Fondant and Icing Sugars

Fondant and icing sugars are extremely fine powdered sugars, having the smallest grain size (less than 45 microns) of any sugar. They are designed for quickly preparing the smoothest fondant, glaze, or cream praline centers, with no cooking necessary. These sugars are sometimes processed (“agglomerated”) into special porous particles that dissolve easily and do not cake, even when no cornstarch is added. This means that some fondant and icing sugars do not have the raw starchy taste characteristic of powdered confectioners’ sugars. Additionally, some fondant and icing sugars contain 3–10 percent invert sugar, which improves sheen and prevents drying of prepared products. Others designed specifically for preparing fondant glazes contain maltodextrin, which reduces stickiness and improves the ability of the glaze to adhere to doughnuts and other baked goods. Examples of fondant sugars include Easy Fond and Drifond.