Make Your Own Powdered Sugar with Sucanat
By
This little cooking tidbit makes me very excited! I believe I had heard this tip before, but until Theresa reminded me in a recent post comment, I had forgotten to try it.
Did you know that you can make your own unprocessed powdered sugar from sucanat? Uh-huh, it’s true!!!
I have been using an organic, unbleached powdered sugar as a slightly healthier alternative to regular powdered sugar. At least it is organic and at least it has not been bleached. But still…there are not many nutrients left in this type.
But if you make your own powdered sugar from sucanat, you’ve got a much healthier powdered sugar. And would you like me to tell you how EASY it is to make powdered sugar?? Here, let me show you…
You need two things: A Blender and Sucanat
Put no more than two cups of sucanat in your blender at one time. I poured in four cups the first time I tried and it took forever to get it all “powdered”. Two cups at a time actually saves time, even if you need more than two cups of powdered sugar for a recipe.
Put the lid on your blender (always a good idea, right?). Blend up the sucanat for just a few seconds until it turns powdery.
Check out what happens when you take the lid off the blender. They don’t call it powdered sugar for nothin’…
And there you have it…homemade powdered sugar from sucanat.
I have only used this powdered sugar to make a chocolate fudge frosting (and yes, I’ll be sharing the recipe). I would imagine it will work for other recipes, but I’m pretty sure the frosting won’t ever be the color white. :) Wowza, I can not wait to experiment with more recipes using homemade powdered sugar. Look out everyone!
(Actually, the recipes may be few and far between. My family really doesn’t need to be eating that much sugar, even if it is healthier!)
So, what do ya think? What can we make with our homemade powdered sugar???
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Find many of your Sucanat questions answered here!
Recipes we’ve created so far to use with your Sucanat Powdered Sugar…
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I was looking through my recipes the other day and I was wondereing if there was a healthier alternitive to the powdered sugar ive been using. Now I know, thank you!
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I really need to buy some sucanat and start using it!!
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Stephanie Reply:
November 6th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Hi Angela,
Just wanted you to be aware that you will probably want to know ahead of time that you will need to get used to the taste. If you are used to white sugar, there is a taste difference. There are some foods that just don’t do well with Sucanat’s taste – ruhbarb (sp?) for one. Also, speaking of ruhbarb, one packet of powdered Stevia does a nice, healthy job of sweetening ruhbarb for cobbler or pie or crisp. Then I usually just use the small amount of sucanat for the cobbler part. Enjoy your Sucanat.
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I need to stop being cheap and try sucanat!
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Laura Reply:
November 5th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
I finally bought a small package at the health food store to try it out. If we like it I’ll hunt down some sucanat for a lower price.
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Shannon Reply:
November 5th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
I got a really good deal on Sucanat through Azure Standard. I think it was a 50lb bag, so I split it with friends.
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Anna Reply:
November 6th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
I buy mine from an Amish bulk foods store for an affordable price ($2.37/lb) Of course it’s way more expensive than white sugar, but I really don’t do a whole lot of baking so it lasts for quite a while. We use it on our hot oatmeal instead of brown sugar also.
Stephanie Reply:
November 6th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Purchase it in bulk at Vitamin Cottage Natural Groceries. That will help with the cost a little.
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Would this work with raw sugar? It’s not as dark as sucanat… maybe I should try some. I don’t use powdered sugar much any more, now that I’m not baking cakes much. My two-year old and I were playing with Play Doh today and the sets we had were birthday cakes and cupcakes. I need to find a healthy cupcake recipe or just try and substitute. Actually, I did that with an extremely decadent chocolate cake recipe from an aunt of mine, put in some whole wheat flour with white. I served it to my in-laws telling them this was the “best” chocolate cake recipe ever! Surprise! Not the greatest…
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I have yet to find sucanat around here. I keep watching for Azure to start delivering here, but not yet.
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Courtney Reply:
November 5th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Azure doesn’t have my location as a delivery spot either, but we are en route to another location that is, and they stop here for us so long as between the families who order we have a certain dollar amount. Might be worth checking on if you live near a routed delivery place, maybe you could meet up?
