What Can I Use For The Emergency Brownies If I Don't Have Light Brown Sugar? | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

FAQs

Is brown sugar important in brownies? ›

Getting the perfect crust for you means choosing a recipe with just the right proportions of granulated and brown sugars. More brown sugar leads to dense brownies with incredible depth of flavor, but the additional moisture can cause their upper crust to be more solid than delicate as a result.

Using caster sugar in brownies also helps to get a super crinkly top. Caster sugar has a smaller grain size than granulated sugar, so it dissolves better in the egg mixture, to give that nice crinkly top. If you only have granulated sugar on hand it will still work fine particularly if you are in the US.

The molasses content in dark brown sugar will make your baked goods moister than if you use light brown sugar. That means that not only is the flavor affected, but the texture will be, too. Light brown sugar will result in a subtler flavor, while dark brown sugar will give your baked goods a richer flavor.

Combining white sugar with molasses may be a better brown sugar substitute, but if you don't have molasses, other liquid sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar will work as well. You should mix a tablespoon or two of the liquid sweetener into a scant 1 cup of white sugar to replace a cup of brown sugar.

In fact, many recipes don't even specify what shade of brown sugar to use, though it's best to assume that by "brown sugar" they mean light. That doesn't mean they're identical. Because dark brown sugar contains more molasses, it weighs more, contains more moisture, and is more acidic.

A combination of maple syrup and honey works best for muffins and cookies; typically swapping out even amounts to replace sugar in a recipe will work. Agave nectar is also okay, but it makes baked goods less tender and does have a noticeably different flavor.

Depending on the type, honey can infuse baked goods with a fruity, floral, earthy, or nutty sweetness. To use it, you'll need 2/3 cup of honey for every 1 cup white or brown sugar, according to Ziata.

It is not recommended to substitute powdered sugar for granulated sugar. Since powdered sugar has a much finer texture, and it contains a small percentage of cornstarch to prevent caking, substituting can give you unexpected results.

Mix 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses to mimic a cup of light brown sugar. Mix 1 cup of granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons of molasses to mimic a cup of dark brown sugar. If you don't have molasses on hand, you can combine white sugar with another liquid sweetener, like maple syrup or honey.

To make light brown sugar, combine 1 cup white granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp. molasses (increase to 2 Tbsp. molasses for dark brown sugar). No need to whip out the blender or food processor—you can mix this by hand.

How to make brownies sweeter? ›

Salt enhances the sweetness in your brownies. You might think that adding salt would make brownies, or any chocolate, salter, but it actually brings out the sweet quality in these types of desserts. Sprinkle it in the batter or add flaky sea salt to the top of the brownies after removing them from the oven.

1:1 BROWN SUGAR REPLACEMENT: Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener matches the sweetness of brown sugar, helping you fill your kitchen with a healthy cup-for-cup alternative to ordinary baking ingredients.

Light and dark brown sugar in the UK is a type of fine granulated sugar that has molasses added to it. Muscovado sugar is very similar but can be slightly moister and also comes in light and dark versions.

White sugar and brown sugar are both essential ingredients in baking, and the sweet flavor they promote is irreplaceable in baked goods like cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and quick breads.

Brown Sugar Lends Caramel Undertones And Helps Lock In Moisture. Incorporating brown sugar into your chocolate cake recipes can elevate them from good to unforgettable. Tasting Table's recipe developer, Molly Allen, demonstrates this beautifully in her elegant yet simple death by chocolate cake recipe.

Brown Sugar Uses

- Baking: Most baking products are sweet, so sugar is one of the main ingredients for that, but for a healthy option, you can choose brown sugar, which also helps create a soft texture, giving it more taste and richness.