01
Granulated Sugars
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Blend in blender until powdery; add 1 tsp cornstarch
6.7
powdered sugars substitute
for frying.
Frying with powdered sugar is mostly post-fry — dusting funnel cakes, beignets, churros while still 180°F so the fine particles cling without melting into syrup. The 3% cornstarch helps powder stay loose rather than clumping on grease. Substitutes here are ranked by particle fineness, cling at 180°F surface temp, and whether they pour from a sieve. Liquid syrups slide off; coarser sugars bounce off.
top substitutes
adjustment for frying
Granulated bounces off post-fry beignets and funnel cakes — too coarse to cling at 180°F surface. Blend in blender 90 seconds with 1 tsp cornstarch per cup to powder size, then dust through a sieve while pastry is still hot. Use 1:1 cup. Without blending, sugar slides into the oil and burns.
02
Honey
3.31 cup : 1 1/4 cup
Liquid sweetener; use 3/4 cup honey per cup powdered sugar, reduce other liquids in the recipe
3.3
adjustment for frying
Honey is liquid — drizzle (not dust) on post-fry pastries while warm. Use 3/4 cup honey per cup of powdered. At 180°F surface, honey thins to coating viscosity (200 cP) and pools in dimples. Skips Maillard browning of dusted sugar; gives sticky-sweet finish more like baklava than dusted churros.
03
Brown Sugars
3.31 cup : 1 cup
Moist with molasses flavor; pack firmly and use 1 cup per cup powdered, adds color and caramel notes
3.3
adjustment for frying
Brown sugar packed firmly works as a post-fry dust if blended 60 seconds with 1 tsp cornstarch per cup. Molasses content tints the dust amber and adds caramel-rummy notes — pairs with fried banana, doughnut holes. Use 1 cup per cup of powdered. Without blending, clumps stick to surface in unattractive lumps.