This quick and easy Royal Icing is smooth, thick, and glossy — it’s the only frosting recipe you need for perfectly decorated cookies! The traditional method uses raw egg whites and lemon juice, but this easy, reliable royal icing recipe uses a clever ingredient instead that gives you the same perfect result every time.
If you’re a fan of cookie decorating, then you've probably scrolled past plenty of bakers piping perfect Royal Icing onto their cookies. There's something hypnotic about cookie decorating. You can really zen out and focus on the intricate designs in front of you, but it's a lot easier when you have a piping bag loaded with perfectly thick royal icing at the right consistency. Whether you want to make some cute sugar cookies or decorate an entire gingerbread house, this is the only royal icing recipe you'll need!
Why You'll Love This Royal Icing Recipe
- So simple to make. You just need a handful of ingredients and a mixer to whisk your ingredients together! Just add a little more water or sugar to get the desired consistency.
- No raw eggs necessary. Unlike the traditional royal icing recipe that calls for egg whites, this simple royal icing recipe uses meringue powder for a consistent result every time.
- Adapt to different consistencies. Whether you need thick icing to pipe in your borders or thinner flood icing to fill in your designs, you can easily adjust the consistency of the icing by adding a little warm water. It's so much easier than you'd think!
Ingredient Notes
To make this easy royal icing, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- confectioners' sugar - also known as powdered sugar, this is the base of this easy royal icing recipe.
- meringue powder - this unusual white powder replaces the raw eggs in the traditional recipe while giving your icing a thick, stable texture to keep your designs intact. It also keeps the recipe vegan!
- water - use room temperature water to thin your icing until it's just right.
- vanilla extract - this gives your icing a delicious aroma as you bite into each cookie.
- gel food coloring - food dye is entirely optional, but it allows you to make endlessly beautiful designs in every color of the rainbow.
You will also need a large mixing bowl, hand mixer, small bowls, piping bags, and your favorite decorating tools.
How to Make the Best Royal Icing
- Mix together. In a large mixing bowl, combine confectioners' sugar with meringue powder. Add water and vanilla extract and beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed, until smooth. If you find that the icing is too thick, add a little water (a teaspoon at a time). If you find the icing too thin, add a little more sugar.
- Add coloring. Divide the icing into small bowls and tint each one by adding a different gel food coloring to each. Beat until combined.
- Pipe and decorate. Transfer to piping bags and decorate cooled cookies.
Recipe Variations
- Adjust the flavor. Vanilla is wonderful, but you can easily use almond extract, orange extract, or any other flavor to make your royal icing taste amazing.
- Add a little corn syrup. If you want really shiny, glossy royal icing, add a little corn syrup.
- Get the perfect consistency. There are 3 different consistencies for royal icing, and you can use this one recipe for all of them!
- Make stiff icing. Whip your royal icing until it has stiff peaks that do not collapse. This thicker icing is ideal for making three-dimensional flowers or other large details.
- Detail icing. When you lift the beater out of the bowl, the tip of the icing will curl down without dissolving into itself right away. This is the best icing for detail work, like piping borders or lettering.
- Flood consistency. After lifting the beater, the icing will smooth itself out quickly (usually within 10-15 seconds). This thinner icing is used to fill in large sections of your designs.
How to Serve
This royal icing is perfect for decorating your favorite cookies including:
- Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Cut Out Shortbread Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
For cookie decorating inspiration and icing tips, see our Christmas Sugar Cookies, Valentine’s Sugar Cookies, or Easter Egg Sugar Cookies.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use gel food coloring. Liquid food coloring doesn't hold true to its color as much and can thin out your icing. For best results, use vivid gel food coloring instead.
- Dry in front of a fan. An important part of making decorated cookies is getting the icing to dry quickly so you can move on to the next level of detail. Place your freshly iced cookies in front of a fan to speed up the process.
- Thin or thicken as needed. One of the beautiful things about royal icing is that you can easily thin or thicken it by adding water or powdered sugar. Just keep working on it until you get the proper consistency.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
If you are working on a lot of recipes, you can leave your royal icing at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Be sure to add a layer of plastic wrap to keep the top from drying out, or leave it in your pastry bag if you'll be coming back to the same project the next day. For longer storage, keep it in the fridge for approximately one month.
How to Freeze
For long-term storage, freeze your leftover royal icing in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before bringing it back to room temperature.
FAQ
Depending on the recipe you use, there are a few reasons why your royal icing may have an unpleasant taste. First, consider freshness. If you used raw eggs or milk, they may have gone bad. This icing should not be eaten. Other reasons may be that you used too much extract or food coloring, which can add an unpleasant taste. If you know your ingredients are fresh, try adding more water and powdered sugar to dilute the bad flavor to see if that helps or start over.
Although milk can add a creamy, rich texture to your royal icing, it is not shelf-stable at room temperature and will not last as long. To be able to make and serve sugar cookies as gifts, we recommend using water.
Typically, yes. The drying process is an important part of decorating cookies, and the cookies need to be uncovered to let the icing dry completely. If you're using a royal icing recipe with raw eggs, be sure to include some sort of acid to keep the egg from going bad, or try using meringue powder instead.
More Recipes with Icing
- Creamy Nutella Buttercream Frosting
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Lofthouse Cookies (Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies)
- Lemon Bundt Cake
- Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
- French Macarons with Vanilla Buttercream Filling
- Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
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