When holiday baking season kicks into high gear, it's time for molasses to shine. This warm, sweet, and slightly bitter syrup underpins many classic holiday and wintertime recipes. Do you cut out Lick peopleBuilding a Gingerbread HouseOr fill a tin with Soft Molasses CookiesUsing the right kind of molasses is key.
Photography by Patrick Marinello; Food styling by Yekaterina Buitsova
What are the types of molasses and how are they different?
The flavor of molasses can be very different, and this is mostly due to how it is processed. Molasses is made by crushing up sugar cane or sugar beets, extracting the juice that is released, and boiling that juice down until it forms sugar crystals. When the sugar crystals have been removed (to go on to be refined into different kinds of sugar), a thick, dark syrup remains, which is molasses. It generally comes in three varieties:
Light molasses
If you stop at the first boil, you will have “light” molasses, which has a delicate, sweet flavor. Some manufacturers label this first boil molasses as “regular,” “mild,” or “Barbados” molasses.
Dark molasses
If you boil the molasses down again, you will make “dark,” “full,” or “healthy” molasses, which has a thicker texture and less-sweet flavor than light molasses.
Blackstrap molasses
And if you boil the molasses down a third and final time, you'll end up with “blackstrap” molasses, which is ultra-dark, thick, and noticeably bitter, like most Its sugar is extracted during the boiling process.
It is worth noting here that there can be a lot of variability between different brands of molasses – what one manufacturer calls “mild” may have a much stronger flavor than another that is labeled “healthy.” These descriptors are quite subjective, and as an agricultural product, molasses can run the gamut in flavor from delicate and floral to caramelized and spicy, depending on how it's made and where it's from. If you can, taste a little of your molasses before you start baking to gauge its flavor. The good news is that the flavor differences, although most noticeable when tasted plain, tend to diminish during baking, as long as you don't use blackstrap molasses (see below), so you can generally use what you have on hand. , even if the flavor may vary from what the recipe calls for.
Sulfurized versus unsulfurized molasses
Another difference between types of molasses is whether it has been “sulfurized.” Some manufacturers process sugar cane into molasses when it is young or “green.” To keep it preserved until ready for processing, it can be treated with sulfur dioxide, making the resulting molasses “sulfurized.” Some tasters may pick up chemical-tasting notes in sulfured molasses and prefer the flavor of unsulfurized molasses made from mature or ripe sugar cane. Unsulfurized molasses is the most common kind that you will find in the grocery store.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
What type of molasses should I use in baking?
The type of molasses you achieve when baking depends on the flavor you are looking to achieve. In general, first-boil light, unsulfurized molasses is the most versatile type of molasses to stock in your pantry. It has a distinct sweetness and just a hint of bitterness and blends well with other flavors without taking over. Light (which may also be labeled regular, original, mild, or Barbados) molasses works well in everything from Quick Frosted Gingerbread Cookie Bars To traditional New England Anadama Bread Too festive Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies Or Gingerbread waffles.
If you want a rich, bold molasses flavor to shine through in your recipe and don't mind a more bitter edge, second-boil dark molasses is a good choice. Dark (aka whole, full or second) molasses would be at home Boldly traditional GingerbreadIntensive Chocolate Molasses ThumbprintsThis easy Glazed chocolate gingerbread cakeOr crusty Sourdough Pumpernickel Bread.
Third-cook blackstrap molasses, however, has a very specific flavor profile, and should really be used in recipes that call for it. Its deep, bitter flavor and signature dark color make it the least versatile kind of molasses to bake with, but delicious when planned for. This tradition Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding Uses blackstrap molasses for its intense flavor, which is balanced by sweetness from coconut sugar, raisins and sweet potatoes. But if your recipe doesn't specify to use blackstrap molasses, assume that light or dark (not blackstrap) is intended.
Photography by Patrick Marinello; Food styling by Yekaterina Buitsova
Molasses substitutes
Molasses has a distinctive flavor all its own, but in a pinch, you can replace another liquid sweetener. The best choices are cane syrup, honey, sorghum, or dark corn syrup, which can generally be substituted 1:1 for molasses. But note that the color and flavor of your final baked good will be quite different from what was intended, especially if the recipe calls for a lot of molasses.
Cover photo by Mark Weinberg; Food styling by Erin Jeanne McDowell.