Molasses is a thick, dark syrup that is a byproduct of refining sugar cane or sugar beets into table sugar. It has a rich, robust flavor and is used as a sweetener in cooking, baking, and beverages. But molasses can do so much more than just sweeten your food! Here are some of the many uses and benefits of molasses that you may not know about.
Use as a Natural Sweetener
Molasses makes an excellent replacement for refined sugar. It has a low glycemic index, meaning it does not cause spikes in blood sugar. Molasses contains vitamins and minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, selenium, and more. This makes it more nutritious than regular white sugar. The strong flavor of molasses also means you can use less of it. Replace sugar with molasses in recipes for cookies, cakes, muffins, breads, and more. Adjust other liquids in the recipe to account for the moisture in molasses.
Make Your Own Brown Sugar
You can easily make brown sugar at home by combining molasses with white sugar. Just mix 1 cup of white sugar with 1⁄4 cup of molasses. Stir well until fully blended. Store in an airtight container. Use this homemade brown sugar just like you would regular brown sugar purchased from the store. Making your own allows you to control the ratio of molasses to sugar.
Natural Hair and Skin Care
Molasses contains vitamins and minerals that are great for hair and skin health. It acts as a humectant to moisturize and soften hair. Make a hair mask by mixing 1⁄4 cup molasses with 1 egg and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Apply to damp hair and leave on for 15 minutes before rinsing. The minerals in molasses like magnesium and calcium strengthen hair follicles and prevent breakage.
To use on your skin, mix 3 tablespoons molasses with 1 teaspoon milk. Apply this to your face and leave it on for 15 minutes before rinsing off. This acts as a skin clarifying and anti-aging mask. The alpha hydroxy acids in molasses gently exfoliate skin. It also contains antioxidants to fight free radical damage.
Improve Soil Quality in Gardens
Molasses makes an excellent fertilizer for gardens. It provides plants with nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, copper, iron, magnesium, and calcium. The sugars in molasses help beneficial microorganisms like bacteria and fungi thrive in the soil. This leads to better nutrient absorption. The microbes also break down organic matter and minerals into forms that plants can use.
To use molasses as fertilizer, dilute 1⁄4 cup molasses in 1 gallon of warm water. Mist this over the soil to feed plants. Repeat weekly for best results. You can also add a tablespoon of molasses to the hole before planting new plants to give them an added boost.
Feed It to Livestock
Molasses is commonly used as a supplement in the diets of livestock like horses, cattle, sheep, and chickens. It provides them with quick energy and vital nutrients. The sugars are an easily digestible carbohydrate source. Molasses also increases palatability so livestock consume their food better. It can help prevent common deficiencies seen in animals like selenium, copper, zinc, and vitamin B.
Add 2-4 tablespoons of molasses per day to your livestock’s feed rations. Gradually introduce it to prevent digestive upset. Pregnant, lactating, stressed, or sick animals have higher nutritional needs that molasses can support.
Detoxify the Body
Consuming molasses can aid your body’s natural detoxification processes. It contains important minerals for detox like magnesium, potassium, and calcium. Magnesium helps the body metabolize carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and amino acids. Potassium aids kidney function and keeps electrolyte levels balanced.
Calcium prevents the buildup of heavy metals in the body. It binds to toxins so they can be safely excreted. Starting your morning with a cup of hot water and 1-2 tablespoons of molasses can promote detoxification. The nutrients and antioxidants in molasses also protect your cells against toxins.
Use in Natural Remedies and Healing
Molasses has been used for centuries as a natural remedy to treat a variety of health conditions. It contains unique healing compounds like magnesium, iron, and vitamin B6. Iron helps improve symptoms of anemia, including fatigue and muscle weakness. Magnesium relaxes muscles and blood vessels, lowering risk of spasms.
The mixture of nutrients makes molasses an excellent supplement for some conditions. It can help stabilize blood sugar, improve bone density, and relieve PMS symptoms. Some even use molasses as a constipation remedy due to its laxative effects. Talk to your doctor before using molasses medicinally.
Make Alcoholic & Non-Alcoholic Drinks
The complex, robust flavor of molasses is perfect for mixing into beverages. Its syrupy texture and sweet-spicy taste pairs well with alcohol. Use molasses to make classic cocktails like Rum Punch or Brown Sugar Old Fashioneds. Add it to beer or cider for a unique flavor.
For non-alcoholic options, stir molasses into milk or tea. Heat it with water, ginger, and cinnamon to make a healthy molasses tonic. Use molasses in coffee as a natural sweetener and creamer substitute. Add a spoonful to shake up your usual smoothie recipe. Kids will love homemade molasses lemonade for a treat.
Bake with Molasses
Molasses is commonly used in baking for its ability to soften dough, add moisture, and provide rich flavor. It can be substituted for up to half the amount of sugar called for in recipes. Try using molasses in cookies, gingerbread, spice cakes, muffins, brownies, and quick breads.
Molasses pairs well with fall-inspired flavors like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. It adds nice complexity to chocolate recipes. Molasses also improves the texture of baked goods and keeps them moist for longer. Start by substituting 1⁄4 cup molasses for 1 cup of the sugar.
