What Is Brown sugar, dark and How Can I Use It?

Brown sugar, dark is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 230 recipes to get you started.

What is brown sugar, dark?

Dark brown sugar is the bolder sibling. It carries about 6.5 percent molasses, roughly double what light brown holds, and that extra molasses is the whole reason to choose it.

The flavor runs deeper: a real toffee and molasses note with a faint bitterness behind the sweetness, not the gentle caramel of light brown. The extra molasses also brings noticeably more moisture, so it packs damper and bakes a touch softer.

Reach for it when you want that depth to show. Gingerbread leans on it, as in Gingerbread Men Refrigerator Dough, and it gives backbone to rich chewy cookies and to a smoky pot of baked beans like Karen's Infamous Baked Beans.

You can use it in place of light brown anywhere for a bolder result; you are only dialing the molasses up, along with the color and moisture that ride with it.

For packing and storage, plus the substitute list shared by both colors, see brown sugar.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find brown sugar, dark: Brown sugar, dark is usually found in the baking supplies section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Brown sugar, dark is a member of the Sweets US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

红糖，黑

British (UK) term

Brown sugar, dark

en français

de sucre brun foncé

en español

azúcar marrón oscuro

How much does brown sugar, dark weigh?

Related

Sweets

Recipes using brown sugar, dark

There are 230 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Beef Rib Marinade

Take your beef ribs to the next level with this web marinade that imparts incredible flavor deep into meaty beef ribs. Whether you're grilling, smoking, or using an Instant Pot for tender fall-off-the-bone beef ribs, marinate to start things off right.

Graham Wafers

These homemade graham wafers are crisp, lightly sweet, and perfect for snacking, crushing into crumbs for pie crusts, or pairing with spreads. Made with wholesome graham flour and a touch of vanilla, they bake up golden and delicious in just minutes.

Superb Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream

Love the deep-rich chocolate taste, and the roasted hazelnut just added in another kick. Absolutely to die for.

Mrs. F's Double-Rich Chocolate Cookies

Double chocolate cookies baked low and slow for fudgy centers and crisp edges. Cocoa powder plus semi-sweet chips deliver deep chocolate flavor in every bite.

Supernatural Brownies

Supernatural brownies are Nick Malgieri's legendary fudge bricks: a full pound each of butter and semisweet chocolate, eight eggs, two sugars, and a shiny crackled top. Bakes a full half-sheet, rests overnight for perfect texture.

Cinnamon Nut/Raisin Biscuits

Cinnamon nut or raisin biscuits with a brown sugar cinnamon filling tucked inside layered biscuit dough. The pocket of sweet spice goes molten as the biscuit bakes, giving you breakfast pastry without the yeast wait.

Mom's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mom's chocolate chip cookies built thick and crunchy with dark brown sugar and a full pound of real chocolate chips. Big, generous, and unapologetically old-school.

Nutty Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal raisin cookies with toasted walnuts, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and a hit of nutmeg. Chewy in the middle, crisp on the edges, and packed with three cups of rolled oats for serious texture.

Best Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Double chocolate chip cookies loaded with cocoa, semi-sweet chips, and toasted pecans. A splash of cream keeps the centers fudgy while the edges crisp up beautifully.

Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Rich double-chocolate buttermilk and walnuts are sure to satisfy your chocoholic cravings.

Easy Maple Pecan Pie

Dark amber maple syrup and toasted pecans create a rich, gooey pie with deep caramel notes perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Best Pecan Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Rich and delicious pecan chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with cinnamon and cloves to add more depth.

Autumn Pumpkin Waffles

Tender pumpkin waffles enriched with sour cream and warm spices. Light, fluffy texture from folded egg whites makes these autumn breakfast favorites crisp on the outside, soft within.

Moist Breakfast Apple Muffins

Moist breakfast apple muffins lightened with applesauce, buttermilk, and egg whites. Just two tablespoons of oil and chunks of fresh apple in every cinnamon-spiced bite.

Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins & Walnuts

Old fashioned oatmeal raisin cookies with chopped walnuts, dark brown sugar for chew, and toasty oats. A classic drop cookie that bakes up crisp at the edges and tender in the middle.

Pork Chops & Sugar Snap Peas with Mint Julep Glaze

Delicious pork chops are seared in a hot skillet, sugar snap peas are cooked in a flavorful broth, which makes this one-skillet meal that's quick, easy to prepare and perfect for a week day dinner.

Vermont Maple Syrup & Porter-Poached Apples

These apples are gently spiced and good for brunch as well as dessert.

Delicious Apple-Carrot Muffins

Apple-carrot muffins with grated Granny Smith apple, fresh carrot, oats, raisins, and Grape-Nuts for crunch. Healthy egg-white muffins that taste like dessert.

Mexican Coffee

Cafe de olla style Mexican coffee simmers ground coffee with a cinnamon stick and sweetens with dark brown sugar (or piloncillo). Traditional rustic spiced coffee made in one pot.

Squash Apple Walnut Bisque

Butternut squash bisque simmered with apples, walnuts, apple cider, and warm fall spices. A creamy autumn soup with optional cheddar and a touch of cream for richness.

Ganache-Filled Devil's Food Cake

Ganache-filled devil's food cake: a deeply moist, dark chocolate layer cake with a silky chocolate ganache filling and rich cocoa buttercream. A triple-chocolate showstopper for serious chocolate lovers.

Aam Chutney (Pineapple-Chile Chutney)

Sweet, sour and spicy, this delicious pineapple-chile chutney is packed with flavors. Serve it as a side dish with any Indian main course.

Diana's Zucchini Bread

Zucchini bread with dark brown sugar and vanilla, baked into two moist loaves. The garden-rescue quickbread that puts late-summer squash to delicious use.

Aam Chutney (Mango-Chile Chutney)

This spicy and sweet mango chuntney goes very well with the corn flatbread, you can also use pineapple too.

Creole Pecan Pie

Creole pecan pie: a deeper, darker Louisiana take on classic pecan pie built on dark brown sugar, dark corn syrup, and a low slow bake. Rich molasses-tinged filling and toasted pecans in a flaky crust.

Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake

Pecan streusel coffee cake with cinnamon-brown sugar streusel swirled through a tender Greek yogurt cake. A brunch classic with a hidden streusel layer and a golden crumble top.

Christmas Pudding With Vanilla-Bean Custard

This Christmas pudding has plenty of delicious fruit and nuts, but it's really simple to make - just plan ahead and then make the warm vanilla-bean custard on the day.

Big & Soft Raisin-Oatmeal Cookies

Big, soft raisin-oatmeal cookies with peanut butter for tender chew, dark brown sugar for moisture, and a whisper of mace that sets these apart from every other oat cookie. Quarter-cup scoops, no flour required.

Cheddar Box Chocolate Chip Cookies

Enjoy the ultimate treat with these Cheddar Box Chocolate Chip Cookies, featuring a rich, buttery dough packed with toasted pecans and generous chocolate chips. Perfectly crispy edges and a soft center make them irresistible!

David's Cowboy Cookies

Cowboy cookies loaded with old-fashioned rolled oats and semi-sweet chocolate chips, made big-batch style with butter, dark brown sugar, and three eggs. Hearty, chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that hold up in lunchboxes.

Denver Chocolate Pudding Cake (Healthier Version)

A few small twists make a much healthier but still decadent chocolate pudding cake. Wole wheat flour adds some fibre, using half butter and half olive oil cuts down the amount of saturated fat without losing the buttery flavor and moist texture. Spoon the warm and rich chocolate sauce over the pudding cake before serving.

Almond, Cashew & Dried Fruits Granola

I made this granola last night, it was so simple and easy. The granola turned out golden brown, and nuts were deliciously toasted, nutty and crunchy.

