6 Best Substitutes For Molasses To Use For Your Holiday Baking

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Will Dickey

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If you've ever wondered what gives gingerbread cookies their distinct flavor and texture, it just so happens to be a dark, sticky-sweet syrup known as molasses. Avid bakers may have a jar tucked in the back of their pantry for baking gingerbread desserts, but this syrup can also be added to marinades for grilling, drizzled into baked beans for subtle sweetness, or used to make a batch of delicious homemade barbecue sauce. Some folks even prefer it over maple syrup on a stack of pancakes! Still, there's a good chance you're not reaching for it everyday. So what happens when you get hankering for Ree Drummond's spicy molasses cookies and realize you're fresh out? Don't panic! These easy substitutes for molasses will save the day.

A byproduct of the sugar-making process, molasses comes in different varieties, from light and mild to dark and intense. First, sugarcane or sugar beets are crushed and the liquid is extracted, then the liquid is cooked down and the sugar crystals are removed. What's left is the mildest, sweetest, and most common version of molasses you'll find. It's referred to as light molasses. When the byproduct is boiled down even more, it becomes darker, thicker, and slightly less sweet; this is dark molasses. After the third boiling, blackstrap molasses is produced: This kind of molasses is very thick, dark, and bitter. Molasses is also found both sulfured and unsulfured. Sulfured molasses is made from young sugarcane and is treated with sulfur dioxide for the purpose of preservation; it is usually slightly less sweet. You're more likely to find unsulfured molasses at the grocery store: it's made from mature sugarcane.

Next time you discover you're out of molasses, don't make a mad dash to the supermarket. Try one of these simple substitutes instead.

Brown Sugar

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Brown sugar is actually a combination of granulated sugar and molasses, so it's a good substitute for molasses. While measurements may vary per recipe, you can generally replace 1 cup molasses with 3/4 cup packed brown sugar. Dark brown sugar will have a stronger molasses flavor than light brown sugar.

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Granulated Sugar & Water

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This is an easy swap: Just mix 3/4 cup granulated sugar with 1/4 cup water and use in place of 1 cup molasses. The sugar will add sweetness and the water will add moisture. However, you won't get much flavor, so consider upping the spices in the recipe instead.

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Dark Corn Syrup

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Dark corn syrup is a combination of corn syrup and a specific type of molasses, which means it's dark and sweet like regular molasses. You can use it as a one-for-one swap.

Maple Syrup

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Maple syrup isn't just great for pancakes and waffles—it's a good alternative for molasses, too! You won't get that distinct molasses flavor, but maple syrup will add similar sweetness and moisture.

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Honey

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Honey has a very similar texture to molasses. Even though it doesn't have quite the same caramel-like flavor, it'll work in a pinch: You can generally replace 1 cup of molasses with 1 cup of honey.

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Golden Syrup

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Golden syrup, also known as "light treacle," is made from the evaporation of sugarcane, which creates a light, golden syrup very reminiscent of honey. Lyle's is a popular brand of golden syrup. Try using 1 cup golden syrup for every 1 cup molasses in a recipe.

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