just two ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. Once I started making my own, I realized it’s not just a backup option—it’s actually better. You can control the flavor, adjust the richness, and avoid the hard, dried-out brown sugar that sometimes comes from the store.
Equipment
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
- 200 grams cane sugar (or regular granulated sugar) (1 cup)
- 20 grams molasses 1 tablespoon
Instructions
- Combine your sugar and molasses in a mixing bowl.
- You can mix by hand, but it does take a bit of time to fully incorporate the molasses into the sugar.
- For faster results, use a stand mixer with wire whips. This blends everything evenly in just a few minutes.
- Continue mixing until the sugar is evenly colored and no streaks of molasses remain.
- The final texture should be soft, fluffy, and slightly moist—just like store-bought brown sugar, but fresher.
Notes
Bulk Mixing Tip (My Go-To Method)
I like to make a large batch at once. I’ll fill my mixer (I use a Bosch) and use the wire whips to mix everything together. It only takes a few minutes and gives me enough brown sugar to keep on hand for baking. If you bake often, this is definitely the easiest way to do it.- Lighter brown sugar → use less molasses
- Darker brown sugar → add a little more molasses