Here is my classic easy royal icing made with meringue powder. It’s easy to work with, sets quickly, and won’t break your teeth when it dries. It has the most delicious taste and texture and makes decorating sugar cookies FUN and SIMPLE. Use this traditional royal icing recipe for both flooding and outlining your sugar cookies!
This is the only traditional royal icing I use. Itโs my favorite because itโs easy to work with, sets quickly, and doesnโt require raw egg whites. And best of all, it doesnโt have a hard cement-like texture. It wonโt break your teeth like other royal icings!
This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find this recipe in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Meringue Powder in Royal Icing
There are many ways to prepare royal icing and my favorite method is with meringue powder. Meringue powder takes the place of raw egg whites, which is found in traditional royal icing recipes. Both create a very sturdy and stable icing that hardens quickly on top of cookies. Meringue powder, while containing eggs, eliminates the need for raw fresh eggs, but still provides the EXACT same consistency. You can find meringue powder in some baking aisles, most craft stores with a baking section, and online. I just buy it on Amazon in the 8 ounce container. Super inexpensive and it lasts me awhile.
This royal icing is just 3 ingredients: confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and water. The trickiest part is landing on the perfect consistency, but I have a helpful video for you below. Sometimes I need more water, sometimes I need less water. But the wonderful thing is that you can manipulate the icing to get the proper consistency by adding more water or more confectioners’ sugar. It’s awesome.
Use This Royal Icing for Flooding and Piping
I use this one royal icing for both piping/outlining and flooding, like you see here on these Valentine’s Day cookies. The icing is thick enough to outline and thin enough to flood, which makes it super convenient.
Decorating Cookies
Here is the sugar cookies recipe you need. Soft centers, crisp edges, easy to decorate. You can also use this royal icing on chocolate sugar cookies, brown sugar cut-out cookies, lemon shortbread cookies, gingerbread cookies, or as the glue for a gingerbread house. It’s perfect for making these adorable Easter cookies, fireworks cookies, watermelon sugar cookies, and Halloween cookies. And it can even be used to top homemade mille-feuille.
If you’re a decorating beginner, here’s my How to Decorate Sugar Cookies page and video showing 4 simple, yet beautiful decorating techniques.
For a full list of tools I use, see my top recommended cookie decorating supplies. The following is a good list to get started:
- Couplers โ needed if youโre using the same icing color, but need to switch tips. Or if you have multiple colors of icing and only 1 tip, and need to move the tip to the other bags of icing.
- Disposable Piping Bags or Reusable Piping Bags โ I prefer the 16 inch size for decorating.
- Gel Food Coloring โ get the whole set. I love these colors for royal icing, cake batter, frosting, etc. Theyโre high pigmented so you donโt need as much coloring.
- Piping Tips โ see below. Or use a squeeze bottle for less detailed designs, or these icing bottles from Michaels.
- Toothpick โ I use a toothpick to help spread out the icing. You could also just use the piping tip, too.
And some piping tips. I always use Wilton piping tip #4 for outlining and flooding the cookie with icing. This is a wonderful basic piping tip to have in your collection. For any detail, I use a thinner round tip like Wilton piping tip #1 (super thin) and Wilton piping tip #2 (thin). For larger round tips that are easier to work with, I suggest Wilton piping tip #3, Wilton piping tip #4, or Wilton piping tip #5. The piping tip #s reflect their sizes. #1 being the thinnest and #5 being the largest of this particular bunch.
Just starting out with piping details? I suggest #1 (smallest), #3 (medium), and #5 (largest of the bunch). You can create anything basic with these three.
Royal Icing Consistency
After mixing the 3 icing ingredients together, lift the whisk attachment up. If the icing that drips off melts back into the bowl of icing within 5-10 seconds, you’re golden. If it’s too thick, add more water. If it’s super thin and watery, just keep beating it OR beat in more confectioners’ sugar.
Can I Freeze Royal Icing?
Yes, royal icing can be frozen. Many royal icing recipes, including this one, yield a lot of icing. Any leftover royal icing can be frozen for up to 2 months. Place leftover royal icing into zipped-top freezer bags. If you have more than 1 color, each color should have its own bag. Before sealing, squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible. Freeze on a flat shelf surface in your freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before using again.
Sugar cookies decorated with royal icing freeze well up to 3 months. Wait for the icing to set completely before layering between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. To thaw, thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
How Can I Make Royal Icing Ahead of Time?
You can prepare this royal icing 2-3 days ahead of time. I recommend transferring it to a smaller bowl or container and tightly sealing for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to use it, let it come to room temperature, then mix it up with a whisk a few times as it may have separated. Whisking in a few drops of water is helpful if it thickened.
Royal Icing Alternative
If you’d rather skip royal icing and try something easier, here’s my easy cookie icing. This opaque “glaze” style icing doesn’t set/dry as quickly as royal icing and it’s not ideal for piping sharp detail. That being said, sometimes it’s just the more convenient option! It will dry in about 24 hours, where the royal icing recipe below dries in about 1-2 hours. Or you can use cookie decorating buttercream, which can be a great alternative for icing that stays soft.
