Molasses: A Sweet, Syrupy Tale of a Rich and Darkener

Among all liquid sweeteners, molasses stands out as one of the most intricate. Its flavor can range from subtly sweet to richly smoky, or even intensely bitter-sweet, with a history as complex as its taste.

The technique for making molasses – pressing sugar cane and boiling the juice until it crystallized – originated in India around 500 B.C.E. This method traveled to Europe during the Middle Ages, likely introduced by Arab invaders in Spain. From there, molasses-making spread across the Atlantic when Christopher Columbus brought sugar cane to the West Indies. Molasses also played a role in the triangular slave trade of the 1600s. Slaves were traded from Africa to the West Indies in exchange for English rum, and then sold to sugar plantations to harvest the cane for molasses, which was then shipped back to the colonies and England. In England, molasses is often referred to as black treacle. Due to its affordability, molasses remained the most popular sweetener in the U.S. until the 1880s.

We spoke with Nancy Waldeck, a healthy chef and cookbook author based in Atlanta, to learn everything about molasses – from the different varieties to its culinary uses and even some of its health benefits.

"There are actually two main types of molasses," she explains. "Sugar beet molasses and sugar cane molasses. The kind we typically use in cooking is sugar cane molasses."

Sugar cane molasses has a distinct consistency compared to molasses made from sugar beets. It's lighter in texture and sweeter. On the other hand, sugar beet molasses is mostly used for animal feed and in industrial applications, such as distillation and even in pharmaceuticals.

The 3 Types of Molasses

To produce molasses, sugar cane is harvested, cleaned, sliced, and soaked. The juice is then extracted from the plant. At this stage, the liquid is mostly water. The next step is boiling the liquid to concentrate the sugars, leaving behind a thick syrup that crystallizes. The crystallized sugar is placed in a centrifuge and spun to separate the molasses from the sugar crystals. Many culinary sources describe this process as "boiling." According to Waldeck, there are three stages of "boiling" in molasses production that result in the different types of molasses.

1. Light Molasses

The first boil produces a light syrup, often referred to as cane syrup in the Southern United States. It is the sweetest and lightest version, as only a small portion of the sugar has been extracted. This variety is commonly used as a topping for pancakes and waffles.

2. Medium or Dark Molasses

The second boil extracts even more sugar, resulting in a medium or dark molasses that is less sweet and has a slight bitterness, with a thicker consistency. "The second boil yields a thicker syrup," explains Waldeck. "This is the type most commonly found in stores, used in barbecue sauce, cookies, and baking." It’s also the molasses of choice for gingerbread recipes.

3. Blackstrap Molasses

Blackstrap molasses is the thick, dark syrup produced from the third extraction of sugar from sugar cane. It has a potent, robust flavor and is packed with health benefits. Due to its strong bitterness, it's not suitable for recipes that call for regular molasses.

"It’s similar to many other foods," says Waldeck. "The darker the color, the more nutrition it provides. It’s rich in iron and contains significant amounts of potassium, which is beneficial for people who need to regulate their blood pressure. Like all molasses, it also offers selenium and copper, but in higher concentrations."

To enjoy the health benefits, Waldeck recommends mixing a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses with a quarter cup of hot water and drinking it down, rather than attempting to consume it straight by the spoonful.

"It really comes down to your taste preferences," she explains. "Those who are supertasters, with an especially heightened sense of taste, may find blackstrap molasses overwhelmingly bitter." The rest of us are likely to follow it with a glass of water to wash it down.

Sulphured and Unsulphured Molasses

If you spot the term "unsulphured" on a molasses label, it means that no sulphites (like sulfur dioxide) were added as preservatives. Sulphites were once used to stop mold and bacteria from growing in molasses before modern food preservation techniques were developed. Most commercial molasses is unsulphured, though the label often includes the word "unsulphured" for marketing purposes.

Swapping Sweeteners

Waldeck mentions that the flavor profile of molasses is quite different from honey, but adding molasses to a recipe can be an excellent way to enhance its taste.

"When it comes to baking, things can get quite sticky. That was a tough one," Waldeck jokes. "I wouldn’t swap liquid sweeteners like honey or molasses for granulated sugar. But here's what I would try: If you want to emphasize the flavor of molasses, I would take a recipe that calls for honey and replace half of it with molasses. If that works well, I might go a step further and use all molasses instead of honey."

If you're wondering about a calorie comparison between honey and molasses, the total calories are quite similar – a tablespoon of molasses has about 58 calories, while honey comes in at 64 calories per tablespoon.

A favorite ingredient of Waldeck's, pomegranate molasses, isn’t actually molasses. It's a reduction of pomegranate juice into a syrup, deep red and bursting with a sweet-tart flavor.

"Pomegranate molasses used to be made with just one ingredient – pomegranate seeds," Waldeck explains. "Occasionally, citric acid or a preservative was added, but that wasn’t always the case. It’s harder to find these days." If you're looking for it, check international markets.