Pearl sugar

Pearl sugar (also known as nib sugar or hail sugar) is made from refined white refined sugar. It has a coarse, hard texture and is completely opaque. A benefit of pearl sugar is that it doesn’t melt under high heat, this means you can add it on top buns, muffin of cakes for decoration and it will not melt in the oven.

A traditional use for pearl sugar is in Brussels Belgian waffles. Instead of simply sprinkling the sugar on top the pearl sugar is added to the waffle mix! This gives them a wonderfully crunchy and sweet texture. They are excellent hot or cold for a special breakfast treat!

Pearl sugar is most commonly found in German, Belgian and Scandinavian baking. It isn’t usually found in smaller supermarkets as it is a speciality product but you can buy it easily online or even make it yourself!

How to make pearl sugar

As mentioned earlier pearl sugar isn’t easy to find but thankfully it is easy to make a substitute at home! You will need some hard white sugar cubes, a ziplock bag and a mallet or a rolling pin. Simply add your sugar to the bag and hit them until they are at the desired size