Print
My Favorite Royal Icing
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Description
Here is my classic easy royal icing made with meringue powder. It’s easy to work with, sets quickly, and won’t break your teeth when it dries. It has the most delicious taste and texture and makes decorating sugar cookies fun and simple. Use this traditional royal icing recipe for both flooding and outlining your sugar cookies. This recipe is also in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (480g) confectionersโ sugar, sifted, plus more as needed
- 3 Tablespoons meringue powder (not plain egg white powder)
- 9 Tablespoons room-temperature water, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite flavored extract, such as lemon, coconut, or peppermint (optional)
- optional for decorating: gel food coloring (I love thisย food coloring kit)
Instructions
- Watch the video tutorial so you get an idea of what the final consistency should be.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix the confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder.
- Add the water and a flavoring (if using), and whip on high speed for 1.5โ2 minutes. When lifting the whisk up off the icing, the icing should drizzle down and smooth out within 5โ10 seconds. If it’s too thick, whip in more water, 1 Tablespoon at a time. I usually need 10 Tablespoons, but on particularly dry days, I use up to 12โ14 Tablespoons. Keep in mind that the longer you whip the royal icing, the thicker it becomes. If your royal icing is too thin, just keep whipping it to introduce more air, or you can add more sifted confectioners’ sugar.
- If you’d like to tint the icing, divide it into separate bowls for each color, or tint the entire batch one color. A little gel food coloring goes a long way, so use a toothpick to dot the gel into the icing. Stir it in and then add more to deepen the color if desired. Keep in mind that the more you stir, the thicker the icing becomes. If needed, stir in a few drops of water to maintain the target consistency.
- When applied to cookies or confections in a thin layer, icing completely dries in about 2 hours at room temperature. If the icing consistency is too thin and runny, it will take longer to dry. If the icing is applied very thickly, it will also take longer to dry. If you’re layering royal icing onto cookies for specific designs and need it to set quickly, place cookies in the refrigerator to help speed up the setting. See blog post above for make-ahead and freezing instructions.
Notes
- When you’re not working directly with the royal icing (for example, you are decorating cookies but you still have some icing left in the bowl that you intend to use next), place a damp paper towel directly on the surface of the royal icing. This prevents it from hardening.
- Special Toolsย (affiliate links):ย Electric Mixer (Handheldย orย Stand Mixer) | Meringue Powder |ย Americolor Soft Gel Paste Color Kitย |ย Disposableย orย Reusable Piping Bagsย |ย Couplers | Wilton Tip #1 | Wilton Tip #2 | Wilton Tip #3 |ย Wilton Tip #4 | Wilton Tip #5 | Squeeze Bottle or Icing Bottle
Here is my recipe for sugar cookies.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I replaced 2 T of water with fresh squeezed lemon juice. Perfect consistency and added a little pucker to the flavor.
Hi! I did your recipe in the past and loved for the consistency and also colors I added. This time I would like to know if it is possible to add some flavor. Lemon or orange juice, instead of water. I wanted it to be a little more tastier, and not just sweet. Thanks!
Hi Gilvanete, see recipe Notes for directions on adding flavors. Have fun with it!
This recipe was wonderful and I made professional quality sugar cookies my first try.
Hi, can I use less sugar to make it less sweet?
Hi Eliana, the confectioners’ sugar is what helps thicken the icing. You can try reducing it, but icing will be much thinner.
This is PERFECT instruction/recipe for icing your cut-out sugar cookies! (and, yes, almond flavoring makes the cookies taste outstanding!)
What I need to know: if I have colored icing already spatula-ed into little bottles or bags, how long can I keep this icing safely? In the refrigerator–then leave out for room temp? (I realize that if it sits in a bag or bottle for a few days, that the liquid separates a bit–I have just “re-mixed” the icing and used it at room temp just fine)
But I was curious as to how long it could be stored in the fridge?
Thank you!
Hi Mary, we’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, thank you for making it! See the blog post section above titled “How Can I Make Royal Icing Ahead of Time?” for details.
If I have around 60-70 cookies to decorate, how much should I multiply this recipe by? Would doubling it work?
Hi Alicia, itโs hard to say, because it would depend on the size of your cookies and how heavily you ice them. This recipe yields about 3 cups of icing, which is quite a bit!
Hi! I always love your recipes and just recently worked with royal icing for the first time. I used your recipe. I loved the results, but found that the royal icing was dull and the thin lines flacked off after being frozen. Any tricks/suggestions? Corn syrup, etc. Thank you!
Hi Stephanie, Here are some tips to help your royal icing dry more shiny than dull. Some decorators add a very small amount of light corn syrup to their icing to add some shine, but keep in mind that it may not dry as hard. You can also try drying your iced cookies in front of a fan for the first hour or two which helps keep some shine. Humidity in the air also plays a roll in how the icing drys so if you are going for a shiny look try making them when your kitchen is not humid. Hope this helps!
What meringue powder did you use?
Hi Brenda, we use this meringue powder.
Do I change my cookie recipe for higher altitude?
