The Best Royal Icing Recipe

Written by Camille Published on July 7, 2020 Updated on May 13, 2024

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The sweetest, most addicting royal icing you will ever taste! Say goodbye to gross, fake tasting royal icing that resembles cement more than a sweet treat. Flavored with vanilla, butter, and almond, this recipe smells just as good it tastes.

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As for the texture, it ranges from fluffy to smooth. The texture depends on how thick or thin it is. Overall, it has a very silky and creamy feel when fresh and a clean but soft snap when it dries on a cookie.

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Back in my wedding cake days, royal icing was part of the weekly routine. But I have to say, royal icing is easier to work with now than it was 11 years ago. That is largely in part to experience, knowledge, and a lot of practice!

Don’t panic though. You don’t have to have any experience to work with royal icing. I have taught several royal icing classes, and most students have little or no experience at all.

Does everyone get it perfect the first time? No!

Do they have fun? Yes!

I always tell my students that practice makes perfect, so don’t sweat it if your cookies or royal icing don’t turn out like a professional’s the first time around.

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How to Make Good Royal Icing

This recipe is best if you use cold egg whites. The whites foam and whip up much better than room temperature whites, which makes your icing and your life easier in the kitchen! You will always have superior icing if you use egg whites over meringue powder.
Say goodbye to meringue powder! I know long ago meringue powder was the way to go, but not anymore. Meringue powder doesn’t make as fluffy of an icing, and I find that it gets far more air bubbles when piped, making more work for you when decorating cookies and cakes.
Also, icing made with meringue tastes more “fake” for some reason. I don’t know about you, but I like my food to taste the best it possibly can, especially if I am going to go through all the effort of making icing, decorating with it, and patiently waiting for it to dry so it can be devoured. Quality ALWAYS matters.

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Flavor is EVERYTHING when it comes to royal icing! The number one thing students say is how delicious this icing tastes. It doesn’t resemble the royal icing cookies you get at the store in any way. The icing is light and sweet, and I have never met a person who doesn’t like it!
This royal icing takes no more than 5 minutes to whip up once the powdered sugar is in the bowl. Add the powdered sugar 1 pound at a time, and turn your mixer on low to start so that the powdered sugar doesn’t explode out of the bowl.
You will need to add water, but how much varies each time. If your egg whites have more water content, you will not need as much water. If it is humid where you live, then you won’t need as much water.
Have 1/2 a cup of water ready, and add a tablespoon at a time and then a teaspoon at a time when the icing gets lighter and fluffier. Your icing should hold stiff peaks when done.
If your mixer sounds like it is being overworked, add a few teaspoons of water at a time until the icing loosens up. You should hear a change in the motor of your mixer when it is not straining anymore.

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Questions You Might Have About Making the Best Royal Icing

Q: You recipe calls for an Emulsion. What is an emulsion?
A: Great question! An emulsion is a flavoring that doesn’t contain alcohol, allowing the flavor to stay more concentrated. When you use flavorings with alcohol (extracts), especially for baked goods, some of the flavor is lost as the alcohol evaporates during the baking process. In royal icing, this isn’t as much of an issue because we don’t bake the icing, but the flavor is really nice.
Q: Can I use extracts instead?
A: Yes! If you can’t find emulsions in your area, then extracts will work as well.
Q: Can I use pasteurized egg whites?
A: Yes you can. If you are worried about using raw egg whites, use pasteurized instead. This is a great option.
Q: Is it safe to use raw egg whites?
A: There is always a risk when using raw eggs, however small it might be. With that being said, use egg whites at your own discretion. You know you and your comfort level, so do what works for you. From my understanding, there isn’t really much of a risk in eating royal icing once it has dried out, but again, there is still a slight risk. You can still use meringue powder for this recipe, but it won’t be quite as well.
Q: How do I use royal icing?
A: Great question! You can use it to ice cookies, cakes, and make decorations. There are 2 general consistencies: piping and flooding. Piping is the outlining icing, and flooding is what fills the cookie.

For more info on royal icing sugar cookies, check out my Ultimate Guide to Royal Icing Cookies. It has tons of helpful information!

What do I Need to Make Royal Icing Cookies?

All of the tools listed below are tools I use every time I decorate. Seriously, I don’t know how I would decorate without them!

Tipless bags and tip clips are essential! They are amazing for flooding cookies.
Clips to close the tops of the icing bags
A few scribe tools help greatly with smoothing the icing and covering edges.
#1 and #2 tips for piping outlines and detail work.
Disposable piping bags and couplers
Gel food coloring – the best is Americolor gel
A heater fan for drying royal icing
A small Lazy susan to make icing the cookies easier! This is a must-have!

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Author: Camille
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: Icing for 3–4 dozen cookies 1x

Ingredients

UnitsScale

4 large egg whites, cold
2 lbs. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp butter emulsion (or butter flavoring)
1/4 tsp almond emulsion (or almond extract)
Cold Water
Gel food coloring (Americolor)

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Instructions

Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip egg whites until foamy but still runny. Add half of the powdered sugar to the egg whites and mix on low so a sugar cloud doesn’t form in the air.
Add vanilla, butter emulsion, and almond emulsion. Add remaining powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of water.
Scrape sides of bowl and mix powdered sugar in completely. Turn mixer on highest setting, and add water a little at a time. If the icing looks like cement or is causing your mixer to sound strained, add more water a tablespoon at a time.
The icing will turn light and fluffy like marshmallow fluff if it has enough moisture. Be careful not to add too much water though because it is difficult to make the icing thicker again.
Icing should hold a stiff or semi-stiff peak when it is done.Thin out the icing for flooding cookies, but be sure to leave enough for piping outlines.
Refrigerate icing for up to a week, making sure it is completely sealed so that it does not dry out.
Rewhip icing after it has been in the fridge for more than a day so that it regains its full texture and body.

12 Comments

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Annie
December 8, 2023 at 11:19 am ·Reply

Hello! Thank you for posting this recipe ? my daughter and I have wanted to use royal icing to decorate cutout cookies for years and was super excited with I came across this post.
I am a bit confused because I’m your blog you state that it is best to use cold egg whites. However, once I got to the recipe, the first ingredient lists egg whites at room temperature.
Can you clarify this for me?
Thank you ??
- Camille
  December 11, 2023 at 1:16 pm ·Reply
  
  Hi Annie,
  I updated that info in the recipe! It should say cold egg whites 🙂 Sorry for the typo, and thank you for asking!
Camille
December 11, 2023 at 1:18 pm ·Reply

Hi Andrea,
It should say “cold egg whites.” I just updated the error. So sorry for the confusion!
Lisa
January 17, 2024 at 10:51 am ·Reply

Can I freeze this royal icing? If so for how long would you say?
- Camille
  January 17, 2024 at 12:46 pm ·Reply
  
  Hi Lisa, yes you can freeze royal icing for up to 3 months as long as it’s wrapped well and is in an airtight container. After thawing, mixing it in your mixer again to bring the texture back to where it needs to be.
Doreen
May 30, 2024 at 7:05 am ·Reply

Do these cookies freeze well once set?
- Camille
  May 30, 2024 at 9:15 am ·Reply
  
  Hi Doreen, yes, they freeze well for 1-2 months once iced and set.

Welcome to the Society

Hi, I’m Camille! I'm a professionally trained pastry chef with a passion for food travel, all things French, and teaching others how baking works in my baking program. I spend my days raising 3 amazing kids while baking, instructing, and planning my next food travel adventure!

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