Brown sugar
Sugar with molasses, which gives it a moist texture, a caramel flavor and a light or dark brown color.
- Baking ingredients and additives
Also called: light brown sugar, dark brown sugar
Most brown sugar sold today is white sugar with molasses mixed back in; dark brown sugar has more molasses than light. The molasses holds moisture, so brown sugar makes cookies chewier and cakes moister, and its slight acidity lets it react with baking soda.
Recipes measure brown sugar packed firmly into the cup unless they say otherwise. It hardens when it dries out; keep it airtight, and soften hard brown sugar by sealing it with a slice of bread or a damp paper towel for a day.
Bake it at VanillaGoods
- RecipeVanilla banana brown sugar cake
- RecipeVanilla cardamom brown sugar cake
- RecipeVanilla chocolate brown sugar cake
- Baking Academy lessonPerfect cookies 5 brownies and blondies
Tools for this
OXO Good Grips POP Baking Container SetAirtight, stackable storage for sugar, flour and vanilla sugar.See it on Amazon
Pyrex Glass Measuring Cups (1, 2 & 4 Cup)Clear markings for liquids, from milk to vodka.See it on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate, VanillaGoods earns from qualifying purchases. We only suggest tools that help with this technique.
Related entries
Sources
Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.
- Codex Standard for Sugars (CODEX STAN 212-1999), Codex Alimentarius Commission (FAO/WHO)
- What Makes Brown Sugar Brown?, University of Illinois Extension
- Pantry Ponderings: Brown Sugar, K-State Research and Extension, Johnson County
- Brown sugar (Q11190742), Wikidata