• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
CakeWhiz
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • All Recipes
  • Seasonal
  • Books
  • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • All Recipes
    • Seasonal
    • Books
    • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Mother's Day

    How to Make Homemade Sugar Cubes

    Published: Feb 10, 2021 · Modified: Mar 5, 2025 by Abeer Rizvi · This post may contain affiliate links · 16 Comments

    Pin175
    Share
    Tweet
    175 Shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Learn how to make easy homemade sugar cubes with 3 simple ingredients! Any shape, size and color is possible! Use it to decorate cakes, cupcakes. Great for tea parties.

    Cubes of sugar were easily available at grocery stores when I was growing up but they are not that commonly available now. A friend showed me how to make them and it's very simple. It's a fun sugar craft, just like these Royal Icing Flowers (Sugar Flowers) or these Sugared Cranberries (Candied Cranberries) or even these Homemade Sprinkles.

    2 ingredients for DIY sugar cubes:

    1. Sugar
    2. Water
    3. Food coloring (Optional)
    Homemade Sugar Cubes in Beige Dish on Rustic Gray Background

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
    Loading

    By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from CakeWhiz

    How to make sugar cubes from scratch?

    1. Make sugar mixture- By mixing together granulated sugar and water.
    2. Color mixture- This is optional.
    3. Make shapes- This can be done with mini cutters or a candy mold.
    4. Let it dry- Until the cubes harden.
    5. Enjoy- Keep away from moisture and heat.
    Easy Old Fashioned DIY Sugar Cubes on Rustic Gray Background

    Uses

    • Sweetening beverages- Like tea, coffee, champagne and cocktails.
    • Decorating desserts- Like cakes, cupcakes, brownies and bars.
    • Homemade gifts- Pack them in a fancy box for a beautiful edible gift.
    • Serving at parties- Such as fancy tea parties or at cocktail hour.

    Variations

    • Make other shapes and sizes- This can easily be accomplished with various shapes of of molds and small cookie cutters. We made sugar hearts and sugar stars but you can get super creative!
    • Try other colors- Liquid food coloring can dissolve the sugar. So, I highly recommend using gel colors, which are thicker and more concentrated and vibrant as well.
    • Add extracts- This will add flavor to the sugar. Try vanilla, almond, mint, peppermint e.t.c.
    • Add zests- Such as orange zest, lemon zest or lime zest.
    • Make rainbow colored cubes- By mixing different colors of sugars together partially. Then, use your hands to pack the sugar down tightly and then use cutters to cut out pieces or simply use a mold.
    • Use to decorate desserts- They must be completely dry and firm before they are used on cakes and cupcakes.
    Chocolate Cupcakes with Sugar Decorations

    Tips and Techniques

    • Measure ingredients properly- Don't eyeball anything. If you add too much water, the sugar will dissolve and you won't end up with a crumbly mixture.
    • Cutters vs. Molds- Either can be used. Molds are much easier. If using cutters, make sure they are mini cutters.
    • Water quantity may vary- Depending on where you live and your weather conditions, you might need to add more or less water. I usually start off with 1 tablespoon water and use a dropper to add 1 drop of water at a time, until I end up with a chunky mixture.
    • Let them dry completely- These pieces are very fragile when they come out of the cutter. So, don’t try to move them too much or else they will break. If you are using a mold, let the sugar mixture dry completely in the mold and then flip it over gently onto a sheet of wax paper/ parchment paper and they should fall out easily.
    • How to thicken sugar mixture- Mix in more sugar.
    • How to make sugar mixture thinner- Mix in more water.
    • Granulated sugar vs. Brown sugar vs. Powdered sugar- Either brown or granulated sugar can be used. Brown sugar can obviously not be colored. Powdered sugar as well as artificial sweeteners cannot be used at all.
    • For classic shape- Use cube candy mold.
    Chocolate Cupcakes with Star Decorations

    Storage

    • Room temperature- In a covered box away from heat and moisture for up to 1 month.
    • Refrigerate- This is not recommended since the moisture can ruin the shape of the cubes and can cause them to dissolve partially.
    • Freeze- This is also not recommended since the moisture can ruin the shape of cubes.
    Collage Image with Step by Step Pictures on How to Make Sugar Cubes

    More Kid Friendly Desserts

    • Rainbow Cereal Balls
    • Pokemon Donuts (Pikachu Donuts)
    • Marshmallow Kabobs

    Recipe

    Easy DIY Homemade Sugar Cubes in Beige Dish on Rustic Gray Background

    Homemade Sugar Cubes (Hearts and Stars)

    Abeer Rizvi
    Learn how to make homemade sugar cubes with 3 simple ingredients! Any shape and color is possible! Use it to decorate cakes and cupcakes.
    5 from 1 rating
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Chill time 6 hours hrs
    Total Time 6 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 Sugar hearts
    Calories 387 kcal

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
    Loading

    By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from CakeWhiz

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup Sugar Granulated
    • 1 tablespoon Water
    • Gel coloring Optional

    Instructions
     

    • Add sugar and water in a small bowl and mix everything until you have a rough,chunky mixture.
    • Divide the sugar mixture into separate small bowls and add different gel colorings into each bowl.
    • Mix the color thoroughly into the sugar mixture with a spoon.
    • Spread the sugar mixture on a
      cookie tray. Use your hands to really push down the mixture tightly. Then, press your small cutters into this mixture.
    • Now, remove the cutter from the mixture and gently place it on a sheet of wax paper. Tap the cutter lightly and the sugar piece will just come out.
    • Let the pieces dry overnight on the sheet of wax paper or until they harden. Once they are hard, you can store them in a plastic container away from moisture, humidity and sunlight. 
    • Instead of cutters, you can use a small candy mold. Fill the molds with crumbly sugar mixture and let it dry completely (overnight is best) at room temperature. Then, flip it over gently onto a sheet of wax paper/ parchment paper and the cubes should fall out easily. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Read all my tips above.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 387kcalCarbohydrates: 99gSodium: 1mgSugar: 99g

    An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.

