How to Substitute White Sugar for Brown Sugar While Baking
In our opinion, it's always baking season—but we tend to spend even more time in the kitchen once the holidays roll around. And when it coms to baking, nothing beats the deep, sweet flavor that brown sugar adds to cookies, caramel corn, pudding cakes, and more. It's even a staple ingredient for the holiday ham.
But what happens if your baking spree depletes your supply of brown sugar? Good news: You can easily substitute white sugar for brown sugar, either by using them interchangeably or by relying on our Test Kitchen's easy brown sugar substitute.
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How to Substitute Sugar for Brown Sugar
In a pinch, white sugar in an equal amount will work just fine as a brown sugar replacement. If you happen to have molasses on hand, our Test Kitchen suggests this alternative, which will maintain the dynamic, rich flavor of brown sugar:
For 1 cup brown sugar, use 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 Tbsp. molasses. Stir together and use according to your recipe.
When you buy brown sugar, it's already a mixture of granulated sugar and molasses. Adding molasses to your white sugar will give it the same flavor and "packable" texture as the real thing. If you decide to substitute brown sugar with white sugar minus the molasses, keep in mind your cookies will be a little crisper, since they will lack some of the moisture usually contained in brown sugar.
Related: More Brown Sugar Substitutes (Plus a Healthier Alternative!)
Brown sugar is commonly used in candied nuts, blondies, and some tarts. You can also use it (or one of our substitutes) to add sweetness to savory dinners like pork chops, sweet potato casserole, and show-stopping glazed ham. When you do have brown sugar stocked, make sure you are measuring it correctly and keeping it stored properly to prevent it from drying out.
