Mixers

Powdered Sugar

Powdered sugar, called icing sugar in Britain, is white sugar ground to a powder with an anti-caking agent: maize starch in Tate & Lyle’s, at 3%, and tricalcium phosphate in Silver Spoon’s. It dissolves almost on contact. Our Mint Julep stirs a teaspoon into two teaspoons of water in the cup before the mint is pressed, and may dust a little over the mint.

Quick Facts

Legal categoryFood

Flavour Strengthlight

Our keeping timeIndefinitely, airtight and dry; it cakes if damp.

Storage

Airtight and dry. Sieve out any lumps before use.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens.

The ingredient

About Powdered Sugar

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

clean sweetnessneutral

Tasting Notes

Pure sweetness that arrives instantly and cleanly, with a faint powdery softness from the starch: no colour and no flavour of its own.

Ground sugar with an anti-caking agent

Icing sugar, sold in the US as powdered or confectioners’ sugar, is white sugar ground to a fine powder. Ground that fine it would clump, so makers add an anti-caking agent. UK labels differ: Tate & Lyle lists sugar at 97% with maize starch, while Silver Spoon lists tricalcium phosphate, a mineral salt. Both are printed on the pack, so anyone avoiding maize can choose.

In the Mint Julep it sweetens the cup first

Our Mint Julep stirs one teaspoon into two teaspoons of water in the cup until it dissolves. The mint leaves are pressed gently in that syrup, then crushed ice and 60ml of bourbon go in and the drink is churned for 20 to 30 seconds. A pinch dusted over the mint bouquet is optional and sits at the nose.

Three ways to sweeten a Mint Julep

Powdered (icing) sugar

Amount: One teaspoon
Dissolves in two teaspoons of water: At once
Leaves behind: Possibly a faint starch haze

Caster sugar

Amount: One teaspoon
Dissolves in two teaspoons of water: With longer stirring
Leaves behind: Nothing

Simple syrup, 1:1

Amount: About 7.5ml
Dissolves in two teaspoons of water: Already liquid
Leaves behind: Nothing

Sweetener	Amount	Dissolves in two teaspoons of water	Leaves behind
Powdered (icing) sugar	One teaspoon	At once	Possibly a faint starch haze
Caster sugar	One teaspoon	With longer stirring	Nothing
Simple syrup, 1:1	About 7.5ml	Already liquid	Nothing

Keep it dry and sieve it

Powder takes up damp from the air and cakes, so keep it in an airtight tub and sieve it before measuring. In our experience it never goes off. For drinks that sweeten with dry sugar and need it to dissolve with a stir or a muddle, caster sugar is the usual choice; powdered sugar is for when the water is scarce.

Using it

Using Powdered Sugar

Usage

One teaspoon stirred into two teaspoons of water in the julep cup until dissolved, before the mint is pressed and the crushed ice and bourbon go in. A pinch dusted over the mint bouquet is optional.

Pro Tip

For a crystal-clear stirred drink, sweeten with simple syrup rather than powdered sugar. Starch in some icing sugars leaves a faint haze; a julep over crushed ice hides it.

Top Tips

Dissolve it in the water before the mint goes in, so the sugar coats the leaves as you press them.
Sieve it if it has lumps. Clumps dissolve slowly even in water.
Dust the mint lightly, if at all. A heavy dusting sits on the ice as a crust.
Read the label: the anti-caking agent differs from brand to brand.

Possible Substitutions

Caster Sugar: dissolved first, or as a fine simple syrup
Simple Syrup: already liquid

Production Method

Refined white sugar ground to a fine powder with an anti-caking agent so it pours freely: maize starch in some UK brands, such as Tate & Lyle (sugar 97%), tricalcium phosphate in others, such as Silver Spoon.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

Is powdered sugar the same as icing sugar?

Yes. Powdered sugar and confectioners’ sugar are the American names for what Britain calls icing sugar: white sugar ground to a powder with a small amount of anti-caking agent. Any of them works in a recipe that calls for another.

Which anti-caking agent is in UK icing sugar?

Sugar and an anti-caking agent, which varies by brand. Tate & Lyle icing sugar lists sugar at 97% with maize starch; Silver Spoon’s lists tricalcium phosphate. Neither contains any of the 14 listed allergens, but check the label of any flavoured or fondant icing sugar.

Why does a Mint Julep use powdered sugar?

The IBA recipe names it, and it dissolves almost at once in a small amount of water. Our recipe stirs one teaspoon into two teaspoons of water in the cup before the mint is pressed, so the drink is sweetened evenly before the crushed ice and 60ml of bourbon go in.

Can I use caster sugar or syrup in a Mint Julep instead?

Yes. Caster sugar dissolves in the water with a little more stirring. Simple syrup works too: about 7.5ml of 1:1 syrup carries the same sugar as the teaspoon, with a splash of water. The flavour is the same; only the dissolving changes.

Does the starch in icing sugar affect a cocktail?

Barely. Where the anti-caking agent is maize starch, a few per cent of it can leave a faint haze in a clear stirred drink. Over crushed ice in a julep it is invisible. Where a drink must be completely clear, use simple syrup.

Why has my icing sugar gone lumpy?

It has taken up moisture from the air. Sieve out the lumps before measuring, then keep it in an airtight tub rather than a folded bag. Sugar does not go off, so lumpy icing sugar is still fine once sieved.

Make something

Made with Powdered Sugar

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Mint Julep

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Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 17 October 2026

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