This is my favorite royal icing recipe. Truth be told, it's the only royal icing recipe I've ever used and I love it - so why fix it if it ain't broke? That's what my Mama has always said anyway.
Truth be told, after I gave this recipe a try and realized how easy and reliable it was, I never really had a reason to explore other recipes.
But while the recipe is not broken, the post where I shared it needed a face-lift. I wrote up and shared the the recipe back when I'd only made cookies once or twice - and I was very un-skilled with royal icing. Who am I kidding? I'm still pretty un-skilled, but my photography has improved at least a little bit 😉
I still haven't made a ton of cookies - cakes are "my thing" - but I have improved my skills with royal icing and cookie decorating so it seemed like a great time to write a better post. With yummier pictures.
These days I make all of my frosting and cake batters in my Bosche mixer, but the royal icing still gets made in my 10+ year old Kitchenaid with my SideSwipe Blades (love those things!!). My 18 year old son makes all cookie dough and royal icing for me and since he prefers that mixer - who am I to argue?
Back to the icing... doesn't that look good enough to lick right off the mixer blade? Wait - is that just me? I haven't done it (ahem) but I'm just saying... it looks really good, huh!?
If you want to see this frosting in action, probably my very best tutorial using it is this one where I make Simple Dinosaur Cookies.
Anyway... enough about spoon linkin'... here's the recipe for you:
PrintRecipe
Royal Icing Recipe
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Icing for 20 3" cookies 1x
Description
This royal icing is perfect for cookie decorating!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons of Meringue Powder*
- 3 ½ Tablespoons of water
- ½ pound of powdered sugar (sifted, if needed)
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon light corn syrup
- A few drops of clear extract (I used vanilla... you could use almond, lemon, etc.)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the meringue powder and 3 ½ tablespoons of water.
- Beat with a mixer until it's foamy.
- Add in the powder sugar, mix slowly until combined. I should note here that I used Great Value powdered sugar from Walmart and I never sift it. However, I've bought other brands that did need sifting. If you're unsure - sift!!
- Add the corn syrup and any extract, if desired.
- Increase speed to high and beat for around 5 minutes, until you get stiff glossy peaks.
- Do not overbeat!
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap - make sure it touches the icing or the icing will harden!
- *I really prefer Americolor Meringue Powder or CK Products Meringue Powder.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
If you have any questions, leave me a comment and if not... save enough frosting for the cookies!
How to Make Simple Dinosaur Cookies
karen
dumb question but new here what is scant water thank you
Rose Atwater
No dumb questions!! A scant cup is just a smidge less than full - it's not really a technical term!
Teresa
Do you know how the 1/2# sugar corresponds to a cup measurement? I suppose I could measure out the 1# box & then divide it?
Rose Atwater
It's a little under 2 cups (approximately 1 7/8 cup).
Heather Johnson
Do you ever have problems with your icing getting white sploches a few days after it hardens? I go through all the work to make beautiful cookies then the do that!! Frustrating to say the least. What am I doing wrong?
Rose Atwater
I used to have that happen and I asked Bridget from Bakeat350 (my go-to cookie queen!)about it. She says that white spots are water droplets where the icing was not completely mixed well with the water. As soon as she told me that and I started making sure I mixed in my water very, VERY well, I stopped having that issue! Hope that helps! 🙂
Heather Johnson
Thanks Rose!! I'm going to MIX WELL this time!! 🙂
naris
I wonder what is scant water? really dont understand it, please help me
thank you
naris
Susan at RoseBakes.com
Hi naris! Thanks for stopping by the blog! Scant just means a very little amount. When you're thinning your Royal Icing, you just want to add little amounts at a time or it can go from thick to soupy very quickly! Hope that helps!
Terry
Hi Rose, I'm not experienced with Royal icing at all and really want to start working with it a little at the time. First, do you have an easy recipe for a small amount of royal so if I mess it up I'm not throwing away so much money in ingredients? Also what would your best tips be for royal. I think I'm intimidated by it.
Rose Atwater
Hi Terry, Honestly, I don't do a whole lot of cookies and I really don't feel confident enough to give out tips. I'd highly recommend reading over at Bakeat350.com or The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle for cookie expertise!
Brenda
Is this royal icing recipe what I would use to make roses and other flowers with?
Thanks, your are awesome!
Rose Atwater
Well... it depends on what you mean. You can use this to make flowers, but they usually look different that most traditional piped flowers that are done with buttercream.
