How to Make Pearl Sugar: 3 Ways to Make DIY Pearl Sugar

Pearl sugar (or nib sugar) is a type of specialty sugar formed into small rounded clumps that won’t dissolve or completely melt when mixed into batters or sprinkled on top of baked goods like sweet breads and pastries. Pearl sugar is a popular ingredient in Europe, especially in Belgium and Sweden, where it is incorporated into waffle batter to add pops of texture and pockets of sweetness.

You can buy pearl sugar at the grocery store or make do-it-yourself (DIY) pearl sugar at home using a few methods, including cooking it on the stovetop or allowing it to dry out overnight in a resealable plastic bag.

Bakers use pearl sugar in three main ways:

1. 1. A sweetener: Since it’s made of granulated white sugar, pearl sugar is a common sweetener for baked goods like brioche buns and pastries, which bakers often use in addition to granulated sugar or brown sugar.
2. 2. Added texture: Pearl sugar’s prime use is as a textural agent since it won’t melt or incorporate into desserts like other sugars will—resulting in crunchy, sweet sugar clumps throughout a dough or batter that caramelize under heat. The benefit of its usage is best showcased in Belgian liege waffles (also called Belgian sugar waffles or just Belgian waffles), a yeasted waffle brunch recipe that includes Belgian pearl sugar throughout the waffle batter, which brown in the waffle iron or waffle maker for crispy, caramelized pockets of sweetness.
3. 3. A decorative topper: In addition to mixing it into batters and doughs, bakers will sprinkle pearl sugar granules (especially Swedish pearl sugar, which is slightly smaller and more decorative than Belgian) on top of baked goods for an ornamental look.

Home cooks can DIY their own pearl sugar crystals in a few different ways:

1. 1. Stovetop pearl sugar: For the stovetop method, add sugar and water to a sauce pot and heat on very low heat until clumps start to form. This technique will result in small, round pieces of compacted sugar, most similar to professionally made pearl sugar.
2. 2. Overnight pearl sugar: For the overnight pearl sugar method, mix sugar and maple syrup, then spread it out on a plate and allow it to dry overnight before breaking it up into smaller pieces. This technique will result in sharper, flatter shards of sugar.
3. 3. Sugar cube pearl sugar: For the sugar cube method, place store-bought sugar cubes in a sealable plastic bag and hit them with a kitchen mallet or other hard, heavy object, like a cast-iron skillet, until the pieces break into small clumps. This technique is the fastest pearl sugar-making method.

You can make pearl sugar on the stovetop with a handful of ingredients. First, you’ll need a cup of white sugar (turbinado or superfine will also work), four teaspoons of water, and any flavorings you want to include, like vanilla extract. Here is a step-by-step guide to making pearl sugar:

1. 1. Combine the ingredients. Add the water and sugar to a small saucepot, briefly mix to combine, and then add any flavoring that you want to include.
2. 2. Adjust the heat. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and stir the mixture frequently with a wooden spoon to encourage clumps to form and prevent any sugar from burning on the bottom of the pot. Add in a bit more water, a ¼ teaspoon at a time, if the clumps aren’t forming.
3. 3. Dry out the sugar. Allow the clumps to sit in the pot on low heat for at least 15 minutes to dry them out and help them stick together, occasionally stirring to prevent burning.
4. 4. Turn the clumps onto a plate. Turn off the heat and pour the clumps onto a plate or baking sheet to allow them to cool to room temperature and dry completely.

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