These homemade sugar cubes are as pretty as they are practical, made with just sugar, rosewater, and dried roses for a floral, heart-shaped twist on a classic. They’re easy to customize with herbs, flowers, or extracts and make a beautiful handmade gift for tea lovers, coffee drinkers, and cocktail fans alike.
Sugar cubes aren’t commonly found here in the US as Americans prefer to spoon granulated sugar or other sweeteners into their tea or coffee. But in the middle east, sugar cubes are much more common.
I remember growing up and watching my Persian grandparents take a sugar cube and hold it between their teeth as they sip their hot tea. I personally never could keep the sugar from dissolving quickly and preferred to drop my lumps into my tea and stir to dissolve it.
Whenever I entertain a very Persian group, I always serve tea with sugar cubes. But did you know that you can easily learn how to make sugar cubes of your own? And you can make them into any shape you want!
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Laura says :
Why this recipe works
- Totally Customizable: Keep them classic or dress them up with dried roses, herbs, and extracts for one-of-a-kind sugar cubes. Use fun molds (hearts, flowers, stars!) and go way beyond the basic cube.
- Easy Peasy: You only need two simple ingredients to make homemade sugar cubes, no special tools or candy-making skills required.
- Perfect for Gifting: Tucked into a pretty jar or tin, these flavored sugar cubes make a thoughtful and beautiful handmade gift for holidays, showers, or tea-loving friends.
- So Many Uses: Sweeten your coffee or tea, drop one into champagne for a sparkling touch, or stir one into cocktails like an Old Fashioned for a floral twist.
Ingredients needed
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- Granulated sugar: You will use regular white caster sugar to make your sugar cubes. You can use brown sugar, as well, but will need less liquid since brown sugar has molasses in it. Although I have not tried it with other sugars, I believe you can also use this coconut sugar, monk fruit sugar… the possibilities are endless!
- Liquid: Only a little amount of water is needed to make sugar cubes. I use rosewater in this recipe, for extra flavor. You can also use orange blossom water or vanilla extract.
- Optional flavorings: To keep with the rose theme, I add some dried rose petals in my sugar cubes. You can also add some grated zest from oranges or lemons. Other options include dried herbs like mint and lavender. For additional flavor, you can add cinnamon, anise or ginger.
Step-by-step directions
- Mix. Combine sugar, crushed rose petals and a bit of water or rosewater until it resembles wet sand.
- Set. Spread the mixture over your silicone mold, making sure it is densely packed in, nice and tight.
- Remove. Let the cubes dry overnight. If you are using a larger mold, it might take another day or two to set. How long it takes to set depends on the humidity and the size of the mold used. Once completely dry, push out each sugar cube and remove from the mold.
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Expert tips and recipe FAQs
You can use any shape mold that you like for your homemade sugar cubes, just be sure to use a silicone mold for easy removal. Some fun options include:
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store your sugar cubes in an airtight container. They will keep like this indefinitely when stored like this at room temperature.
Yes, you can. Press the sugar mixture into a small pan, let it dry, then cut it into cubes or into any shape with a sharp knife.
Absolutely! They’re perfect for drinks like an Old Fashioned, champagne cocktail, or any drink that needs a touch of sweetness.
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How to Make Sugar Cubes
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon rosewater
- ½ teaspoon crushed dried rose petals
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, crushed rose petals and rosewater until the texture resembles sand.
- Spread the mixture over your silicone mold, making sure it is densely packed in, nice and tight. Run a butter knife or bench scraper across the top to level the sugar cubes.
- Let the cubes dry overnight. If you are using a larger mold, it might take another day or two to set. How long it takes to set depends on the humidity and the size of the mold used.
- Gently remove from molds and store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