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Organic sugar is one thing my family has yet to change to… I’m intrigued and really want to… Is all organic sugar the same?
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Stephanie Reply:
November 6th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Hi Jaclyn,
Organic just means that the sugar cane fields should not be gmo and that there aren’t any pesticides or nasty things sprayed on the plants as they grow. Sucanat comes in organic and otherwise. SUgarCAneNATural is what Sucanat stands for. It still has the minerals and molasses that is bleached and stripped from sugar that is white. But remember, sugar is sugar – some more healthy because of not being processed as much – no matter whether it is organic or not.
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Again, you continue to amaze me with your willingness to just try something new. What is a good price on sucanat?
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Erin Reply:
October 28th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
I don’t know if this is a good price, but I get mine for $1.89/lb.
at my local co-op. I noticed the pre-packaged sucanat is way
more expensive so I assume I’m getting a decent price by buying it in
the bulk section, though I only buy a few pounds at a time.
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Holly Reply:
January 6th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
I can get mine for $1.27 a lb at an Amish bulk food store here in Va. It’s
almost the same price as white sugar!
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Miracle Quelle Reply:
November 3rd, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Probably depends on the area you live. I used to think $2/lb was a good price, and now I get it for $1.35
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Holly Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Holy cow, I wish I could find it for those prices! The only source I’ve found near me so far is over $3.50/lb!
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I love sucanat and I love this idea! Thanks for sharing!
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I only use demerara sugar, because it’s less expensive than sucanat, so I tried making powdered sugar from it, and it worked!!! I’m so happy to be able to make this from sugar I have, instead of having to run to the store when we’re out of powdered sugar.
Thanks for the tip!
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Now I can top my homemade cinnamon rolls with homemade powdered sugar!!
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I just bought some sucanat from Breadbeckers so I will have to try this the next time I need frosting.
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Whoa! This is revolutionary! I usually just avoid recipes with powdered sugar. No more!
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Thank you, Laura! I never knew what succanat looked like. Do you use succanat in your lighter baked goods as well? or would it turn the baked goods darker? Like say a white cake?
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Amanda Reply:
November 5th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
It does make baked goods a little lighter, but so does whole wheat flour. If you were looking to make a perfectly white wedding cake, you might want to use the processed stuff. But, for everyday home baking, succanat and whole wheat flour allow you to make much more wholesome and very filling treats for your family.
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Amanda Reply:
November 5th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
I meant to say “darker” not “lighter.”
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Ooh, can’t wait to try this! Looks like we have the same blenders, too. :)
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Another great idea to try. Thank you.
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Wow, thanks for posting this! I thought powdered sugar was some mysterious space age concoction, lol. I make plain butter frosting with just powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla. Now we can make it with more pure ingredients for their birthdays. We’ll have to try your chocolate frosting soon.
Thanks!
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I have been wondering how to make healthier powdered sugar. Thank you for this!!!
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I can’t wait to try this – thank you for sharing this
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Oh, God bless you!!!!! I thought I’d never be able to use powdered sugar again since all the stuff in stores has genetically modified cornstarch in it. Thank you soooooooooooo much!!!!!
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Brilliant! Can’t wait to try it. I just made 4x the recipe for buttercream frosting for my daughter’s pink castle cake. Yuck! Next time I’ll give this one a try!
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I especially love tips like this ’cause I always seem to run out of things like powdered sugar when I’m in the middle of a recipe. (And 10 miles from the nearest store, and I do most of my heavy cooking after the little one is in bed.) So, thanks!
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I am curious if it is powdery enough to use in whip cream? I was once out of powdered sugar, so I put regular sugar in the food processor to turn it into “powdered” sugar. It did not powder it enough and our whipped cream was rather crunchy (my husband later said it was also a fire hazard as sugar is highly flammable). Maybe the blender works better than the food processor for this task?
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Laura Reply:
November 3rd, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Yes, this would definitely work with whipped cream!
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Kara Reply:
November 6th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
I was wondering about the flammable thing too! Static electricity in sugar dust can cause combustion. Would the same apply to Sucunat?
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Laura Reply:
November 7th, 2010 at 6:07 am
I guess so, but it really doesn’t take but a couple of minutes to make the sucanat into powdered sugar so when I make it, it doesn’t even get hot.
