• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • New Magazine!
  • Bread
  • Cookies
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans

How to Make Brown Sugar

August 2, 2010 by Joy the Baker 332 Comments

How to Make Brown Sugar

Now wait just a second.

Why did no one tell me how dang easy it is to make my own brown sugar?

I sorta blew my own mind this morning.  It turns out that granulated sugar and molasses when combined with a bowl and fork (or mixer, if you’re feelin’ fancy) produces the freshest and fluffiest brown sugar.  Man… that’s satisfying.

And!  Bonus!  You can make the brown sugar as dark and flavorful as you like by controlling the amount of molasses.

This is just too good… and I’m just dorky enough to freak out at this kind of thing.

How to Make Brown Sugar

How to Make Brown Sugar

Alright .  Let’s put on out big, fat, brainiac caps.  This is about to get tough.  We’re mixing together two ingredients.  In a bowl.  With a fork… or a mixer.  If you use a mixer, you’ll still need a fork.  Don’t fight it.

How to Make Brown Sugar

How to Make Brown Sugar

Print this Recipe!

1 cup granulated cane sugar

1 Tablespoon unsulfured molasses

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the sugar and molasses.  It’s that easy.  There’s a part in this process where the molasses is super gunky and clumpy.  You’ll think to yourself:  Joy, you were wrong… this is coming out all wrong.  Don’t worry.  keep mixing it all together.  It will even itself out.   Work it until completely incorporated and no big molasses globs remain.  For dark brown sugar, add another tablespoon of molasses.  Use as you would in your favorite cake and cookie recipes.  Store in an airtight container or in a ziplock bag with the air pressed out.  Dang that’s easy!

 

Previous PostNext Post

Filed Under: Recipes, tips

Previous Post: « Spicy Cornmeal Parmesan Crackers
Next Post: Peanut Butter Meets Chocolate »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Patrice

    February 10, 2017 at 9:06 pm

    What?!? My whole world just went upside down. :)

    Reply
  2. Marge Creedon

    November 13, 2016 at 5:59 pm

    If you don’t have molasses, can you use dark caro syrup?

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      November 22, 2016 at 1:16 pm

      They are similar in color, but do not have the same taste

      Reply
  3. Renee

    October 29, 2016 at 10:40 am

    Do you have to pack the homemade brown sugar if the recipe calls for packed brown sugar or is it measured to where you don’t have to pack it? Thanks in advance.

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      November 1, 2016 at 12:32 pm

      You might want to pack it lightly I think, just to make sure you have the right amount

      Reply
  4. Renee

    October 29, 2016 at 9:10 am

    Hello there. I have a question. I’m in the middle of mixing up some cookies dough and found out I have very little brown sugar left. My question is , if the recipe calls for packed brown sugar do you pack the homemade stuff or no? Thanks in advance for a reply. Love this idea.

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      November 1, 2016 at 12:35 pm

      Pack it lightly to make sure you have the right amount

      Reply
  5. Ellen

    June 8, 2016 at 3:55 pm

    That used to be on the Grandma’s bottle 40-50 years ago when I started baking. I am not sure when they took it off the label. I have never used brown sugar from the store and have always made my own. You can vary the darkness with the amount of molasses used. I used to use the robust for darker, but have trouble finding it any more.

    Reply
« Older Comments
Comments Page 20 of 20
« Previous 1 … 18 19 20

Trackbacks

  1. Day Before Payday Meal Recipe: Banana Bread – Day Before Payday says:
    August 29, 2016 at 11:59 am

    […] -Brown Sugar: Ours used to be white! […]

    Reply
  2. A voyeuristic view.. – Day Before Payday says:
    August 25, 2016 at 12:12 pm

    […] –White Sugar: My husband makes brown sugar from white sugar with molasses. Here is how! […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Recipes

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.
My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

It would seem I’ve landed on baking these to get us through these summer days – small batch and EASY.  That’s my level in the kitchen these days.  I’m either making just two giant cookies, one cinnamon roll, or the actual best coconut sheet cake with cake mix. Since we’ve mirrored each other in the…

