These are some cupcakes I made a few years back, and I used brown sugar for the “sand,” but it ended up just being too sweet. Any ideas of what I could use for this “sandy” look that isn’t straight up sugar? Thanks!
by ThirteenthSun
29 Comments
Vanta_Black422
Crushed Graham crackers
CoconutMacaron
Crushed Biscoff cookies
AxelCanin
Finely ground almonds, walnuts, and/or pecans
Roupert3
Toasted coconut, ground up
blueberry_pancakes14
The easiest and most common are pulverized graham crackers or Nilla wafers.
You can use finely ground nuts, but be careful you don’t over blitz them if using a food processor/blender, because you’ll make nut butter (which is delicious but not what you’re going for).
ash_bishop
Someone already said crushed graham crackers, so I’m gonna suggest crushed Nilla Wafers.
Chris_Robbin
I’d throw a single Oreo in with crushed up Nilla wafers for some real looking sand.
Supertranquilo
Pecan sandies pulsed in the food processor could work.
trguiff
Nilla wafers run through the food processor – that’s what I use for “sand” because the cookies aren’t too sweet on their own, so they don’t overwhelm your cake
EnilyinPeril
Crushed Ritz crackers mixed with a little butter and sugar might be too wet, idk. It’s tasty though.
fugaxium
Crushed graham or sugar cookies mixed with brown butter and toasted crushed nuts. I use this as a crumb layer in or on top of cakes
skyequinnwrites
Maybe finely ground oats mixed with brown sugar?
Weak-Snow-4470
Brown sugar
wildflower-acorns
Crushed cheerios work too
moogle-maz
Blended cheerios
Spiritual-Foot2991
Crushed graham crackers with a little bit of coconut oil and a pinch of salt is so yum. Flatten it out on a cookie sheet and bake it for 5-7 minutes then crush it up again for lovely nuttiness.
Responsible-Bench475
Cheerios in food processor
MeasurementPuzzled89
Cookies or graham crackers. Mix in a little sanding sugar or larger crystal sugar to get a more gritty shimmery sand look.
Sunny906
Graham cracker dust?
john_thegiant-slayer
I use graham crackers, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
SpeakerSame9076
Grape Nuts if you want some gravel too! 😂
(I’m not dunking on Grape Nuts, I love them, but they’re not too sweet and totally do look like gravel)
okodysseus
Strusel
ShanayaBuckley
I use shortbread and a little bit (really little bit) of light brown sugar in the food processor, works great and no reports of too sweet but really looks like sand!
furrycroissant
Crushed digestive biscuits
UtherPenDragqueen
C&H Brownulated sugar. It’s a brown sugar that’s crumbly and looks like sand. I’ve used it as sand on beach-themed cakes
umamimaami
Graham cracker crumbs. Or DIY with 1-1-1 flour butter sugar, mix roughly, bake and crumble.
calcium
Sand always works
cbunni666
Omg. These are works of art. I’d feel guilty if I ate them
29 Comments
Crushed Graham crackers
Crushed Biscoff cookies
Finely ground almonds, walnuts, and/or pecans
Toasted coconut, ground up
The easiest and most common are pulverized graham crackers or Nilla wafers.
You can use finely ground nuts, but be careful you don’t over blitz them if using a food processor/blender, because you’ll make nut butter (which is delicious but not what you’re going for).
Someone already said crushed graham crackers, so I’m gonna suggest crushed Nilla Wafers.
I’d throw a single Oreo in with crushed up Nilla wafers for some real looking sand.
Pecan sandies pulsed in the food processor could work.
Nilla wafers run through the food processor – that’s what I use for “sand” because the cookies aren’t too sweet on their own, so they don’t overwhelm your cake
Crushed Ritz crackers mixed with a little butter and sugar might be too wet, idk. It’s tasty though.
Crushed graham or sugar cookies mixed with brown butter and toasted crushed nuts. I use this as a crumb layer in or on top of cakes
Maybe finely ground oats mixed with brown sugar?
Brown sugar
Crushed cheerios work too
Blended cheerios
Crushed graham crackers with a little bit of coconut oil and a pinch of salt is so yum. Flatten it out on a cookie sheet and bake it for 5-7 minutes then crush it up again for lovely nuttiness.
Cheerios in food processor
Cookies or graham crackers. Mix in a little sanding sugar or larger crystal sugar to get a more gritty shimmery sand look.
Graham cracker dust?
I use graham crackers, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Grape Nuts if you want some gravel too! 😂
(I’m not dunking on Grape Nuts, I love them, but they’re not too sweet and totally do look like gravel)
Strusel
I use shortbread and a little bit (really little bit) of light brown sugar in the food processor, works great and no reports of too sweet but really looks like sand!
Crushed digestive biscuits
C&H Brownulated sugar. It’s a brown sugar that’s crumbly and looks like sand. I’ve used it as sand on beach-themed cakes
Graham cracker crumbs. Or DIY with 1-1-1 flour butter sugar, mix roughly, bake and crumble.
Sand always works
Omg. These are works of art. I’d feel guilty if I ate them
Ground up golden oreo