Royal Icing Recipe

I’m so excited to share my Royal Icing recipe with you! But before I get to my recipe, let me tell you a few things I’ve learned along the way that I wish I’d known 10 years ago when I made my first batch of Royal Icing (RI).

Royal icing is like a moody teenager. It’s unpredictable and acts in ways that sometimes are hard to understand. Now, I’m not telling you this to discourage you; on the contrary, I’m telling you this because sometimes things don’t turn out perfectly. It happens to everyone regardless of skill level, so don’t give up! Thankfully, you don’t need a perfect Royal Icing to create the perfect cookies. Below are some tips that might help you better understand and avoid rookie mistakes. 

Oils on your RI are a NO. Ensure your bowl and utensils are washed thoroughly with hot water and a good dish soap. When in doubt, you can wipe things down with lemon juice or white vinegar to ensure they are grease-free. This applies to flavors, too. Read the ingredients and ensure they do not contain any oil. If your RI never dries completely and feels tacky to the touch, oil might be the culprit.

A humid environment isn’t ideal for working with RI. So, if you live in a highly humid area and want to take your cookie journey to the next level, you might want to consider investing in a dehumidifier. You can still make beautifully decorated cookies, but they might take longer to dry, or you might find that you get a few more craters on your icing. I like working in an environment with 35-45% humidity. If you like, purchase a humidity meter or gauge and leave the guesswork out.

Using a dehydrator is a great option to help dry your decorated cookies. I know dehydrators are an investment, and it’s okay to not be ready to purchase one. So, a fan can be another great option to help dry your decorated cookies. The fan doesn’t work as well as a dehydrator, but it’s still a good option.

And last but not least, “all roads lead to Rome.” Different recipes, ingredients, mixing times, flavors, or techniques can achieve great results. This is what works for me, but something different works great for someone else. Also, don’t compare yourself to others. Your cookies will turn out great. Royal Icing is great to work with; it really doesn’t need to be perfect.

Before jumping into the recipe, some words will make your Royal Icing journey a little easier, and if I’m being honest, I would have loved to know before making my first batch of Royal Icing.

• Royal Icing: It’s the most commonly used icing for sugar cookie decorating and has a smooth and hard texture when it dries. Royal Icing makes it perfect for creating intricate designs. Plus, you can add your touch of creativity by coloring and flavoring the icing to your liking. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced decorator, royal icing is a great choice to give your cookies a professional and polished look.

• Icing Sugar/Powdered Sugar/Confectioners’ Sugar: Finely ground sugar, a key ingredient in Royal Icing. Not only does it dissolve easily, but it also creates a smooth and creamy texture that will satisfy your sweet tooth.

• Egg Whites: Are used to achieve a smooth texture. However, some prefer meringue powder or pasteurized egg whites for safety reasons. You can still enjoy the same texture with these alternatives without any risk of consuming raw eggs.

• Meringue Powder: Meringue Powder is a mixture of pasteurized egg whites and sugar, perfect for whipping up some tasty royal icing. And the best part? You won’t have to worry about any risks of salmonella from raw eggs! 

• Piping Consistency: Getting the perfect consistency is crucial in creating beautiful designs. That’s where piping consistency comes into play! It’s all about finding the proper thickness of icing that works best for outlining and adding those intricate details that make your baked creations stand out.

• Flood Consistency: When you’re decorating sugar cookies, flood consistency is your go-to for filling in large areas between outlines. It’s thinner and smoother, so it flows effortlessly on your creation. Just be careful to make it manageable, or it might spread beyond the area you want to cover.

• Sifting: Is a great way to achieve that if you want your sugar cookies to have a smooth and uniform texture! All you need to do is pass your powdered sugar through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps or impurities.

• Stiff Peaks: Be sure to beat the icing until it reaches the stage of stiff peaks. That’s a fancy way of saying that the icing should hold its shape when you lift the beaters and not droop. This is super important because it means that your icing has reached the perfect consistency for spreading and will give your finished product a beautiful texture and appearance.

• Soft Peaks: It’s a special stage in beating royal icing where the peaks formed by the beaters are soft and slightly bent over. This type of icing is perfect for creating flexible decorations that require a softer texture. Soft peaks may seem small, but they’re super important in making the perfect royal icing.

• Gel Food Coloring: Gel food coloring doesn’t mess with the icing consistency by adding too much moisture, like liquid food coloring can do. Gel colors don’t affect the texture of your icing. So, whether you’re a pro baker or love to decorate sugar cookies as a hobby, gel food coloring is a great choice to help you achieve picture-perfect results every time!

• Tipless Bags: These disposable piping bags are super convenient because they don’t require a separate tip – the bag itself is the tip. You can apply royal icing directly onto your sugar cookies without fuss or mess. With tipless bags, you’ll have more control over the flow and amount of frosting. You can toss the bags in the trash when you’re done, so there’s no need to worry about cleaning them.