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What is the difference between sucanat and sugar in the raw?
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Laura Reply:
November 3rd, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Here’s a post that explains the answer to your question: http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-most-nutritious-sweeteners
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I’ve done something similar for a while, using a coffee grinder instead of a blender. Works great!
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I just bought my very first bag of sucanat yesterday thanks to you! : )
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Can I make this with cane sugar? I did not find sucanat at Whole Foods so I bought organic cane sugar.
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Laura Reply:
November 4th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Wow, I’m surprised you couldn’t find sucanat at Whole Foods? Did they have rapadura? It’s the same thing – sometimes I forget to mention it.
I would imagine you can make this with cane sugar but I have never tried.
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Sana Reply:
January 14th, 2012 at 7:28 am
I think (but am not positive) that sucanat and “gur” (available in Pakistani/
Indian stores) are the same thing except that gur comes in larger pieces and
you have to grind it yourself. If that is the case, I have seen the same
thing available in Mexican stores. (Beware, that the chunks I am referring
to can be a pain to grind. I broke a food processor once doing this. Thus,
it is best to buy the most moist chunks you can find.)
That said however, I have baked extensively with it. I have my own healthier
version of banana bread and pumpkin pie that work very well with gur.
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Is there any allergen information on the label for the sucanat?
Linda
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Laura Reply:
November 24th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
I don’t see any on my labels. It just lists the ingredient as “dehydrated cane sugar juice” but that’s it!
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Whole Foods might have Sucanat in their Bulk Bins. I got some at my local Whole Foods (Novato, CA). I forget how much I paid, but it wasn’t more than $2 a pound. Thanks for the recipe!
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I loved the molasses sucanat, but had to switch to the honey, because my husband was getting severe headaches from it. I get mine through our local co-op. I think I’ll try that with our honey sucanat :)
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Yeah! I grew up eating german pancakes with powdered sugar and lemon on top. Now I am not afraid of them! =)
Per Person:
1/4 flour
1/4 milk
1 egg
Dash salt
I put the milk, flour and acid in the blender the night before so it soaks over night.
Next morning I put the eggs and salt in, blend it again and pour them into my preheated pans in a 400 degree oven with yummy butter melted into the pans. I just wait until they are golden brown and have beautiful peaks!
Then I top it with your lovely powdered sugar idea and fresh lemon juice. Yum!
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if u need white powdered sugar for a recipe, u may consider using florida crystals with cornstach/potato starch or tapioca starch/ whichever your diet will allow u to consume.
all powdered sugar is anyway is refined sugar and cornstarch… also one may consider agave nectar in helping to limit how much sugar they use in sweetening pies such as rhubarb re: Angela’s post. ( i wouldn’t use only agave nectar but its sweetness should help u have to put less sugar and its low glycemic)
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I have to admit that I haven’t tried the powdered sucanat frosting, but plan to. As for grinding things in the blender, I discovered that you can make fluffy popcorn salt by grinding Real Salt, or probably any sea salt, in the blender until it is powdery & it will stick to popcorn just like regular popcorn salt & tastes better too.
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Is it possible to do this with turbinado?
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Laura Reply:
January 27th, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Yes, I believe it would, although I haven’t tried it before.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you, for freeing me forever from my don’t-buy-powdered-sugar-because-we-never-use-it-don’t-use-it-because-we-never-have-it deadlock. It took a while to powder 4 cups of sucanat with a coffee grinder, but the stuff was so easy to reduce to a fine powder that I wonder why no one has ever talked about doing it with white sugar. We hadn’t had a frosted cake in over a decade because I am just too lazy to make boiled icing. The frosting drought is over!
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So…….does 2 cups Sucanat = 2 cups powdered Sucanat??
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Laura Reply:
April 27th, 2011 at 8:40 pm
I guess I’ve not measured it exactly before, but yes, I believe so.
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Wow Laura, so glad this tip helped you and so many others out!!
Blessings, Theresa
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You should really wait a few minutes before opening lid inhaling dust like that is extremely detrimental to your lungs I would never make anything like that with out a mask even if its only sugar
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