How to Make Your Own Brown Sugar

Many of us are pinching pennies these days, trying to squeeze as much out of each dollar as we can. One easy way to do that — especially heading into the holiday baking season — is to make your own brown sugar at home. It's about half the cost of store-bought, you get to make only as much as you need and it couldn't be fresher.

When sugarcane is refined, the end products are usually white sugar and molasses. Brown sugar is simply white sugar with a little molasses mixed back in — no mystery or magical chemistry. Why not do it yourself?

You can make homemade brown sugar as light or dark as you want. But remember, most recipes calling for brown sugar mean light brown sugar. That's important, especially when you're baking.

Any kind of molasses will work: mild, dark or blackstrap. Be aware though that blackstrap molasses has a strong taste that could overwhelm other flavors in your recipes.

Recipe for Homemade Brown Sugar

Light Brown Sugar: 1 cup white sugar + 2 teaspoons molasses

Dark Brown Sugar: 1 cup white sugar + 1-2 tablespoon molasses

Mix the sugar and molasses together in a bowl and store in an airtight container.