Brown sugar is a type of sugar with a soft, moist texture and a rich, slightly caramel-like flavor. Unlike white sugar, which is pure and refined, brown sugar contains molasses, a thick, dark syrup that gives it both its brown color and distinctive taste. When you press brown sugar between your fingers, it clumps together instead of flowing freely like white sugar does.

Bakers love brown sugar because it adds depth and complexity to cookies, cakes, and other treats. Chocolate chip cookies made with brown sugar turn out chewier and have a more interesting flavor than those made with only white sugar. Brown sugar also appears in savory cooking: barbecue sauces, glazes for ham, and marinades for meat all benefit from its sweetness and molasses notes.

There are two main types: light brown sugar, which has a mild molasses flavor, and dark brown sugar, which contains more molasses and tastes stronger. If your brown sugar hardens into a brick (which it loves to do), you can soften it by putting a slice of bread in the container overnight or microwaving it briefly with a damp paper towel.