Hi Irene, I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I only had 36 cookies to decorate so I scaled the recipe down and still had a lot of royal icing left over. I will cover with plastic wrap and keep on the counter and hopefully get to reuse the rest tomorrow. It was perfect for Resurrection Day cookies in pastel colors! Thank you!
This icing to ME setts and tastes EPIC.I could eat it all day
This is such a great simple recipie. However, mine is always way to hon even using only 8tbs water and no matter how long I mix. I always end up adding a lot more powdered sugar. I live in a drier client so Iโm not sure why it does this. I have been using egg white powder because I cannot find meringue powder anywhere locally. Is that the only issue?
Love your sugar cookies and royal icing! I spread it on with a little teaspoon when i’m being lazy which i find works a bit better than dipping . I would say that for me, this 4x the amount of icing I need for one batch of sugar cookies and I coat then generously so others may want to bear that in mind!
Can you make this icing ahead of time? How long will it keep?
Hi Carla, You can prepare this royal icing 2-3 days ahead of time. We recommend transferring it to a smaller bowl or container and tightly sealing for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. When youโre ready to use it, let it come to room temperature, then mix it up with a whisk a few times as it may have separated. Whisking in a few drops of water is helpful if it thickened. Or for a longer make ahead option, see blog post for freezing details.
I love this recipe! It’s so quick and easy to make and it tastes sooo good with the sugar cookie recipe. My only problem is, sometimes the royal icing can have a weird eggy smell while decorating – not pleasant! It’s only happened a couple of times out of the many times I’ve made this recipe. Is there something I can do to prevent this?
Hi Nina, We’ve never experienced this in royal icing that uses meringue powder and not egg whites. Make sure you meringue powder is fresh, or try using a different brand if you notice this happening from a particular type.
I am so thankful for this recipe, didn’t realize how good it was until I used another that is a friend’s “favorite” royal icing recipe. It was utter disaster, as the recipe did not explain, particularly, the desired consistency. Sally’s nails it- with the video showing what you’re looking for. I will never use another royal icing recipe but this one – THANK YOU – I am a lousy baker who has no sweet tooth but when satisfying loved ones WITH one, this will be my go-to!
If I make and decorate cookies the night before event, will they still taste good the next day? What’s the best way to store them for lasting flavor?
Hi Devon, absolutely! You can leave them out at room temperature while waiting for the icing to dry (which will take a few hours, depending on how heavily they’re iced). After that, iced cookies stay soft for about 5 days when covered tightly at room temperature. For longer storage, cover and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
How many cookies (approx) would this icing decorate? I know thereโs a lot of different โscenariosโ to consider, but in general, how many cookies would one royal icing recipe cover?
Eg. I doubled your sugar cookie recipe, should I double the royal icing recipe too?
Hi Emily, one batch of this royal icing will cover one batch of sugar cookies, which yields about 24 3-4 inch cookies. You can double the royal icing for two batches of sugar cookies.
I think you are wonderful. Very very helpful!
Why not to use egg white powder?
Hi Av, Egg white powder and meringue powder are not the same. Egg white powder can replace egg whites. Meringue powder replaces the ingredients in meringue. The two are different and shouldnโt be used interchangeably in this royal icing recipe.
I’m not an expert cookie decorator by any stretch of the imagination. But I used this recipe for valentine sugar cookies and they were still not dry after over night in the fridge. Over 12 hours later.
Hi Sam, how strange! Are you in a particularly humid environment? Did you make any (even small) changes to the recipe? Make sure to use meringue powder, not egg white powder or royal icing mix.
Hi Sam, I just saw your post and wanted to share my similar experience and what I think caused the problem. If you use any extracts for flavoring, they MUST be alcohol based. Any oil of any type will cause your icing not to dry and give it a funky texture. I also make sure to wipe down my mixing bowl and beater with something acidic like lemon juice or vinegar to remove any possible food or soap residue. Then I rinse with water before using. Hope this helps, there’s nothing worse than spending hours decorating only to end up with a spongy mess!
Not a fan of this recipe…the reason it does not break your teeth is because it is applied thinly…This is a basic recipe and one I use when practicing designs…but when I make cookies for clients I use a royal icing mix that I get on Amazon…it is expensive in comparison to this recipe…I pay 19 dollars for a 2 pack…but I can include that cost to my cluents…the mix dries hard to the touch and you can stack them…but when you bite into the cookie the royal icing is light and airy
Would you please tell me what is the name of the Royal icing you get from Amazon? Thank you so much!!
This icing is the best! It tastes a little sweet by itself, but is perfect with the cookie. Will make it again!
To really soften royal icing use a tablespoon of light Karo syrup. Tastes amazing.
Help !when using Royal icing .. Why do my colors bleed , especially, black on white /red on white
Hi Lynn, there are a few different factors that can go into this. Bleeding can be more common with darker colors (especially against lighter colors), particularly if the temperature is changing or if the base icing is still wet when adding the other color icing. To help prevent this, use good quality gel food coloring, and wait for the base icing to be completely dry before adding another color on top of or next to it. Hope this helps for next time!
how many cookies does this typically ice?
Hi Olivia, it’s hard to say, because it would depend on the size of your cookies and how heavily you ice them. This recipe yields about 3 cups of icing, which is quite a bit!