Molasses & Syrups

Molasses is the dense, dark syrup left behind after sugar crystals are extracted from sugarcane juice. It has a strong, bittersweet flavour that ranges from mild and sweet in lighter grades to robust and slightly bitter in blackstrap varieties, which result from the final extraction.

In Australian cooking, molasses and treacle are used in baking — particularly in gingerbread, fruit cakes, and sticky puddings — and as a flavouring in sauces, marinades, and glazes. Molasses also has traditional uses in brewing and as a stock feed supplement in agriculture.

The term “molasses and syrups” encompasses a range of products from light golden syrup to very dark blackstrap molasses. Golden syrup, a pantry staple in Australia, is a related product made by further processing cane sugar syrup to produce a lighter, sweeter result.

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How it's made

Sugarcane stalks are harvested, crushed, and pressed to extract the juice. This juice is boiled and reduced, causing sugar crystals to form. The crystals are separated by centrifuge, and the remaining thick liquid is molasses. This process can be repeated multiple times — each successive boiling produces a darker, more bitter molasses, with blackstrap being the final extraction. Golden syrup is produced by a different process that involves treating the sugar solution with acid to partially break down the sugars.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 289kcal
Protein 0g
Carbs 74.7g
Fat 0.1g
Fibre 0g Sugar 74.7g
Mass Distribution

1 serving 1 tbsp is about 20 g — roughly 60 kcal of this.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon 64.3kg
Freshwater 12400.3L
Land 40.3m²

Where it comes from

In the kitchen

Used as

dark sweetener and flavouring

Goes well with
ginger cinnamon rum oats brown sugar
Classic dishes
  • Gingerbread
  • Baked Beans
  • Pecan Pie
  • BBQ Sauce

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Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

SR Legacy

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

made fromSugarcane, stem goes well withginger goes well withcinnamon goes well withrum goes well withbrown sugar shares a sourceBrown Sugar shares a sourceMonosodium Glutamate (MSG) shares a sourcePowdered & Icing Sugar shares a sourceRaw & Unrefined Sugar shares a sourceRum shares a sourceSucralose shares a sourceSugar Confections shares a sourceSugarcane
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