3 Simple Hacks to Keep Brown Sugar Soft

If you’re a baker, you know how important it is to have fresh brown sugar on hand at all times. Brown sugar is every cookie and cake recipes most precious addition, adding a rich caramely sweet taste to your favorite desserts. But if you’ve ever opened your pantry doors to find stiff, hardened brown sugar, you might be wondering how to keep brown sugar soft. Luckily, it’s actually pretty simple.

3 Ways to Keep Brown Sugar Soft

There are a few hacks you can use to keep your brown sugar soft. You can keep brown sugar soft with things that release moisture for the sugar to absorb. Some these items can be found around your home, and others you may have to take a trip to the store for. Either way, these hacks are all worth trying so you don’t have to waste your sugar!

1. A Slice of Bread

You may have heard about this brown sugar hack from your mom or grandma, and that’s because it works! Placing a slice of bread into your bag or container of brown sugar will keep it moist because the sugar will draw water out of the bread. You’ll notice that the bread actually becomes stiff and dry while the sugar maintains its texture! In fact, this hack is said to work even if your trying to soften brown sugar that’s already become hard!

Of course, the one downside of this hack is that the bread will go bad and become moldy, so you’ll need to swap out your slice for a new one before that happens, which will be about two days. This could be a pretty big waste of bread, so if you’re not into the idea, try out this next one.

2. Marshmallows

Throwing a few large marshmallows into the bag is another way to keep brown sugar soft that might be even more effective! Marshmallows don’t go bad as quickly as bread does, and basically work in the same way — the sugar will soak up their water content. Every few days, just open the bag or container and feel if the marshmallows have become completely dried out. Once they have, throw them away and toss in a few more!

3. Terra Cotta Brown Sugar Disks

Terra cotta is a material that holds moisture really well, and so it’s used by many a chef to keep brown sugar — and other items like cakes and cookies — soft and fresh for longer. You can actually find terra cotta brown sugar disks at baking supply stores. They’re super convenient, cost-effective, and they last much longer than the other two options! All you have to do is soak them in water for about 20 minutes, then place them into your bag or container of sugar. You can also find them online. Try these super cute Brown Sugar Bears (buy on Amazon, $9.99).

And of course, it’s always a good idea to keep your sugar in an air-tight container which helps prevent the loss of moisture that will result in hardening. Otherwise, try any one of these hacks and your brown sugar will be fresh for the long haul!