I have been antsy to do a piece on molasses for a long time now! I love this stuff, and I get a question about it about every other day 
. Here’s what you need to know about molasses.
Molasses is a sweetener. It is actually the by-product of the refining of cane sugar (table sugar). What makes regular, white sugar so unhealthy (among other things), is that it is stripped of it’s nutrients. Well, this stripping process results in the ‘waste’ product molasses, and someone was once smart enough to come up with actually using that byproduct. Molasses was born.
Molasses has a thick, viscous consistency and tastes bittersweet, it ain’t your regular sweetener! It can’t usually be used to replace other sweeteners like sugar or honey in dishes, but instead gives it a distinct flavor. Molasses is often used in gingerbread cookies, BBQ sauce and baked beans. I myself find the taste strongly resembles salmiak! As you can imagine, you only need small quantities of this product. The term ‘blackstrap’ molasses refers to the byproduct of the third boiling of sugar canes, and is thus the most concentrated form.
Molasses is super-duper healthy. It is a very concentrated by product of sugar cane refining, which also means the nutrients are very concentrated. A tablespoon of molasses (~20 grams) contains around 20% of your recommended intake for iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium, at only ~45 calories. It also contains plenty vitamin B6. That is pretty darn impressive!
Now a sidenote: make sure you buy unsulphered molasses. Sulphers have proven to be a common allergenic for a lot people, and even if you’re not allergic it’s still a harmful substance (a preservative).
For me it took some time to get used to the bittersweet taste but I highly recommend you give molasses a try! Molasses is avilable at health food stores. Here are some cool molasses recipes for you:
- 5 minute vegan gravy
- Baked Oats
- Vegan chili
- Caramel sauce
- Vegan Graham Crackers
- Molasses gingerbread cookies
- Pumpkin gingerbread
Have you ever tried molasses? Any cool recipes to share??
Love,
Sabine
Cool, I’ve never tried it and kept wondering why a sweetener was being talked about like a health food product. It makes sense now!
wow i honestly had no idea that molasses was good for you!! i always thought it was just PURE sugar like white sugar or something! (but liquified- boy was i wrong!)
Thx for the molasses-info!
Really needed that. I definitly gonna buy it!
I’m a bit fan of molasses and will be using it a lot more now that i’m eating plant based. I need my nutrients! I’m also glad it’s so high in iron.
I like to make ginger and molasses tea. Grind some fresh ginger into a mug, add some molasses, pour boiling water over top and mix with a spoon. It is very comforting and delicious.
[...] Weep not, there are PLENTY of wonderful sugar alternatives out there that taste awesome are even good for you! I already discussed my favorite at length: Molasses. [...]
hi, i have been useing molasses for years in biscuits cakes and my savory dishes brought back from trinidad and tobago. i make a rice dish with chicken called pealou if you have aa dutchy pot season chicken grate garlic onions in oil cook dowm add cut up chicken and molasses then add water cook down add rice hot pepper and cover and cook till tender add pigon peas on the end off cookin and you have a tasty molasses chicken dish give it a try
Hi Annie, I don’t eat meat but thanks for sharing!