Powdered Sugar Substitute
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Once I realized how easy it was to make sugar free powdered sugar at home, I never looked back. All you need is one keto sweetener and a blender or food processor.
Many grocery stores stock sugar free powdered sugar, and calling it expensive is an understatement. Growing up, my mom always made her own powdered sugar from scratch, so once I started baking low carb, I did the same using keto sweeteners.
The trick is that while almost any granulated sweetener can be blended down into a powder, they don’t all behave the same in my recipes. I’ve tested the six sweeteners I bake with most often and included my notes below so you can choose the one that works best for your needs.
Table of Contents
Recipe highlights
- Easy to make. All you need is one ingredient, a blender, and less than a minute.
- It tastes like the real thing. So long as you use one of my preferred sweeteners, you won’t have to worry about a fake sugary aftertaste.
- Cheaper than store-bought. You’ll pay upwards of $5 more per bag for powdered sweetener versus granulated, and the only difference is the consistency.
What sweetener is best?
Not all sugar-free sweeteners are created equal, and some are better for turning into powder. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Allulose. My preferred sweetener, as it has the best flavor and turns fluffy like regular powdered sugar. I also find it dissolves exactly like white sugar does.
- Erythritol. I don’t mind using erythritol or erythritol blends as a sugar alternative, but I find it’s better to dissolve it in simple syrups for baking rather than blend it into a fine powder.
- Monk fruit sweetener. Similar in rank to erythritol. It wasn’t as fluffy as I would have liked, but it tasted pleasant. Be careful, because monk fruit sweetener is usually much sweeter than allulose or erythritol.
- Xylitol. I generally don’t use xylitol in my recipes, but I tried this as I’d seen a powdered sugar brand use it. It blended well but left a quite bitter aftertaste. It’s also VERY dangerous to dogs, so don’t share any treats if you use xylitol.
- Stevia. The only one I wasn’t a fan of was the one I found had a funky, slightly metallic aftertaste.
How to make sugar free powdered sugar
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Blend. Blend the sweetener in a blender or food processor until fine, white, and fluffy.
Step 2- Store. Keep it in a sealed jar or container.
Storage instructions
Keep the powdered sweetener in an airtight container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. If stored properly, it will keep well for several months.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. A spice grinder, coffee grinder, or even a small food processor works well. It may take a little longer to achieve a fine, powdery consistency.
This usually happens if it has been exposed to moisture. Store it in an airtight container, and if needed, blitz it in the blender again to restore its powdery texture.
Recipes using sugar free powdered sugar
Now that you’ve made a batch, here are some of my favorite ways to use it:
- Keto frosting
- Keto cinnamon rolls
- Sugar free ice cream
- Keto meringue cookies
- Keto lemon bars
- Dust over keto pancakes, keto french toast, or keto cupcakes
Powdered Sugar Substitute
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sweetener of choice * See notes
Instructions
- In a high speed blender or food processor, blend your sweetener until fluffy.
- Transfer your powdered sugar to a sealable container.
I experimented with 1/4c of erythritol and got 5 TBSP of powdered erythritol. That’s a 25% increase. That said, I still detected granules in the finished product. When I made it again I used sucralose for the powdered sweetener. The results were far superior and less work!
I am loving your recipes! Love how you do healthy options/substitutes and minimal ingredients! For the Erythritol option for powdered sugar, is it a 1:1 to normal powdered sugar for your recipes? Same amount?
Thanks!
Good job
Can I use Equal for the keto powder sugar?
Thanks
I wouldn’t- I don’t recommend splenda or equal, as they don’t bake well or taste good on their own. I’d stick with allulose.
Love the keto powdered sugar!
I don’t have a blender, but can I use an electric mixer?
I don’t see why not
If I used a powdered sugar substitute like Swerve the Flourless Brownie Cookies would be 0 net carbs, is that correct?
Thank you
Hi Margy, the powdered sugar substitute has 0 net carbs but it would depend on what the other ingredients are in the brownie cookie recipe, as to how the final carb count will turn out.
Is there an after taste?
Hi Veronica- out of the 6 sweeteners I used, there wasn’t one. If you can, use allulose, as it tastes the most similar to sugar.
Can i use Splenda?
I wouldn’t recommend it for this 🙂
May I ask why? I live in Europe and Allulose nor Monk fruit sweetener has been approved for use in the EU. So we cannot legally get it. We do have erythritol, which my husband and I do not really like. And of course, we can get splenda (Sucralose) in many different forms and is our preferred sweetener. Have you tried using splenda? I found a recipe online, (Supposedly from the makers of Splenda?) that used Splenda to make powdered sugar, but added cornstarch to the recipe, which of course I am trying to avoid. I was just wondering what your experience has been with it?
Hi Elena! Splenda, when blended down, doesn’t achieve the correct texture for powdered sugar. When used in baking or desserts, it actually imparts very little sweetness. Unless you are just mixing it into liquid (like coffee), it won’t do much at all. Allulose and monk fruit are both readily available in Europe, both online and in dedicated health food stores.
Simple and great!
Thanks Laura!
I’ve been doing this with Swerve granular for years. Great hack.
The puppy chow recipe is for humans. And it’s good. But Erythritol is actually safe for dogs.
https://www.westparkanimalhospital.com/blog/artificial-sweeteners-and-pets/
LOL I had to check it out. I’d never heard of “Puppy Chow” well, not used that way in any case. Maybe it’s a regional thing (the name) b/c when I saw the recipe, I’m like oh yeah, I remember seeing that. And it is delicious. I’ve likely had it a long time ago. Didn’t they used to sell a pre-made version at some point?
This is life changing! I’ve been buying sugar free “icing dust”, and it’s expensive. All the while I’ve been using granulated erythritol for baking and never thought of this. I came across this looking for a cinnamon roll recipe. Tried this today, popped it in the blender and in no time it’s fluffy! Mixed it with cottage cheese and it’s almost like a cream cheese frosting! I’m never buying sugar free “icing dust” again.Ever!
When talking about allulose, you said you find it easier to dissolve it in simple syrup. Do you mean for this recipe? If so, how would I do that, specifically for this recipe?
Hi Lindsey, no not for this recipe, I was simply referring to the fact that some sweeteners are more suited to creating simple syrups. You don’t need a simple syrup to make a powdered sugar substitute. Hope that makes sense!
Arman, what fitting do you use in your food processor to make your powdered sugar?
Hi Susan! I use the standard ‘s blade’, but really, any blade is fine, as it’s quite a quick blend down.
For those living near a Ralph’s market, they have a sweetener called Apriva that is as good tasting (my humble opinion) as sugar and is just as versital. I believe Kroger is the manufacturer as they make most of the products that is carried by the Ralph’s name.