Learn how to make powdered sugar at home! Also known as confectioner's sugar, it's the secret to making gooey brownies, luscious frosting, and more.
Jump to Recipe
Who else has a bag of powdered sugar in their pantry that they’ve been working through for years? Powdered sugar isn’t something I use often, but every once in a while, I need a cup to make perfect gooey brownies or luscious cream cheese frosting. When I add it to the grocery list, I dread watching another bag sit in the cupboard as I make my way through it at an agonizing pace.
But all that’s about to change! I don’t know what took me so long, but I finally learned how to make powdered sugar at home. Seriously, this recipe’s a game changer. Gone are the days of hauling an ancient sack of confectioner’s sugar (yes, they’re the same!) out of the pantry every time I make carrot cake. Now, I can make the exactly the amount of powdered sugar I need for a given recipe. And the best part? It only requires 2 ingredients and 1 minute.
How to Make Powdered Sugar
To make powdered sugar at home, you’ll need two ingredients: granulated sugar and cornstarch. Use 1 tablespoon cornstarch for every cup of sugar. My recipe below calls for 2 cups sugar, but feel free to scale it up or down depending on the size of your blender and the quantity of powdered sugar you need. Expect the amount of sugar you start with to double. For example, if you start with 2 cups granulated sugar, you’ll end up with 4 cups confectioner’s sugar.
Add the granulated sugar and cornstarch to a powerful blender or food processor, and blend for 30 seconds, until the sugar is white and fluffy.
Use it right away, or store it in an airtight container at room temperature for later use. If it’s lumpy, be sure to sift it before you use it. That’s it!
Favorite Powdered Sugar Recipes
So you learned how to make powdered sugar…now what do you do with it?
First and foremost, confectioner’s sugar is what makes icings and frostings thick and sweet. Find it in my vegan frosting recipe, or in the glazes and icings that accompany these baked goods:
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Best Carrot Cake
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Easy Sugar Cookies
- Vegan Raspberry Scones
It’s also a valuable ingredient in certain baked goods. For example, it enhances the chewy, fudgy texture of these homemade brownies and these vegan brownies.
Last but not least, a dusting of confectioner’s sugar adds a little extra something to any stack of pancakes or French toast. Sprinkle it over my classic French toast, this French toast bake, or any of these pancake recipes:
Yum!
More Easy Baking Basics
If you loved learning how to make powdered sugar, try making these baking basics next:
How to Make Powdered Sugar
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Place the sugar and cornstarch in a high speed blender and blend for 30 seconds, or until fluffy.
- Store in an airtight container. If the powdered sugar gets lumpy, sift before using.
I read the reviews and decided to cut the recipe by half. I used the grain mill jar of a Vitamix. I would process for 30 seconds and walk away to let the jar cool. It took about 15 minutes with most of the time taken up resting periods. The end result is perfect powdered sugar!
I’m so glad you had great results!
I keep powdered sugar in the pantry all the time. I was getting ready to do icing and discovered I had none. Your recipe seemed like my salvation for icing my cake for company tomorrow. I have a vitamix–the best in my opinion. I’ve ground the sugar on high for several minutes and it’s still grainy. Disappointed.
I’m a seasoned cook of 65 years, I don’t understand.
It works great! No tweaks necessary.
okay so it might be a user error and i’m
not trying to talk bad about this recipe but for me it didn’t work🤷♀️
Hi Laya, are you using a powerful blender?
Teşekkür ederim.
Thank you for this! I needed powdered sugar and completely forgot when I was at the store and dreaded going back. You’re a time saver in disguise 😊
Perfect and super easy! Now I don’t panic when I run out accidentally!
So glad you loved it, Lu!
Use a blender. It does not work with a food processor, but it does work well with a blender. Big difference
What blender do you have? I need a good one.
Vitamix is the best – I’ve tried nearly every model and each has different features, but they all blend great.
I just have to say if you have the same bag of icing sugar for years you are not lining your best life 😁
*living
When I tried this, the blender spewed powder and resulted in the same amount of granulated sugar I started with.
Hi Annet, I’m so sorry you had disappointing results! What type of blender were you using? Was it fully sealed before blending?
Didn’t work for me. Tried in a ninja blender and it just came out as sugar and cornstarch with a bunch of powder spewing out of the top.
Hi Ken, how long did you blend? You could try covering the top of the blender with a kitchen towel and blending longer to reach a powdered sugar texture.
Same 🙁
Can I use potato starch? Or will it change the taste or texture too much you think?
Hi Sarah, I’ve never tried that, so I’m not sure how it would work.
Awesome thank you for this
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Jesus is Lord
Awesome thank you for this
Jesus is Lord
Have you tried this with coconut sugar? We don’t use refined sugar. Thanks
I tried this with my food processor, blending it quite awhile with ni success. Very gritty even when sifted. 🙁
Hi Joyce, we use a blender vs. a food processor.
for me same thing that happens with Joyce I used a blender and its still griddy I’m sad because I tried another resipe that said the same thing just without cornstarch and it was griddy
Came out grainy. Oh well…think it might be my blender. Even though I had it on high. I added it to a PB buttercream for a chocolate Mayo cake. Next time I’ll go longer on the blend. Plus sift it.
This is awesome, worked like a charm! I will never buy powdered sugar again.
Worked great for me! Nice and powdery! I had only half as much powdered sugar as I needed, so I followed your recipe and made more. I used a small electric appliance that’s intendrd to grind coffee beans. (I’ve also used it to make hazelnut paste. It’s a very versatile appliance. ) I could only make 1 cup of powderd sugar at a time, but one was all I needed.
Perhap those who haven’t experienced success with this recipe are simply using the wrong appliance.
Works, kind of, but only if you have a very good blender. My old food processor did nothing. The blender worked okay but it still wasn’t the best. It worked in a pinch so I didn’t have to go to the store. So thank you for that.