Powdered Sugar Substitute | How to Make Powdered Sugar
This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.
Today I'm sharing with you something that is a super simple recipe for Homemade Powdered Sugar, including a low-carb option).
This Powdered Sugar Substitute will work great in anything you would typically use powdered sugar in. Since it's powdered, it will make any dish where you would like to have a smoother texture that much easier to make smooth.
I love making homemade versions of pantry staples and processed foods to save money on whole foods and to have healthier (and cheaper) versions of packaged foods.
Recipes like:
homemade salad dressing
easy homemade ketchup
homemade chocolate chips
taco seasoning
homemade JELLO®, and
easiest homemade coconut milk are staple in our home.
This powdered sugar substitute is yet another big help in this department. It costs less than store-bought powdered sugar, plus you can use healthier and even low-carb sweeteners to make this Substitute for Powdered Sugar, so it will easily meet your dietary needs.
You've been there, before, haven't you? You're making something in the kitchen and you ….oops–run out of an ingredient that you need.
Of course, you could call your neighbor to see if they have what you need, but if they're not home, having some recipes for homemade pantry staples can really help.
Why I Learned How to Make Powdered Sugar
Years ago, I tried to find out how to make powdered sugar when we were on an incredibly strict budget. We were living off of only $14,000 a year. Yes, we were living with my inlaws, so our expenses were low, but it was still tight. Every penny counted. I mean, when you are wondering if you should “splurge” on powdered sugar, you know money is tight.
So I did some digging on the internet to see if it was possible, and yes–it was!
You are not going to believe how simple this is and you'll wonder why you weren't doing this for years.
Just gather a blender or food processor, your sweetener, and then one other ingredient and you're done.
Low-Carb Options
Xylitol and erythritol are other options that will not affect your blood sugar and they are also helpful as they do not feed candida.
If all you have is regular white sugar or cane juice crystals, then that will work too, but those options are typically considered to be less healthy than the alternatives listed.
The Valuable Vitamix
Personally, I love making this substitute for powdered sugar, and so many other things, in the Vitamix. There are other great high-powered blenders out there, but the Vitamix is my fave.
You can make this Powdered Sugar Substitute in a regular blender too, but it's even faster in a Vitamix.
If you need more convincing about how great a Vitamix is, see these posts:
– Easiest Almond Milk Ever
– Easiest Coconut Milk
– Homemade Coconut Butter
How to Use this Substitute for Powdered Sugar
- frostings
- as a dusting on desserts
- in desserts that might be “gritty” when using granulated sweeteners, like these Homemade Chocolate Chips.
- in drinks like lemonade so the sweetener will dissolve more easily.
- meringues
How To Save Money with this Substitute for Powdered Sugar
- homemade regular powdered sugar is typically less expensive than store-bought powdered sugar so you'll save money that way
- no running out to the store at the last minute and wasting time and gas money (not to mention wear and tear on your car)
- cheaper low-carb sweeteners. The specialty powdered sweeteners are not only hard to find, but they are prohibitively expensive. For example, this powdered organic erythritol is more than $12 a pound! Make this substitute for powdered sugar instead and save tons of money!
Recipe Notes and Substitutions
- Arrowroot Alternative: You can substitute cornstarch or tapioca starch for the arrowroot, but I recommend a non-GMO option if choosing the cornstarch. If you are on a keto diet, you can omit the starch.
- Starch Ingredient: The starch portion of the recipe helps the powdered sugar not to cake. It's not necessary but it's preferable.
Sweeteners Options
- You can use organic erythritol instead of xylitol. I know that xylitol and erythritol are not typically considered “whole foods,” however I can't eat sucanat or coconut sugar, or else I would gladly use either of these for an AIP option. That's why I use xylitol and erythritol quite a bit in my recipes. However, xylitol and erythritol are naturally occurring so many consider them to not be artificial sweeteners, like aspartame and saccharin.
- Xylitol has the same sweetening power as sugar but erythritol is only about 70% as sweet as xylitol, so adjust your recipes accordingly.
- If you choose to powder sucanat, the resulting product will be light brown. But it will still work in your recipes and will taste great. See this Unrefined Powdered Sugar to see how it looks.
