What can I substitute for powdered sugar?

By Dr Anny Manrich (PhD)

Page last updated: 11/19/2022 | Next review date: 11/19/2024

Author bio

Dr Anny Manrich PhD is a food Engineer with expertise in Food Technology, Natural Polymers, Edible Films, Enzymes, and Nanotechnology. She writes and reviews content on these topics.

Dr Anny Manrich’s Highlights:

Research and Technology at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation
PhD in Chemical Engineering with a focus on Biochemistry at the Federal University of Sao Carlos/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany
Bachelor of Food Engineering at the University of Campinas/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany

“To solve a problem, global vision and multifactorial understanding are necessary. Therefore, in addition to expertise, one should seek multidisciplinary thinking connected with science and reality” – Dr Anny Manrich, PhD.

Professional Experience:

Dr Anny Manrich’s Experience Joining the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, as soon as she completed her doctorate,

Dr Anny Manrich has worked on several projects, including the more than three-year partnership project with BRF, a major food producer in Brazil. As a postdoctoral fellow.

Dr Anny Manrich has also contributed to several business consultancies and research projects of the National Nanotechnology Laboratory System in areas such as food technology, fibres, films and coatings and Nanotechnology; in a very determined way, having a great team relationship, being creative and committed.

Growing concerns about the safe introduction of nanomaterials into today’s life emphasises the need to create regulatory documentation in front of characterising, using and testing them. Dr Anny Manrich worked for two years on a characterization project for nanoscale materials, with the aim of exploring their possible health effects.

Despite not having specific academic training in packaging or polymeric films, Dr Anny Manrich works at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation in areas of edible and biodegradable films produced from agricultural waste and in the development of films with greater resistance to water, having articles published in renowned scientific journals, which demonstrates her multidisciplinary understanding and creativity.

In addition, she worked for four years as a consultant to a food company to develop a line of snacks that are healthy and that add functional ingredients, physiologically active compounds that bring health benefits, made from fruits and vegetables, enabling diet improvement, disease prevention and reduction of nutritional deficiencies.

Dr Anny Manrich participated as a member of the examination board for two Master’s exams and one PhD exam at the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Federal University of São Carlos.

Education:

2001 Bachelor in Food Engineering at the State University of Campinas, Brazil
1999 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich
2004 Master in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
2012 PhD in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
2010 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich

The main publications of Dr. Anny Manrich are:

Articles

Manrich, A., Moreira, F. K., Otoni, C. G., Lorevice, M. V., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. (2017). Hydrophobic edible films made up of tomato cutin and pectin. Carbohydrate Polymers, 164, 83-91.

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H. A., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Correlating emulsion characteristics with the properties of active starch films loaded with lemongrass essential oil. Food Hydrocolloids, 100, 105428.

Norcino, L. B., Mendes, J. F., Natarelli, C. V. L., Manrich, A., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Pectin films loaded with copaiba oil nanoemulsions for potential use as bio-based active packaging. Food Hydrocolloids, 106, 105862.

Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization of trypsin on chitosan gels: Use of different activation protocols and comparison with other supports. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 43.1 (2008): 54-61.

Manrich, Anny; Komesu, Andrea ; Adriano, Wellington Sabino; Tardioli, Paulo Waldir ; Giordano, Raquel Lima Camargo . Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by Multipoint Covalent Attachment on Agarose and on Chitosan Supports. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, v. 161, p. 455-467, 2010.

Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Neto, A. S., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Mattoso, L. H. C., & Martins, M. A. (2019). Development and physical-chemical properties of pectin film reinforced with spent coffee grounds by continuous casting. Carbohydrate polymers, 210, 92-99..

Milessi, T. S., Kopp, W., Rojas, M. J., Manrich, A., Baptista-Neto, A., Tardioli, P. W., … & Giordano, R. L. (2016). Immobilization and stabilization of an endoxylanase from Bacillus subtilis (XynA) for xylooligosaccharides (XOs) production. Catalysis Today, 259, 130-139.

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Manrich, A., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Development, physical‐chemical properties, and photodegradation of pectin film reinforced with malt bagasse fibers by continuous casting. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 137(39), 49178.

Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Luchesi, B. R., Dantas, A. P. S., Vanderlei, R. M., … & Martins, M. A. (2021). Thermo-physical and mechanical characteristics of composites based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) e spent coffee grounds (SCG). Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 29, 2888-2900..

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Development of quaternary nanocomposites made up of cassava starch, cocoa butter, lemongrass essential oil nanoemulsion, and brewery spent grain fibers. Journal of Food Science, 86(5), 1979-1996.

Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Manufacture and performance of peanut skin cellulose nanocrystals. Scientia Agricola, 79.

