If you need a cookie decorating alternative to traditional royal icing, this easy cookie icing is a great choice. It’s like a very thick opaque glaze and comes together with a fork, whisk, and mixing bowl. This cookie icing takes about 24 hours to completely dry and you can’t pipe intricate detail as you could with royal icing, but if you want EASY cookie icing, this is it! All of the pictured cookies in this post use this icing.
One reader, Sarah, commented: “I had to leave a review—this recipe is amazing! I’m a beginner so I was nervous, but my cookies looked like I bought them from a pro bakery! Awesome glaze, will definitely use this over and over. ★★★★★”
Yes, you can create gourmet-looking decorated cookies without royal icing!
Skip All the Fuss & Use This Easy Cookie Icing
If you’re looking for professional icing with a picture-perfect finish and the ability for lovely piped detail, use royal icing. I love this royal icing and use it often for decorating sugar cookies, but it can be finicky. You need a very precise consistency in order for the royal icing to pipe, set, and dry appropriately—it definitely requires practice and patience. Before I began working with royal icing, however, I used today’s easy cookie icing. It’s still one of my favorite ways to decorate sugar cookies because it’s low maintenance, but still delivers pretty (and delicious) results. Plus, it’s great for making ahead and manageable for kids and beginners.
You Will Love This Cookie Icing:
- Easy to make with a fork, whisk, and bowl
- No special equipment
- 5 basic ingredients
- Can use squeeze bottle or piping tips to decorate
- Manageable for young bakers and/or beginners
- Doesn’t dry into hard cement texture
- After it dries, you can stack, freeze, and transport cookies
You can use this icing on cookie cutter cookies such as these sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, and chocolate sugar cookies. You could even use it on shortbread cookies or drizzled on spritz cookies. I even used it on some of these pictured Halloween cookies and these Christmas sugar cookies. You could use it to make Valentine’s Day cookies, Easter cookies, and fireworks cookies, too. (Note that the photos in those recipes show royal icing, but this cookie icing will work for less intricate designs.) For all my best decorating tips and tricks, see my tutorial (video included) on how to decorate sugar cookies.
5 Simple Ingredients
For the icing, you need confectioners’ sugar, water, vanilla extract (replace with water to keep the icing stark white, or use clear vanilla extract), a touch of corn syrup, and a little salt. The icing dries firm with a very slight crisp, so you can easily stack your decorated sugar cookies and travel with them.
- Why corn syrup? You only need 2 teaspoons. Corn syrup gives the icing sticking power and creates a beautiful sheen on the dried icing. I don’t recommend skipping it, but you can if absolutely needed.
The Right Consistency
The ratio of confectioners’ sugar to water keeps the icing thick. If you drizzle a little icing off the whisk into the bowl, the ribbon of icing will hold for a few seconds before melting back into the icing. That’s when you know it’s the right consistency.
Use a Squeeze Bottle or Piping Bags/Tips
Here’s what I recommend for piping tips:
- Disposable Piping Bags or Reusable Piping Bags
- Use Wilton piping tip #4 for outlining and flooding the cookies with icing. This is the same tip I usually use for royal icing, too. (And great for piping spider webs on Halloween cupcakes!)
- Couplers: Couplers are needed if you’re switching around your piping tips and icing colors. For example, if you only have one piping tip #4 but want to use this tip for multiple colors of icing. A coupler makes it easy to switch tips between bags of icing.
- Optional: Bag clips, bag ties, or rubber bands to keep piping bags closed.
Or instead, use a squeeze bottle!
- To make decorating a breeze, use a squeeze bottle. They’re less intimidating than piping tips and very easy for young bakers to use. Or… just dip your cooled cookies into the icing. No tools needed.
For even more of my favorite tools, you can see this full list of my top recommended cookie decorating supplies.
Tinting the Icing Different Colors
You can keep the icing white or tint it your desired color. Use gel food coloring because liquid food coloring can change the consistency. I like the brand AmeriColor; you can find their gel colors in the baking aisle of craft stores or give it a quick search online. I use and recommend (affiliate links) this set of 6 colors or this set of 12 colors.
- As Icing Dries, It Darkens: As icing sits in a piping bag/squeeze bottle before using AND as it dries on a cookie, the color darkens. This is the case with most colors, particularly red and black. When I make black icing, it’s usually blue-ish gray in the bowl and piping bag and then as it dries, it darkens into a black shade. Don’t go overboard on food coloring because the color will deepen as the icing dries.
