Brown sugar can easily be substituted in recipes using a couple simple ingredients.
What we call brown sugar is essentially white sugar that has had molasses added back to it.
It should not be confused with raw sugar or demerara, which are their own types of sugar.
You can easily substitute brown sugar or even make brown sugar.
Both dark and light brown sugar can easily be made at home if you have a little white sugar and molasses.
It is commonly used in chocolate chip cookie recipes, and it’s rare for a recipe that calls for brown sugar not to also call for white sugar as well.
When a recipe calls for “brown sugar” but doesn’t specify what type (light or dark), it is referring to light brown sugar.
DARK BROWN SUGAR
Dark brown sugar can be made with 1 cup white granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons molasses.
Add both ingredients into a bowl and mix with a fork until completely mixed.
LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
Light brown sugar can be made with 1 cup white granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon molasses.
Add both ingredients into a bowl and mix with a fork until completely mixed.
DEMERARA
Demerara is popular in Israel and is easier to find than light brown sugar. It is a type of cane sugar with a nice toffee flavor and can be used in place of brown sugar.
HOW TO SUBSTITUTE DARK AND LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
DARK BROWN SUGAR
Dark Brown Sugar can be made with 1 cup of light brown sugar and 1 tablespoon molasses.
Add both ingredients into a bowl and mix with a fork until completely mixed.
LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
Light Brown sugar can easily be replaced in a recipe with half dark brown sugar and half white granulated sugar.
DOES THE TYPE OF BROWN SUGAR YOU USE REALLY MATTER?
Using the wrong brown sugar will change the flavor and likely the color.
Dark brown sugar has more molasses, which will give it a deeper, more complex flavor that’s closer to toffee or caramel.
Light brown sugar is more subtle, which is sometimes ideal.
However, I tend to use what’s on hand, which for me means dark brown sugar in Israel and light brown in the States.
I also happen to love the extra flavor dark brown sugar gives, so I like using it even if I have both on hand.
How to Store Brown Sugar
Store brown sugar in an airtight container to maintain its moisture and prevent it from hardening.
Types of Molasses
Molasses is a byproduct of making sugar from sugarcane or sugar beets.
The process goes through three boiling cycles, and with each cycle, a different type of molasses is created.
There are five types of molasses: blackstrap, light, dark or medium, treacle, and sorghum (which is technically not a molasses).
The lighter the molasses, the sweeter it is.
Light Molasses
Light molasses is the syrup that remains after the first processing of the sugar.
It is the lightest in color as well as sweetest in taste.
This type of molasses is often used as a syrup for pancakes and waffles or is stirred into hot cereals such as oatmeal.
Medium or Dark Molasses
Medium or dark molasses is made from the second boiling of the sugar.
It has a naturally darker color and thicker consistency.
It has a little stronger flavor than light molasses, but not as strong as blackstrap.
It is the type commonly used in gingerbread.
Blackstrap Molasses
Blackstrap molasses is the syrup remaining after the third extraction of sugar from sugarcane.
The word “blackstrap” comes from two seperate words.
“Black” refers to the color of the molasses (which is extremely dark), while “strap” is derived in part from the Dutch word stroop, meaning “syrup”.
It has a very strong, somewhat bittersweet flavor with a heady aroma.
It is best used in recipes rather than as a straight sweetener such as pancake syrup.
It contains many of the nutrients left behind by refined sugar crystals, so some people feel it is healthier.
Treacle
True treacle dates back to Victorian times. However, today, treacle is a blend of molasses and refinery syrup.
It is notably sweeter and has a much more mellow flavor than molasses and ranges in color from light gold to nearly black.
British treacle can be substituted for molasses in most recipes, but much less frequently will molasses work as a replacement for treacle.
Sorghum Molasses
Technically, sorghum, also referred to as West Indies or Barbados molasses, is not molasses.
It comes from the sorghum plant, a cereal grain, which although grown specifically for molasses, is not refined sugar.
The syrup is made from the juice of the stalk which is cooked and clarified, resulting in a smooth, clear, amber color.
Sorghum molasses generally contains a preservative which is added to lengthen its short shelf life.
Since it can ferment, sorghum molasses should be refrigerated.
How to Store Molasses
Store molasses at room temperature in a cool, dark place.