Nascimento, V. M., Manrich, A., Tardioli, P. W., de Campos Giordano, R., de Moraes Rocha, G. J., & Giordano, R. D. L. C. (2016). Alkaline pretreatment for practicable production of ethanol and xylooligosaccharides. Bioethanol, 2(1)..

Manrich, Anny, de Oliveira, J. E., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. Physicochemical and Thermal Characterization of the Spirulina platensis. J. Agric. Sci. Technol. B, v. 10, p. 298-307, 2020.

Book Chapter

Terra, I. A. A., Aoki, P. H., Delezuk, J. A. D. M., Martins, M. A., Manrich, A., Silva, M. J., … & Miranda, P. B. (2022). Técnicas de Caracterização de Polímeros. Nanotecnologia Aplicada a Polímeros, 614.

Conference Papers

Ferreira, L. F., Luvizaro, L. B., Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., Júnior, M. G., & Dias, M. V. (2017). Comparação da estabilidade de suspensões poliméricas de amido/tocoferol e quitosana/tocoferol. In: CONGRESSO BRASILEIRO DE POLÍMEROS, 14., 2017, Águas de Lindóia, SP.

Manrich, A., Hubinger, S. Z., & Paris, E. C. (2017). Citotoxicidade causada por nanomateriais: avaliação do micronúcleo. In: WORKSHOP DA REDE DE NANOTECNOLOGIA APLICADA AO AGRONEGÓCIO, 9., 2017, São Carlos. Anais… São Carlos: Embrapa Instrumentação, 2017. p. 655-658.

Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by multipoint covalent attachment on Glyoxyl Agarose Support. The 31st Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2009.

Manrich, Anny, et al. Application of immobilized xylanase on hydrolysis of soluble wood hemicelluloses after using microwave and organosolv pre-treatments. The 32nd Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2010.

You can view some of Dr Anny’s work below and links to her professional profile.

Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anny-Manrich-2

Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=23103497100

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Ea9qpr0AAAAJ

Linkedin: https://br.linkedin.com/in/anny-manrich-20693129

Dr Anny Manrich (PhD)

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In this brief article, we will answer the question, “What can I substitute for powdered sugar?” and discuss the possible substitutes for powdered sugar.

What can I substitute for powdered sugar?

We can have many substitutes for powdered sugar which includes powdered coconut sugar, powdered dextrose (also termed as D-glucose), 6X or 4X powdered sugar, Xylitol powder, dry milk powder, hot cocoa mix, baker or caster sugar, snow powder, and erythritol.

Cane sugar, the raw sugar obtained from processing sugarcane, had an export value of USD 24.7 billion in 2017; an estimated 34.43% (at least 54,593 million tonnes) of total cane sugar produced that year was exported.7,10 The largest cane sugar exporting countries in 2017 were Brazil (USD 11.4 billion), Thailand (USD 2.6 billion) and France (USD 1.3 billion) (1).

Powdered sugar: What is it?

Powdered sugar is formed by grinding the granulated sugar or crystals of sugar into a fine powder. This powdered sugar is also termed icing sugar, 10X sugar, or confectioner’s sugar.

Powdered sugar is majorly used by confectioners regularly since powdered sugar has easily dissolving contents that are used in baking products, for frosting, and also for icing.

Powdered sugar makes a snow-like powder or dusty appearance on baked goods such as pastries, brownies, doughnuts, and cake slices.

This type of sugar is not crystalline like refined sugar. Beside undesirable physical properties and changes (stickiness, lumping, caking, agglomerating, or crystallization) of amorphous powders or products containing amorphous components during storage and production, amorphous powders are required and have numerous advantages as compared to crystalline ones in many food applications. A typical example is icing sugar (also known as powdered sugar or confectioners sugar) produced by milling of crystal sugars into very fine particles. Due to the presence of a large proportion of amorphous regions and very fine particles, icing sugar dissolves into water much more easily and quickly than crystal sugars. This property makes it become a preferred choice for food applications in which a quick dissolving sugar is required such as in preparation of fruits, milkshakes or any cold beverages, or for those in which the smoothness is required such as icing, frosting, and other cake decorations in bakery production or fondant (2).

Substitutes for powdered sugar

If you are preparing any recipe or baking a cake, brownie, or pastries but you get short of powdered sugar, then you should go for the substitutes of powdered sugar which will equally complement the recipe.

Some of the following substituted products for powdered sugar are described below:

DIY powdered sugar

One of the best alternatives for powdered sugar is a self-made powdered form of sugar. It is very easy to synthesize, just take a small amount of sugar then grind it into powder form and mix it with a little content of cornstarch.

