Homemade Dark Brown Sugar

Learn how to make homemade dark brown sugar with 2 simple ingredients. Never buy brown sugar again, and always have fresh, soft dark brown sugar for baking!

If you're looking for more homemade ingredients for baking, try How to Make Homemade Light Brown Sugar, How to Make Cake Flour, or How to Make Vanilla Sea Salt.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

• Recipe Name: Homemade Dark Brown Sugar
• Ready In: 5 minutes
• Makes: 1 pound
• Main Ingredients: cane sugar, blackstrap molasses
• Flavor Profile: rich, dark brown sugar
• Dietary Info: vegan, gluten free, eggless, no seed oils
• Difficulty: Easy!
• Why You’ll Love It: stays fresher longer than store bought

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• 2 Ingredients: I love this recipe because it only has 2 ingredients, organic sugar and blackstrap molasses.
• Never Buy Brown Sugar Again: When you know how to make homemade dark brown sugar, you'll never have to buy it again!
• Never Run Out: Learn how to make homemade dark brown sugar and never run out again! No last minute trips to the store for this ingredient if you realize it's rock hard in your pantry.

What is the difference between light and dark brown sugar?

Both organic dark brown sugar and light brown sugar contain the same two ingredients — cane sugar and molasses. Light brown sugar has a lower percentage of molasses and dark brown sugar has a higher percentage of molasses. That is the only difference!

But what does that mean for your baked goods? Well, if a recipe calls for dark brown sugar (or for light) that flavor is going into the entire recipe. Organic dark brown sugar has more molasses and is darker in color. This translates to a richer flavor in your baked goods as well as a darker color.

Many people say that dark brown sugar is only used for certain things, and that it is not most common for classic baked goods. But I beg to differ. I use dark brown sugar in classic bakes like cookies, brownies, and more. Try it out in my Chocolate Chip Crinkle Cookies, Quick One Rise Cinnamon Rolls From Scratch, or Maple Caramel Dark Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Bars.

How do you make dark brown sugar?

Dark brown sugar is very easy to make, just like light brown sugar. All you need are two ingredients: organic cane sugar and organic blackstrap molasses. In the bowl of your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, you mix up these two ingredients until uniform. That’s it! And I am going to show you how to make your own dark brown sugar below.

Can you make dark brown sugar from light brown sugar?

Yes, you absolutely can make dark brown sugar form light brown sugar. If you don’t have cane sugar, and you have light brown sugar, you can make dark brown sugar out of light brown sugar instead.

Because dark brown sugar and light brown sugar contain the same two ingredients, you can use light brown sugar to make dark brown sugar. When doing so, you just add in less molasses than you would if you were using cane sugar.

I actually prefer to make homemade dark brown sugar out of light brown sugar because the cost is lower. This is something I just know from owning a bake shop for over ten years! While organic cane sugar is less expensive than organic light brown sugar — organic blackstrap molasses is much more expensive per ounce than both.

So, when I make homemade dark brown sugar out of cane sugar, I need to add way more molasses than if I am making it out of light brown sugar. That larger amount of molasses adds up in cost. So, I always make my homemade dark brown sugar out of light brown sugar instead of cane sugar.

There is no right or wrong way to make dark brown sugar. It’s just a personal preference if you want to make it with cane sugar and molasses or light brown sugar and molasses. Or you can use whatever you have in your pantry at the time!

My beta for how to make your own organic dark brown sugar is this. I buy organic light brown sugar, usually from Wholesome. And, then I make homemade dark brown sugar out of that light brown sugar. If I am out of light brown sugar and I need it, then I will make homemade light brown sugar as well.

This simple recipe for Homemade Dark Brown Sugar is going to give you the option to use organic cane sugar or organic light brown sugar, and the right amount of molasses for each!

I highly recommend using Wholesome Blackstrap Molasses, as that is the molasses I use for these recipes. You can use any kind of organic cane sugar you prefer, my favorites are Costco, Wholesome, and Florida Crystals. And I use Wholesome Light Brown Sugar.

Ingredients

• Cane Sugar or Light Brown Sugar: The choice is yours, you can make dark brown sugar with either one! I provide an easy recipe using either sugar.
• Blackstrap Molasses: Organic blackstrap molasses is the key ingredient to brown sugar.

*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.

Baker's Tips

• Always use a digital food scale for the best results!
• You can make homemade dark brown sugar from either cane sugar or light brown sugar. You'll just need different amounts of molasses, so whatever you have on hand works just fine!
• It really helps to make a well in the center of the sugar before adding the molasses in. This ensures the molasses won't get stuck to the sides of the bowl and it makes it quick and easy! Trust me, as we made this daily at my bakery for over a decade! (Watch the video!)
• Be sure to store homemade dark brown sugar in an airtight container so it stays soft.

How to Make Homemade Dark Brown Sugar

Step 1

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the sugar (either cane sugar or light brown, whichever you are using) and molasses. It helps if you add the sugar first, then create a small hole in the center and add the molasses in there. This helps because then it won’t stick to the sides right away and it will mix in more easily and more uniform from the start.

Step 2

Turn the mixer on low, and mix until combined. Using a hard scraper spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle to remove excess molasses, and mix again.

Step 3

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

Recipes That Use Homemade Dark Brown Sugar

Try these recipes that use dark brown sugar for a rich flavor and dark color in your desserts!

• Festive Gingerbread Snack Cake Without Frosting makes a perfect holiday dinner dessert!
• Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies with Homemade Caramel use dark brown sugar for an extra rich flavor combined with caramel. This was the best selling cookie at my bake shop for good reason!
• Dark brown sugar adds a rich chocolatey flavor to Sea Salt Black Cocoa Biscotti.
• Enjoy in Eggless Cosmic Brownie Cookies.
• I always use dark brown sugar in gingerbread recipes like Eggless Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies, and Maple Caramel Dark Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Bars, Gingerbread Biscotti.
• Dark brown sugar makes Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies extra rich and delicious!

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