Good royal icing recipes are hard to come by, let alone magical ones. Treat your treats to this sublime icing recipe, passed down through generations of mythical fairies.
For a FREE, sharable, printable version: click here.
An alternate version was submitted and accepted on They Draw & Cook, which you can find here.
For instructions on finding icing consistency for cookie decorating, click here.
Thanks to my amazing designer/art director Arthur Kononuk, for creating this adorable illustrated recipe and intro for me! I love it and hope you do too.
Update; the word meringue in step one has been misspelled, so I’ve corrected the printable version, but have left the original up in this post, in case replacing it would break the links on Pinterest.
xo,
Marian
p.s. I linked this post up to Tidy Mom’s I’m Lovin’ It.
coco says
Hi! Great blog…..I was just wondering when would you use royal icing for cookies and when buttercream would be more appropriate? Thanks so much!
Chris says
In New Zealand, we don’t have the product ‘meringue powder’. Can I substitute raw egg whites and if so, how many?
marian says
@ Chris: Here is a post on royal icing made with egg whites: https://sweetopia.net/2011/12/gingerbread-house-royal-icing-video-kitchenaid-7-quart-mixer-giveaway/ Just put 1 tsp of cream of tartar instead.
Hi @ DiAnne: Haven’t measured exactly in cups, but my guess is about 3-4 cups.
@ coco: If you’d like to package your cookies in cellophane bags and give as favours, royal icing is the way to go. Buttercream is a different look altogether as well… generally thicker, while RI dries smooth and flat. Hope that helps.
Lizzy Steele says
Great website — my royal icing doesn’t look shinny like yours — what am I doing wrong 🙁
marian says
@ Lizzy Steele: Here's a post on it. https://sweetopia.net/2011/11/gluten-free-coconut-cupcakes-with-coconut-frosting-shiny-royal-icing/ xo
Katty says
If there any problem if I don’t use creme of tartar? It’s too dificult find it where I live 🙁 Can I use another ingredient? What another ingredient can I use for? thank you so much, I love swwetopia! 🙂
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Hi @ Katty:
It’s not a big deal if you take it out. It just helps the icing stabilize/set a bit.
Kristin says
Hi Marian! I have been decorating cookies for years using royal icing. However, for awhile now, I have been having a really annoying problem with it. Whenever I go to pipe on decorations (such as dots and outlines), I notice little tiny holes in the icing as it dries. It doesn’t necessarily crumble, but the outline will dry with little holes in it. I’ve noticed that it tends to happen more with white icing and with bigger tips. When I make my royal icing, I make it to a flood consistency first and then go back and add powdered sugar to make it to a piping consistency. Here is the royal icing recipe I use:
4 C powdered sugar
3 tbsp. meringue powder
3/4 cup water
I also use a hand mixer because I haven’t always liked how the stand-up mixer worked. I haven’t had any other issues with the icing except for this. Can you offer any advice? Thanks so much!!
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Hi @ Kristin:
Do they look like these?
https://sweetopia.net/2010/02/part-2-how-to-prevent-air-bubbles-in-royal-icing/
Jana says
Hi Marian! How long can you keep RI and do you store in the refrigerator or freezer? Thanks!
marian says
Hi there @ Jana! Abosolutely! If you look in my tutorial section under ‘Icing’, there is a post with the title, “How do you store royal icing and how long can you keep it?”
Mariana says
Hi Marian! Thanks for such great tutorials! How much food gel coloring should go into the mix? Xoxo
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Hi @ Mariana: That’s going to depend on how deep you’d like the color to be. A drop or two for pastels, a lot for deep colors such as black. (There’s a tutorial on coloring icing black in the tutorial section). xo
Heather says
Hi Marian! I just found your blog and have been watching your videos on Youtube. I don’t have a stand mixer only my hand mixer, will I mix the icing for 10 minutes also with the hand mixer?
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Hi @ Heather: Yes, the hand mixer works, it just takes a little more work and incorporates more air. Make sure you watch the video on icing consistency (10 second rule) to find a good decorating consistency. Have fun!
Brittney Chamlee says
You are truly an inspiration! I have a royal icing recipe that has been passed down in my family but it uses raw eggs instead of meringue powder. Do you advise against this if selling the cookies?
eveline says
hi marian..
do you have any advice? because i don’t have meringue powder.it’s difficult to fnd it in my country 🙁
or do you have icing sugar recipe with an egg white?
marian says
I really can’t answer that… @ Brittney Chamlee, I’m sorry. Personally, I’ve done the research and seen that the incidents of people getting sick from royal icing made with egg whites is nil. That being said, maybe the information isn’t on the internet, and it’s still a possibility. I would probably stay away from it just in case and use it for home use only.
@ eveline: Here it is: https://sweetopia.net/2011/12/gingerbread-house-royal-icing-video-kitchenaid-7-quart-mixer-giveaway/
Mari Mcdade says
Hi Marian,
I was wondering if i could mix the royal icing by hand because i don’t own a big mixer yet. If so, can you please tell me how long to mix for and what consistency to watch out for??? Thank you so much!
With thanks,
Mari McDade
jeanne carmack says
hi marion-i have made sugar cookies for years now and was intrigued by your recipe. Everything you do is so profiessional. I have made it a few times now and have found it to be very fragile. If one cookie touches another cookie, the frosting usually gets damaged. Is this normal? Thanks so much. jeanne
Ana says
Hola Marian tu página es muy útil e interesante, explicas muy bien tus recetas, tus creaciones son hermosas. Muchas gracias Ana
marian says
Hi @ Mari Mcdade: I would mix it for the same amount of time and check out my video on finding the right royal icing consistency to see what you need for flooding cookies. I always have to thin my icing out anyways… You might have to thin it less as the hand held mixer is less powerful. It does incorporate a little more air though, so you might have a few more air bubbles.
