If you’re looking for a royal icing recipe that sets up hard and makes beautiful Christmas cookies, you’ve come to the right place. I searched near and far for the perfect icing for cookies, and I think I’ve nailed it. With just 4 ingredients, this royal icing with meringue powder is so quick and easy to make and comes out beautiful every time!
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When it comes to decorating holiday cookies, I’m always in need of a super easy icing. This royal icing recipe is quick, it tastes good, and it hardens to a nice texture. With only 4 ingredients and a mixer, you’ll have a gorgeous icing to decorate with. You can use this hard-setting icing on sugar cookies, cakes, or gingerbread houses.
What’s in This Royal Icing Recipe?
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the icing and helps determine its consistency. For a softer icing, use less sugar; for a stiffer icing, use more.
- Meringue Powder: Helps the icing harden. You can use egg white powder (in an equal amount) or 4 pasteurized fresh egg whites in place of the meringue powder, but you will need to store leftover icing in the refrigerator.
- Water: Helps thin the icing to the correct consistency. I prefer water over milk since I have found that milk takes away from the vanilla flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds classic vanilla flavor to the icing. Use clear vanilla to keep the icing white. Try citrus, almond, or peppermint extract for a different flavor.
- Food Coloring: I like to color my icing with gel food coloring to create vivid decorations.
Tips for Success
- If your icing isn’t shiny, it’s likely that the lumps in your powdered sugar didn’t break up enough during mixing. I recommend sifting your powdered sugar if it’s particularly lumpy.
- If you mix at too high of a speed, it will add too much air to the icing, making it fluffy. Make sure to use a consistent medium speed as your icing comes together.
- If you would like to create a thicker icing for outlining or decorating, start with 5 tablespoons of water and beat to medium-stiff peaks on low. Add color, reserve the amount of icing you would like for outlining, and add water to the remaining until you achieve a flood consistency.
- This icing will dry to the touch in about 30 minutes but will need 6-8 hours to fully cure. I do not recommend stacking the cookies before the icing has cured.
How to Store
Store leftover royal icing in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer indefinitely. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator and beat it using a hand or stand mixer at a low speed to make the icing smooth and shiny before using.
Serving Suggestions
I use this royal icing recipe to decorate all of my favorite Christmas cookies and holiday treats. It’s perfect for Christmas sugar cookies or gingerbread cookies. When it’s extra thick, it makes a great glue to hold a gingerbread house together or to pipe royal icing flowers. Or you can thin it out and use it to ice cinnamon rolls or a lemon loaf cake.
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Royal Icing Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Piping Tip Set (optional)
Ingredients
- 4 cups powdered sugar 452 grams
- 4 tablespoons meringue powder 43 grams
- 8-10 tablespoons warm water 114-142 grams
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- Gel food coloring optional
Instructions
- Add the powdered sugar and meringue powder to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk to combine.4 cups powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons meringue powder
- Pour in 8 tablespoons of warm water and the vanilla extract, and mix on medium-low speed until combined.8-10 tablespoons warm water, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Turn the mixer up to medium-high and mix until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly add more water 1 teaspoon at a time until your desired consistency is achieved. To create an icing that works well for outlining and flooding cookies, lift up the whisk and let the icing drip back into the bowl. It should take 10-15 seconds to smooth out. If it is smoothing out too quickly, beat the icing for another minute. If it is taking longer to smooth out, add a little more water.
- Divide the icing into small bowls and add gel food color, making as many colors as you would like.Gel food coloring
- Fit piping bags with a Wilton #3 or #4 tip. Fill the bags with icing and decorate your cookies as desired.
Video
Becky’s Tips
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Royal Icing Step by Step
Whisk the Dry Ingredients: Add 4 cups of powdered sugar and 4 tablespoons of meringue powder to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whisk to combine.
Pour in the Water: Pour in 8 tablespoons of warm water and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and mix on medium-low speed until combined.
Whip to Soft Peaks: Turn the mixer up to medium-high, and mix until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes.
Thin to Desired Consistency: Slowly add more water (1 teaspoon at a time) until you reach your desired consistency. To create a royal icing that works well for outlining and flooding cookies, lift up the whisk and let the icing drip back into the bowl. It should take 10-15 seconds to smooth out. If it is smoothing out too quickly, beat the icing for another minute. If it is taking longer to smooth out, add a little more water.
Divide and Color: Divide the icing into small bowls and add gel food color, making as many colors as you would like.
Decorate Your Cookies: Fit piping bags with a Wilton #3 or #4 tip. Fill the bags with icing and decorate your cookies as desired.
How long does it take to dry this icing ?
It should start to set after about 30 minutes, but it won’t be fully hard for at least 6-8 hours!