    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or rate and tag @cakewhiz on social
    Pin175
    Share
    Tweet
    175 Shares

    More Mother's Day

    • Overhead Shot of Stack of Double Chocolate Muffins With Chocolate Chips and Bananas.
      Banana Chocolate Muffins {Soft}
    • Easy Candied Orange Slices on Gray Tray.
      Candied Orange Slices {And Peels}
    • Slice of Wacky Chocolate Depression Cake With Frosting on White Dish.
      Chocolate Depression Cake (Wacky Cake)
    • How to Pipe Cake Borders With Buttercream Image of Various Designs and Labels.
      How to Pipe Cake Borders {Buttercream}

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. RavieNomNoms

      January 07, 2015 at 11:01 am

      WOW those are really impressive!!!

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        January 07, 2015 at 12:14 pm

        Thanks Raven! And they are soooooo easy to make minus all the mess...lol.
        Btw, I hope married life is treating you well

        Reply
    2. Anne Campbell

      January 07, 2015 at 11:43 pm

      These are really pretty! I'm pinning this so I'll remember to try this for Valentine's Day.

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        January 09, 2015 at 2:06 am

        Thanks for pinning! A box of the heart shapes would make a very pretty Valentine's day gift.

        Reply
    3. Heather

      January 08, 2015 at 11:04 am

      Wow! Those are awesome! I think little helpers are the best. I think my kids would get a kick out of this too!

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        January 08, 2015 at 3:38 pm

        Yup... little helpers are the best with their little hands hard at work...heheh

        Reply
    4. Annette

      January 08, 2015 at 4:33 pm

      Those are so cute. I've never seen these before. They would be cute for a birthday party.

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        January 09, 2015 at 2:03 am

        Oh yes! They would make such beautiful party favors!

        Reply
    5. Jaclyn Anne

      January 08, 2015 at 5:32 pm

      This looks like a fun activity! Thank you for sharing the idea & recipe!

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        January 09, 2015 at 2:02 am

        Glad to hear you enjoyed the idea!

        Reply
    6. Carissa

      January 08, 2015 at 6:27 pm

      What a fun idea. The shape possibilities are endless.

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        January 09, 2015 at 2:02 am

        You are right! With all the cute cutters out there, you can make these sugar decorations in any shape you like!

        Reply
    7. Lana Alexander

      January 10, 2015 at 11:54 pm

      OMGosh so cute! I am so glad I ran across this pin on Pinterest, I'm trying to learn the "how to's" on fondant, cake pops & cake decorating, your tutorials are great & I have pinned them all, thanks for sharing

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        January 11, 2015 at 12:24 am

        It's so nice to hear you are enjoying my blog and tutorials. If you ever need any help or have any questions, feel free to send me an email or leave a message

        Reply
    8. Lana Alexander

      January 11, 2015 at 12:07 am

      So Sorry I hit the post button to soon, duh! Anyways I have subscribed to your blogs, I luved the pages i have read so far! cant wait to get'em ! I do have a question, on making your fondant does it matter if your marshmallows are stale or should they be fresh? Also do you have a tutorial on decorating & covering a cake with fondant? Thanks for your help & sharing!!
      Lana

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        January 11, 2015 at 12:28 am

        I made fondant once with stale marshmallows and it was a disaster. Stale marshmallows are harder than fresh marshmallows. They take longer to melt and don't melt properly at all. You end up with little pieces of unmelted marshmallow chunks. So, when you make fondant with that chunky melted marshmallows, your fondant also ends up having little bits and pieces in them. It's not smooth and horrible to work with. I really don't recommend using stale marshmallows.

        I am about to do a tutorial for covering a cake with marshmallow fondant coz I have been getting so many requests for it. The posting will probably go live early next month

        Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hello, I'm Abeer Rizvi, the author and founder of CakeWhiz.com—a cherished dessert blog dedicated to baking, cake decorating, doctored cake mix recipes, and all things sweet. As a skilled food writer, baker, recipe developer, and cake decorator, I take pride in wearing multiple hats.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Best Cinnamon Roll Icing Without Cream Cheese in Black Bowl
      Cinnamon Roll Icing {Without Cream Cheese}

    • Homemade Nougat Candy Recipe
      How to Make Nougat

    • Easy Homemade Black Icing in Glass Bowl on White Background
      How to Make Black Icing {Buttercream Frosting}

    • Easy Maple Frosting Piped on Black Background
      Easy Maple Frosting {4 Ingredients}

    4th of July

    • Easy 4th of July Cake on Black Background
      Easy 4th of July Cake {Tiered Cake}

    • Easy Oreo Bites With 4th of July Decorations on Yellow Background
      Mini OREO Bites {No Bake}

    • Easy 4th of July Cupcakes (Red White and Blue Cupcakes)
      4th of July Cupcakes {Red White and Blue Cupcakes}

    • Best Cream Cheese Pound Cake With Topping of Whipped Cream and Fresh Berries.
      Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Work with Me

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • FAQ

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2024 Cake Whiz

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.