How to Make Brown Sugar

Instructions on how to make brown sugar in your own kitchen, and 3 tips for softening that brick of brown sugar in your pantry.

Brown sugar is essential to a lot of baked goods. It gives them a distinctive caramel flavor that elevates the treat.

For example, in cookies, like these Figgy Snickerdoodle Cookies.

Or cookie bars, like these Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.

Or in breads. Like this Brown Sugar and Plum Pull-Apart Bread.

But sometimes we run out, just when we need it. Or it's hardened into a brick hard enough to be a weapon.

But did you know you can make your own brown sugar? Seriously, it's so easy to do. You only need 2 ingredients. And about 10 minutes.

But first, let's say you have some brown sugar you need to soften.

How To Soften Brown Sugar

There are at least 3 ways to soften brown sugar that's as hard as granite.

1. If you have time, place the brown sugar in a sealed container, and add either a slice of bread or large piece of apple. By the next morning, the brown sugar should be soft. Once the brown sugar is softened, remove the bread or apple.

2. A much quicker way, is to place the hardened sugar lump(s) in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover it with a dampened paper towel, and zap it on high in 15 – 20 second increments. After each zap, nudge the brown sugar lump to break it up.

3. A third approach is to wrap the brown sugar in foil, place it on a baking sheet, and slide it into a 250˚F oven. Check the brown sugar every 5 minutes.

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How to Make Brown Sugar

Now, let's say your pantry is completely bare of brown sugar, and you don't want to take the time to run to the market. All you need is 2 ingredients: sugar and molasses.

Oh, and a bowl, measuring cup, tablespoon and a fork.

The idea is to combine the sugar and molasses together in a bowl and use a fork to mesh them together.

Towards the end, I use my fingers to capture any last lumps of molasses, and massage them into the sugar.

You can use a food processor to do this, but while it might be faster, the cleanup is much longer.

By the way, light brown sugar uses 1 tablespoon of molasses for every cup of sugar. But dark brown sugar takes 2 tablespoons of molasses for every cup of sugar.

And if you don't have any molasses on hand, and you still don't want to head to the market, substitute maple syrup. the darker, the better. It won't offer the same rich distinctive flavor, but it can be an adequate substitute in a pinch.

Tips:

• When measuring the molasses, first coat the tablespoon lightly with olive oil, or other vegetable oil. This allows the molasses to pour from the tablespoon very easily. (This tips works great with honey too.)

• Make sure the bowl you use is large enough for you to comfortably massage the molasses into the sugar at then end.

• Be sure to use the spoon to sweep the white sugar on the bottom of the bowl onto the top of the brown sugar, and mash it back down. This helps ensure all the sugar and molasses are well combined.

• Customize it to you own preferences by using a little more or less molasses. Make it your own by adding a little vanilla (or use vanilla sugar), cinnamon or allspice.

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