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Edible sand on a blue milk glass plate, with scattered gumpaste seashells, and two arch-shaped cookies covered with blue fondant and decorated with the sand and seashells.
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5 from 1 vote

Edible Sand for Cakes and Cookies

Learn how to make edible sand for cakes and cookies using this easy recipe and simple ingredients. Perfect for beach, mermaid and under-the-sea themed treats.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Servings: 1 cup
Author: Natalie | Sweetness & Bite

Ingredients

  • 100 g vanilla cookies (about ¾ cup once crushed, firmly packed)
  • 25 g brown sugar (2 Tablespoons, firmly packed)
  • 25 g granulated white sugar (2 Tablespoons)
  • edible glitter optional

Instructions

  • Finely crush the cookies. You can do this in a food processor or place the cookies into a resealable plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
  • Put the cookie crumbs, granulated sugar and brown sugar into a bowl, and stir to combine well.
  • If you're using edible glitter, sprinkle some into the sand mixture and stir, adding more if needed. The amount you need will depend on the type of glitter and the effect you're going for.
  • You can adjust the colour and texture of the sand - if the colour is too dark you can add more white sugar. If it's not sparkly enough, add sugar and/or more glitter (or sprinkle extra glitter on the top once you have added the sand to your cake or cookies).
  • Store the edible sand in an airtight container or jar until ready to use.
  • The edible sand can be attached to cakes and cookies using royal icing, white chocolate, white chocolate ganache, piping gel or edible glue. See the full blog post for more details.

Notes

Cookies - Any crunchy plain or vanilla cookies (biscuits, for many of us outside the USA). I use gluten free shortbread because that's what I always have in the cupboard and I think they give a nice golden sand colour, but graham crackers, vanilla wafers or any other sand-coloured cookie will do the trick.
Edible glitter - this gives the edible sand a more sparkly, underwater effect. You can use a white/holographic glitter or a gold/yellow. Make sure you buy glitter that is labelled edible, as some are only labelled non-toxic, and those aren't designed to be eaten.
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