Royal Icing Recipe
My easy 5 minute royal icing recipe is perfect for decorating cookies, cakes, muffins, cupcakes, and even candy without making a sticky mess. I keep it simple during the holiday season and make it with just 3 ingredients: powdered sugar, egg whites, and vanilla extract. It is a must try Christmas recipe that I enjoy making with my kids, and we always have the best time decorating goodies together.
I know the holiday season can be overwhelming with so many activities and parties, but I always make time to share our family traditions with my kids just as I did when I was young with my grandma and my mom. Decorating Christmas sugar cookies is one of my favorite traditions, and I enjoy baking the cookies while chatting with my kids about my childhood Christmas memories. When it is time for the fun part, everyone joins in, even my husband, and we decorate all kinds of treats together, including sugar cookie truffles.
Table of contents
To make this royal icing recipe, I use powdered sugar, egg whites, and pure vanilla extract, and this simple mix creates the base in only 5 minutes. After that, I add food coloring depending on what we are decorating. During the Christmas season, red and green are always the first colors we reach for, and my kids love adding blue to make faces or silly designs, which always keeps the mood fun. So I highly recommend making this with your kids and grandkids and turning it into a sweet holiday activity for your family too.
Why you will love this recipe
- Smooth icing in minutes: I mix powdered sugar, egg whites, and vanilla extract to make a glossy icing that is ready in 5 minutes. It is perfect for outlining, flooding, and piping on cookies, cupcakes, and candy.
- Easy for any skill level: I use this icing for holiday cookies with my kids because it is simple enough for beginners but steady enough for detailed decorating.
- Fun to color and customize: I add red, green, blue, or any food coloring to match whatever sweets we are decorating that day. This icing works for Christmas cookies, birthday treats, and school party snacks.
- Great for family baking days: I love using this icing when we decorate sugar cookies together because the sweet smooth taste matches any cookie or cake. It is a recipe meant for families who enjoy baking and want something easy during busy holidays.
What you will need
- Powdered sugar: I use powdered sugar because it is the only sugar that makes the icing smooth and the right consistency.
- Raw egg whites: I use raw egg whites, though meringue powder or egg white powder can work when I can find them.
- Pure vanilla extract: I always choose real vanilla extract because it gives the icing the best sweet flavor.
How to make
Beat the egg whites: I use the whisk or paddle attachment on my stand mixer to beat the egg whites at medium speed until they look frothy, which takes about 1 minute.
Add the sugar and vanilla: I set the mixer to medium low speed and slowly pour in the vanilla and powdered sugar. I add the sugar a little at a time so it blends smoothly into the egg whites.
Beat until stiff: After everything is mixed, I raise the mixer to medium high speed and beat until stiff peaks form and the icing reaches the thickness I want. I add a little more powdered sugar if it needs to be thicker.
Mix icing and food coloring: I divide the icing into small bowls, add a few drops of food coloring, and stir until I reach the shade I want. I cover each bowl with plastic wrap if I am not using it right away so the icing stays smooth.
Decorate cookies: When I am ready to decorate, I spoon the icing into piping bags and use it right away.
Expert tip
Room temp whites help
After making this recipe many times, I learned that cold eggs separate much easier, but the whites whip better once they warm up a bit, so I always plan ahead when I prepare royal icing. I separate the eggs early in the day, set the whites aside to reach room temperature, and this small step makes the mixing go faster and smoother, just the way I want.
More tips to consider:
- If you do not have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer in a large mixing bowl. You could even mix it by hand, but it will take some time.
- I add the powdered sugar slowly because rushing can stop the icing from rising the way I want.
- I whip the egg whites on low speed so the proteins break down and the icing grows thicker and more elastic.
- I always make sure my mixing bowl is clean and dry since any fat or water can stop the egg whites from getting fluffy.
- Gel food coloring is more concentrated so you can use less, and liquid food coloring can thin out the icing. Thin icing can cause air bubbles.
- If my icing starts to harden while I work, I mix in a couple of drops of water or cover it with a damp paper towel to keep it soft.
- For the best look, I outline the cookie with a piping bag first and then fill it by flooding the center.
- Instead of piping bags and piping tips, you can use plastic baggies with the corner cut off.
Recipe variations and add-ins:
- Meringue powder: I use 2 tablespoons of meringue powder when I do not want to use raw egg whites. It blends well with powdered sugar and makes a stable icing.
- Lemon juice: I add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice when I want a fresher taste. It adds a light bright note to the icing.
- Other extracts: I mix in 1 teaspoon of maple, chocolate, birthday cake, or almond extract when I want a new flavor. These small changes make the icing fun for different cookies.
- Add fruit juice: I stir in 1 tablespoon of strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, pomegranate, or blueberry juice for natural color. Each juice adds a soft tint and a light fruity note.
- Different consistency: I use this recipe on cookies and cakes and adjust the thickness for piping or flooding. A little extra water or powdered sugar helps me find the right texture for each use.