- Cane juice crystals are almost as refined as white sugar so they aren't as natural of an option as Sucanat.
More Frugal Homemade Pantry Basics
- Aluminum and Corn-Free Baking Powder
- Homemade Taco Seasoning
- Sugar Substitute – like Truvia
- Homemade Rice Milk
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
Powdered Sugar Substitute | How to Make Powdered Sugar
Ingredients
- 1 cup low-carb sweetener
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional – see alternatives above)
Instructions
- Place the sweetener and either cornstarch or arrowroot into your blender or food processor. (I highly recommend the Vitamix!).
- Blend on high continuously until the mixture is of uniform powdered consistency. In a high-powered blender like the Vitamix this will take only about 30 seconds.
- Keep the lid on the blender until the powder settles (or you might have powdered-sugar coated cabinets, depending on how much of a powdered-sugar cloud gets kicked up by your blender!)
- Store in a cool, dry place.
Notes
- Arrowroot: You can substitute organic arrowroot or tapioca starch for cornstarch. If you are on a keto diet or the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan, you can omit.
- Starch Ingredient Information: The cornstarch / other starch portion of the recipe helps the powdered sugar not to cake. It's not necessary but preferable.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
What would you use this powdered sugar substitute for?
I am so glad I found your blog. This is my first week of clean eating. Can’t wait to try these recipes.
Good for you! More coming soon – I hope to have 2 really good ones up in the next few weeks. You can do it!
I don’t have a diagnosed diabetes concern but am pursuing low-carb for general health reasons. I am also on a budget and it seems low-carb means rare ingredients (as in not in my neighborhood supermarket) and expensive. For instance, in trying to make a low-carb Christmas cookie for a party I’m attending tonight, I found almond flour but it was 3-4 x the price of regular flour. And for a zero-calorie sweetener I got the store brand granulated sucralose, which from reading here is not the best option, and probably why it’s affordable.
My low-carb cookies turned out super dry and I decided to add a low-carb icing to offset the dryness but that will also harden so my cookies can be transported cleanly.
My supermarket doesn’t have zero-calorie “powdered” sweetener, so I’m hoping your method of powdering will work with the sucralose I got. Low-carb on a budget is tricky!
Yes, it is tricky. If you are baking for yourself, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are fairly reasonable bought in bulk and they grind up into flours pretty well. So that might be something to look into :). I’m sure that they sucralose will work for you. Just watch those other ingredients in Splenda as they will raise blood sugar.
I tried this but it has a ‘grainy” taste. I used erythritol and cornstarch. What should I have done differently?
Hmmm…did you blend it well enough?
Can you use the Splenda Baking Sugar It is a powder but not sure if it is to fine.
I am a new type 2 and beginning to learn, but don’t quite understand all the different types of sugars.
Thank you
Donna
I would think that it’s not quite a powder, correct? I am a little concerned about using Splenda for diabetics as it has maltodextrins in it which raise blood sugar. I have heard reports of people having diabetic reactions on it. I personally really like xylitol and erythritol and stevia better. You can find more stevia info here: https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/is-stevia-safe-is-stevia-bad-for-you-stevia-infertility/
Hello! Perhaps you cover this somewhere, but I have been perusing your site for a good bit and I have yet to come across it…in using erythritol, how on earth do you prevent the cooling sensation that it produces? I have baked with it a few times, and every time there has been that unmistakable, and, for me, quite unpleasant mint-like taste. I have always used it in combination with Stevia, too, but it has not helped. As such, I gave up on using erythritol…my bag of it has sat unused for quite awhile, haha. Like you, though, I suffer from off and on recurrences of Candida, and so I really would love to be able to use something other than sugar and Stevia on the occasion that I actually do want to enjoy a treat (such as my upcoming birthday 😉 …anything to minimize the potential to feed the Candida. Thanks so much!
Hmmmm… have you tried combining it w/ stevia and xylitol? Perhaps that would help?
Please caution your readers that xylitol in very small amounts is fatal to dogs, so if you are using it make sure your pup doesn’t get into it or what you cook with it.
Yes, that is true. I don’t know what to do w/ this info b/c other things are toxic to dogs as well – and then there are cats to consider. My friend had to take her dog to the vet due to eating raisins. What do you recommend for all of this? Just a post on foods that are bad for pets?
