This Orange Mint Vanilla Infused Sugar is a fragrant and flavorful DIY gift. It's made with granulated sugar, dried orange mint, orange peel, and vanilla bean. It'll add sweet, citrusy flavor to tea, cookies, and much more!
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I always put together cookie trays for friends and family every Christmas. They've become my annual homemade gift. This year, I wanted to add something extra using veggies and herbs I preserved from my garden. First, I made a batch of fire salt with dried Tabasco peppers - spicy and flavorful. Then, I made this orange mint infused sugar. I bottled most of it for gifting, but had just enough left to use in sugar cookies. It's incredible!
The cookies turned out so well that I immediately knew I had to add them to my cookie trays this holiday season. So I needed to make a whole new batch of infused sugar. This time around, I decided to write out my measurements and share this easy homemade gift idea here on my blog. The sugar is fragrant - and makes your kitchen smell amazing while you're putting it together - and can be used so many ways!
I grew a few varieties of mint this summer, but decided to use orange mint for this infused sugar recipe. Orange mint has a slightly more citrusy scent and flavor to it. I used it in herbal iced tea all summer! If you don't have orange mint, regular mint would work just as well. I added the dried mint to granulated sugar along with orange peel and vanilla beans.
Orange Mint Vanilla Infused Sugar
You'll need a blender or food processor so you can create a really fine texture. First, I added the mint and sugar into a bowl and mixed it. Then, I pulsed it until the mint was finely chopped. Then, I added the other ingredients and pulsed it again until everything was incorporated and the sugar was fine, but not powdery. It's the perfect consistency for baking and stirring into drinks.
So let's get started on this fabulous gift idea! After picking it from my pot, I washed it, dried it, and placed it on a baking sheet. I dried it in the oven on the lowest setting until the mint was completely dried. Depending on your oven setting, this could take 1-4 hours. Check every hour or so to see if the mint is dry.
When the mint leaves are crispy, remove the leaves from the stem and place in a bowl. Add the sugar and mix. Then, place in a blender or food processor and pulse until the mint is finely chopped.
Next, add the orange peel and vanilla bean to the blender. Pulse again until everything is chopped and incorporated and the sugar is fine.
Pour the sugar into spice bottles to gift, or store in a jar in a cool, dry place.
Orange Mint Vanilla Infused Sugar
Equipment
- 1 large baking sheet
- 1 large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dried orange mint leaves or mint leaves
- 1 tbsp. dried orange peel
- 2 vanilla bean pods scraped
Instructions
- If using fresh mint, wash and dry completely. Then, add to a large baking sheet and dry on the lowest oven setting for 1-4 hours. Once the mint leaves are crispy, remove from oven and cool. When the mint is cool, remove the leaves from the stems and place in a mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Then, place the mixture into a blender or food processor. Pulse until the mint is finely chopped.
- Add the orange peel and vanilla beans to the sugar mixture. Pulse again until the ingredients are all chopped and incorporated, and the sugar is fine in texture.
- Divide the sugar between spice bottles, or store in a jar with a lid.
I added the sugar to spice jars and wrote the ingredients on a tag I tied to the jars. You could also include some suggestions on how to use the sugar on the tag, too.
How to Use Orange Mint Vanilla Sugar
- Stir into hot tea
- Use to rim cocktail glasses
- Use in place of granulated sugar in cookie recipes
- Stir into oatmeal for a cozy breakfast
- Stir into vanilla yogurt for extra flavor
Did you make this Orange Mint Vanilla Infused Sugar recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!
