Royal Icing Recipe for Decorating Cookies

Comments

June Kickham - February 24, 2025

Hi there! I was told to make sure that my mixing bowl does not have the slight bit of fat in it at all and to wipe out the bowl with either lemon juice or vinegar to make sure if there is any that either of those 2 items would cut the fat or butter residue that may be in the bowl. What are your thoughts on this matter? I made Royal icing one time with perfect results and the second time, disaster!! Don’t know what I did wrong. And when you say don’t over beat it, how do I know how to prevent this or how much is too much or just enough?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi June! Not going to lie…we never prep our mixing bowl in any special way for making royal icing! If we were making meringues, yes—royal icing, no. If, however, you notice that you have oil or grease buildup inside your bowl, then sure—prep away!

If you are following our icing recipe, one good visual sign that you are reaching the right consistency is when the off-white color of the original mixture starts to turn bright white. Turn the mixer off, scrape down the bowl (there’s usually still some at the bottom that needs additional mixing), and mix some more until everything is incorporated. Our recipe makes a stiff, bright white icing. You can see the final result you’re looking for in the video above. I hope this helps!

Deb - December 26, 2024

This is the Royal Icing recipe I have been looking for. I have been through no fewer than 7 different recipes and was never happy with the outcome (some didn’t dry, some cracked, some tasted horrible). Someone commented that they ended up with marshmallow fluff – I did too. Pretty sure it is my merengue powder that I use. I added some additional clear vanilla, a little almond extract and a lot of water to get the consistency that I could work with (I want to say I was close to 1/2 cup water between my piping consistency for edges and then thinning for flooding). My flooding looked like ice (that was a first) and it set very quickly. I want to say it was dry in under an hour. I could not be happier with the taste and appearance. I did use the recommended lemon juice to cut the sweet and I liked how that worked.

Sally Torres - August 19, 2024

Can you stencil on this cookie with the corn syrup in this royal icing?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Absolutely!

Lisa - July 3, 2024

Can you store unused icing for future use?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Lisa! Absolutely, you can! Please see our other blog, Royal Icing Storage Tips and Timeframes. Have fun!

Siobhan - March 28, 2024

Hi there. Please help – my icing seems to look “old”. How do you make yours look so shiney ?

(Love your tutorials 💛. Thanks for sharing them for free 😀)
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Siobhan! If your icing is drying matte and you want it to be shiny instead, you can do a few things. One, add corn syrup to your recipe if it’s not already in there. Two, make sure you aren’t overmixing your icing, which can result in changing the texture. And three, get your icing to dry faster. For this third option, you can either aim a fan over your flooded cookies to speed up crusting and drying, or you can invest in a dehydrator; pop your cookies in on the lowest setting for 10-20 minutes, and your icing will dry nice and shiny. Whether you use a fan or a dehydrator, though, make sure it is dedicated only for your cookie use—you don’t want a dusty old fan blowing dust particles all over your wet flood, or cookies that taste like beef jerkey lol. Good luck!

Anonymous - March 13, 2024

Hi Dot! Make sure there are no heaters or fans near your decorating area that may be causing the icing to dry more quickly than usual. You can also decrease the amount of meringue powder in your icing. Good luck!

Alma - January 24, 2024

Hello dear, I’m throwing a Decorating Cookies party for my daughter. I was wondering if I can add food coloring to this recipe? Thanks so much!

If anyone else knows the answer to my question please feel free to share your advice.

Sincerely,

A mom – wannabe baker
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Alma! Sure you can! Have fun!

bubbieone - November 22, 2023

how come the video shows butter extract , but the recipe does not. Just made my first batch, and so far it looks like a great recipe. I did not have the butter extract in it. What does it do, just in case I want to try it next time?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
A vanilla-butter extract is an optional flavor-boost to this icing recipe. You can certainly leave it out if you don’t have it, but adding one teaspoon of this extract can bring the flavor of the icing to the next level. Enjoy!

Maria - November 20, 2023

Can you taste the lemon in the icing?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
It’s a subtle lemon flavor, but you can increase or decrease that to your taste 😊

Becca - November 17, 2023

I’ve never made it with the corn syrup. Does it still dry hard and allow you to stack the cookies if needed?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Becca! Yes, this icing recipe does dry hard enough for you to stack your cookies. The corn syrup just gives the icing a slightly softer bite than typical hard royal icing. I hope this helps!