- Can I Use Natural Food Coloring For Cookie Icing? Yes, absolutely! I’ve used the brand Supernatural and they have a line of natural powdered food coloring that’s available in a few colors. You need to dissolve the coloring in a little water before using, so make sure that you very slightly reduce the amount of water needed in the icing recipe. (Note: If you ever need to thicken the icing back up after adding the coloring, you can whisk in a little more confectioners’ sugar.)
This Cookie Icing Requires Planning Ahead
The icing needs at least 24 hours to dry, but you can certainly eat them prior to the icing drying. This is much longer than royal icing, which usually dries in 2 hours.
PS: If you want to decorate cookies with buttercream frosting instead, use this vanilla buttercream. Feel free to keep it on the thicker side by reducing 1 Tablespoon of milk/cream.
Looking for more holiday baking inspiration? Here are 75+ Christmas cookies with all my best success guides & tips.
Print
Easy Cookie Icing
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: about 1.5 cups icing
- Category: Baking
- Method: Whisking
- Cuisine: American
Description
If you need a cookie decorating alternative to traditional royal icing, this sugar cookie icing is a great choice. It’s like a very thick glaze. This icing takes awhile to dry, about 24 hours, and you can’t pipe detail very well, but if you want simple decoration and a simple icing, this is it!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (omit and replace with water for stark white icing)
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup*
- 4.5–5 Tablespoons (67-75ml) room temperature water
- pinch salt*
Instructions
- Using a fork, stir the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, corn syrup, 4.5 Tablespoons (67ml) of water, and optional salt together in a medium bowl. It will be very thick and almost impossible to stir. Switch to a whisk and whisk in 1/2 Tablespoon (8ml) of water. If you lift the whisk and let the icing drizzle back into the bowl, the ribbon of icing will hold shape for a few seconds before melting back into the icing. That is when you know it’s the right consistency and is ready to use. If it’s too thick (sometimes it is), whisk in another 1/2 Tablespoon (8ml) of water or a little more until you reach the consistency.
- If desired, stir in gel food coloring. You can pour some icing into different bowls if using multiple colors. When tinting icing, only use 1-2 drops at first, stir it in, then add more as needed to reach your desired color. Remember, color darkens as icing dries.
- Decorate: Spoon icing into squeeze bottles or piping bags (reusable or disposable) fitted with Wilton Piping Tip #4. Decorate your cookies as desired. I usually outline cookies with icing first, then fill in the middle. If adding sprinkles on top of the icing, add them right after applying icing on your cookie.
- Let icing dry/set: Feel free to enjoy cookies before icing completely dries. Icing dries in 24 hours. No need to cover the decorated cookies as you wait for the icing to set. If it’s helpful, decorate the cookies directly on a baking sheet so you can stick the entire baking sheet in the refrigerator to help slightly speed up the icing setting. Once the icing has dried, these cookies are great for gifting or for sending.
- The shelf life of your decorated cookies depends on the cookie recipe you are using. If using my sugar cookies, cover and store decorated cookies for up to 5 days at room temperature or up to 10 days in the refrigerator.
- Making Ahead & Storing Icing: If not decorating right away, cover the icing tightly and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can store in piping bags (with clips or rubber bands to seal ends), in squeeze bottles, or covered in bowl or container. Bring to room temperature before using. If icing has thickened up, add a few drops of water and mix in to thin out. Depending how you stored the icing (squeeze bottle/piping bag/container or bowl) shake squeeze bottle to mix/massage piping bag to mix/whisk in bowl or container to mix.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: I do not recommend making and freezing this icing before using to decorate your cookies. It’s not as smooth and easy to use after thawing. However, decorated sugar cookies 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.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Gel Food Coloring (I like this set of 6 colors or this set of 12 colors from Americolor) | Squeeze Bottles | Piping Bags (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton Piping Tip #4 | Couplers | Bag Clips, Bag Ties, or Rubber Bands
- Cookies & Sprinkles in Photos (affiliate links): Pictured cookies are sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies made with Christmas cookie cutters (the exact set is no longer available, but here is a set with similar shapes) and the ball ornament from this set. Sprinkles used on pictured decorated cookies are plain white sprinkles, these white balls on the Christmas trees, Wilton Pearlized Silver Sugar Food Decorative, this white sparkling sugar, and red balls from a sprinkle mix like this on reindeer.
- Corn Syrup: Corn syrup gives the icing sticking power and creates a beautiful sheen on the dried icing. I don’t recommend skipping it, but you can if absolutely needed.
- Salt: I know salt isn’t a typical ingredient in cookie icing, but it helps offset its sweetness. You just need a small pinch.
- Yield: This amount of icing is enough for icing 2 dozen cookies. You’ll have plenty if you want to divide it and tint the batch multiple colors, too. Icing can easily be halved by halving all of the ingredients. (Still add a tiny pinch of salt.)
