What Is Powdered sugar and How Can I Use It?

Powdered sugar is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 2,798 recipes to get you started.

What is powdered sugar?

Powdered sugar , also known as  confectioner's sugar  or  icing sugar , is very fine powdered sugar. When intended for home use, it typically contains a small amount of anti-caking agent.

In industrial food production, it is used where a quick dissolving sugar is required. Domestically, it is principally used to makeicing or frosting and other cake decorations. It is often lightly dusted on baked goods to add a light sweetness and subtle decoration.

Powdered sugar is available in different degrees of fineness, most commonly XXX, XXXX, and 10X, with more Xs indicating finer grains. Powdered sugar is generally mixed with cornstarch, wheat flour, or calcium phosphate to improve its flowing ability, and thus it is not generally used to sweeten beverages. However, industrial grades without these additives are available.

One can make powdered sugar at home by putting normal granulated sugar in a coffee grinder or grinding it by hand in a mortar and pestle.

Nutrition

Where found

Powdered sugar is usually found in the baking supplies section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group

Powdered sugar is a member of the Sweets US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

How much does powdered sugar weigh?

Related

Sweets

Recipes using powdered sugar

There are 2798 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Quickand Easy Fudgey Brownies

Quick fudgy brownies made with unsweetened chocolate and butter melted in the microwave, with optional marshmallow chocolate frosting. The classic from-scratch fudgy brownie in one bowl.

Blueberry French Toast Sandwiches

Golden French toast stuffed with warm blueberry-maple compote and dusted with powdered sugar. Make weekend brunch feel special with this sweet sandwich.

Easy Christmas Cutout Cookies

These Christmas cutout cookies are so easy for you and your kids to make together, and they taste so yummy too!

Cinnamon Brownies

Cinnamon-spiked fudgy brownies with cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and a cinnamon cocoa frosting on top. Mexican chocolate-inspired warm-spiced treat.

Frosted Rich Brownies

Frosted rich brownies: low-fat brownies built on evaporated and powdered skim milk instead of butter, then crowned with a coffee-spiked cocoa frosting. Deeply chocolate without the heaviness.

Best Sugar Cookies

Powdered sugar cut-out cookies stay tender and soft, perfect for decorating. Almond and vanilla extracts give these holiday classics a complex, bakery-style flavor that beats other sugar cookies.

Cute Sugar Cookies

Cut-out sugar cookies made with powdered sugar and egg whites for ultra-tender, snowy-white cookies that hold their shape under cookie cutters. Perfect for holiday decorating with frosting or colored sugar.

Blueberry Muffins with Nutmeg Topping

Bakery-style blueberry muffins with nutmeg sugar topping. Three flours, butter, and buttermilk give a tender crumb and tall domed tops crowned with crackly spiced sugar.

Charlies Delicious Brownies

Charlie's brownies are one-bowl easy: dump, beat for a minute, and bake, then top with a glossy chocolate fudge icing. Brown sugar and melted unsweetened chocolate make them rich, and the icing seals the deal.

Fruity Puff Oven Pancakes

Fruity puff oven pancakes are dramatic Dutch baby style pancakes that puff sky-high in the oven, then collapse into a cradle for fresh fruit and powdered sugar. Brunch theater.

Favourite Chocolate Crackles

Chocolate crackle cookies: fudgy chocolate dough rolled in powdered sugar that splits into white-and-black crackle patterns as they bake. Holiday cookie tin classic.

Oh So Good Brownies

Unsweetened chocolate melts into butter and sugar for intensely fudgy brownies that bake in just 18 minutes at high heat.

Easy Frosty Gingesnap Pumpkin Pie

Frosty gingersnap pumpkin pie skips the oven entirely. A spicy gingersnap crust holds a frozen pumpkin-ice cream filling, ready to slice straight from the freezer for Thanksgiving dessert.

Australia Šokolaadlkoogid

Lamingtons, the classic Australian treat, squares of tender almond butter cake dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in shredded coconut. Pillowy, chocolatey, and snowy with coconut in every bite.

Favorite Linzer Cookies

Crisp nut cookies sandwiched together with a raspberry filling, which peeks through the cutout in the top cookie.

Chocolate Brownies, Low Cal

Low-calorie chocolate brownies made with melted semi-sweet chocolate and egg whites instead of yolks or butter. A lighter brownie with a fudgy bite and powdered-sugar dusting.

Double Orange Macadamia Nut Cookies with Orange Frosting

Double Orange Macadamia Nut Cookies with Orange Frosting recipe

Double Orange Macadamia Nut Cookies with Orange Frosting

Double Orange Macadamia Nut Cookies with Orange Frosting recipe

Light Double Chocolate Muffins with Yogurt

Guilt-free chocolate muffins made with nonfat yogurt and cocoa powder for rich flavor, perfect for a healthier chocolate fix.

Oreo Cookie & Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

Store-bought chocolate ice cream mixed with toasted walnuts and dried cherries, with homemade oreo cookies make these addictively delicious ice cream sandwiches that will for sure please your sweetest tooth :)

Ann's Chocolate & Nut Brownies

Old-fashioned chocolate nut brownies built on melted unsweetened chocolate, butter, and a single bowl. Dense, fudgy bars dusted with powdered sugar, no cocoa powder shortcuts.

Rum Truffles

Rum truffles are classic chocolate ganache truffles flavored with rum extract and rolled in cocoa-sugar. A 30-piece batch of giftable, no-bake holiday confections.

Simple Chocolate Truffles

Cream cheese chocolate truffles, no heavy cream needed. Melt unsweetened chocolate into a tangy powdered-sugar base, chill, roll in cocoa or nuts. Four ingredients, makes 30.

Chocolate Cream (false nutella)

"This can be served with the chocolate cookies, cakes, pancakes and chocolate desserts, I recommend."

Lemon Yogurt Cookies

Tangy yogurt and bright lemon zest blend into soft oatmeal cookies with crisp edges, then get showered with powdered sugar for a lighter twist on classic cookies.

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