Brown sugar: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Brown sugar is an unrefined or partially refined soft sugar consisting of sugar crystals combined with molasses. Brown sugar is produced similarly to white sugar, with two exceptions. Its crystals are left much smaller than for white sugar, and the syrup or molasses is not washed off completely. Brown sugar contains from 3.5% molasses (light brown sugar) to 6.5% molasses (dark brown sugar).

Many brown sugar producers produce brown sugar by adding molasses to completely refined white sugar crystals in order to more carefully control the ratio of molasses to sugar crystals, and to reduce manufacturing costs. Brown sugar prepared in this manner is often much coarser than its unrefined equivalent, and its molasses may be easily separated from the crystals to yield white sugar (which is not possible with unrefined sugar). This is mainly done for inventory control and convenience, and technically the sugar is not any different, whichever way it is prepared.

All brown sugar produced for retail sale is made from sugar cane, because the flavor of cane molasses is palatable to humans. No retail brown sugar is produced from sugar beets, because the flavor of beet molasses is not palatable to humans, although cattle like it.

Brown sugar can be made at home by mixing white granulated sugar with molasses, using one tablespoon of molasses for every cup of white sugar (one-sixteenth or 6.25% of the total volume). Thorough blending will yield dark brown sugar; for light brown sugar, between one and two teaspoons of molasses per cup should be used instead. It is, however, simpler to substitute molasses for an equal portion of white sugar while cooking, without mixing them separately.

Brown sugar is one of the fundamental ingredients in Toll House cookie recipes.