Reader Comments and Reviews
What is the asterisk for????
Hi B, it means there will be a note about that ingredient in the recipe notes below.
Trying to make dragon cookies for my grandson’s first birthday! I hope this works! Recipe looks good and directions are excellent. Will let you know my results.
So soooooooo easy to make. Love everything that come out of you kitchen. Thanks.
Sally, I would like to use your Easy Icing Recipe to write numbers on my sugar cookies, however would like to have chocolate. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks
Hi Sherry, We haven’t tried a chocolate version, but that is absolutely doable using this recipe as the starting point. We would start by substituting 1/4 cup of the confectioners’ sugar with 1/4 cup (21g) of cocoa powder. That should be plenty of chocolate/cocoa flavor.
Can you add some jello powder to the water before adding in the powdered sugar for color and flavoring?
Thank you
Hi Gail, we haven’t tested adding jello powder to this icing and are unsure of the results.
This icing is great! But my favorite decorating method with small kids and this recipe is that I pour / divide the white icing in an ice cube tray, make each cube a different color and then give the kiddos a clean paintbrush for each color. Way easier for littles to handle and it keeps them from putting too much icing on. Dries way faster than 24hrs too
Sally & team, thank you for this handy recipe. I really didn’t want to run out to the grocery store on December 24th to pick up store bought icing nor did I want to attempt Royal icing. I omitted the corn syrup and the icing turned out beautifully. Sprinkles still stuck well and it all set nicely in about a day. This recipe was a lifesaver and allowed me one less thing to worry about during a stressful time of year. Happy holidays!
Would this icing work for marbling sugar cookies?
Hi Ashley, I can’t see why not.
Iced cookies this morning and this recipe worked like a dream! Worked great for marbling!
Can you help me determine why the icing turned blotchy with white marbled patches when it dried overnight? Cookies were softer than usual, but were baked for the appropriate amount of time. First batch was great! Second batch a disaster! A do-over moment.
Hi Lou Ann, was the 1st batch of white icing OK? Did you add more water, perhaps, to the second batch to thin it out more?
Hi Sally, your recipes are amazing!!! However, I’m pretty sure the recipe should be TEASPOONS of water, not Tablespoons. It was very runny. I had to dump half and add another 2 cups confectioner sugar. Could you double check that this recipe is correct? Thanks!
Hi Amy, confectioners’ sugar (different brands) can absorb water differently, perhaps depending on how fine it is, how fresh it is, even down to the humidity in the air. You can try using less water next time. Just add it until you reach the consistency you would like. Thanks for giving this icing a try!
I completely agree. I tried many brand of powder sugar. There is no way it’s five tablespoons. It becomes a mess!!! It never pipes. It one tablespoon at best and maybe it should say five teaspoons. This should be corrected seriously because I was so upset when I first replicated this recipe. Second time I made this, I just added water little by little until I got the right consistency to pipe it on a cookie. It needs to be corrected. Five tablespoons makes a flood !!!
I’m about to make your French Silk Pie, but I don’t have a thermometer for when I’ll be cooking the egg/sugar mixture. I’ll be using a makeshift double-boiler (per your description) over medium heat but could you describe for me what transformations to watch for as I stir constantly with a whisk for 10-11 minutes.
I am a visual person and, without a thermometer to tell me when the eggs are getting close to “done,” I will feel more secure if I know how this egg/sugar mix will change as it cooks.
Hi Susan, I’m happy to help for the French Silk Pie recipe. For the cooking sugar/egg white step, to determine doneness if you do not have an instant read thermometer, lightly and quickly dip your finger (it’s very hot, be careful) and rub the mixture between your thumb and finger. You shouldn’t feel any sugar granules.
This icing was way too thin, and I had to keep adding confectioners sugar. It never got quite as thick as you described. Any suggestions?
Hi Sherri, you did the right thing by adding more confectioners’ sugar. Was it runny once you added more confectioners’ sugar? Confectioners’ sugar (different brands) can absorb water differently, perhaps depending on how fine it is, how fresh it is, even down to the humidity in the air. You can try using less water next time. Just add it until you reach the consistency you would like. Thanks for giving this icing a try!
This is my go to recipe for marbling icing my cookies..works beautifully and tastes delicious. I don’t like royal icing as it tastes too eggy to me, plus one of my grandkids is allergic to eggs. This is a perfect alternative..great on shortbread cookies.
My icing was so drippy. Even when I used a little it ran off the cookies. I added the lesser amount of water in the range listed? Should I use even less water? Anyone have any tips?
Thank you!
Hi Jamie! You can use less water next time. Just add it until you reach the consistency you would like. And if you add too much, you can add more confectioners’ sugar to make it thicker. It’s easily adjustable!
