What to use instead of powdered sugar
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Sugar that dissolves cold into a glaze or icing
The grind is fine enough to go into solution at room temperature, and the 3 percent cornstarch in it thickens the glaze so it sets instead of running off.
Granulated sugar blitzed with cornstarchRan out
1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp cornstarch, blender on high 60 sec, yields about 1 3/4 cups
Very slightly coarser than commercial, so let the glaze stand five minutes before you use it. Identical set.
Granulated sugar blitzed with tapioca starchGluten-free
1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp tapioca starch, blender on high 60 sec
Sets glossier than cornstarch and stays slightly tacky to the touch. Corn-free.
What doesn't work: Granulated sugar stirred straight into the same amount of milk or lemon juice. There is not enough liquid to dissolve crystals that size at room temperature, so the glaze is gritty in the bowl and still gritty on the cookie an hour later.
Dry dusting on a finished cake or cookie
The starch keeps the powder loose and slows it absorbing moisture, so it sits white on the surface for a while instead of vanishing.
Blitzed granulated sugar with cornstarchRan out
1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp cornstarch, blitzed, then sift
Melts into the surface faster than commercial. Dust it as it goes to the table.
Cocoa powder, or cocoa cut with powdered sugarRan out
1:1 for straight cocoa, or 1 part cocoa to 2 parts sugar
Dark instead of white and considerably less sweet. Cocoa clings better and does not disappear on a warm cake.
Cinnamon sugar, finely groundRan out
1/4 cup granulated sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon, blitzed together
Visible tan speckle instead of a clean white layer. Adds a real flavour rather than sweetness alone.
What doesn't work: Plain granulated sugar shaken over a warm cake. The crystals are heavy enough to sink into any soft surface, and within a couple of minutes you have wet translucent dots where the dusting was.
Dry bulk that stiffens an uncooked filling or buttercream
You are adding sugar as dry mass, absorbing fat and moisture until the mixture is firm enough to roll or pipe, which is why it has to be a powder and not a syrup.
Blitzed granulated sugar with cornstarchRan out
1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp cornstarch per 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar called for
Buckeye and truffle centres come out a fraction less smooth on the tongue. Piped buttercream holds exactly the same.
Powdered sugar with part of it replaced by milk powderRan out
Replace up to 1/4 of the powdered sugar by volume with nonfat dry milk powder
Same stiffness, noticeably less sweet, and the filling tastes creamier. Do not go past a quarter or it turns pasty.
What doesn't work: Honey, maple syrup or any liquid sweetener to firm up a no-bake filling. Every one of them adds water, so instead of stiffening the mixture they loosen it, and buckeye centres will not hold a ball no matter how long you chill them.
Most US powdered sugar is cut with cornstarch, but some European brands use wheat starch, so check the bag if it has to be gluten-free.