Molasses provides a moist, rich flavor to baked goods and traditional favorites such as morning oatmeal or baked beans. Making substitutions like swapping out sugar for molasses in recipes can help with achieving healthy eating goals. It's recommended to swap out at least part of the sugar in a recipe with molasses and measure carefully. Because molasses is higher in moisture and has a different texture and flavor than sugar, it's important to adjust recipes accurately. Follow these basic guidelines for substituting molasses for sugar in order to achieve satisfying results.
Calculate the amount of molasses needed for the recipe. For example, to replace all of the sugar with molasses in a recipe calling for 2 cups of sugar, use 2 2/3 cups molasses. To replace half of the sugar, use 1 1/3 cups of molasses and 1 cup of sugar.
Reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/3 cup per cup of sugar replaced. For a recipe calling for 2 cups of sugar, reduce the liquid by 2/3 cups. This keeps the balance of moisture in the recipe correct, as molasses adds moisture to the recipe.