This easy sugar cookie icing takes the intimidation out of traditional royal icing recipes. It can be made in one bowl (without a mixer!) and is the perfect recipe to quickly frost your holiday cookies. And much like traditional royal icing, this easy sugar cookie icing dries quickly and develops a hard crust without being crunchy. Show
Looking for a fluffier, spreadable icing? Try my Buttercream Christmas Cookie Frosting! Before you run the other way screaming, “I’M SCARED OF ROYAL ICING”, stick with me because friends, this recipe mimics the look of royal icing without all the finicky consistency problems that a lot of people have with it. In the past, I’ve never liked the overly sweet taste or hassle of royal icing but I’ve recently discovered that it just takes the right soft & thick sugar cookie recipe to balance out the taste. Because let’s face it, in order to achieve the best tasting sugar cookie icing, you need the best tasting cookie to go with it (and of course some delicious vanilla & almond extract!). Traditional Royal Icing vs. This Sugar Cookie Icing
What makes this sugar cookie icing recipe so great?
Tip: If you are looking to do highly detailed piping or use it as the “glue” for gingerbread houses, you will need a sugar cookie icing recipe that is a little stiffer than this one. For that, I recommend traditional royal icing. Or if you want to dip these instead of pipe, learn How to Make Icing with Icing Sugar and Water. Ingredients for Sugar Cookie Icing
Psst! For help achieving the perfect dark green frosting color for Christmas, check out: How To Make Dark Green Icing (5 Shades!). How to Make this Easy Sugar Cookie Icing RecipeStep 1: Measure Ingredients & MixMeasure out ingredients and pour into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir the sugar cookie icing for 1-2 minutes until it is smooth and glossy. When you start stirring, you may think it’s never going to work because it looks chunky but keep stirring and it will get smoother. IMPORTANT: It will be at the correct consistency when you drive a knife through the center and the “crease” closes up in 15 seconds. If it takes longer than 15 seconds, you need to add more water. If it takes shorter than 15 seconds, you need to add a little more powdered sugar. *** Watch video above for a full tutorial or scroll to see a short consistency clip *** Step 2: Add Food ColoringOnce smooth and glossy, mix in a tiny bit of food coloring as desired. If wanting to use multiple colors, this is when you will divide the icing into their own bowls before adding the color. Coloring Tip: If using gel food coloring, dip the tip of a toothpick into the gel. Then slide the toothpick through the icing. This will help you control the coloring and will prevent you from making the icing darker than you want. It’s surprising how just a TINY amount of food coloring will color your icing. Step 3: Test ConsistencyAfter adding the food coloring, your icing should be slightly runny, while still keeping its body. To test the consistency, use the spatula to drizzle some icing back into the bowl. The goal is that your icing ribbons will hold for 2-3 seconds before disappearing back into the icing. You can also test it out by scooping a circle onto a paper plate. If the circle quickly spreads beyond the circle, you’ll want to add more powdered sugar. The goal is that the icing is thick enough that it does not run over the edge of the cookie, but still thin enough so it melds together and creates a smooth finish. If icing is too thick, add 1/8 teaspoon of water until correct consistency. Note: Different climates and humidity levels can affect how dry the icing is, but this recipe can be adaptable by following the instructions above.
Step 4: Pour into Piping Bags or BottlesSpoon the icing into piping bags or squeeze bottles with #2 piping tips. Although harder to control, you can also spoon the sugar cookie icing into plastic ziploc bags and snip off one corner. Step 5: How to ice cut out sugar cookiesTo decorate, first outline each cookie with the icing. Once outlined, fill in the rest of the cookie with the icing and use a toothpick to help spread the icing and fill in any holes. Step 6: Eat or Store in Air-Tight ContainerEnjoy the cookies immediately OR allow the icing to harden for about 12 hours, uncovered. You do not need to cover the cookies while they’re hardening. Once hardened, package individually in treat bags or add to your homemade cookie trays. The cookies will stay soft for 4-5 days in an airtight container. Can decorated cookies be refrigerated?Because the icing is shelf-stable, there is no need to refrigerate the iced cookies. The iced cookies will stay soft for 4-5 days in an airtight container. I don’t typically recommend refrigerating these iced cookies because the icing tends to accumulate moisture and make your cookie look a bit wet. Can you freeze cookies decorated with this icing?I recommend waiting to ice the cookies until you’re a day or two from serving. In this case, bake the cookies and freeze unfrosted. When ready to decorate, allow the cookies to thaw at room temperature before decorating. (You can technically freeze the cookies frosted in an airtight container, but I’ve found that they are more prone to forming crystals on the top which gives the icing a blotchy look.) Once the icing is hardened, package individually in treat bags or add to your homemade cookie trays. The cookies will stay soft for 4-5 days in an airtight container. How do you store unused frosting?Because this uses shelf-stable ingredients (i.e. no dairy products), you can store the frosting at room temperature for a few days. Any longer than that, I like to store it in the fridge to keep fresh. When ready to use, let it come to room temperature, stir it back up, then frost your cookies. How to package iced cookies?If packaging in a plastic bag, I recommend letting the icing harden for up to 12 hours, uncovered. Once hardened, package in plastic bag. Can you substitute something for the corn syrup?If you want to make your sugar cookie icing without corn syrup, you can substitute honey instead. Just note that your cookies may not have the same smooth & shiny finish. Your icing won’t be bright white, which doesn’t matter as much if you’re planning to dye it with food coloring. For more ideas, check out my roundup of sugar cookie icing without corn syrup. Need a delicious cut out sugar cookie recipe to pair these with?As of recently, I’ve been loving using this recipe with my cut out sugar cookies. Depending on the size of your cookie cutter, simply adjust the baking time up or down a minute to accommodate size. I love making them super thick (about 3/8″ thick), making them super soft. This recipe has been working great for me in terms of minimal spreading when baking. Looking for a more “spreadable” Sugar Cookie Frosting?Try out my favorite cream cheese buttercream sugar cookie frosting. Or for a more pipeable frosting, try my sugar cookie buttercream frosting (I’ve also got a Christmas Cookie Frosting color guide using this recipe!). More icing & frosting recipes:
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Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you. Yield: This recipe makes enough frosting to decorate about 2 dozen cookies, depending on the size. Sugar Cookie Recipes: My current favorite is this one. Coloring Tip: If using gel food coloring, squeeze a drop of food coloring onto a paper plate. Then take a toothpick and dip it into the droplet. Then, dip the toothpick into the icing. This will help you control the coloring and will prevent you from making the icing darker than you want. It's surprising how just a TINY amount of food coloring will color your icing. Corn Syrup: Karo brand works best, as cheaper brands can sometimes have trouble setting. Corn Syrup Substitute: If you do not wish to use corn syrup, you can substitute honey instead. Just note that your cookies may not have the same smooth & shiny finish. Your icing won't be bright white, which doesn't matter as much if you're planning to dye it with food coloring. Make-Ahead/Freezer Tips: I recommend waiting to ice the cookies until you're a day or two from serving. In this case, bake the cookies and freeze unfrosted. When ready to decorate, allow the cookies to thaw at room temperature before decorating. (You can technically freeze the cookies frosted in an airtight container, but I've found that they are more prone to forming crystals on the top which gives the icing a blotchy look.) Calories: 44kcal Sodium: 13mg Carbohydrates: 11g Sugar: 11g |