Brown sugar is a staple in many cuisines and is part of numerous sweet and savory recipes. It can be used in some way coffee rub for a homemade steak apple cinnamon pop tartsprinkled on pumpkin seeds and many other delicious dishes. But sometimes it dries out, becomes unsalvageably lumpy, or you don’t have enough for your recipe so you have to make a mad dash to the store to buy more. But before you go, check these two ingredients in your kitchen: white granulated sugar and molasses. If you have these, you can make your own brown sugar in just a few minutes. Watch this video to see how easy it is to make brown sugar with just two ingredients.

How to make your own brown sugar?

You may have heard of light brown sugar and dark brown sugar. They’re basically the same thing, except one contains more molasses than the other. To make light brown sugar you need:

Combine the two ingredients in a food processor or blender. If dark brown sugar is what you need, add more molasses and stir until combined.

It’s that simple!

How to make brown sugar not hard?

Brown sugar can become lumpy and hard as the molasses naturally evaporates. It has a long shelf life and should last a while as long as it is stored in an airtight container. Nutrition consultant and registered dietitian Jen Messer says you can also include: “slice of bread or marshmallow” coarse to absorb moisture and prevent clumping. However, hard brown sugar can also be used. you can soften quickly microwave using a damp paper towel and a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second increments and break up any lumps with a fork. Repeat as necessary but be careful not to melt the sugar.

This article first appeared on USA TODAY: How to make brown sugar