In some contexts, the term powdered sugar is used to indicate all forms of refined sugar that have been ground or powdered. In other words, it encompasses any sugar with a fine grain including confectioners’ sugar.
Confectioners’ sugar is a powdered sugar though not all powdered sugar is confectioners’ sugar. In other cases, confectioners’ sugar may refer to a specific fineness, or the extent to which the sugar has been ground. The fineness of sugar is denoted by a number between 3 and 10 followed by an X. The higher the number, the finer the grind. Confectioners’ sugar is 10x sugar.
Note that not all packages of sugar will have the fineness of the grind indicated on the label. Let’s review more of the similarities and differences between confectioners’ sugar and powdered sugar in another SPICEography Showdown. Aside from the difference in grain size, there is fact that confectioners’ sugar contains a small amount of cornstarch. Most confectioners’ sugar
that you buy in a grocery store will have a small amount of cornstarch to keep it from clumping up. Cornstarch can be beneficial in some applications, but can cause other dishes to have a chalky taste. Perceived sweetness is another factor that separates confectioners’ sugar from other larger grinds. Because its granules are so small, they dissolve more quickly on the tongue (similar to finer-grained salts) and may taste sweeter as a result. For many applications, it will not matter if you use a 3X powdered sugar instead of a 10x grind or vice versa. Even the larger grinds are still fine enough for the sugar to dissolve quickly. However, when a recipe specifies one or the other, there is usually a reason. Consider the fact that the larger the granules are, the longer they will take to dissolve. If you use a larger-grained powdered sugar as a substitute for confectioners’ sugar, you might be able to detect a slight graininess in
frostings and other applications where a smooth texture is desired. Confectioners’ sugar is not a good substitute for powdered sugar when making drinks; this is one of the cases where it can cause the food item to have a chalky taste since the cornstarch particles will not dissolve in the liquid. Meringues are an example of an item that often requires confectioners’ sugar. It is possible to make meringues using sugar that has larger granules, but there is a risk. Not only does the meringue rely on the cornstarch in confectioners’ sugar for stability, you may unintentionally over-whisk it to dissolve the larger sugar granules. Over-whisking causes the bubbles in the meringue to grow too large and then to collapse. When should you use powdered sugar and when should you use confectioners’ sugar?Powdered sugar with larger granules is a better option when dusting the surfaces of pastries since the larger granules do not dissolve as easily as those of powdered sugar with finer granules. The result is that the dusting of sugar lasts for longer. Use confectioners’ sugar for making frostings, icings, and for sweetened whipped cream since the granules dissolve faster to ensure a smooth texture. Unlike granulated sugar, powdered sugar dissolves easily at room temperature, with no real agitation needed. That makes it great for glazes, buttercreams, frostings, icings, mousses—basically anywhere where the mixture won’t be cooked or where a smooth texture with no hint of graininess is especially vital. Some of our most beloved royal icing and glaze recipes, in fact, are simply a combination of powdered sugar and a small amount of liquid. Sometimes that liquid is milk or cream or buttermilk, other times it’s water or lemon juice or strong coffee or tea. When you whisk these two ingredients together, a marvelously viscous, shiny, pourable glaze forms, aided by the thickening, gelatinizing power of cornstarch, one of two essential ingredients in powdered sugar. (Ever played the Ooblek game and made that mysterious cornstarch-and-water concoction? Well, some genius put all those childish science experiments to use and invented The Glaze. Props.) Powdered sugar is what brought you the glaze on that lemon pound cake. Photo by Caleb AdamsPowdered sugar also comes in handy in no-bake candies (fudge or Buckeyes, for example), where it brings that melt-in-your-mouth sweetness, and you’ll also see in some meringue recipes, where, thanks to the cornstarch, it acts as a stabilizer. How to make powdered sugarNow to answer the burning question: Can you make your own powdered sugar if you don't have any lying around? The answer is YES! To make homemade powdered sugar, you’ll need two ingredients: granulated sugar and cornstarch. The magic ratio is 1 cup granulated sugar to 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Combine the two in a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, a food processor, or spice grinder, then blitz away until you have a soft, powdery consistency—the total time could be several minutes, depending on the power of your machine. I wouldn’t recommend using a spice grinder to make larger batches of the powdery stuff, as it can get a bit messy, and in most instances where you’ll need several cups, it’s probably worth it to go get yourself a box from the grocery store. But when you only need a few tablespoons for dusting over brownies (yet another great use for the powdered stuff), this trick will save you from an unnecessary trip. Can you use granulated sugar in place of powdered sugar?In most cases, no. If you’re making a recipe in which powdered sugar is a vital ingredient (cookie dough, for example), stick with powdered sugar or risk getting a final product that doesn’t meet your expectations. But if you are going to try your hand at substituting, you’re more likely to get decent results if you substitute by weight rather than by volume. (Powdered sugar weighs 113 grams per cup whereas granulated sugar weighs 200 grams.) One last thing! You can absolutely forego powdered sugar altogether for sweetened whipped cream. I don’t know about you, but my mother always swore by adding powdered sugar to her cream before whipping it. And as is the case with most mothers, she is always right, so I never gave it another thought. Until one day I grew up, started to use all my powers of critical thinking, and realized that there is absolutely no reason granulated sugar doesn’t work just as well when whipping cream. Assuming that you're going to Whip It Good, there’s no chance the granulated sugar will remain undissolved, and therefore will sweeten your cream just as well as powdered. I promise. So yes: You need it. Sometimes. And yes, you can you forego in some situations. AND you can make it yourself if you have to. Now you have all the answers. So what're you waiting for? Go make those outrageously good Brown Butter Wedding Cookies already! The cookies in question:
Six-ingredient cookies for people who don't think they can bake cookies. View Recipe This article was originally published in 2018 and was updated by Sarah Jampel in 2021. Can you substitute powdered sugar for confectioners sugar?New bakers often get confused when they see the words “powdered sugar” and “confectioners' sugar” used interchangeably. But this is because confectioners' sugar and powdered sugar are the same thing!
Why do they call powdered sugar confectioners sugar?It refers to the number of times the sugar is processed and milled—in this case, 10! Confectioners' sugar, on the other hand, is powdered sugar with starch added, to prevent it from caking as it sits.
Does confectioners sugar mean powdered?A Guide to Buying and Baking With Confectioners' Sugar
It's simply another name for powdered sugar (in the U.S.) and icing sugar (in the U.K. and Canada). You might even hear it called "10X sugar," indicating how much finer the consistency is than table sugar (also called granulated sugar).
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Difference between powdered sugar and confectioners sugar
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