How to Make Purple Sugar Cubes

Purple tea service with purple sugar cubes in a white bowl and vase of pink and purple flowers on a table.

I love making sugar cubes with color.

They always add such a fun touch to the table when having friends over for tea or coffee. Plus, they can be made in a variety of colors, flavors and shapes for any occasion.

Here’s a simple recipe for sugar cubes in one of my favorite colors “light purple”. While they’re easy to make, it does take a little patience to pack the mixture firmly into each little mold, but it’s so worth it.

QUANTITY

This recipe makes approximately: 15 Square Cubes, 18-20 Shallow Cubes, 7-8 Stars or Hearts.

Keep in mind that different molds will yield different amounts so these numbers may vary. Once you make them, you’ll know which mold makes more or less.

TOOLS

1 small bowl for mixing.
¼ measuring cup for the sugar.
¼ teaspoon for the water.
1 small flexible spatula.
Silicone mold of your choice (cubes, stars, hearts or whatever).

Disclosure: Shopping through the links in this post helps to support my publication with a small commission at no extra cost to you. 💜

INGREDIENTS

A generous ¼ cup sugar (2 oz / 55 g)
¼ tsp water (0.04 fl oz / 1.25 ml)
1-2 drops gel dye (start with 1 drop)

DIRECTIONS

1. Put a generous ¼ cup sugar (2oz / 56 g) in a small bowl and sprinkle ¼ tsp water (1.25ml) around the sugar.

2. Mash the sugar and water together with a small spatula to a create a consistent texture. The sugar should feel like damp sand. While mixing, be sure to scrape the bottom and corners of your bowl to get all of the sugar.

Caution: Only use ¼ tsp (1.25ml) of water per generous ¼ cup (2oz / 56 g) of sugar. Adding more will dissolve the sugar too much and significantly increase your drying time.

3. Add 1 drop of “Gel” food coloring to start with. Stir with spatula, mashing it around to mix color into the sugar until the whole bowl of sugar is the same color.

Note: Gel dyes work the best because, unlike the watery grocery store food colors, they add less moisture to the sugar and give you precise control over the shade.

Important: Darker shades of red and black dyes can introduce a slightly bitter taste.

4. If desired, add 1 drop of flavoring to this mixture to start with so you don’t overwhelm the beverage. A little goes a long way.

5. Place your mold on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper for easier handling and cleanup.

6. Press the sugar firmly into silicon mold. You want it to be as dense as possible so it holds it shape and won’t fall apart after drying.

7. Cover the mold with a sheet of wax paper or parchment overnight. Parchment or wax paper will keep the dust off while still allowing the air in to dry the sugar.

8. The next morning, turn mold upside down on some parchment or wax paper and gently push shaped sugar out from the back. Silicone molds make this incredibly easy.

9. Put the cubes into an airtight container. Small plastic tubs or glass bowls with lids work great because the cubes are less likely to get broken. Store them in a dry place like a cupboard as you would with any sugar. They’ll keep for quite a while they are best if used within 2-3 weeks.

10. When you’re ready to use them, take them out, clean up the edges to give them a finished look, and put them into a pretty sugar bowl or saucer for your tea party or after dinner coffee.

SUGGESTIONS

Creative Flavors:

Add a touch of lavender, rose, lemon, mint, or vanilla flavorings to your cubes. Use flavors sparingly so they don’t overwhelm the drink – except maybe a little extra lemon for a brighter iced or hot tea.

Great for Tea: Lavender, Rose, Lemon, Mint, Vanilla, Almond

Great for Coffee: Vanilla, Almond, Mint