Instructions and tips for making the best pomegranate molasses you've ever had with 3 ingredients and an optional spice + ways to use this Middle Eastern ingredient.
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When you live in a small town, with limited grocery stores, it's good to know workarounds when you need special ingredients. Maybe it's enchilada sauce or chimichurri.
This time, I needed pomegranate molasses for a pomegranate glazed hasselback butternut squash recipe I'm making next week. I searched high and low, but I couldn't find any without driving nearly 75 miles, round trip, to Reno.
So I had to make my own pomegranate molasses.
There are oodles of recipes on the internet, and Google came to the rescue. Some recipes call just simply reducing pomegranate juice, without adding anything else. Many suggest adding sugar and lemon juice.
These all looked delicious, but I took it one step further by making a pomegranate molasses that was truly mine. Now, I may never purchase it from the market again.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- It's yours. Make it as simple or complicated as you want.
- Easy. No fancy prepping or techniques are required.
- Lots of uses. There are many ways to use it, whether as a glaze or added to a salad dressing.
- Stores well. Pomegranate molasses lasts a long time in the refrigerator.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minute meal or less.
For all of the ingredients, measurements, and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Pomegranate juice - You can make your own pomegranate juice from pomegranates or purchase a bottle of juice, such as Pom Juice.
- Sugar - either granulated or Baker's sugar (fine sugar) works well.
- Lemon juice - either freshly squeezed or purchased in a jar.
- Whole allspice berries
- Whole black peppercorns
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🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping much easier.
- Heavy-bottomed pot - such as a Le Creuset pot
- Fine mesh strainer - to remove the allspice berries and black peppercorns
📌 Tips for Making Pomegranate Molasses
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot to help prevent burning on the bottom surface.
- Begin with medium heat to bring the juice to a simmer and immediately reduce the heat. It's important to maintain a simmer without reaching a boil. As the juice reduces, continue to lower the heat to maintain a low simmer.
- Don't leave the pot completely unattended.
- Over-reducing the juice increases the likelihood of burning with bitter flavors.
- Leave the pot uncovered.
👩🍳 How to Know When It's Ready
- The bubbles will be small, lazy, and tightly focused in the middle of the pot.
- The liquid thickens and coats the bottom of a spoon as shown below. When you draw a finger through the molasses, the edges of the syrup stay clean.
- The molasses will be more viscous, but won't be the consistency of a syrup until it cools.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
One of the advantages of making your own pomegranate molasses is that you can tailor it to your own tastes. Here are some ideas for flavors you can infuse into the syrup:
- Cinnamon sticks
- Cloves
- Cardamon seeds
- Fennel seed
- Orange juice
🍽️ Ways to Use Pomegranate Molasses
- Drizzle over Brussels sprouts or winter squash, such as butternut squash.
- Add a splash to soups.
- Mix with orange juice and club soda for a festive non-alcoholic drink.
- Stir into a BBQ sauce for an added sweet flavor.
- Add to vinaigrettes for fall and winter salads.
- Warm your favorite fudge sauce, and add a small amount of pomegranate molasses.
- Peel carrots and baste them with the molasses before roasting them.
- Dress up desserts by adding pomegranate molasses to cookies, cake, custards, or cheesecake.
- Drizzle over ice cream.
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How to Make Pomegranate Molasses
Equipment
- Heavy bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 3 cups pomegranate juice such as Pom Wonderful
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 8 whole allspice berries
- 4 whole black peppercorns
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and maintain a gentle simmer for at least 60 minutes, leaving the pot uncovered. As the juice reduces, reduce the heat to prevent the molasses from boiling.
- Check the pot frequently, particularly in the final 15 minutes of cooking to ensure it doesn't burn on the bottom. Stir occasionally, as needed.
- Check for doneness. The liquid will reduce from 3 cups to approximately ¾ cup. The molasses will be more viscous and the simmering will produce small, lazy bubbles in the center of the pot. Dip a large spoon into the molasses and turn it over. If the syrup is ready, it will coat the back of the spoon, and when you draw a finger through the middle of the spoon, it will create a clear line as seen in the photo in the post.
- Cool the syrup for 20 minutes to allow it to thicken, and strain out the allspice berries and black peppercorns. Pour the molasses into a glass jar or other airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 6 months.
Lynn
I’ve just been working on a fruit tart containing Pomegranate and wondered about making a molasses to drizzle over. I’ll give this recipe a try for next time.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
It's really easy, and so good! I just used it over some butternut squash. It would be wonderful over a fruit tart!
Kathey Mcclard
thanks for sharing