Vegan brown sugar is very easy to make, and it is much less expensive to make your own than it is to buy it. The store bought ones are over $4.00 per pound, but you can make your own for only $0.86 per pound! All you need is vegan cane sugar, molasses, and dark agave nectar:
*My cost is based on getting 8 lbs of Zulka pure cane sugar for $5.00, 12 oz of molasses for $3.40, and 23.5 oz of agave nectar for $6.70. Your cost may be more or less, depending on the price of these items.
If you are new to veganism, and are wondering why anyone would bother buying or making special vegan sugar, I recommend this video on Is Sugar Vegan?
You can also make your own vegan powdered sugar, and it is much less expensive than buying it!
A stand mixer is helpful, but not at all necessary. I often do not bother with it, if I am only making a small amount of brown sugar. If you bake a lot, and are making a big batch, then it is worth using a stand mixer if you have one. Otherwise, a large bowl and a sturdy spoon will work just fine.
To make dark brown sugar, you only need sugar and molasses. For light brown sugar, you will also use dark agave nectar. When I first started making my own brown sugar, I tested a range from all dark agave to all molasses to find out what gave the best results:
The all dark agave version was too pale and lacked flavor, but a 50/50 blend of dark agave and molasses was perfect for light brown sugar. For recipes that call for dark brown sugar, all molasses is the best choice. These photos show light brown sugar made in a stand mixer:
Making brown sugar in a stand mixer only takes about two minutes, while making it by hand takes a bit longer as you have to work the liquid into the sugar until it is completely uniform. Start by mixing the molasses (and agave if making light brown sugar) into the sugar, then repeatedly push the spoon down and scrape across the bottom of the bowl to break up all the clumpy bits. These photos show dark brown sugar made by hand:
You can use your homemade brown sugar just like you would use store bought. It is delicious on oatmeal, perfect for making granola, and makes beautiful cookies! You can double or triple the batch if you bake a lot. Be sure to store it in an airtight container, and it will keep well for several months.
How to Make Vegan Light Brown Sugar
Make your own vegan light brown sugar for a fraction of the cost of store bought.
Ingredients
- 400 g (2 c) Vegan Sugar
- 20 g (1 TBS) Dark Agave Nectar
- 20 g (1 TBS) Molasses
Instructions
-
Add the sugar, agave, and molasses to your stand mixer bowl, or to a sturdy metal bowl if you are mixing by hand.
-
Mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined, then increase speed and mix on medium for about two minutes until uniformly blended. Or, use a sturdy spoon and mix the agave and molasses into the sugar by hand, pushing down and scraping the sugar against the bottom of the bowl. Continue until all the clumpy bits are mixed in and the mixture is uniformly blended.
-
Store in an airtight container.
How to Make Vegan Dark Brown Sugar
Make your own vegan dark brown sugar for a fraction of the cost of store bought.
Ingredients
- 400 g (2 c) Vegan Sugar
- 40 g (2 TBS) Molasses
Instructions
-
Add the sugar and molasses to your stand mixer bowl, or to a sturdy metal bowl if you are mixing by hand.
-
Mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined, then increase speed and mix on medium for about two minutes until uniformly blended. Or, use a sturdy spoon and mix the agave and molasses into the sugar by hand, pushing down and scraping the sugar against the bottom of the bowl. Continue until all the clumpy bits are mixed in and the mixture is uniformly blended.
-
Store in an airtight container.
Where do you buy your Zulka sugar? On Amazon it is very expensive. $7 per pound
It shouldn’t be expensive! Aldi has four pound bags of Zulka sugar for $1.95 and Walmart has those as well. Walmart also has eight pound bags for under $4.00.