Glazing Agent on Meat
A molasses-based glaze makes for finger-licking good barbeque and grilled meats. It adds flavor and helps form a lovely caramelized crust. To make a basic glaze, mix 1⁄2 cup molasses with 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and spices. Brush generously over chicken, pork, ribs, or beef during the last 5-10 minutes of grilling.
You can get creative with molasses glazes too. Try blended fruit molasses glazes using purees of apricot, peach, or raspberry. Mix in spices like garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, ground mustard, or cayenne pepper. The options are practically endless for elevated and flavorful meats.
Trap Pests in the Garden
The sticky, thick texture of molasses makes it effective for trapping garden pests. Ants and slugs are attracted to the sweetness but get stuck once they step in the molasses. Apply a band of molasses around plants or directly onto pieces of cardboard. Place these around the perimeter of your garden beds. The cardboard strips can be disposed of when covered with insects. Always spot test molasses first to ensure it will not harm your plants.
Make Molasses Candy
Molasses candy makes for a great cooking project with kids. It allows you to see how molasses’ properties lend well to candymaking. Recipes typically call for combining molasses with sugar, butter, milk or cream, and spices. Cook to a soft ball stage, allow it to set up, then pull into chewy candies. Flavor it with vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, lemon, chocolate, or peanut butter. Cut into small pieces and enjoy this homemade molasses treat.
Feed Your Plants
In addition to using it in the garden soil, you can also use molasses as a nutritional plant spray. Dissolve 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses per quart of warm water. Pour into a spray bottle and mist plant leaves with the solution once a week. Avoid spraying during the heat of day when the solution could burn leaves. The sugars provide food for beneficial microbes and fungi on plant leaves. This boosts plants’ health and immunity.
Soften Granola and Trail Mix
Coat your homemade or store-bought granola and trail mixes with a light misting of molasses. The small amount of molasses helps bind and soften the texture. It provides subtle sweetness and flavor to balance nuts, seeds, dried fruit, coconut, and whole grains. The molasses glaze helps keep bars and cereals like granola from drying out too.
Calm Coughs and Soothe Throats
Molasses has been used as a home remedy for coughs and sore throats for generations. It coats and soothes irritated throats. The viscous syrup also helps loosen and thin mucus when coughing. Some studies suggest molasses may even have antimicrobial properties to fight infection.
Make some molasses cough syrup by combining with honey and lemon. Heat 1 cup water with 2 tablespoons molasses, 1 tablespoon honey, juice from 1 lemon, and optional grated ginger. Let cool to room temperature before drinking. The syrup can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Make Your Own Barbeque Sauce
Molasses adds characteristic flavor, color, and texture to barbeque sauce. It provides sweetness along with a hint of bitterness that balances the acidity from tomatoes and vinegar. Make your own signature sauce at home using molasses as a base.
Try this simple recipe:
– 1 cup molasses
– 1 cup ketchup
– 1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar
– 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
– 1 tablespoon brown mustard
– 1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder
Whisk together and let flavors meld. Brush on grilled or smoked meats. You can also add onions, spices, hot sauce, liquid smoke, and other ingredients to customize your sauce.
Substitute for Corn Syrup
Molasses can be used in place of corn syrup in recipes to provide sweetness without spiking blood sugar. It has a similar consistency to corn syrup and adds moisture to recipes. Replace corn syrup with an equal amount of molasses. Be aware that molasses does have a distinct flavor that will come through.
Molasses works well as a corn syrup substitute in sauces, marinades, baked beans, cakes, cookies, and other treats. When using it in candy recipes, cook to a slightly higher temperature since molasses is more viscous. Molasses pairs particularly well with gingerbread, honey, and spice cake recipes.
Add Flavor to Beans
Molasses brings a sweet richness that perfectly complements savory beans. It provides subtle flavor and aroma. Molasses also gives beans a beautiful brown glaze. Stir a spoonful or two into your favorite bean recipe.
It’s particularly nice with baked beans, kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans. Try using molasses in chili, stews, soups, dips, and bean burgers. You can also brush molasses on beans while cooking to replicate the effects of barbequing. It adds delicious flavor that you just can’t get with plain canned beans.
Shiny Hair Treatment
Once a week, give your hair an extra glossy molasses treatment. The sugars and humectants in molasses help smooth and soften hair. This adds radiance and manageability. Combine 1 tablespoon molasses with an egg yolk and 1⁄2 cup yogurt. Apply this to damp hair and let sit 30 minutes before your normal wash routine.
The protein helps strengthen and repair hair, while the vitamins and minerals nourish hair follicles. Molasses also helps balance pH. Rinse well and follow with a cold water finish. Your hair will have a beautiful, healthy sheen.
concluding Thoughts
As you can see, molasses is so much more than just a sweetener. It has a number of uses around the home, in the garden, for health remedies, and in crafting and cooking. Molasses provides a rich flavor and texture unlike any other sweetener. It also adds nutrients like iron, calcium, vitamins, and minerals. Try some of these fun and creative ways to use molasses to take advantage of its unique properties and health benefits. Look for unsulphured blackstrap molasses for the most concentrated flavor and nutrients.