Smoked Sugar
Create smoked sugar with your Traeger or any pellet grill to add a unique smoky flavor to your dishes. This simple recipe works with granulated, sanding, or brown sugar, making it versatile for any kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Prepare The Smoker:
- Start your pellet grill according to manufacturer's directions at set temperature to 160 or 180f. If your smoker has the super smoke option, select it.
- Scrape grill grates clean if necessary, and remove upper rack or racks.
Prepare The Sugar:
- Meanwhile, add 1 cup of sugar to a disposable pie plate and spread into an even layer.
- Spritz the sugar with a small amount of water. The trick is to add just enough moisture to dampen the surface of the sugar but not allow it to melt.
Smoke The Sugar:
- Place prepared baking sheets or foil pans on smoker.
- Smoke the sugar for 3-4 hours, stirring every 30 or so minutes. Less time on the smoker will equal a more delicate smoke flavor while more time will result in a stronger smoke flavor. Consider how you may be using the smoked sugar when determining time spent on the Traeger or Pit Boss.
- Once smoked, remove the sugar from the smoker and allow to cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, stirring once or twice to dissipate the heat before transferring to an airtight container, like mason jars, for storage. If the sugar clumps together from the spritzing, just mash it lightly with a fork. The brown sugar will dry out and clump for sure, so it needs a little love before packaging!
- The smoke flavor will equalize in the container and 'mature' a bit after resting - I recommend letting the sugar rest for at least a week or so before use, but the smoked sugar can be used immediately too.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Sugar melts at 367f, so as long as your smoker has the ability to smoke at 180f or lower, you should not run into any issues with melting your sugar during this process.
- This process is a LOT like making smoked salt, it’s mostly hands off, and the prep work is super easy. But don’t forget to stir, stirring helps to redistribute the sugar and increase the surface area of the sugar exposed to the smoke.
- Spritzing the sugar with water actually improves the smoke uptake as smoke tends to stick better to cool, wet surfaces.
