The kind you should buy depends on what you want to use it for.
Here’s what I learned.
How Is Brown Sugar Made?
Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham
Those crystals are then separated from the liquid to form different granulated sugars.
Molasses are the byproduct of that process.
Brown sugar is most often made by remixing molasses with refined white sugar that was made from sugar cane.
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The molasses content gives brown sugar its moist texture and distinct flavor, says Kazaks.
Light brown sugar usually has about 3.5% molasses by weight, while dark brown has about 6.5%.
In addition, there are natural brown sugarslike turbinado and muscovado.
When these are processed from cane syrup, not all the molasses is removed.
That molasses contributes to the sugars distinct color, flavor, and texture, says Kazaks.
Do Light Brown and Dark Brown Sugars Taste Different?
She opts for light brown sugar when she wants milder sweetness and more delicate caramel flavor.
For example, Domino light and brown sugarboth have 30 caloriesin two teaspoons.
But the amounts are very small and unlikely to make a significant nutritional impact.
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Could You Use Them Interchangeably?
Kazaks says its more obvious when you replace dark brown sugar with light.
For every cup of granulated white sugar, add one tablespoon of molasses.
Stir until its well mixed and the sugar is evenly colored and moist.
Thats because it has more moisture than other sugar.
When the moisture evaporates, the sugar hardens.
To keep that from happening, store your sugar in an airtight container or a zip-top bag.
