Making your own powdered sugar is super easy, and you can do it with any type of sugar desired–date, coconut, sucanat, pure cane, and other varieties of less refined sugar.
Personally, I like to use date sugar or pure cane sugar, but any type can be substituted. Just be aware that the darker the granular sugar used, the darker the powdered sugar will be in the end.
Add one cup of granulated sugar, plus one tablespoon cornstarch or other starch, to your blender or food processor and blend for about 1-minute.
You’ll want to toss a hand towel over the blender while it’s processing because the sugar creates a cloud of powder that will escape through the lid and make a mess in your kitchen.
When it is finished, don’t open the lid immediately because the powder will rise up and you’ll be breathing it in before you know it. Instead, let it sit for a minute or two with the lid on after blending.
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Your Powdered Sugar Questions Answered
Q: Do I have to have cornstarch? You will need some type of starch to make sugar powder because the starch keeps the sugar from caking. Other options are arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, potato starch, and others.
Q: Can I make powdered sugar with a blender? Yes! All you need is a blender or food processor.
Q: Is there a difference between powdered sugar and confectioner's sugar? Technically, yes, but most people use the terms interchangeably. The only true difference is that confectioner's sugar may not contain any starch where powdered sugar always does.
Q: How much powdered sugar is equal to granulated sugar if I need to substitute it? One cup of granulated sugar is equal to 1.75 cups of powdered sugar.