Hot Molasses
Oct 25, 2013, Updated Dec 25, 2016
Warm, rich, sweet brown liquid. That’s how most of us like to start the day, whether we brew up a cup at home or cruise through our favorite drive thru. I know the main motivator to this ritual is caffeine, but I’d like you to consider for a moment another way to quench your morning thirst that looks and feels a lot like a latte but boasts a bit more nutrition. I give you: the Hot Molasses.
A favorite coffee cart in Bellingham, Washington, which has since closed up shop, first turned me on to the idea of melting molasses into hot milk. The result is divine. I think it tastes like hot buttered rum, kind of roasty and caramelly (which makes a little bit of sense because molasses is actually used to make rum) and it’s definitely more healthful than traditional syrups or sauces used to flavor coffee and espresso drinks.
Molasses is a byproduct of sugar production, made from crushing sugar cane and cooking down the sweet liquid that’s extracted. It usually goes through three rounds of cooking, with crystalized sugar removed at each step, leaving the dark brown syrup referred to as blackstrap. The consistency is almost identical to that famous chocolate syrup in the brown squeeze bottle, but nutrition sets it apart: it’s surprisingly high in calcium, iron and potassium, especially for a sweetener. That’s actually one of the problems with our favorite sweet things like table sugar or honey…teaspoon for teaspoon, they don’t offer up many nutrients besides carbohydrate. When you’re shopping, be sure to get blackstrap as other types of molasses don’t have the same vitamin and mineral content as this lovely liquid.
When I go on and on about the nutritional powerhouse that is blackstrap molasses, folks usually ask me how the heck to use it. When we think of molasses in the kitchen, the occasional ginger snap cookie or pot of baked beans come to mind, but I’ve got a quick recipe that will help you make this a daily pantry staple.
My recipe for Hot Molasses makes 2 cups, which is a breakfast in itself. But, you can easily make the whole recipe, enjoy half and put the rest in the fridge for a quick reheat on day 2. I find it equally delicious over ice.
Hot Molasses
Ingredients
- 16 fluid ounces plain soymilk, organic if possible
- 2-3 tablespoons blackstrap molasses, organic if possible
Instructions
- Heat the soymilk in a saucepan until just below boiling.
- Pour warm milk into a large mug, add molasses and stir very well. (If you whisk it in, you can actually generate a little foam on top.) Two tablespoons will give a milder flavor, while three tablespoons will have more richness.
- Sip slowly and savor, knowing you’re knocking it out of the nutrition ballpark before you even leave the house.
Notes
Nutrition
Kristine Duncan, MS, RD, CDE is a vegetarian dietitian, freelance writer, community college instructor, dog lady, cat lady, and nutrition blogger at VegGirlRD. She lives in Washington State but dreams of moving to Italy someday and getting paid to eat pasta and cheese for a living. Until then you can find her on Twitter and Facebook.
Wow. I read this and had to try it! Mind you it is July! I only have powdered milk, some blackstrap molasses and tap water. I put all the ingredients into my Nespresso Milk Frother and … vwahh laaa!! Hot frothy, sweet carmelly goodness!! Oh .. I WILL be replicating this in September!!
don’t ever drink soymilk…ever
you forgot to mention that backstrap molasses is very high in magnesium
Everyone, go to South America ? – molasses and other derivatives of byproducts of sugar and pre beer “malta” (some similarity in taste to molasses) been done for a very long time! I usually use twice that molasses for my one cup drinks BUT my mouth prob a lil desensitized haha.
Great! Write up! I do love my cafe con leche, and it’s for the taste and delicious drinking experience over the caffeine. But cafe con melaza or leche con melaza (esp oat milk too, but any veg “milks” like you said) taste amazing!
Many old world countries have been doing so many of these things we find these days in “healthy” options books/writings. It is basically back to the earth stuff that folks do elsewhere still mainly due to economy.
Good stuff! Thanks so much! I’m going to go make one now! Gracias ? ~rachel
I just made myself a cup of warm milk and decided it was boring so searched my cupboards for something to jazz it up – honey? cinnamon? Then I discovered a nearly empty jar of molasses and thought, why not? It was so delicious I knew I had to Google it to confirm my suspicion that I hadn’t invented it, lol 😉 I will be drinking this all winter! Yum!
This was so delicious!! I used 2 cups of almond milk and divided it between two mugs with 1.5 Tbsp of molasses in each mug. Yum!
Wow! It’s good!
Thank you!
This was simply amazing. I was a skeptic at first :). I used almond milk and it was so creamy and delicious. I don’t believe I’d heard of hot molasses until today. I was searching for the perfect recipe to create a delicious tasting “healthy hot chocolate” and came across your blog. Thanks! This added something special to my day!
I have tried molasses in a number of ways but really didnt like it. Tried this recipe – oh my goodness how LOVELY!!! Had it with almond milk. Just finished a mug (really cold here in UK) and want another one!! thank you so much.
Hi Alison. Well how exciting! It was so brave of you to try the recipe considering your past with molasses. 🙂 I’m so pleased that you liked it.
I microwaved vanilla almond milk in a mug (because I’m too lazy to pull out a pot or measure anything) and whipped in the molasses with a spring whisk…that’s a frothy, warm cup of delicious!
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Charisse. I do like a nice shortcut in the kitchen. Great idea!
yes that is what I did!
Nothing makes me feel older than postings on the internet heralding a “new” idea. My mom stirred molasses into cold and hot milk for us when I was a kid…in the 1940’s. It was a pretty common way to sweeten milk for kids who didn’t like milk.
Thanks for chiming in Mary. Of course our intent isn’t to make you feel old… and your comment actually gives me lots of hope. I am glad that some of these traditional recipes are making a comeback! 🙂
Well, Mary G., this is new to me, and just about everyone else on this blog, except you. Perhaps you should have been thoughtful and considerate enough to share this yourself. Many thanks to Kristine for doing just that. I have been looking for a drink to add molasses, to make it more palatable, and this is perfect! Thanks again, Kristine! Now Mary G., go drink your cold milk and molasses, I’m going to enjoy mine warm. And Muriah, thanks for your suggestion with coffee. I’m trying that one too! And others have suggested cocoa, cinnamon, etc. Sounds great! I’m going to try them all!
Phil, your comment to Mary G. is condescending and rude.
Thanks, Kristine, for the posting.
I place 8 oz hot water, 1 T. Organic Blackstrap Molasses, 4 oz Chickpea & Flaxseed Beverage and a little Matcha Green Tea powder into the blender and mix. It is frothy and delicious!
Am I the only one that likes molasses on it’s own? Lol my wife looks at me like I’m nuts when I grab a couple tablespoons in a little bowl and either go at it that way or dip pieces of popcorn in it, kind of reminds me of caramel corn. I have a terrible addiction to sugar and it’s byproducts, especially pressed sugarcane juice. I’ll definitely try this recipe in the morning with regular milk, though one of these days I’ll try the soy stuff.
haha. Know how ya feel mary g, although I never had it as a child. I do take 2 tbsps straight from the jar every morning. I don’t like the taste, but know it is good for you. I might try the Hot Molasses…
I love this drink. So simple, but few people think of it. I drank this all the time when I was pregnant and had given up coffee. I also have a friend who uses molasses to sweeten her coffee instead of junkier sweeteners.
Now I want some, and I’m out of molasses! Boo.
Most recent blog post- How to have a healthy breakfast. Every single day.
Hi Muriah. I do like it when a few simple ingredients come together and taste so great. And, I wish coffee drive-thrus would offer molasses as a “syrup” option – wouldn’t that be cool.