You can purchase Xylitol which I love because I can’t stand the taste of stevia even when I try to use just a little of it it’s way too sweet. Not the same with Xylitol it’s just like sugar period you can buy it powdered already or do like what I do if you own the bullet machine just put the regular granules in there and it will make powdered sugar.
You can purchase Xylitol which I love because I can’t stand the taste of stevia even when I try to use just a little of it it’s way too sweet. Not the same with Xylitol it’s just like sugar. You can buy it powdered already or do like what I do if you own the bullet machine just put the regular granules in there and it will make powdered sugar.
Try Maple sugar. Its made from 100% pure maple syrup.
Hi! I was wondering, do you use this 1:1 for the granulated sugar? It seems to me that the powdering process would make it fluffier, and you’d have to use more in order to get the same sweetness in a recipe. I’m trying to do this so I can use it in trying to make your Homemade Carob Chips! I can’t wait to see how they turn out!
Hi there. You used about 1 3/4 powdered for granulated, but to make it easier, you just grind up the sweetener that you are using for the chocolate chips. Enjoy!!! (remember LOW heat!) 🙂
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly! So…when you say 2 T of your homemade Truvia blend would work, for the chips, that would that be 3 1/2 T powdered Truvia blend? I’m so excited to make these! lol And, just for the record, I’d heard of Carob, but I’d never tried it before looking into your recipes, even though it had been recommended to me several times. I’m in love! I’ve been making Carob protein shakes and it is divine!
Sure! That should work. I have never made these w/ the DIY Truvia so hope they turn out! Yes, carob is fun!! Take care.
Hi. I have a stevia baking blend. Would this work using that? And do you think a food processor would be food enough to use? I also have a Ninja. Vitamix…just can’t quite bring myself to spend the money yet. Thanks a bunch!
It should work!
Wow. I just came across your site “by accident” while looking for an egg replacement substitute. Wow. Thank YOU, and Thank you, Jesus. My DH was diagnosed with prostate cancer three years ago, and we’ve been trying to beat it via dietary changes. Therefore, no gluten, no sugar, no dairy, grass fed lean meats only, nothing processed and lots and lots of organic veggies. Basically it’s been nuts and twigs! To say it’s been a challenge is putting it mildly. We always home cooked before, but would sometimes swap out a frozen pizza or something similar for something quick and easy maybe more often than not. Now we have to cook EVERYTHING, and we try to implement one day a week for cooking (all day long) to create grab and go breakfasts, lunches and dinners for the week, so we don’t have to cook every day. This, at times, makes us cranky and irritable because there are no ‘quick and easies” anymore. Sometimes I enjoy it, most of the time I can’t wait to go do something else, because I”ve been in the kitchen way too long.
YOU are a GODSEND. Thank you thank you thank you for your web page and for being an Angel and Encourager to those of us who still view special dietary needs as a struggle. 🙁 I know we are much better healthwise for it, and we always thank God we are able to do this. But it is so true when they say “Attitude is everything.” I cannot express my gratefulness to you for your incentive and energy to investigate and experiment for cost effective substitutes. You will not only save us time, but also lots and lots of money, which is majorly important right now, because we are on a fixed income to boot.
I cannot wait to try this powdered sugar to make frosting for the cupcakes today~!
THANK YOU and may God bless you in your health endeavors.
Hi Liz – what a joy to get this lovely comment. Thank you.
I know how hard it is. We have the same situation. We do have some packaged quick and easies in the house now and they are a problem b/c now my youngest wants them all the time :(.
I really appreciate your encouragement. Things have been very stressful around here lately so your words were much needed. I hope the cupcakes turned out wonderful and that I will see you around again!
If I use coconut sugar it would work In the same way when blending with the cornstarch right? It would just have a different color then the typical powdered sugar.
Yes, you can see the results here: https://wholenewmom.com/recipes/homemade-unrefined-powdered-sugar/ Enjoy!
Can I use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar in a recipe for the custard in the bread pudding. HELP I need an answer quick
You could try 2 for 1 using more powdered sugar but your result will have a diff texture. Hope it works!