Pat
Rose I have 2 grandchildren who do not like buttercream or fondant icing but they do like glacé icing so I assume they would like your royal icing is it suitable to put straight on top and aroind the side of a Victoria sponge please
Rose
I've never tried it so I'm just not sure how it would do on a whole cake.
Pat
thank you I will try it when we next make cookies and I will make some cupcakes and try it on those to see how it goes love your recipes
Rose
Thank you! Best of luck!
Anita
Hi Rose, what purpose does the corn syrup have in the royal icing?
Rose
It makes it glossy.
Paula Guillot
Hi Rose,
Thanks for all the lovely tips you share with us! You are amazing! I haven't done decorated sugar cookies but I'm fixing to try it with the help of your tutorials 🙂
What is the best way to charge for cookies? I was entirely too cheap on my cakes until I read your blog a couple of years ago, now thankfully I still make cakes and make a little profit as well.
Rose
I still struggle with cookie pricing, but my minimum is $2 each for decorated cookies and then I go up from there based on size, number of colors, difficulty, etc. There's a good guide here: http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2012/11/cookie-pricing-chart/
Paula
Thank you so much Rose, that is a great read! I truly appreciate you and have learned so much from you.
Mary
Is gel food coloring better to use than liquid? What's the best process to use for using different colors in one batch? Thanks!
Rose
I never EVER use liquid anymore. The gel is so much more concentrated and better quality! Also, it takes so much more of it to alter the consistency of your icing. If I'm doing different colors, I just scoop out however much I need into a small bowl and mix the color needed, then place it into a piping bag.
Janet Vinyard
Hi Rose, Thanks for sharing a good recipe for Royal Icing! Happy Holidays! Blessings, Janet
Rose
Thank you Janet - Merry Christmas to you!
Megan
I can in no way call myself a baker, but I am obsessed with the idea of perfectly iced cookies. I will give this recipe a shot! #MerryMonday
Gena Price
Hello, your work is GORGEOUS! Do you happen to have a link on mixing the gel colors into the royal icing and a how-to on assembling the piping bags? Thank you,
Gena Price
Rose
I'm sorry, I don't. 🙁
Danielle
I love this recipe!! Question though! Is there a way to make this chocolate?
Thank you..
Danielle
Haha.. this question was for the rolled sugar cookies.. hehe!! Sorry
Rose
I'm not sure about making this recipe chocolate, but I have a recipe for Brownie Roll Out Cookies that's fantastic!!
Sherrill
Rose could you please tell me what I should use for roses .I have made fondant flowers but I want to make the icing ones but the butter cream I used was way too soft. Thank you.
rhonda
Hi Rose.. just a couple questions that hopefully you can answer for me.. I have an issue with flooding royal icing.. I just cant seem to get the consistency correct. Do you have a tutorial on it? I have watched a couple different ones but its been really hard to tell what it actually looks like..I use wilton meringue powder because that is what is most available to me. Also I want to start trying to learn string work/ bridging ect.. Will meringue powder recipes hold up to this task.. Someone once told me it wont..:( Thanks for your time.. By the way I love your work..
Rose
Rhonda - I wish I could help but I am not a cookie expert. I still struggle with getting my consistency right every single time I do cookies.
Rifhan Mohsin
Hi Rose,is it possible for me to use egg whites as a replacement for the meringue powder.It’s hard to find the meringue powder in my town.Thanks
Rose
I'm sure there are recipes out there using egg whites but I haven't ever made it that way so I wouldn't be able to give a solid answer on that!
Sandra
Where do u purchase meringue powder?
Rose
You can buy it at Walmart, or a cake supply store or even on Amazon (find it here).
Trina
Hi Rose,
This is my first time making wedding dress cookies (actually any sugar cookies) and the cookies came out so yummy and kept their shape! Thank you! Now I have to frost them and I am such a newbie that I don't understand the difference between the stiff frosting and the flooding. Do I use the stiff to outline the dress and then thin the frosting with water to flood the body of the dress?
Nancy
Hi Rose,
The answer is most likely right in front of me but, what size tip did you use to flood the wedding dress cookies?
Thank you,
Nancy
Rose
Hey Nancy - it's been awhile so I'm not 100% sure but I usually use a #3 or #4.
Dora
I will do it thanks
Mayling
Can I use this recipe to make royal icing roses?
Rose
Yes!
Ummy Alqaly
Can i use recipe to make Homemade Sprinkles?
Vicki
My first time making Royal icing I though it hold better butter icing can't wait try it out