Powdered Sugar Substitute

Powdered sugar, also known as confectioner's sugar or icing sugar, is very fine sugar which is snowy white in color. It has a delicate, soft, supple texture that enables it to mix well into delicious, smooth frosting. Due to its easy dissolving properties, this sweet treat is preferred in various baking applications. Powdered sugar is generally derived from granulated sugar made from sugar beets or sugar cane. Granulated sugar is ground and crushed into fine powder, and to keep it from clumping, an additional ingredient, cornstarch is added to it. To improve its flowing ability, it is normally mixed with cornstarch, wheat flour, or calcium phosphate.

For industrial food production, powdered sugar is used where a quick dissolving sugar is required and for domestic purposes, it is used to prepare icing or frosting and other cake decorations. It is often dusted over baked goods to add a light sweetness and elusive decoration. This sugar is usually available in different degrees of fineness, XXX, XXXX, and 10X being the most common; more the Xs, finer the grains. Since powdered sugar dissolves instantly, it is commonly used in recipes that don't require much of cooking such as icings, sauces, and candies. Let us have a look at some substitutes that can be used in place of powdered sugar.

For preparing a substitute, one of the most important ingredient is granulated or castor sugar which is readily available in market. But remember, one cannot substitute granulated sugar for powdered sugar directly. Therefore, following are substitutes that are prepared with granulated sugar but after a little bit of processing and mixing.

Substitute #1
For 1 cup powdered sugar substitution, this is the most simplest method in which you need to take 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp cornstarch in a blender. Blend it well until it is grounded in to a very fine powder. Although cornstarch is not necessary, it prevents the mixture from clumping during storage. While blending it is important to stir the sugar up from the bottom manually at least twice to ensure all sugar is blended properly.

Substitute #2
For a sugar-free powdered sugar substitution, take 1 part granulated sugar, 2 parts dry powdered milk and 2 parts cornstarch in a blender; blend until the mixture is finely grounded. The dry milk powder adds bulk to the substitute, which makes it act more like regular powdered sugar, hence this substitute can be used best as a mix in a recipe rather than a topping in desserts.

Substitute #3
Another simple method of preparing a substitute is to put regular sugar in the blender and processing it high until it turns powdery. While processing don't forget to stir up the sugar on the bottom a couple of times so it all turns out to be of the same consistency.

The aforementioned substitutes offer the same flavor and texture to the food items as powdered sugar does. These substitutes can be prepared easily without much of efforts and time. Whether used in cakes or cookies or as a topping on gingerbread, brownie recipes, or French toast, powdered sugar substitutes serve all the purposes and truly satiate the taste buds just like normal sugar. With the festive season around the corner, try making different dessert recipes using these substitutes at home, and enjoy with your loved ones.