What’s the Distinction Between Mild and Darkish Brown Sugar?

Cooking confession time: What number of instances have you ever learn a recipe that requires gentle or darkish brown sugar, grabbed no matter occurs to be in your pantry, and known as it a day? If you happen to’ve ever puzzled what actually makes gentle and darkish brown sugar completely different (other than the colour),  and, extra importantly, whether or not you’re committing a baking fake pas in case you’ve ever swapped one for the opposite, we’ve received you coated.

What makes gentle and darkish brown sugar completely different?

Molasses is what makes brown sugar, effectively, brown. In reality, each gentle and darkish brown sugar are made by mixing white (or granulated) sugar with molasses. That jar of darkish, viscous liquid that smells like gingerbread? That’s the one!

Molasses is a byproduct of the sugar making course of. When the juice from crushed sugar cane or sugar beets is boiled, sugar crystals are fashioned. The crystals are white sugar and, as soon as separated, the liquid left behind is molasses. Brown sugar is produced by combining white sugar with a small quantity of molasses, and the exact quantity of molasses is what determines whether or not brown sugar is gentle or darkish.

Mild brown sugar

If you happen to’re studying a recipe that requires “brown sugar,” with none extra data, it’s protected to imagine this refers to gentle brown sugar. Mild brown sugar is roughly 3.5% molasses by weight and has a toffee or delicate caramel-like style. Extra delicate than darkish brown sugar, it’s additionally extra versatile — it may be utilized in each baking and cooking for a sweeter taste that gained’t overpower the dish. You’ll discover gentle brown sugar in baking recipes for chocolate chip cookies, muffins, and frostings. It’s additionally used to make mildly candy glazes and sauces, which helps savory dishes like ultra-tender quick ribs and show-stopping glazed hams to shine.

Darkish brown sugar

By now, it shouldn’t be a shock that darker brown sugar signifies extra molasses. Darkish brown sugar is roughly 6.5% molasses by weight, with a subsequent caramel taste stronger than its gentle brown counterpart. Darkish brown sugar is nice for including deeper taste and richer shade to dishes. It makes a superb companion with recipes that decision for brown butter to double-down on toasty taste, and provides fall-forward drinks like mulled wine an additional oomph. Plus, what goes higher with apple pie than a dusting of darkish brown sugar?

Are you able to substitute gentle and darkish brown sugars for one another?

Earlier than you hop again to the grocery store to choose up the kind of brown sugar you’re lacking, know that gentle and darkish brown sugars are interchangeable in most recipes. Sure, swapping in darkish brown sugar for gentle will lend a darker shade and deeper taste. It could additionally have an effect on the feel of sure baked items. That’s as a result of acids react with chemical leaveners like baking soda to create air bubbles, and the quantity of molasses in every sort of sugar can have an effect on the general acidity. If you happen to’ve ever puzzled why your cookies are spreading much less or extra within the oven or your muffins have a lighter or denser crumb, the swap could be the offender. However, usually, it’s not noticeable.