Looking for a fast and foolproof royal icing recipe for cookies or gingerbread houses? This easy royal icing comes together in just minutes, no mixer or meringue powder required. It’s the perfect cookie icing for decorating sugar cookies, holiday treats, and even drip cakes.
Why You’ll Love This Royal Icing Recipe
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by traditional royal icing, this recipe is for you. It uses a few basic pantry ingredients and skips the meringue powder. There’s no whipping involved and no special tools needed.
This simple icing is ideal for:
- Decorating cut-out sugar cookies
- Assembling gingerbread houses
- Making cookie decorating fun and easy for kids
- Adding drips to cakes or bundt cakes
What Is Royal Icing?
Royal icing is a smooth, glossy icing made to harden as it dries. It’s commonly used to outline and flood sugar cookies or to create decorations like flowers and lace.
Traditional royal icing is made with powdered sugar, water, and meringue powder (or egg whites). But in this version, we skip the meringue powder and use light corn syrup instead. The result is an easy-to-make icing that’s perfect for cookies and dries with a nice shine.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe uses just four simple ingredients:
- Powdered sugar – gives the icing its smooth texture
- Warm water – helps dissolve the sugar and thin the icing
- Light corn syrup – adds shine and smoothness
- Vanilla or almond extract – for flavor
Tip: You can also use clear vanilla if you want your icing to stay bright white.
How to Make Easy Royal Icing (Step-by-Step)
Making this icing is super simple:
- Add the powdered sugar to a mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together the warm water, corn syrup, and vanilla until the corn syrup dissolves.
- Pour the liquid into the powdered sugar and stir until smooth.
The icing will be thick at first. You can adjust the consistency by:
- Adding more water (a few drops at a time) to thin it out
- Adding more powdered sugar (by the teaspoon) to thicken it
How to Check the Icing Consistency
To get the right texture for decorating:
- Drizzle some icing back into the bowl and count how many seconds it takes for it to disappear.
- For outlining and flooding cookies in one step, aim for 12 seconds.
- For detailed piping or outlines that need to hold their shape, aim for 14 to 15 seconds.
If it’s too thick to squeeze through your piping bag, place the bag in a warm cup of water for a few minutes. This will loosen up the corn syrup.
Best Tools for Decorating Cookies
You don’t need fancy tools, but these are helpful:
- Piping bags with Wilton tip #2 or #3 for outlining and flooding
- Tip #1A for thicker lines or gingerbread house assembly
- Gel food coloring (AmeriColor is a favorite) – these won’t water down your icing and offer bold, vibrant colors
Avoid liquid food coloring since it can change the icing’s consistency.
Royal Icing Tips and Tricks
- Store unused icing in an airtight container for up to one day. Stir well and check the consistency before using it again.
- Avoid grease on your tools or bowls. Grease can keep the icing from setting properly.
- Use on day-old cookies for best results. Freshly baked cookies can be too soft and may break.
Ways to Use This Icing
This easy royal icing is perfect for:
- Sugar cookies – from classic to funfetti
- Gingerbread cookies or houses
- Holiday cookie decorating
- Drip cakes – use it to create beautiful drips on bundt cakes
Try it on cookies like: chocolate, pumpkin spice, peppermint, or spiced gingerbread.
Nutrition (Approximate Per Cup)
- Calories: 733
- Carbs: 188g
- Sugar: 185g
- Fat: 0g
- Sodium: 12mg
Try It With These Cookie Recipes
- Easy Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Cut-Out Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Funfetti Cookies
- Peppermint Cookies
FAQs
Yes, it dries firm but not too crunchy. It holds up well for stacking and packaging.
Yes! Use gel food coloring for best results.
Honey or golden syrup may work, but the texture and drying time may change.
Absolutely. Add water to thin or powdered sugar to thicken. Always re-test with the drip method.
Use piping bags with fine tips for detailed work or larger tips for bulk coverage.
Ready to decorate like a pro without the hassle? Try this quick and easy royal icing recipe and turn your cookies into beautiful creations in minutes. Whether it’s for Christmas, birthdays, or everyday treats, this is your go-to icing.
Easy Royal Icing
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place the powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl and set it aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together warm water, light corn syrup, and vanilla or almond extract until the syrup is fully dissolved.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the powdered sugar and stir until the icing is completely smooth and combined.
- Check the consistency by letting some icing drizzle back into the bowl. It should disappear within about 12 seconds for flooding. Adjust with water or sugar as needed.
- Use immediately or store tightly covered for up to 1 day. Stir before using and re-check consistency.