My diet:

Molasses (Black treacle)

No E-numberSweetenersOrigin: Plant
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Every diet

VeganYes

Molasses is the syrup left from cane sugar boiling, not a bone-char filtered crystal.

Gluten-freeYes
HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoNo

Molasses is a sugar syrup.

Low-FODMAPDepends

A spoon in gingerbread is a small dose. Drinking it by the cup is not a low-FODMAP habit.

The short answer
Molasses is the dark syrup left after sugar crystals are spun out of cane juice. It is vegan, it is still sugar, and blackstrap is the stronger, more bitter grade.
Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesSweeteners
Glycemic index—
Daily limitNot set
Also calledMolasses, Blackstrap molasses

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Molasses is a sugar-mill food, not an additive with an E-number. The US, the EU and Canada do not evaluate it as an additive. Bone char, which some refiners use on white cane sugar, is not the step that makes molasses. Molasses is the syrup taken off before that finishing.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

Molasses tastes of caramel, smoke and a little bitterness. Gingerbread, baked beans and brown sugar all depend on it.

Where it comes from: Molasses is the dark syrup left when sugar mills boil cane juice and spin the crystals out. The first boil is lighter and sweeter. Blackstrap is the syrup from a later boil, darker and more bitter, with more of the minerals that stayed in the liquid.

Why it’s in food

  • Colors and flavors gingerbread and baked beans
  • Makes brown sugar when blended back into white sugar
  • Feeds the yeast in some breads
  • Adds iron-rich color to a barbecue sauce

Often found in

GingerbreadBaked beansBrown sugarBarbecue sauceRye breadShoofly pie

Also listed as: Molasses, Blackstrap molasses, Light molasses, Dark molasses, Treacle

Health & gut impact

Still sugarConcern

Molasses is the remainder of cane juice after crystals leave. Darker grades keep more minerals, and they also keep plenty of sugar.

Sugar-refining description of molasses

Not the bone-char stepBenefit

Refiners who use bone char use it to whiten cane-sugar crystals. Molasses is separated earlier, so that filter is not what molasses is.

Cane-sugar refining steps

What can I use instead?

Maple syrup

Ratio: Use a lighter hand, because molasses is bitter

Best for: A pourable vegan syrup

Brown sugar

Ratio: Replace the volume and cut a little other liquid

Best for: Cookies

Related

More sweeteners:

Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) E950Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K, E950) is a zero-calorie sweetener approved in the US, EU and Canada. EFSA re-checked it in 2025 and raised its daily limit. It's usually paired with sucralose or aspartame to hide a slightly bitter aftertaste.Use in moderationAdvantame E969Advantame (E969) is an extremely intense sweetener related to aspartame. Regulators approve it, and the amount in a food is tiny next to the daily limit. It does not carry aspartame's phenylalanine warning at normal use.Generally safeAgave syrup (Agave nectar)Agave syrup is a plant sweetener that is mostly fructose. It barely moves blood sugar, and it is still sugar: skip it on keto and in a low-FODMAP elimination.Use in moderationAlluloseAllulose is a "rare sugar" that tastes like sugar but has almost no calories and doesn't raise blood sugar. It's keto-friendly and browns like real sugar in baking.Generally safe

Common questions

Is molasses vegan?

Yes. It is a cane syrup. The bone-char question belongs to some white cane sugars, not to molasses.

Is blackstrap molasses a health food?

It carries more minerals than white sugar. It is still a sugar syrup, so the spoon still counts.

Is Molasses safe?

Use in moderation (64/100). Molasses is a sugar-mill food, not an additive with an E-number. The US, the EU and Canada do not evaluate it as an additive. Bone char, which some refiners use on white cane sugar, is not the step that makes molasses. Molasses is the syrup taken off before that finishing.

Is Molasses vegan?

Yes. Molasses is the syrup left from cane sugar boiling, not a bone-char filtered crystal.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • Sugar-refining description of molasses
  • Cane-sugar refining steps