I want to use your icing recipe for cut outs. You mention using salt – just a pinch , when is this added. It is not in recipe or video. Thanks
Hi Marsha! Add it in the first step with the sugar.
I did not have corn syrup, but used honey instead, and then replaced the vanilla wilh almond extract. Was delicious.
Good morning Sally! I’ve never made this icing and would like to know if I can “web” this icing to make ugly sweater cookies where you decorate with a toothpick to swirl different colors? I saw photos of cookies that you pipe different colors spaced under each other then use a toothpick to pull the different colors to make a pretty design? I appreciate any help you can give me.
Many thanks!
Wishing you and your family a Very Blessed Christmas!
Susan
Hi Susan, yes, that should work with this icing. Let us know how they turn out!
I would like to use a squeeze bottle for decorating cookies with grandkids. How many bottles does a single recipe fill? Also, would your buttercream frosting work in a squeeze bottle (may need to cut the tip to make it wider? Thank you so much for your detailed recipes and instructions!
Hi Donna, the buttercream is too thick for a squeeze bottle opening, but if you cut the tip to make it wider, that should probably be fine. The amount of bottles this icing fills depends on the size of your squeeze bottles and how full you fill them, but it yields about 1 and 1/2 cups of icing, and is enough to cover about 2 dozen cookies.
Thanks for this great recipe. I was looking for A consistent recipe to hang onto something to hang onto for when I drizzle frosting on my cherry bonbon cookies and this this recipe is perfect! I might add that I used white vanilla to keep my glaze snowy white and delicious!
If you only have regular corn syrup not light can you still use it? Thanks
Hi Joy, yes, that’s fine.
Replaced the corn syrup with honey because I didn’t have corn syrup! Added a bit more confectioners sugar than what the recipe called for to thicken it up, and it was perfect!
I was wondering if this icing would also do for stenciling on my cookies. Or would Royal icing be better.
Hi Kathy! We haven’t tried it, but think royal icing would be better for stenciling.
I tried this recipe because i didn’t have all ingredients for royal icing. And this recipe was really good! the icing was the right consistency, although I made mine a bit on the thin side, but my sugar cookies came out amazing!! I will definitely use the recipe again!
I love this recipe, and you make it so clear and complete. I would like to know if the icing in the condiment bottles can be stored in the frig and used again. If so, for how many days?
Yes! See step 6 for details.
I used this recipe yesterday to decorate my cookies and it was perfect! It set up nicely and I was able to freeze them for later this week!
Hi, I want to use the icing to decorate an apple pie, with a turtle shell / pentagon / hexagon design. I would add the icing after baking the pie, right? And I would also need to let it set?
Hi Bina! We’ve never tried that, but would let the pie cool *completely* before adding the icing design (otherwise it will just melt all over). It will need time to set, just like on cookies.
How far ahead can you make this in advance for decorating? I would like to make it about 24 hours in advance and leave it in squeeze bottles leading up to an event.
Hi Sadie, see step 6 above!
But, will it keep if it is stored in the frig ahead of decorating, and after to use again?
Hi Betty, yes, see the last step for details.
I love your site and have made dozens of your recipes but this simply didn’t work. It was extremely runny. By the time I got it to the right consistency I had added over 8 heaping spoonfuls of sugar. I followed the recipe to the letter, including weighing ingredients. The directions gave tips for what to do if your icing was too thick but not suggestions for when it was too thin. A little frustrating but this is still my favorite site when I want to bake!
Hi Brooke, you did the right thing by adding more confectioners’ sugar. Was it runny once you added more confectioners’ sugar? Thank you so much for trusting my recipes. Confectioners’ sugar (different brands) can absorb water differently, perhaps depending on how fine it is, how fresh it is, even down to the humidity in the air. I appreciate your feedback!
Hi Sally,
I’m making Cereal treats for my granddaughter’s class at school and usually brush on candy melts on 3/4 of the surface, then decorate with sprinkles etc before it sets.
She wants a space theme this year however I can no longer find the royal blue candy melts I want to use for the background.
Do you think I could use this recipe (using gel food colouring to achieve my colour) in place of the candy melts by pouring/ spreading it over the portion of the cereal treats that I want to decorate with sprinkles?
Hi Lori, we haven’t tested it, but that *should* work here. Just keep in mind that it takes 24 hours to completely set. You may have better success with royal icing, as it dries a bit harder. Let us know what you try!
There is so much information that helps me know how to do royal icing and so much more.
Thank you so much.
Can you use edible maker after ot dries to make a face?
Hi Jannine, that should work! Just make sure the icing has fully dry/set first.