I make my own powdered (confectioner's) sugar. I whirl it in small amounts (1/2 cup or less) for a few seconds, maybe a minute, in the blender or food processor. I think it's cheaper than buying it. Since I always have sugar, I don't have an "extra box" sitting around, either.
By Vicki from Dallas, TX
This page contains the following solutions.
After baking for Easter, I discovered I ran out of powdered sugar for the icing. After having a nervous breakdown, I remembered my mom, Wanda Colerick would make her own. I thought I would share with all of you!
To make powdered sugar, place parchment paper on your table, put granulated sugar on top, cover with either the other half or a second piece of parchment paper, use rolling pin to crush the granulated sugar into powder.
To save some money during the holidays; Bubba's Quick Confectioners Sugar mixture! Pour sugar and cornstarch in to food processor, food chopper or blender.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How do you measure homemade powdered sugar? That is, when you grind up one cup of granulated sugar does it equal one cup of powdered sugar?
Powdered sugar, icing sugar, confectioner's sugar, etc. all have corn starch, white wheat flour, and/or calcium phosphate mixed in to get more bulk and cut the sweetness, and also to make it flow easier at the factory. The concept behind it is BULK without excessive sweetening. Corn starch and white wheat flour are just as bad for older people and diabetics as white sugar is, so, from a health point of view, it makes no difference how much starch you add.
If it is just for kids, you can add up to about a quarter starch to make the icing bulkier and less messy.
Have fun!
DearWebby
One cup of granulated sugar is equal to approximately 1 3/4 cups of packed powdered sugar.
Measure the granulated sugar as you would powdered sugar. The fillers actually add bulk and when you grind, it packs together tighter so one cup of granulated comes out to be just less than once cup of powdered, especially when it has left smudges on everything it touches.
I have made my own powdered sugar out of granulated sugar. I doesn't get as fine of a powder as store-bought, but I was just using a regular blender and didn't add any cornstarch.
If I did it again, I would add a little cornstarch mixed with the sugar before I started to blend/grind it. You will have to do some experimenting to see if the powder is as fine as you need it for your project.
Linda (in Mesa, AZ)
If the recipe calls for 1 cup of powdered sugar, I grind up 1 cup of regular sugar, measure it out in the powdered form and then toss the rest in the garden.
Wow. Did I learn a lot today! I was trying to save money by making my own powdered sugar and what I learned is that it's more money, and here's why! I learned this after I just went out and bought 6 bags on sale! The reason is because a 4 pound bag of granulated sugar would yield 10 cups of powdered, figuring your yield will be approx 25% more after blending, and a 2 pound bag of powdered sugar has 7.5 cups.
Let's take Aldi, for example. A 2 lb. bag of powdered goes for $1.29 which makes each cup worth slightly over 17¢. A 4 lb. bag of granulated goes for $2.49, which makes each cup worth just slightly under 25¢. Plus, the added cost of corn starch, electricity, and blade wearing on your blender. So, you're paying 33% less for the ready made. I never knew, and now I'm stuck with 6 bags of granulated, but at least it was on sale on the cheap for $1.69. Me and my crazy knack for figuring! Mad, at myself! Hehe!
But this is great to know in case you're in a pinch and the store is closed or you simply don't want to go to the store for one ingredient! The pic is some of the cuppycakes I make with my homemade buttercream frosting with powdered sugar!
How can I make powdered sugar for commercial purposes? What anti-caking agent can I use? I would also like to preserve the powdered sugar for up to 2 years. Any suggestions?
By ekas from Lagos, Nigeria
Can you explain in more detail what you mean for commercial use? I am fairly sure you can find out about making powdered sugar by doing an online search. I do know that powdered sugar is simply granulated sugar very finely sifted.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
I want to learn how to make confectioners sugar.
Use equal amounts of granulated sugar for the amount of powdered sugar you want to make. Place the granulated sugar in a blender container and blend till fine. It's ready to use immediately.
Powdered sugar can be made from regular sugar in a conventional blender. This way you don't have to buy two types of sugar or make a special trip to the store!
