Quick answer: A spice-flavoured sugar is made by mixing sugar with a ground spice, cinnamon, ginger or cloves, then kept in a sealed jar. Cinnamon remains a common pairing, but ginger and ground cloves work on the same principle. The amount is adjusted to taste, a small amount of spice being enough for a large amount of sugar.
Flavouring sugar with a spice is a simple way to vary flavours without changing a recipe: the same step, sugar and ground spice mixed together, gives a different result depending on the spice chosen and the intended use.
The principle: a ground spice in sugar
A flavoured sugar is made by mixing sugar, white or brown, with an already ground spice, using a simple whisk or spoon, until the spice is evenly distributed through the sugar. Any lumps break down by sifting the mixture or gently crushing it against the sides of the bowl.
Cinnamon sugar, a common pairing
Sugar mixed with ground cinnamon is a widespread version of spice-flavoured sugar, long used to flavour toast, doughnuts or pan-fried fruit. The proportion is adjusted to taste: start with a small amount of cinnamon, then gradually increase it until you reach the intensity you want.
Ginger sugar, a sharper edge
Ground ginger gives sugar a sharper edge than cinnamon, which pairs well with winter fruit or a spiced bake. As with cinnamon, start with a small amount and adjust it afterwards to the flavour you are after.
Clove sugar, used sparingly
Whole cloves are sold as they are: they need grinding yourself, in a spice mill or mortar, before mixing with sugar. Their scent is powerful and long-lasting, so a very small amount is enough to flavour a large amount of sugar; beyond that, cloves take over from the other flavours in the mix.
Mixing several spices together
Nothing stops you combining two ground spices in the same sugar, a cinnamon base topped up with a touch of ginger or cloves, for example, keeping the proportion of each spice modest. A sugar already flavoured with vanilla, such as vanilla sugar, can also take a small amount of cinnamon or ground ginger for a more complex flavour.
What to use these sugars with
Cinnamon sugar is sprinkled over buttered toast, pan-fried apples or pears, plain yoghurt or the surface of a cake before baking. Ginger sugar suits winter fruit or a biscuit dough. Clove sugar, stronger still, is used sparingly, to finish a fruit compote or a spiced cake.
White sugar or brown sugar
White sugar shows off the colour and the clean taste of the chosen spice, while brown sugar, already flavoured by molasses, pairs especially well with cinnamon and ginger in winter baking. The choice mainly depends on the intended use and the result you want.
Storing a homemade flavoured sugar
A spice-flavoured sugar keeps in a sealed jar, away from light and moisture, just like the spices it contains. It loses its scent faster than plain sugar, so it is best prepared in modest quantities and renewed, rather than kept as a large stock for a long time.
Where our spices come from
Our family grows this cinnamon, ginger and cloves in Vangaindrano, in south-eastern Madagascar.
Frequently asked questions
Which spice should you try first for a homemade flavoured sugar?
Ground cinnamon is a common spice to start a homemade flavoured sugar, used in a small amount that is then increased to taste.
Can whole cloves be used directly in sugar?
No, cloves are sold whole and must be ground in a spice mill or mortar before being mixed into the sugar, in a very small amount.
How long does a homemade flavoured sugar keep?
In a sealed jar, away from light and moisture, a flavoured sugar keeps, but it loses its scent faster than plain sugar: it is best prepared in small amounts.
Can several spices be mixed into the same sugar?
Yes, keeping the proportion of each spice modest, a cinnamon base topped up with a touch of ginger or ground cloves, for example.
To go further, our products: Madagascar cinnamon · Madagascar ginger powder · Madagascar cloves · Madagascar Bourbon vanilla sugar
For a version already flavoured with vanilla, and how to make it yourself, read our page on making your own vanilla sugar.
The Vanille Désiré team
