Try This Easy Royal Icing Recipe for Your Holiday Cookies (2024)

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Perfect for Decorating Cookies

Danilo Alfaro

Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.

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and

Diana Andrews

Diana earned her B.A. in Fine Art at Queens College and her culinary certification from the Institute of Culinary Education. Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer, and product tester at Food Network.

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Updated on 10/29/23

Tested by

Tracy Wilk

Tested byTracy Wilk

Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Why is it Called Royal Icing?

While it's unclear how royal icing originally got its name, one theory suggests that it was used to create decorations for elaborate royal wedding cakes. Additionally, the word "royal" may have been attached to the icing in medieval England to indicate sophisticated icing designs often only affordable to the upper class.

Royal Icing and Regular Icing; What's the Difference?

Royal icing is made from confectioners' sugar and raw egg whites. It dries with a slightly glossy matte finish, which is great for decorating cookies—other types of icings often never
fully harden, which is more desirable for cakes and other sweets. Royal icing is easy to pipe, and with some practice, you can make professional-looking designs to be proud of. We recommend gel food coloring since it's more concentrated than liquid and won't dilute the mixture.

Is it Safe to Eat Raw Egg Whites?

Use pasteurized egg whites when preparing royal icing since they're heated to temperatures that kill any potentially harmful bacteria, making them safe to eat. Liquid egg whites sold in cartons are preferred for this recipe because they're readily available, and you won't have to worry about what to do with the unused yolks. Egg whites sold in cartons are typically pasteurized, but always check the label to be safe and sure. As another option, you can use powdered egg whites that can be reconstituted with water.

This recipe makes two cups of icing, plenty to decorate a huge batch of cookies. The icing will dry hard so the cookies look great even if you stack them and pack them.

How to Use Royal Icing

Invest in a decorating kit. Many decorating kits come with a reusable piping bag and several tips. Alternatively, you can use a squeeze bottle or a zip-top storage bag with the corner snipped off.
Consistency. Depending upon your needs, the consistency of royal icing can be easily adjusted by adding a bit more water or confectioners' sugar.
Toothpaste. For writing and finer details, the icing should be the consistency of toothpaste.
Ketchup. Royal icing that's the consistency of ketchup will create thicker outlines and letters and is perfect for flooding small areas.
Honey. "Flood" royal icing, the thinnest consistency, flows like honey and is great for filling large areas and creating smooth, flat surfaces.
Blocks of color. To make blocks of solid color, draw the borders first and let them dry for a few minutes, then fill the center.
Glue. Because royal icing dries hard, it's great to use as an edible glue to hold gingerbread houses and their decorations together.

Try This Easy Royal Icing Recipe for Your Holiday Cookies (4)

"Royal icing is something I would classify as 'pastry magic.' It’s smooth and shiny and can be used as glue or edible paint. This recipe is incredibly straightforward and once complete you can decorate really anything you like. Easy and fun, this is a recipe the whole family can enjoy!" —Tracy Wilk

Try This Easy Royal Icing Recipe for Your Holiday Cookies (5)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

1/2 cup pasteurized liquid egg whites (4 large egg whites)
4 cups confectioners' sugar (about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Gel food coloring in desired colors, optional

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 1/2 cup pasteurized liquid egg whites (4 large egg whites) on high speed until foamy. Alternatively, use a hand mixer.
Switch to low speed and gradually sift 4 cups confectioners' sugar (about 1 pound) into the egg whites until completely incorporated. Be sure the mixture is smooth and without lumps.
Add 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice and beat on high speed until the icing is very thick and forms stiff peaks, about 5 to 10 minutes.
For multiple colors, separate quantities of icing into individual bowls and stir in gel food coloring in desired colors. Alternatively, use one color for a large single batch, or no color at all.
Use the royal icing to decorate your cookies to your liking.

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs poses a risk for foodborneillness.

How to Store and Freeze

Royal icing dries to a very hard consistency, and it will begin setting soon after being made. Depending on the temperature, humidity, and amount of icing used, royal icing will dry within 15 to 60 minutes of application.
To prevent the icing from getting hard before you use it, cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel or paper towel, or cover it with plastic. For pastry bags and piping tips, twist the bag's opening to seal, and wrap a wet paper towel around the tip when not in use.
To store leftover royal icing, press plastic wrap against its surface and refrigerate. It'll keep for about three days. When ready to use, let it come to room temperature and whisk before using.
To freeze leftover royal icing, transfer it to a zip-top freezer bag, press out all the air, and freeze for up to three months. Defrost in the fridge, then bring to room temperature. Whisk before using.
Do not refrigerate cookies decorated with hardened royal icing as the icing can become soft and sticky.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This

Use powdered egg whites. Powdered egg whites are an economical option since their shelf-life averages 5 to 10 years when properly stored. Reconstitute powdered egg whites according to package directions.
Swap vanilla extract for lemon juice. Besides adding flavor, lemon juice helps harden the icing, but you could substitute vanilla extract if you prefer. Use clear vanilla to keep the color bright white.
Sanding sugars and sprinkles. Let flooded royal icing areas dry slightly before sprinkling with various decorations. The possibilities are endless.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
888	Calories
0g	Fat
220g	Carbs
7g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories	888
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 106mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate 220g	80%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 216g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 0mg	2%
Calcium 7mg	1%
Iron 0mg	1%
Potassium 106mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

cookies
royal icing
dessert
american

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