Royal Icing Recipe
Whip up the perfect royal icing every time! This easy recipe is smooth, glossy, and ideal for decorating cookies, cakes, and more. Whether you’re piping intricate designs or flooding your cookies, this royal icing will give your treats that flawless, professional look.
Servings 32 tbsp
Calories 46kcal
Equipment
- Mixer
Ingredients
- 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tbsp meringue powder or 2 large pasteurized egg whites
- 5 tbsp water 5-6 tbsp
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the confectioner’s sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl.
- Add the water, a tablespoon at a time while beating on medium speed, with an electric mixer until the icing is thick and glossy, 5–7 minutes.
- Fold in the vanilla, if using.
Notes
Adjust the icing to the perfect consistency: add a few drops of water at a time for flooding or outlining, or mix in more confectioner’s sugar for stiffer icing ideal for fine details.
Transfer to piping bags and decorate cooled cookies. Allow icing to dry completely before stacking or storing.
When using vanilla - opt for artificial vanilla (which is clear) if you want to keep the icing bright white. If you use pure vanilla extract, it will tint the icing, and it will have a cream or off-white color.
This recipe yields about 2 cups of icing.
For cookies: About 20–25 standard-sized cookies can be iced with this amount.
For cupcakes: Roughly 12–18 cupcakes with a thin layer of icing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 46kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 0.1g | Sodium: 0.1mg | Sugar: 11g | Calcium: 0.1mg