Why is brown sugar brown?

Brown sugar is a sucrose sugar product with a distinctive brown color due to the presence of molasses. It is either an unrefined or partially refined soft sugar consisting of sugar crystals with some residual molasses content (natural brown sugar), or it is produced by the addition of molasses to refined white sugar (commercial brown sugar). read more

Molasses is the key flavor in brown sugar, so dark brown sugar has a richer, more caramel-y flavor than light brown. If your recipe does not specify which kind of brown sugar to use, you can probably use whatever you have on hand, but pick the one you think is better suited to the recipe. read more

Molasses and brown sugar do contain more essential nutrients that white sugar, so choosing brown sugar over white is technically healthier. For example, a tablespoon of molasses is a good source of dietary potassium -- and provides small amounts of calcium, magnesium and B vitamins. read more