Almond, Cashew & Dried Fruits Granola

I made this granola last night, it was so simple and easy. The granola turned out golden brown, and nuts were deliciously toasted, nutty and crunchy.

Do-Ahead Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Make-ahead pumpkin chiffon pie with a cloud-light gelatin filling of pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg folded into stiff egg whites. Lighter than classic pumpkin pie and a Thanksgiving prep-day winner.

Pumpkin Pie Cognac

Pumpkin pie cognac with a silky custard of half-and-half, dark brown sugar, candied ginger, and a generous splash of brandy. The grown-up holiday pie that smells like Thanksgiving in a glass.

Brandy Christmas Fruit Cake

Get the jump on your Christmas baking by making this classic fruit cake now. Wrap it well and it will be perfect to serve, or give as a gift, on Christmas Day!

Cherry Crisp with Oatmeal & Nut Topping

Easy to make cherry crisp with oatmeal and nuts. Great with sour cherries or make cherry crisp with pie filling if you're in a hurry.

Gloria Moss Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie

This is my favorite pumpkin pie recipe! I found it years ago, and recently lost it in a move. I was joyous to find it again! I encourage everyone to use fresh pumpkin, just cut into large chunks, steam, then scoop out of peel, easy!

Cranberry & Almond Granola

There are a lot of ways to make granola, this is a very tasty combination, but you can also use dried other berries, or nuts, different ways can always be tasty.

Hot Soft Pretzels

It's actually very easy to make your own pretzels. Basically it's as same as making bread, you just need to shape them to pretzel shape at the end. Boiling the puffed pretzels in the hot boiling water is very similar to make bagels, which gives the pretzel chewy texture. Serve these homemade goodness with some mustard, absolutely delicious.

Applesauce Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Cookies

Apple sauce and butter make these cookies super buttery and moist, whole wheat flour and oats add extra goodness. Chocolate chips add some surprising bites.

100 Percent Whole-Wheat Bread

100 percent whole-wheat bread baked into a free-form round loaf. Yeasted with brown sugar, enriched with egg and dry milk, kneaded and double-risen for a tender, hearty crumb full of fiber.

Apple Sauce Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies can be both delicious and healthy. Believe or not, these chocolate chip cookies made with applesauce, oats, whole wheat flour, chocolate chips and walnuts taste absolutely delicious and actually healthy enough to get some health benefit.

Denver Chocolate Pudding Cake

So chocolaty and delicious. This was our dessert after dinner yesterday, in order to feel less guilty, I modified the recipe and made a healthier chocolate pudding cake (see the linked recipe below). It was such an enjoyable and decadent dessert that we really loved.

Authentic Southern Barbecued Ribs (Secret Recipe)

Near perfect pork ribs with a beautiful sweet, tangy and sticky exterior and fall off the bone meat.

Coconut & Pineapple Cake

A moist yet delicious cake is made with whole wheat flour, pineapple, coconut, and, walnuts. It is super moist and packed with great flavour. Enjoy one slice or two without feeling guilty.

Lemony Glazed Turnips & Carrots

Turnips and carrots are cooked in the pan and glazed with lemon, thyme and brown sugar. A quick and tasty side dish.

Low Fat Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate cookies can be both tasty and healthy, these low fat and low calorie chocolate cookies will please you.

Triple Pecan Pie with Maple

There are ground pecans in the shell, there are chopped pecans in the maple-brown sugar filling, and there are maple candied pecans arranged on top. The sweetness comes from both dark brown sugar and maple syrup, and there are some chopped dried cherries and rum added into the filling as well. A classic pecan pie is twisted with a modern way to make it more delicious and appealing, and everyone will give you a big "wow".

Tamarind Paste

Using fresh Tamarind pods make your own fresh homemade tamarind paste. You can use it in Indian cooking, Thai, Jamaican and Mexican. Add a spoonful to flavor curry, soups or even into meat taco mixes. In India it is used for a soft drink. Sort of like iced tea with an interesting tang or zing.

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