One lump or two? I don’t always take sugar in my tea, but I can’t say no to artisan sugar cubes. I’ve had them with floral designs on top and even Santa’s face. I’ve also enjoyed different sugar shapes like hearts, stars, and snowflakes. Fancy sugar cubes cost more than just a bag of sugar, therefore this small, but elegant item can add up quickly. To my surprise, it’s actually incredibly simple to create your own sugar cubes at home. You only need 2 ingredients and one comes from the tap! I’m sure you can guess what the other ingredient is for these DIY sugar cubes. These are an inexpensive way to dress up a tea party and even make a great homemade gift for family, friends and/or coworkers.
If you want to get technical, the sugar “cubes” I’m making in this DIY are not actually cubes, but hearts. I used a heart shape candy mold I found at the dollar store in the Valentine’s Day aisle, you can find a similar mold here. However, feel free to make the sugar cubes as actual cubes or use other mold shapes. I highly recommend a silicon mold as it may be easier to remove the sugar cubes without breaking.
I have tested this DIY with both white granulated sugar and brown sugar. You can also try using other sugars you may prefer like cane and/or coconut sugar.
Follow the step-by-step instructions below to make your own! There is a video tutorial towards the end that you can watch, too.
*Depending on the size of the mold you use, the amount of sugar cubes may vary. This heart shaped DIY made 10 sugar cubes.
Here is what you will need:
– 1/4 cup white sugar or brown sugar
– 1/2 teaspoon water
– Bowl
– Teaspoon
– Candy/chocolate mold
Directions
1. In a bowl, combine sugar and water. The trick here is that you don’t want the sugar to dissolve in the water. The sugar should be only slightly wet with the texture still being rough, similar to damp sand. If you used too much water, just add more sugar.
2. Using a teaspoon, fill the molds with the sugar and water mixture. Press down until very packed. One sugar cube should be 1 teaspoon.
Depending how deep your candy mold is, you might not want to fill in the mold completely with sugar as the amount may be too much for a single cup of tea. I filled my molds roughly half way, so it equaled to about 1 teaspoon of sugar.
3. Cover and dry at room temperature overnight.
4. Carefully remove the sugar cubes from the mold and store in an airtight container.
5. Don’t forget to pull them out at your next tea party and impress your guests with your homemade sugar cubes!
Check out The Afternoon Tea Guide: a digital guidebook to help you learn more about Afternoon Tea as well as how to prepare and host this traditional tea service at home.
How to Make Coloured and Flavoured Sugar Cubes:
– Instead of using water, steep a tea that creates a beautiful liquor, and mix that into the sugar for a vibrant colour and a subtle flavour.
– You can keep the colour but make sugar cubes with different flavours by substituting the small amount of plain water in the recipe with flavoured waters like rose water or even food grade essential oils.
– Grind up vanilla beans, cardamon, cinnamon or other spices and mix them into the sugar and water before pressing into the molds.
Keep in mind that colouring/flavouring all depends on what you plan to use these DIY sugar cubes for in the end. If you’re not keen on adding other flavours to your cup of tea, stick with making non-flavoured sugar cubes.
DIY Sugar Cubes Video Tutorial
Want a better visual? Follow the video tutorial in the recipe card below while making your own sugar cubes:
DIY Sugar Cubes
Equipment
- Bowl
- Teaspoon
- Candy/chocolate mold
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup white sugar or brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon water
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine sugar and water. The sugar should be only slightly wet with the texture still being rough, similar to damp sand. If you used too much water, just add more sugar.
- Using a teaspoon, fill the molds with the sugar and water mixture. Press down until very packed. One sugar cube should be 1 teaspoon.
- Cover and dry at room temperature overnight.
- Carefully remove the sugar cubes from the mold and store in an airtight container. Don’t forget to pull them out at your next tea party and impress your guests with your homemade sugar cubes!
Video
Notes
Like this DIY Sugar Cubes? Pin it for later here –> http://bit.ly/2DlL4Ib
*If you give this DIY Sugar Cubes a try, send me a photo of your creation on my Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Include the hashtag #theteacupoflife.
I am also in Canada (AB) and a huge lover of tea and really enjoyed this article. I am excited to try these heart-shaped sugar cubes! I usually put honey in my tea…I’m wondering if there is a way I could make some honey heart-shaped cubes!? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Lu Ann,
Just wondering how long these are good for? I would love to make them for my daughters tea party themed wedding shower! Thank you
Hi Bridget, I’ve made them in advance (plain, not flavoured) before and kept them for a couple of months! I have read though that if plain sugar cubes can last up to a year stored in an airtight container.
Thank you so much!! I’m really looking forward to making these!!