How to Make Homemade Powdered Sugar with 2 Ingredients!

Skip the store and make your own Homemade Powdered Sugar! With only two ingredients and a couple of minutes, you can have super-soft powdered sugar to use in all of your sweet recipes!

Homemade Powdered Sugar

I use a lot of confectioner's sugar, so I almost always have it on hand.

However, a few times over the years, readers have asked what they could use as a substitute if they didn't have any and don't want to make a run to the grocery store. With that in mind, I wanted to share this quick, easy recipe.

Powdered Sugar

Powdered sugar, aka confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar) is basically granulated sugar that has been ground into a fine powder. It's the type of sugar you need for buttercream and royal icing.

Most powdered sugar recipes also include a bit of cornstarch (or another anti-caking agent) to keep the sugar from clumping together. 

Please note that homemade confectioner sugar may not be the fluffy sugar that you're used to from the store. Most home kitchens do not have a high-powered blender powerful enough to get the same texture that commercially produced powdered sugars will.

That's why I recommend a very specific tool for making it at home, which has given me the best results. That tool is a spice grinder.

Homemade Icing with Powdered Sugar

Let me say this though - I've never used this in large quantities for my big batches of royal icing or frosting!

First, it's hard to make a large batch of homemade powdered sugar because most spice grinders are really small. Also, depending on your spice grinder, it may not be as fine as you're used to having confectioners' sugar. 

The good news? This powdered sugar recipe is cheaper than store-bought and again, you do not have to run out to the store at the last minute if you only need a cup of sugar and you're in the middle of a recipe. 

But if you get your sugar to the right texture and you can make the amount you need - it should work for any sweet recipe including homemade buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting, glazes, royal icing, icing for cinnamon rolls, etc. It's also the perfect topping for funnel cakes, bundt cakes, or pancakes!

My Favorite Frostings & Icings

• Crusting Vanilla Buttercream
• Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
• Royal Icing Recipe
• Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
• Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

Tools Needed

• Spice Grinder—this is a very specific tool and, from my experience, the best tool for the job. A Food processor or regular coffee grinder won't work  Unless they have a special setting for this, they will not get the sugar fine enough to make powdered sugar or icing sugar.
• If you have a high power blender (such as a Blendtec or Vitamix), you may have better results! If you give it a try - come back and let me know how it turns out!

Ingredients

These are simple ingredients, and there are only 2 of them, and you probably already have them. Win-win-win!

• Granulated White Sugar - this is just plain white sugar or regular sugar. 
• Corn Starch - this is an anti-caking agent.

Directions

1. Add the powdered sugar of your choice and the tablespoon of cornstarch to the spice grinder (or high powered-blender) and grind for 15 seconds on high speed (if your grinder has speeds) or until the mixture has reached a fine powder. 
2. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry area for up to 3 months (sometimes longer). I recommend room temperature in a cabinet or pantry - not in the refrigerator! I love to get an airtight glass jar so it can sit pretty on my counter!

Tips

• Many spice grinders can be pretty small. If you have a smaller one, it’s fine to do it in smaller portions and blend a little at a time. I tend to combine it all in a bowl and whisk or sift it anyways, just as an added “why not” step. Plus, it’s kind of fun to play with…*shrugs*.
• If your sugar still feels a little gritty and rough, you may need to grind longer, or get a grinder that grinds more finely. 

FAQ