The Two Ingredient Hack for Homemade Brown Sugar

This brown sugar cinnamon layer cake is full of autumn flavor and spice, with moist cake layers, candied pecans, and the fluffiest buttercream frosting.

Get the recipe: Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Layer Cake

No one wants to be halfway through making their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe only to find that, uh oh, the bag of brown sugar in the pantry is down to a few lingering crystals. But should you follow the lead of TikTok creator @mallory812, you can turn two staple pantry ingredients into fresh, soft brown sugar even when you run out. Your cookies need not be ruined and you can skip a trip to the store.

Especially with holiday baking season upon us, this clever brown sugar substitute hack is the perfect piece of knowledge to keep in your back pocket.

Related: The Secret Ingredient for Better Banana Bread

How To Make Brown Sugar with White Sugar and Molasses

All you need to make a fresh batch of baking-ready brown sugar is regular white sugar and molasses. 

A stand mixer will streamline the process, but you can easily combine the two ingredients with a wooden spoon in a large mixing bowl or with an electric hand mixer.

In her video, Mallory uses about three-quarters of a 12-ounce jar of Grandma’s Oirgional Unsulphured Molasses combined with a five-pound bag of white sugar.

Related: 24 Best Molasses Cookies Recipes

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Tips for Making the Best Brown Sugar with White Sugar and Molasses

• The molasses will form some clumps in the sugar when you first add it to the bowl, but continue to mix until you have a uniform light brown color. The finished brown sugar should be soft, moist, and packable just like the stuff that comes in a fresh bag from the grocery store.

• For dark brown sugar, you could use more molasses until you reach a darker amber color.

• When a recipe calls for brown sugar, you just make a one-to-one substitution with your homemade sugar. Here are a few of our best brown sugar recipes worth your consideration:

  • Christmas Cracker Candy

  • Strawberries with Sour Cream and Brown Sugar

  • The Original 1938 Toll House Cookie Recipe

  • Reddit's 150-Year-Old Cookie
    

  • Viral Pillsbury Cinnamon Roll Hack

  • Dollywood's World-Famous Cinnamon Bread

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Best Way to Store Homemade Brown Sugar

You can store your fresh batch of brown sugar just like the packaged variety you buy from the grocery store. Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for several months.

If the brown sugar hardens a bit, there's no need to worry. Brown sugar normally dries out when it is exposed to air, and bringing it back to life is simple. Place the sugar in a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with a damp paper towel. Microwave the sugar for 30 seconds to a minute to soften it right back up. Happy baking!

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