How to Make Powdered Sugar
It's easier than you think to make homemade powdered sugar!
The editors here at RecipeLion know all too well the feeling of panic when you start slaving away on the perfect dessert recipe, only to discover you're all out of powdered sugar. It's not an ingredient that all households have readily available, yet so many of the best dessert recipes require it, and it's an integral ingredient in homemade icing. Can you make powdered sugar from scratch?
Luckily, it's true -- homemade powdered sugar isn't at all difficult to make. Learning how to make powdered sugar can save you many baking headaches. Beyond that, powdered sugar ingredients are so simple that you might not ever buy this ingredient from the store again. Some people think that you make powdered sugar with flour, but believe it or not, it's even easier than that. So read on to discover how to make powdered sugar using a blender and easy household ingredients. Your baking endeavors are saved!
How to make powdered sugar
The only materials you will need to make homemade powdered sugar are a blender, cornstarch, and granulated sugar. You can use any type of sugar you prefer, such as white granulated sugar, raw sugar, or coconut sugar (which can be purchased at Trader Joe's.) Unfortunately, there is no method for how to make powdered sugar without a blender, although you can use an equivalent piece of equipment such as a food processor or a bullet blender.
Powdered sugar is just normal sugar broken down further into a more advantageous texture. That means that you need half as much sugar as you need powdered sugar -- if you want a cup of powdered sugar, you'd need two cups of granulated sugar. You will need 1 tablespoon of cornstarch per 1 cup of sugar.
Pour the sugar and cornstarch into the blender and pulse it until the sugar has taken on a fluffy, airy texture. Run it through your fingers to see if there are any clumps and blend some more if so. Switching to a smaller blender might help to get those tiny, stubborn clumps, or you can sift them out. Making homemade powdered sugar is that easy!
How to make powdered sugar without cornstarch
What to do if you don't happen to have cornstarch hanging around in the pantry? Luckily, there is a way to make powdered sugar without cornstarch. You can omit the cornstarch entirely from the recipe; however, bear in mind that cornstarch is what keeps powdered sugar from clumping. So, if you plan to use your powdered sugar immediately, that's great! But if you plan to package this powdered sugar and put it back into the cabinet, you might have to sift out large clumps in the best case scenario -- in the worst case scenario, you might return to find it unusable.
Powdered sugar recipes
Now that you know that the big bag of granulated sugar in your pantry is a wealth of powdered sugar waiting to happen, let's put it to use! Here are some delicious powdered sugar recipes that are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth:
Cannoli Poke Cake: This easy cake mix recipe is so good, you'll be licking your plate. You can't go wrong with this traditional Italian cake!
Bisquick Cinnamon Rolls: Is there anything better than a hot, melty cinnamon roll to wake you up in the morning? This recipe won't disappoint.
Danish Wedding Cookies: Also known as Russian tea cakes, these super-easy cookies are complete with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.
Muddy Buddy Cookies: There's just no better combination than chocolate and peanut butter! Give these easy cookies a try.
Brownie Mix Crinkle Cookies: Crinkle cookies are a great traditional way to use up your powdered sugar. You'll love these brownie mix cookies.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Macaron Filling: These desserts look and taste complex, but they're oh-so-easy to make.
What's your favorite food to sprinkle powdered sugar over? Let us know in the comments!