Powdered sugar is produced by milling crystalline sugar. As the objective of milling is to reduce particle size, this can be also done by grinding using a grinder. The cornstarch or arrowroot is added to act as an anticaking agent. Caking is defined as a phenomenon in which particles of amorphous powders are progressively deformed until they stick to each other, eventually forming large agglomerates. Cornstarch and arrowroot are able to absorb moisture and therefore reduce agglomeration of the particles (3).

The powdered form of sugar can be made by using a food processor, blender, and also by using coffee grinder.

Powdered coconut sugar

Powdered coconut sugar is another substituted product for powdered sugar. To make a perfect substitute, mix the powdered coconut sugar with arrowroot powder. Powdered coconut sugar is not very sweet in taste and flavour and it also has a lower index of glycemic.

Coconut sugar powder is produced conventionally by heating the coconut sap until reaching a saturated solution, and crystalline coconut sugar powder finally is formed. The main composition of coconut sugar is sucrose with the amount more than 80% (per total solid) and followed by a tiny amount of glucose and fructose (about 2.3% per total solid) (4).

Typically, many people also prefer to use coconut powdered sugar in place of regular powdered sugar due to the caramel taste of coconut powdered sugar which is present in it by nature, and also due to less sweetness.

In measurements, when we have to replace the powdered sugar with coconut powdered sugar, we should use 1 cup of coconut sugar with 1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder.

Powdered dextrose (D-Glucose)

Dextrose Monohydrate is one of the main constituents of table sugar. Packaged dextrose powder is another substituted product for powdered sugar in most recipes. Dextrose powder usually comes in a packaged form which consists of crystals that are in fine grounded condition.

The texture, taste, and function of both these substituted and original powdered sugar are almost similar. Dextrose’s absorbance ability is more as compared to other forms of sugar. So, when using this alternative product for powdered sugar then add some more liquid in the recipes to balance the recipe’s consistency.

Dextrose is the end product of complete starch hydrolysis – can be purified and spray-dried or crystallized as monohydrate or in its anhydrous form. It is used for its nutritive value, mild sweetness, texture, bulking ability, and white colour. Dextrose monohydrate comes as a white crystalline powder, readily soluble in water with a negative heat of solution, thus exhibiting a pleasant cooling mouth feel (5).

Powdered dextrose is also less sweet as compared to other powdered sugars such as lower sweetness than the regular ones. Therefore, adjusting the sweet taste of recipes adds a large amount of dextrose to balance the sweetness.

6X or 4X powdered sugar

Powdered sugar is granulated white sugar that has been pulverized or milled and mixed with about 3% cornstarch to prevent caking. It is generally available in three degrees of fineness (6X, 10X, and 12X; the higher the number, the finer the product) and as the number of X’s increases, the sugar granules become more finely dispersed (6).

6X or 4X powdered sugar is also the substituted product for powdered sugar. The regular sugar generally comes in 10X size of crystal sugar in the fine grounded powder.

6X or 4X powdered sugar is considered a perfect substituted product when you don’t have access to the 10X confectioner’s sugar. It is also clear that sugar with large crystals is also not suitable for some of the recipes such as in cake’s frosting.

6X or 4X powdered sugar are perfect substitutes for drizzling over the products such as pastries, cake slices, doughnuts, and desserts.

Xylitol powder

Xylitol powder is a type of sugar alcohol, which is a near to perfect alternative product for powdered sugar. Xylitol powder is extracted generally from vegetables, fruits, and grains.

Xylitol is a particular type of sugar alcohol, or polyol, which is used in food and pharmaceutical industries as a sucrose substitute for people affected by diabetes and obesity, to prevent ear infections in young children, and to reduce gingivitis. It can be produced by chemical or biotechnological techniques using pure xylose or xylose-containing hemicellulosic hydrolyzates. After synthesis and purification processes, xylitol is crystalized into powdered form (7).

Xylitol powder is found in different sizes and the crystals of xylitol powder are also similar to sugar crystals. If xylitol is present in the large form of crystals then these can be ground by blender, food processor, or blender into smaller granules termed as refined sugar.

Xylitol powder is most effective in powdered sugar recipes, and it is also a calorie-free product.

We hope that the list above brought additional insight on what to substitute the next time you run out of powdered sugar. But, if you personally prefer the real thing, that is perfectly fine, too!

Other FAQs about Sugar that you may be interested in.

What Can I Substitute for White Sugar in a recipe?

How to soften hardened brown sugar?

How to melt brown sugar on the stove?

Conclusion

In this brief article, we have provided an answer to the question, “What can I substitute for powdered sugar?” with an in-depth analysis of the possible substitutes for powdered sugar and the measurements of these substituted products.