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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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!
Fantastic recipe! These cookies were soft and delicious. We found they were plenty sweet without the frosting and the husband actually requested I not frost all of them. This one’s a keeper!
This recipe was awesome! I used raw egg whites instead of the kind from the carton and it came out very well. If your icing comes out a little grainy at first, add a little more egg whites to compensate. But besides that, this recipe was perfect! 10/10 would use again!
YOUR RECIPE IS THE MOST TASTY GINGERBREAD I HAVE EVER MADE. THANK YOU SO MUCH JENN, FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERTISE!!! IT IS A LOT OF WORK AND MESS IN MY SMALL KITCHEN BUT MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS WILL LOVE THESE. NEXT I COMMENCE DECORATING.
BEST HOLIDAY TO YOU AND YOURS, KAREN
This recipe said to use 4 cups of powered sugar and 3 egg whites. When I did that, I could only get about two cups mixed in and even then the ball of icing was so thick that my whisk couldn’t get through it. I feel like the the measurements were way off.
How much meringue powder should we substitute for the eggs?
Hi Jessica, I don’t know off-hand but the package should indicate how much powder is needed per egg white.
Jenn, I am making your gingerbread man cookies with my excited 4 year olds and only have regular eggs. Is it fine to use regular freshly bought Omega-3 eggs for the egg whites? If not, is there any other option to ice them rather than going to the store? (we made store-bought gingerbread houses today and have some leftover icing that came with the package, but we didn’t want to ruin your gingerbread men with that packaged icing that works like glue)
Hi Janet, to be safe, I’d only make this pasteurized eggs — sorry!
Just right.
Loved it! I didn’t have allspice so I substituted with nutmeg, it turned it wonderfully, as I always find with your recipes. Thank you!
My toddler and I would like to use this recipe to decorate your gingerbread men cookies we plan to make for the holiday season. I am concerned about the raw egg whites (and would prefer not to buy the meringue powder if not necessary). I do not have pasteurized eggs (not even sure where I would find pasteurized eggs at the store?) My question is, do you think there is danger in using unpasurized egg whites for the icing recipe, especially if the cookies are stored in a bag or airtight container on the counter for several days? I would hate to make someone sick! Thanks.
Hi Lauren, I wouldn’t risk using unpasteurized egg whites (particularly with a toddler). Sorry!
Use the pasteurized egg whites sold in cartons in the dairy section of your store or the meringue powder (which you can purchase at Michael’s craft store). For meringue powder, I prefer the Wilton’s but that’s just me. I use both methods for icing. I would NOT use raw eggs though; especially not with a toddler.