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    Home » Blog Post

    How To Make Pomegranate Molasses

    Modified: Mar 30, 2024 by Susan Pridmore · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

    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.

    Jump to Recipe
    A jar of freshly made pomegranate molasses, with a spoon pour it into the jar.

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    Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
    • 🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
    • 🔪 Recommended Equipment
    • 📌 Tips for Making Pomegranate Molasses
    • 👩‍🍳 How to Know When It's Ready
    • 💡Ideas for Possible Variations
    • 🍽️ Ways to Use Pomegranate Molasses
    • How to Make Pomegranate Molasses

    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

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.

    🔪 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
    The heavy-bottomed pot that the pomegranate molasses was made in with a spatula.

    📌 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.
    An upside down spoon coated with pomegranate molasses, with a line down the middle.
    The molasses is done when it coats the back of a spoon. If you run your finger through it, you will see a clear stripe.

    💡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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    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Save Recipe
    A jar of freshly made pomegranate molasses, with a spoon pour it into the jar.
    4.95 from 18 votes

    How to Make Pomegranate Molasses

    Step-by-step instructions for how to make pomegranate molasses from pomegranate juice with infused flavors.
    Print Recipe Save Saved! Pin Recipe Add to Recipe Collection Go to Collections Add to Shopping ListGo to Shopping List
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 12 minutes mins
    Course: Condiment, ingredient
    Cuisine: Middle Eastern
    Keyword: how to make pomegranate molasses
    Servings: 12 tablespoons
    Calories: 68.8kcal
    Author: Susan Pridmore
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    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.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 68.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.3g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 6.3mg | Potassium: 147.3mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 16.2g | Vitamin A: 5.6IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.1mg
    « Sesame Crusted Sweet Potato Cakes
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    About Susan Pridmore

    Susan Pridmore is an award-winning cookbook author and the owner of The Wimpy Vegetarian. She has been featured in Huffington Post, Healthline, BuzzFeed, and has written for and developed recipes for The Food Network and Parade Magazine. She is professionally trained and focuses on easy vegetarian recipes for busy lives, bread-baking, and tips for new vegetarians. Susan lives in the mountains in Lake Tahoe with her husband and mini-labradoodle.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lynn

      October 27, 2019 at 10:51 am

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        October 27, 2019 at 2:49 pm

        5 stars
        It's really easy, and so good! I just used it over some butternut squash. It would be wonderful over a fruit tart!

        Reply
    2. Kathey Mcclard

      May 18, 2021 at 7:04 am

      thanks for sharing

      Reply
    4.95 from 18 votes (15 ratings without comment)

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