Royal Icing
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This royal icing is perfect for decorating holiday cookies, creating intricate designs, or making letters or flower decorations.
Royal icing is a classic, hard-drying icing made from softly beaten egg whites and confectioners’ sugar, drying to a smooth, matte finish that’s perfect for decorating cookies. It’s great for everything from detailed designs on cookies to creating sturdy decorations for a gingerbread house. Whether you’re decorating for the holidays or adding charm to everyday cookies, this icing brings that polished look and is the perfect foil for my cut-out sugar cookie recipe.
“Loved this royal icing recipe! Used it at Christmas to decorate my holiday cookies and now pulling it out again for my Easter biscuits. The ingredients are simple, and it’s so versatile for any occasion!”
What You’ll Need To Make Royal Icing
- Pasteurized Egg Whites: Provide the necessary structure and help the icing dry to a smooth, hard finish. If you’d like to avoid raw egg whites, feel free to use meringue powder, which is sold in the baking aisle of most large supermarkets or craft stores.
- Confectioners Sugar: Adds sweetness and creates the smooth texture essential for royal icing.
- Food Coloring (Optional): Adds color to the icing, enhancing decorative designs. I prefer gel food coloring as it provides a vibrant, concentrated color to the mixture without adding excess liquid.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer with beaters), begin by whipping the egg whites until foamy.
Add the confectioners’/powdered sugar.
Whip on medium-low speed until thick and shiny, 3 to 5 minutes.
Using a spatula, divide the icing up into bowls depending on how many colors you plan to use. Use food coloring to tint the icing and then add water, little by little, to get the right consistency.
For decorating cookies with a smooth layer of icing like the ones pictured here, you’ll need to thin the icing with water to a flooding consistency, which means the icing should hold a ribbonlike trail on the surface of the mixture for about 15 seconds until smoothing out on its own.
Go slowly until you reach the desired consistency—you don’t want the icing to be so thin that it runs off the edge of the cookies. (If you’ve added too much water, you can add a spoonful of stiff icing to thicken it back up; always reserve a little white stiff icing just in case!) For decorating, you’ll need a piping bag and a piping tip to get the best control over intricate designs.
Adding different flavors to your royal icing can really take it up a notch and complement your cookies. Try a dash of vanilla extract for that classic sweetness, a splash of lemon juice for a refreshing zing, or a touch of almond extract for a nutty, fragrant twist. Each one brings a unique touch that makes your cookies even more delicious. Happy decorating!
Make-Ahead & Storage Instructions
If not using within 2 hours, cover the bowls tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate (Icing may also be kept in airtight squeeze bottles) for up to 3 days.
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Royal Icing
This royal icing is perfect for decorating holiday cookies, creating intricate designs, or making letters or flower decorations.
Ingredients
- 3 pasteurized egg whites or 3 oz (6 tablespoons) pasteurized egg whites from a carton (see note)
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
- Food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or beaters. Beat on medium speed until frothy.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat on low speed until blended. Increase the speed to medium-low and beat until the mixture is thick and shiny, 3 to 5 minutes. Divide the icing into bowls depending on how many colors you plan to use. Use food coloring to tint the icing and then add water, little by little, to get the right consistency. Use a thicker icing for details and outlines and a thinner icing for "flooding," or fully covering the surface of the cookies. Place a damp paper towel directly on top of the icing to keep a skin from forming on top. If not using within 2 hours, cover the bowls tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate (Icing may also be kept in airtight squeeze bottles) for up to 3 days.
- Note: If you're concerned about using raw eggs, feel free to use meringue powder, which can be found in the baking aisle of most large supermarkets or craft stores. Reconstitute the powdered egg whites according to the package instructions, making sure the powder is completely dissolved, and proceed with the recipe.
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Can I freeze cookies that I’ve used this frosting on? Thanks!!
Sure, Hannah, that’s fine.
Thank you for this royal icing recipe! I have always wanted to make royal icing to decorate gingerbread cookies this time of year, but most required meringue powder and seemed complicated. Not something I keep on hand that I can whip up. I always have these ingredients on hand and it was super easy to make! Need to work on my piping skills but with an icing recipe this easy I have no excuse not to practice. I also like how the icing doesn’t have much flavor…just makes your cookies look pretty. 🙂
Best Gingerbread cookies I’ve ever made!! One question, my daughter can’t eat butter, what can she substitute in these cookies? Lonnie, Minnesota
Hi Lonnie, so glad you like them! I think this should work with (solidified) coconut oil — just keep in mind that it will give the cookies a slightly different flavor. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try it!
Vegan butter
Hello,
Do you have a chocolate icing recipe for piping?
Thank you
Unfortunately not. I’ll have to add that to my list of recipes to potentially develop. 🙂
Hello, Do these need to be refrigerated because of using raw egg whites & how long are they good for since we’re using raw eggs?
Hi Kim, they can be safely stored in an airtight container and don’t need to be refrigerated. And these cookies are best eaten within a day or two, when they are perfectly tender and crisp. They’ll keep much longer if stored in an airtight container, but they’ll soften up. Hope you enjoy!