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My easy royal icing recipe is perfect for cookies, treats, and more! The best part is that it’s egg-free and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand.
When my daughter had her first birthday, I was kind of sad that I didn’t know how to make a beautiful cake for her like my mom used to make for me. So, I ended up taking Wilton classes at my local Michael’s store with my best friend. We took every single class that they offered and then found a few more non-Wilton classes at a local cake store. I love learning how to make all those beautiful flowers and have a huge book of recipes and ideas from those classes, but I was tired of always relying on pre-made products to make my icing. I knew there had to be a better way.
I found a from scratch royal icing recipe that was just egg whites and powdered sugar…easy enough! However, with my egg allergy I knew I needed something that I could use on cookies and and treats that I could eat so I set out to make a royal icing that was egg-free. I’ve seen some bloggers call their royal icing egg-free, but it still calls for meringue powder (which is made from egg whites by the way).
I have only used my recipe for decorating cookies and other treats and have not attempted to create any flowers with it yet. So, use it for cookies, treats, or even gingerbread houses.
Royal Icing Tips
-use super clean utensils, tips, and bags. Any grease (like leftover from a buttercream frosting) will breakdown the icing
-keep the icing covered at all times so it doesn’t harden before you use it (cover the bowl and tips with plastic wrap)
-icing will be very thick
-Royal Icing should somewhat hold it shape for a count of 10. This will make a perfect consistency for cookies and gingerbread house decorating. (EX. Scoop up some icing with a spoon and let it drizzle into the bowl. You should be able to see where you drizzled the icing for a count of 10…if it combines too quickly with the other icing it will spread out too much when decorating.)
Watch How Easy It Is To Make Royal Icing
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar, sifted
- 1 1/2 tbls milk (almond, rice, soy, cow)
- 2 tsps light corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
Instructions
- Add confectioner's sugar, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla to a clean bowl. Blend with a handheld mixer until it is mostly lump free, about 45 seconds - 1 minute.
- If it's too thick, add water by the drop (a little goes a long way). If it's too thin, add more confectioner's sugar.
- Note: Royal Icing should somewhat hold it shape for a count of 10. This will make a perfect consistency for cookies and gingerbread house decorating. (Ex. Scoop up some icing with a spoon and let it drizzle into the bowl. You should be able to see where you drizzled the icing for a count of 10...if it combines too quickly with the other icing it will spread out too much when decorating.)
Notes
To decorate cookies: Royal Icing should somewhat hold it shape for a count of 10. This will make a perfect consistency for cookies and gingerbread house decorating. (Ex. Scoop up some icing with a spoon and let it drizzle into the bowl. You should be able to see where you drizzled the icing for a count of 10...if it combines too quickly with the other icing it will spread out too much when decorating.)
To build gingerbread houses: Royal Icing should be extremely thick and completely hold it's shape.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 15Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 13mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g
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FAQs
Using salt and acid (cream of tartar) balances the sugary sweetness. Silver rum adds a subtle flavor, without darkening the icing like vanilla. Creaming helps minimize the grit of powdered sugar.
What is a trick for royal icing? ›
Also, another trick is to mix to stiff peaks - take a bit out at a time to color. Use a spray bottle to thin it down for flood consistency. I cover my bowl of thick white icing with a damp cloth if I'm going to mix a lot of colors.
What is the 10 second rule for royal icing? ›
The trick I use to make sure my icing is at the right consistency, is called the “10 second rule“. Drag a butter knife through the surface of your royal icing and count to 10. If the icing surface becomes smooth in anywhere between 5-10 seconds, then your icing is ready to use.
Is milk or water better for royal icing? ›
There are different versions of royal icing out there, but this is an easy one that comes together quickly with basic ingredients. This recipe uses milk instead of water, which gives it more flavor and just a tad of creaminess.
What makes royal icing harden? ›
Royal icing is made from confectioners sugar, water, egg white, and flavorings. This is the only icing that I use to decorate my cookies. The egg white is what allows it to dry hard, which is what makes royal icing so versatile.
What does cream of tartar do for royal icing? ›
On the other hand, cream of tartar on its own is often included in royal icing recipes, as one of its key functions is to stabilize whipped egg whites. (It's also used to stabilize whipped cream and to prevent sugar syrups from crystallizing.)
What are the three types of royal icing? ›
There are three main types of royal icing: stiff consistency, piping consistency, and flood consistency. They are used for different decorating techniques, although sometimes you can use different consistencies to achieve the same result.
Does royal icing set up hard? ›
Does this icing get hard? As royal icing dries, it hardens to the consistency of a candy-like coating with a smooth, shiny finish, so it doesn't smear if you run your hands over it. It will take 6 to 8 hours to dry at room temperature.
Can you mix royal icing too much? ›
Icing dries crumbly
First is that the icing was overmixed. We're talking for 10+ minutes in the mixer. The second is that WAY too much food coloring was added to the icing. Like a ridiculous amount (this used to happen to be with black and red icing before I started using The Sugar Art Master Elites).
What happens if you over beat royal icing? ›
Take care not to beat the icing any longer than is needed to turn it crisp white, and to only beat it at high speed at this very thick consistency. Extended beating, especially of looser icing, can pump a lot of air into it, creating tiny (or not so tiny) bubbles that can be difficult to eradicate once incorporated.
How to Fix Thin Royal Icing
- Add powdered sugar. To thicken your royal icing, add more sifted powdered sugar—a couple of tablespoons at a time—until the icing reaches your desired consistency.
- Add corn starch. ...
- Let it rest.
Disadvantages: Royal icing can crack. This makes it ill-suited for covering large surface areas (for instance an entire cake) or curved surfaces. Royal icing is rarely the most nuanced of flavors, with a somewhat bland (albeit sweet) flavor.
What is a good substitute for royal icing? ›
Cookie icing can be used in the same way that royal icing can; however, it doesn't dry as hard as royal icing does. It's great for flooding cookies or piping designs into wet icing. To thin the consistency of cookie icing, just pop it in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
Why is my royal icing like marshmallow? ›
The icing will turn light and fluffy like marshmallow fluff if it has enough moisture. Be careful not to add too much water though because it is difficult to make the icing thicker again. Icing should hold a stiff or semi-stiff peak when it is done.
How do you get rid of the taste of powdered sugar? ›
Pinch of salt (biggish pinch), pinch of cinnamon (small pinch), and a few drops lemon juice. It removes that powdered sugar-y, aftertaste, taste.
How do you make icing taste less sugary? ›
Increase Salt
Salt can help counteract sweetness in buttercream frosting, so adding a little more salt than the recipe calls for can help make the frosting less sweet. However, you don't want to add too much salt, or your frosting will taste salty and unpleasant.
Why does my powdered sugar icing taste bad? ›
The starch added to most powdered sugar can make frosting taste slightly metallic. Here's how to fix that: Melt the butter and mix it with the powdered sugar, salt, and milk in a stainless steel bowl. Set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Why does my royal icing taste grainy? ›
Be sure to hydrate with warm water to completely dissolve the powder; otherwise, your icing may end up gritty.
