[[{“value”:”When you’re baking with molasses, the brand you choose can affect the flavor, sweetness and overall character of the finished recipe. Some varieties are mild and sweet, while others have a darker, more concentrated flavor that can be better suited to specific recipes. To highlight the best ones, Eat This, Not That! asked several bakers their go-to choice, and here are the two brands that emerged as the favorites.
Grandma’s Molasses
Grandma’s Molasses is a versatile choice for everyday baking, and received the most recommendations from the experts we consulted. Its availability and balanced flavor make it a practical choice for a range of baked goods, from cookies and gingerbread to other recipes that call for molasses. It’s something that Chef Chris McLaurin from Lutra Cafe & Bakery never bakes without. “You can generally find it at any store, and it has a great flavor. It is rich and malty without being overpowering. It works well in just about any recipe you have. At Lutra, we also use it to make our own brown sugar. Three parts granulated sugar to one part Grandma’s molasses, by weight, mixed, makes a dark brown sugar.”
A Milder Flavor for Baked Goods
Kristina Lavallee, Founder and CEO of The Cake Girl, also favors Grandma’s, noting that the product’s formulation contributes to a milder flavor profile. That can make it useful in recipes where you want molasses to contribute sweetness and depth without dominating the other ingredients. “I like that Grandma’s is a pure and unsulphured product that has no artificial preservatives or flavors. It has a mild and sweeter flavor profile, since it is boiled for a shorter duration than a robust molasses that tends to not be as sweet and more concentrated.”
A Classic for Cookies and Gingerbread
Daniel P. Craig, cooking and baking expert and founder of Kitchendeets.com, points to Grandma’s as a familiar option for classic molasses-based treats. Its flavor profile can be particularly approachable for bakers who haven’t worked with molasses before. “This is the classic molasses that most families have used for years. It has a rich, warm flavor that’s perfect for gingerbread cookies and other spiced treats. It’s not too bitter, so it tastes good even if you’re new to baking with molasses.”
Original or Robust? Here’s What to Know
Burhan Demirci, baker at Red Beard Coffee & Bakery in NYC, distinguishes between the brand’s Original and Robust varieties. “This is a classic baking molasses with a rich but relatively mild sweetness. It is unsulfured, with no artificial flavors or coloring, and works beautifully in gingerbread, molasses cookies, cakes, breads, and glazes. They make two versions: Original and Robust. I like the Original because it’s lighter and sweeter than the Robust version.”
Wholesome Organic Molasses
Wholesome Organic Molasses gives bakers another option, particularly those who look for organic ingredients. Odette D’Aniello, Founder and CEO of Dragonfly Cakes, uses the brand for baking and highlights its availability and flavor. “My sister and I buy a lot of organic items, and we especially like this brand because it’s easily available at the grocery stores in our area. In general, we use light unsulphured molasses for baking here at the bakery because it has a smooth, gently caramelized flavor without much bitterness of dark or blackstrap molasses. It adds moisture, color, and a warm depth of flavor while still allowing ingredients like ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, and chocolate to come through.” She adds, “During the holidays, we use a lot of molasses in gingerbread and other fall cookies and bakes. Blackstrap molasses can be great when a recipe specifically needs an intense, slightly bitter flavor, but it isn’t a one-to-one replacement for light molasses.”
The post The Top 2 Molasses Brands, According to Bakers appeared first on Eat This Not That.”}]]