Granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar serve very different purposes in the kitchen. Granulated sugar is a versatile, all-purpose sugar that can be used to prepare most baked goods. Confectioners’ sugar, on the other hand, is granulated sugar that has been ground into a fine powder and mixed with starch to prevent clumping. Because of their distinct textures, granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar aren’t interchangeable.
In my kitchen, granulated sugar is an everyday staple. I use it daily, most often to sweeten a cup of coffee, but also to balance the acidity in tomato sauce or to whip up a batch of cookies. On the other hand, confectioners’ sugar is often relegated to the back of my pantry—and it stays there, until I tackle a baking project that requires it. Each sugar has its place in the kitchen, but the two are distinct not only in texture but also in makeup.
So how exactly do they differ? And is it possible to substitute one for another? I spoke with Emily Kellogg, a former pastry chef at the three Michelin-starred New York City restaurant Per Se and current owner of EJ’s Bon Bons in Woodstock, NY, and Joy Wilson, the voice and pastry chef behind the blog Joy the Baker, to find out.
Sugar Basics
At its most basic, sugar is sucrose, a white crystalline substance composed of glucose and fructose. Sucrose can be found in many fruits, vegetables, and plants. Most of the processed sugar that ends up in our cookies and cups of coffee—including granulated and confectioners’ sugar—is derived from either sugarcane or sugar beets. Some brands, including sugar giant Domino, list the plant the sugar is made from on their packaging. However, many companies don’t specify the source of the sugar. In cases like this, the sugar is likely made from beets or a blend of sugar from both sugarcane and sugar beets. According to the USDA, 40 to 45% of sugar produced in the US comes from sugarcane, while sugar beets account for 55 to 60% of production.
What Is Granulated Sugar?
Granulated sugar is, well, granular. Each crystal ranges from 0.3 to 0.5 millimeters, giving it a texture similar to sand’s. The process of refining sugar—which involves clarifying, filtering, crystallizing, and drying sugarcane or sugar beet juice to remove impurities—gives the ingredient its bright white hue. It has a neutral flavor, and its uniform crystals are small enough to dissolve in most doughs and batters, making it a versatile ingredient. Superfine, caster, or baker’s sugars are also forms of granulated sugar that have been ground into finer crystals (about 0.1 to 0.3 millimeters) that dissolve even more easily, making them ideal for delicate foams and batters, such as meringue.
Copious confectioners’ sugar is a must on beignets.
Serious Eats / Robbie Lozano
What Is Confectioners’ Sugar?
Confectioners’ sugar, also called powdered sugar, is granulated sugar that’s been ground to a fine white powder. This powder is combined with starch (typically cornstarch or tapioca starch) to prevent clumping. On the label, you may see “6x,” “10x,” or “12x,” which refers to the mesh size on the screens used to separate powdered sugar. The larger the number, the finer the mesh size and sugar.
Confectioners’ sugar may taste even sweeter than granulated sugar: Because the crystals are so small, the sugar on your tongue dissolves faster, flooding your taste buds with sucrose. Anti-caking agents, including cornstarch, can give the ingredient a metallic flavor. In her article detailing the differences between conventional and organic powdered sugar, former Serious Eats editor Stella Parks explains that she recommends using organic powdered sugar because it is typically made with tapioca starch, which has a neutral flavor that’s less detectable than that of cornstarch.
What Are the Best Uses for Granulated Sugar and Powdered Sugar?
Besides adding sweetness, granulated sugar helps baked goods and desserts brown in the oven. It is also hygroscopic, meaning it draws water in from the air, surrounding ingredients, and its environment, then holds that moisture. Its ability to retain moisture can help keep baked goods moist.
When butter and sugar are beaten together, they create what Parks—in her cookie science explainer—describes as “an expansive network of sugar crystals, fat, and air,” which helps cookies, cakes, and other baked goods puff up in the oven. It’s why you can’t just reduce the amount of sugar in a recipe without affecting a baked good’s rise and texture, explains Wilson, whose readers often ask if they can use less sugar when making her recipes.
Powdered sugar is more hygroscopic and finer than granulated sugar. It dissolves quickly, making it difficult to properly beat with butter for aerating doughs and batters, and often melts in the oven before a cookie has had a chance to crisp or caramelize. Cornstarch also absorbs moisture easily, further reducing the crispness or caramelization in baked goods. As a result, baked goods made with confectioners’ sugar are often soft and tender. Sometimes, this is the goal, and it’s why specific recipes, including pâte sablée (a sandy French tart dough), call for confectioners’ sugar.
However, most bakers, including Kellogg, reserve confectioners’ sugar for finishing touches, as its fine texture means it can be easily and quickly incorporated into icings, buttercreams, glazes, and whipped cream. A sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar is also used to decorate cakes and other confections, and copious amounts of it are required for serving beignets.
Can You Substitute Granulated Sugar for Confectioners’ Sugar and Vice Versa?
Because confectioners’ sugar and granulated sugar have such different textures, they should not be substituted for one another. However, you can use granulated sugar to make your own confectioners’ sugar. At her Woodstock, NY shop, Kellogg blitzes granulated sugar in a high-powered blender for one to three minutes until it resembles a powder. She weighs the sugar, adds three to four percent of its weight in cornstarch, then sifts it.
Wilson has also used granulated sugar to make her own powdered sugar at home, but cautions against doing so unless you’re really in a pinch. “Granulated sugar, in my experience, never gets as fine as I need it to be,” she says. It’s also messy: “You’ll have sugar dust everywhere.”
How Should You Store Both Sugars?
Store both confectioners’ and granulated sugar in an airtight container in a dry, cool space. When damp, both sugars can become clumpy and hard. While you’ll probably be fine leaving a bowl of granulated sugar on your counter for tea or coffee, that sugar will likely be too clumpy for baking. Kellogg recommends storing the ingredient with one or two silica packets to prevent your sugar from becoming damp.
