Natural form

Blackstrap and light molasses poured to show the full range of color and viscosity.

Showing the syrup in its poured state communicates the defining physical properties: extreme viscosity, near-opaque dark brown color, and slow ribbon-like flow.

Sweeteners

Molasses

Dark, bittersweet syrup for gingerbread, beans, and rubs

Thick, dark, and bittersweet, molasses gives gingerbread its depth, baked beans their richness, and a barbecue rub its backbone. A little is intense. Keep it at room temperature.

Molasses is the dark, thick, bittersweet syrup left when sugarcane or beet juice is boiled to extract sugar — essentially the flavorful liquid that brown sugar gets its character from. Robust and only moderately sweet, with a faintly mineral, bittersweet edge (blackstrap most of all), it gives gingerbread, baked beans, and barbecue sauce their deep, smoky-bitter backbone. Grades run from mild first-boil to intense blackstrap; the strength matters enormously to the result.

Measured in: ml
Storage: Room Temperature

Find it in

Baking Aisle

Types & varieties

Light (first boil) molasses

Mildest and sweetest; for general baking.

Dark (second boil) molasses

Less sweet, more robust; gingerbread and beans.

Blackstrap molasses

Third boil — intense, bitter, mineral-rich; use sparingly.

Sulphured vs. unsulphured

Unsulphured is cleaner-tasting and preferred.

How to choose

Use light or dark molasses for most baking; reserve blackstrap for recipes that call for it specifically, as its bitterness can overpower. Pick unsulphured for the cleanest flavor.

How to use

Its acidity activates baking soda, giving lift to gingerbread and dark breads, while its flavor anchors baked beans, barbecue sauce, and glazes. It also makes brown sugar — stir it into white sugar.

Gingerbread, gingersnaps, and dark cakes
Baked beans and barbecue sauce
Brown bread and rye breads
Glazes and marinades

How to store

Keep it sealed at room temperature. Oil the measuring cup first and the thick syrup will slide right out.

Common uses

Gingerbread and gingersnapsBaked beans (Boston baked beans)Barbecue sauce and glazesBrown bread and rye loavesMarinades for pork and ribsShoofly pie and dark dessertsMaking brown sugar