Best Substitutes for Powdered sugar

Out of Powdered sugar? Here are the best alternatives that work in cocktail recipes.

🍶

Original Ingredient

Powdered sugar

Other Pure, fine sweetness with no aroma and ultra-smooth dissolution. Finer texture than granulated sugar for instant incorporation. Adds clean sweetness and delicate body to cocktails.

Recommended Substitutes

🔄

Sugar

Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.

🔄

Brown sugar

Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.

🔄

Demerara Sugar

Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.

General Substitution Tips

  • Match the alcohol level: a 40% spirit needs a similarly strong replacement or adjust volume.
  • For liqueurs, dilute spirits + simple syrup can replicate sweetness and proof.
  • Citrus substitutions: lemon and lime are mostly interchangeable at a 1:1 ratio.
  • For bitters, Angostura is the most neutral substitute for most other aromatic bitters.