How to Make Your Own Powdered Sugar

It seems to always happen to me. No matter how well I think I’ve stocked my pantry, I find I'm always missing an ingredient — like powdered sugar — when I’m right in the middle of preparing a recipe. Fortunately, I discovered how to make my own powdered sugar with ingredients already in my stockpile. I found this not only saves me time (I don't have to rush to the grocery store to complete dessert), it saves me money! It costs as much as $3 for a 2 pound bag of powdered sugar at my local grocery store — that's 40 cents a cup! I can make my own powdered sugar with a 5 pound bag of regular granulated sugar that costs the same price (or even less if I find it on sale and have a coupon) for only 25 cents a cup. That's a savings of 38%!

Here’s how to do it:

1. Add one cup of granulated sugar to your blender to make one cup of powdered sugar. Because sugar can scratch the sides of your blender, you might want to use a spice grinder or coffee grinder instead.

2. Add 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons of cornstarch, if desired. This step is completely optional, but corn starch will help thicken the powdered sugar and prevent caking.

3. Blend or pulse at high speed for five seconds or until the sugar turns to powder.

4. Use the homemade powdered sugar immediately or store it in a container or zipper bag. Powdered sugar will keep indefinitely as long as it's in an air-tight container and kept away from water.