Serving suggestions:
In my house we have so much fun using royal icing to decorate goodies. Last Halloween season my kids had a blast with their friends decorating Halloween cookie dough truffles while the parents and I enjoyed sipping a cranberry mocktail.
For Christmas we usually bake M and M cookie bars and prepare Christmas Oreo ornaments with this royal icing about a week ahead. I make 2 batches, one for us to enjoy during the week and one for Christmas week so my daughter can pack them in little gift boxes and share them with friends and family. So cute!
How to store leftovers:
- Store: I keep any leftover royal icing in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze: I freeze extra icing in a freezer safe bag when I want to save it longer, and it stays good for up to 60 days.
- Thaw: I let the icing thaw overnight in the fridge before I use it so the texture stays smooth.
Frequently asked questions
As royal icing dries, it becomes smoother, but a warm or humid kitchen can slow the drying time and create a dull finish. I place my iced cookies in front of a small fan to help them dry faster when the weather is humid. Another reason for slow drying is mixing the icing for too long, so I stop as soon as it reaches the consistency I want. The icing should dry harder than regular buttercream so the designs stay neat and steady.
I switch from the mixer to a simple spatula and stir slowly because rushing can trap air. When I take this approach, the icing looks smoother, and my kids love how easy it is to pipe little faces and shapes.
Your icing may not have hardened because it did not dry long enough. I let mine sit at room temperature for about 6 to 8 hours so the surface can set fully. Sometimes the icing has too much liquid, so I add more powdered sugar to thicken it. Some recipes use meringue powder to help it firm up, but it can be hard to find, and I usually check craft stores when I need it.
More Christmas recipes to try:
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Royal Icing Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites
- 1 pound confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, and beat on medium-low speed until frothy, about 1 minute.
- Next, reduce the speed to low, and slowly add in the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice.
- Beat the mixture until fully incorporated, and after that increase the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form. The mixture should be stiff with shiny peaks.
- If you want to color your icing, it is better to use gel food coloring. First, divide the icing among small bowls, and stir in gel food coloring. Transfer to piping bags and decorate cookies.
- Either store the icing in piping bags or add it to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap as it dries out very quickly.
Notes
Room temp whites help
After making this recipe many times, I learned that cold eggs separate much easier, but the whites whip better once they warm up a bit, so I always plan ahead when I prepare royal icing. I separate the eggs early in the day, set the whites aside to reach room temperature, and this small step makes the mixing go faster and smoother, just the way I want.More tips to consider:
- If you do not have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer in a large mixing bowl. You could even mix it by hand, but it will take some time.
- I add the powdered sugar slowly because rushing can stop the icing from rising the way I want.
- I whip the egg whites on low speed so the proteins break down and the icing grows thicker and more elastic.
- I always make sure my mixing bowl is clean and dry since any fat or water can stop the egg whites from getting fluffy.
- Gel food coloring is more concentrated so you can use less, and liquid food coloring can thin out the icing. Thin icing can cause air bubbles.
- If my icing starts to harden while I work, I mix in a couple of drops of water or cover it with a damp paper towel to keep it soft.
- For the best look, I outline the cookie with a piping bag first and then fill it by flooding the center.
- Instead of piping bags and piping tips, you can use plastic baggies with the corner cut off.
YES! This is going to take my holiday baking to the next level! I can’t wait to try this recipe. The last time I tried making royal icing, it was a disaster. LOL
Looks absolutely fantastic! Can’t wait to try this one!
This recipe is seriously amazing!! Thank you so much!
This is incredible!! Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you so much for these details and instructions! I can’t wait to try this over the holidays!
Yes! We are making christmas cookies soon and this is just what I need
This icing was the perfect finishing touch for my Christmas cookies and it’s delicious too!
I need to make this icing the next time we have cookies. It looks so delicious.
I used to eat frosting as a kid and younger adult! Ha. I bet making it like this would be a bit healthier (ish) than grabbing the store bought. At least, it would be cheaper and more fun. I will have to make this when we do cupcakes again.
How fun! This is basically the only tie of year I make cookies, and I love to do it too. Having a delicious frosting is an important part of the process!
Thank you for the detailed explanation on making royal icing. I hope to decorate holiday cookies this year and I will be using this recipe!
The idea of using different extracts and fruit juice for flavor and coloring is genius. Can’t wait to try these out this Christmas
I am so making this recipe to frost my cookies this Christmas. The kids will absolutely love it and the cookies will look so festive 😉 Thank you for sharing!
Oh wow, I never though to make Royal icing from scratch for my cakes. I normally buy the ready made stuff. I’d love to give this a try myself. It would look so good on my Christmas cookies and I bet it tastes so much better too.
This brought back memories. My Mom had a cake business when I was young and I would always watch her prepare icing. It was fun to watch.
Loved your icing recipe! Super easy to follow, even for a non-cook like me. The steps were clear, and the end result was impressive. Didn’t actually make it, but your instructions make me want to give it a shot!
I’ve made royal icing once before and it wasn’t very easy to make. I prefer making buttercream or whipped frosting instead.