Hi @ jeanne carmack: Absolutely, would you mind sharing a few more details please? Do you mean after all the cookies are decorated and dried, the frosting gets damaged when a few cookies touch? If so, I’m guessing it’s one of two things… the icing isn’t dry yet, and/or you’re decorating in a humid environment where the icing can’t dry fully. If the latter is the case, I suggest letting them dry in a room with a dehumidifier and A/C and see what happens. Hope that helps!
mary says
THANK YOU!!! This is the 5th recipe for cookie icing I have tried, and by FAR the BEST!! Now I just need to work on my straight line skills 🙂
Marian (Sweetopia) says
@ mary: Yay! So glad to hear it! Have fun piping. 🙂
Sarah says
Hi Marian!
I love your page and I would really like to try your royal icing recipe, however where I live meringue powder is quite expensive and not easy to find Could I substitute it for powdered egg whites which seem to be more readily available, and if so would I use the same amount?
Thanks!
marian says
Hi @ Sarah: I’m not 100% sure personally, as I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard others here and there in the comment sections say it works. As far as I remember, yes the same amount, and add some vanilla for taste.
Another option is icing made with egg whites. There’s a recipe in this post if you like: https://sweetopia.net/2011/12/gingerbread-house-royal-icing-video-kitchenaid-7-quart-mixer-giveaway/
Mimi urreiztieta says
How long will the cookies keep fresh after iced and how long can u keep and use royal icing after u make it
Meredith says
So many gorgeous cookies and helpful tips! Thank you. I will be making tiny acorn-shaped gingerbread cookies as party favors next week. I’d like to sandwich them together with royal icing. Your preferred method for drying the icing is to leave a frosted cookie at room temp for 6-24 hours, and you mention that the icing will seal in the cookie’s freshness as it dries. But in the case of a sandwich cookie, won’t the top cookie dry out as the icing between the cookies dries? Should I still wait several hours after icing before putting the cookies in cellophane bags?
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Hi @ Mimi urreiztieta: This post is for you: https://sweetopia.net/2012/02/how-long-do-decorated-cookies-stay-fresh-what-is-the-shelf-life-of-decorated-cookies/
@ Meredith: To make sure I understand what you’re saying; you’re going to decorate acorn cookies, let those dry, then put icing on the back side of one acorn, and stick another acorn cookie to it.
If that’s what you’re doing, no worries, no the cookies won’t dry out and yes, you should wait several hours after icing to put in bags or the bags will warp the icing.
Lidia says
meringue powder in italy i don’t find… please send me ^^ i pay you ^^
kiss from italy!
i love your sweet cookies…..
isra says
hi marian,
i dont have meringue available from where i live.. how many eggs should i use to substitute 5tbps of meringue powder?
Natasha says
Hi
How would you half the RI recipe?
I want to try a test batch first and don’t want to necessarily make all this icing?
Marian (Sweetopia) says
HI @ Lidia: I’m sorry I don’t sell the meringue powder as I’m not a store, but amazon is good, Golda’s kitchen ships worldwide too. Thank you for your sweet comments!
@ isra: Here is a recipe with egg whites… just take out the cream of tartar if you don’t have it, or just put 1 tsp:
https://sweetopia.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Classic-Royal-Icing-Made-with-Egg-Whites.pdf
@ Natasha: You can do just that, follow all the same steps with half the amount of ingredients. xo
Norma says
I just came across your website and I am really excited to see if I can TRY to make these type of cookies.. Do you have any suggestions for a rookie who wants to try and make these sugar cookies and use royal icing!!
marian says
Absolutely, @ Norma! I don’t know about you, but I learn best by seeing… I have videos on my YouTube page (yellow circle, top right of blog to click through), which would probably be helpful for you. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
ranto says
Hi Marian, first, i hope you will understand my question because i’m french, and my english is so baaaad!!! i love your website, and thank you for sharing all your tips and recipes . I really want to try your royal icing recipe, but i don’t have a mixer with a paddle at home, so can i use my 5-speed hand mixer? french kisses ….
marian says
Hi @ ranto: Yes you can use your hand mixer. It will be a bit hard on the motor over time, because the icing gets quite thick, but you can do it. Once the icing has been mixed for 10 minutes you do need to thin it out again to get the right consistency for decorating. (I have a youtube video on finding the consistency). If you don’t mix for 10 mins the texture is not as nice.
Also, because you are mixing with the beaters, there will be a little more air in the icing, but that’s okay too, you can still decorate. You may get a few more air bubbles.
marian says
P.s. @ ranto: Thank you so much for your kind and lovely comments! 🙂
Lisa says
Hi Marian! I’m a beginner at baking and a total clutz, but I just LOVE your videos and recipes. Halloween is coming up and I wanted to frost some cookies for my friends with the royal icing recipe. The only problem is that I don’t own a stand mixer. I was wondering if I could mix the icing by hand and how long it would take. I love Sweetopia!
Love and Kisses
marian says
HI @ Lisa: Yes, you can, it’s just a little hard on the hand mixer by the time the royal icing gets thick, but it should be okay. Also, know that the whisk attachments which come with a hand mixer, add a little more air into the icing, so you may have a few more air bubbles. Still doable though! Thanks for the kind comments and happy decorating!