Read More

scoops of ice cream in loaf pan with cones around.
No-Churn Black and White Brownie Ice Cream

This post is sponsored by ALDI! Thank you for supporting the brands that make Joy the Baker possible!  It is ICE CREAM SEASON! (A statement worth shouting from the rooftops) and I have the best-kept secret to beat the heat.   I’ve never really been great with secrets anyway which is why we’re all making the…

Read More

Berry crostata topped with whipped cream with coffee.
A Single Serve Berry Crostata Recipe

Here’s the last of the single serve recipes you didn’t know you needed.  So far we’ve made a single cinnamon roll, two giant chocolate chip cookies, and two lemon poppy seed muffins.  Last weekend while visiting my parents in Los Angeles my very own mother said, “I don’t get these single recipes,” and fair enough mom…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Jump to Recipe

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Jump to Recipe

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

Jump to Recipe

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

Jump to Recipe

Joy the baker with dyed bandana around neck

HOW TO MAKE DYED BANDANAS

as seen in JtB Magazine!

Jump to Recipe
joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

Jump to Recipe

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Jump to Recipe

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

Check it out on Instagram

Drake on cake instagram.

 

FAVORITE FRUIT RECIPES

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.

My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

Berry crostata topped with whipped cream with coffee.

A Single Serve Berry Crostata Recipe

fresh baked blueberry cobbler on a plate with vanilla ice cream on top.

The Secrets To My Favorite Blueberry Cobbler

POPULAR CAKES

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.

My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

Slice of coconut cake on small white plate with coffee.

My favorite Coconut Cake is actually made with cake mix

A slice of lemon blueberry gooey butter cake held on a cake slicer.

Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker and author of books and magazines
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
💁🏻‍♀️Classes with me @thebakehousenola
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
I grew these 🌱sprouts🌱 from seeds in just a I grew these 🌱sprouts🌱 from seeds  in just a few days and now I eat them on everything. It’s my little bit of kitchen zen - listen, we’ll take it where we can get it. xo
I must write hundreds of To Do lists over the cour I must write hundreds of To Do lists over the course of the year but the Summer Bucket List is my favorite. Seven years running - this year I’m getting my butt in the seat of my motorcycle and somehow, on a boat at sunset. ⁣Also, blueberries. Chasing these big and little loves all summer long. 
⁣
What’s on your Summer Bucket List? Inspiration linked in the bio. xo 🌻💋
My EASIEST Strawberry Sheet Cake is also my absolu My EASIEST Strawberry Sheet Cake is also my absolute favorite. Get into a box of white cake mix and fresh 🍓🍓 purée! Topped with a thick layer of strawberry cream cheese frosting - this cake is a little pink dream! ⁣
⁣
The Easiest Strawberry Sheet Cake recipe linked in the bio for you! 💋
Our resident reader, @tobyfels shares my favorite Our resident reader, @tobyfels shares my favorite list of the summer on Joy the Baker this year: The Best Books for Summer 2022!  As a person who reads Beach Reads all year long, this is IT! With titles by @ashleymcoleman_ @anarasong @annleary @bonnie_garmus_author @heyashposton @annabelmonaghan @greerhendricks @sarahpekkanen @shelbyvanpeltwrites @marilynsimonrothstein @@misterosman and @kirstin.chen. The guide to your bookworm summer linked in the bio!
Over here testing the limits of “you are what yo Over here testing the limits of “you are what you eat” and will soon be taking my final form as a summer tomato. ⁣🫠🍅
⁣
This Mediterranean Feta and Fresh Tomato Tart is an absolute show stopper with a buttery crisp, press-in crust, whipped feta, and layers of fresh tomato, cucumber, onions, and olives. I’ll leave the recipe linked in the bio - it’s really very special. Join me. We are 🍅🍅.
Adding fight for our liberty and find tampons to t Adding fight for our liberty and find tampons to the Summer Bucket this year. #summerbucketlist
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up