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The Difference Between Light and Dark Brown Sugar

Different types of sugar - dark brown soft, light brown soft & molasses - natural unrefined cane sugar.

Ever found yourself in the baking aisle, wondering which variety of brown sugar to choose for your recipe? Before you make that next batch of cookies or any of these 12 common baking mistakes, read up on the difference between light and dark brown sugar to see which type is your best bet.

What’s the difference?

Thinking about brown sugar brings to mind sweet potato casserole, coffee cake, and honey-baked ham—recipes that wouldn’t be the same with plain ol’ granulated sugar. The ingredient that separates brown sugar from the others is molasses, added after white sugar is refined. The darker the brown sugar, the more molasses it contains.

For light brown sugar, that usually means 3.5 percent molasses. For dark brown sugar, that amount is nearly doubled—6.5 percent molasses! This helps dark brown sugar have a more deep, complex flavor that’s closer to toffee or caramel. Did you know that sugar can last forever? Here are the other foods with incredible shelf lives.

What sugar should I use?

If your recipe doesn’t specify “light” or”dark,” it probably assumes you’re going to use light brown sugar (it’s more common). The exception is when you’re making gingerbread—the molasses flavor in dark brown sugar better complements the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Here’s the trick to measuring brown sugar—and other common baking ingredients.

How to Substitute for Light or Dark Brown Sugar

Don’t worry if you’ve been using them interchangeably. You don’t have to compensate for one type of sugar or the other by adding or subtracting any ingredients, so it’s safe to switch between the two based on what you happen to have in your pantry. Now that we’ve enlightened you on the difference between these two types of sugar, make sure you also know the difference between baking powder and baking soda. Happy baking!

 

The post The Difference Between Light and Dark Brown Sugar appeared first on Reader's Digest.



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