I finally perfected a Royal Icing For Cookies that uses no meringue powder or eggs yet dries hard enough for crisp piping detail, and I break down the simple ingredient swap that makes it work.

Jump to Recipe

I stumbled onto a trick that made me rethink royal icing, and I had to share it. I love how a simple swap of aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) with confectioners sugar can give you a silky, pipeable icing that still dries firm and photo ready.

Folks call it a Royal Icing Recipe Without Meringue Powder Or Eggs and honestly it feels a little like cheating in the best way. If you like flooding cookie designs you might find this is the Best Icing For Flooding Cookies too.

I’ll show the why and the tiny hacks I learned after ruining a few batches myself.

Ingredients

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

Powdered sugar: Mostly carbs, lots of sweetness.
No fiber, little nutrition but gives structure and smoothness.
Aquafaba: Plant protein and tiny carbs, adds lift and bind like egg whites, vegan friendly.
Cream of tartar: Acid that stabilizes foams and prevents grainy icing, no calories to speak of.
Vanilla extract: Adds sweet aromatic flavor, no real nutrition but masks bitterness and smells amazing.
Light corn syrup: Mostly sugar, adds glossy shine and slows crystallization for smoother, shinier finish.
Warm water: Used to thin icing without extra sweetness; adds little calories, mostly neutral.
Gel food coloring: Concentrated color with minimal added liquid, no nutrition, brightens cookies and cakes.

Ingredient Quantities

3 to 4 cups (360 to 480 g) sifted powdered sugar, confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or almond extract

1 to 2 teaspoons light corn syrup (optional, adds shine)

2 to 4 tablespoons warm water (optional)

Pinch of fine salt (optional)

Gel food coloring, as desired

How to Make this

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

1. Sift 3 to 4 cups (360 to 480 g) powdered sugar into a big bowl so there are no lumps, set aside the extra in case you need to thicken later.

2. Pour 3 tablespoons aquafaba into a clean mixing bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, then whip on medium-high until soft to medium peaks form, about 3 to 5 minutes — you want it glossy and a bit billowy, not flat.

3. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract and beat briefly to combine, scraping the bowl sides so nothing gets left behind.

4. With the mixer on low, add the sifted powdered sugar slowly, about 1/2 cup at a time, until fully incorporated and you have a thick, pipeable icing; stop and scrape often so it mixes evenly.

5. Stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons light corn syrup if you want extra shine and slightly more stability, but its optional so don’t panic if you skip it.

6. If the icing is too stiff for your needs, loosen it with 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency; add a tiny pinch of fine salt if the flavor needs balancing.

7. For piping/outlining keep it thicker so it holds shape, for flooding thin it until a line you drizzle smooths out in about 10 to 15 seconds, test on a plate to be sure.

8. Add gel food coloring a little at a time and stir gently to avoid making the icing foamy, remember gel gives color without changing consistency much.

9. Transfer to piping bags, squeeze bottles or bowls, cover any bowls with plastic pressed right on the surface to stop crusting, then decorate; let cookies dry several hours to overnight depending on humidity.

10. Store leftover icing in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days, re-whip lightly and add a splash of water if it stiffened, and always keep a small extra bowl of icing on hand for quick fixes.

Equipment Needed

1. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for the powdered sugar
2. Large mixing bowl to hold the sifted sugar
3. Electric mixer, either a hand mixer or a stand mixer with whisk attachment
4. Small clean mixing bowl just for the aquafaba
5. Measuring cups and spoons plus a kitchen scale if you want precision
6. Rubber spatula and a sturdy spoon to scrape the bowl sides (dont skimp here)
7. Piping bags or squeeze bottles and a few small round icing tips for outlining/flooding
8. Small bowls and spoons for gel colors, plastic wrap to press onto the surface, and a plate to test flow

FAQ

Q: What is aquafaba and can I really use it instead of egg whites? A: Yes. Aquafaba is the liquid from canned chickpeas and it whips up like egg whites. Use about 3 tablespoons as the base and add powdered sugar until you reach the stiffness you want. Cream of tartar helps stabilize it. It can have a faint bean note at first but that usually disappears once mixed and flavored.

Q: How do I get different consistencies for piping and flooding? A: Start with 3 tablespoons aquafaba and 3 cups sifted powdered sugar for a medium consistency. For stiffer icing add more sugar, for thinner add warm water 1 teaspoon at a time. For flooding aim for a ribbon that settles back into the surface in 10 to 15 seconds. Test on a plate.

Q: My icing is too runny or too thick. How do I fix it? A: If too runny add sifted powdered sugar a little at a time until it firms. If too thick add warm water or a drop of aquafaba and mix well. For shine and smoother finish add a teaspoon of light corn syrup but only if you want glossy cookies.

Q: How long does royal icing take to dry and how should I store finished cookies? A: Surface will feel dry in 1 to 2 hours, fully set in 8 to 24 hours depending on humidity and thickness. Once fully dry store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. Don’t refrigerate decorated cookies, condensation will ruin the finish.

Q: Can I use gel food coloring and will it change the icing texture? A: Yes use gel colors they are concentrated so a little goes a long way. Add tiny amounts with a toothpick and stir. Colors can deepen as they dry so start light and wait a few minutes before adjusting.

Q: Can I make the icing ahead and how long will it keep? A: You can make it ahead. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, bring to room temp and rewhip before using. You can also freeze it for about a month, thaw in the fridge then rewhip. It may need a little extra powdered sugar after thawing.

Easy Royal Icing Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Powdered sugar: If you dont have confectioners sugar, blitz granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon cornstarch per cup in a blender until very fine. Weigh to match 360 to 480 g so your icing consistency stays the same.
Aquafaba: Swap the 3 tablespoons with 1 large egg white or 2 tablespoons pasteurized liquid egg whites for the same foam/stability, but note it wont be vegan anymore.
Cream of tartar: Use about 1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar instead of 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar to help stabilize the whites and keep peaks firm.
Light corn syrup: For shine use an equal amount of light golden syrup, clear glucose syrup or mild-flavored honey; honey will add a bit of flavor so use sparingly if you want neutral taste.

Pro Tips

Tip 1: Get the aquafaba right. Make sure your bowl and beaters are totally oil free, any grease will stop it from whipping. Use room temp aquafaba and add the cream of tartar before you start, then whip until glossy soft to medium peaks, not rock hard. If it starts to look dry or grainy stop and add a teaspoon of aquafaba and rewhip, overwhipping ruins the texture so dont push it.

Tip 2: Consistency control is everything. Keep your outlining icing thicker so it holds shape, thin for flooding by adding warm water very slowly like half teaspoon at a time until a line you drizzle smooths in about ten to fifteen seconds. If you go too thin add sifted powdered sugar back in a little at a time. Always test on a plate before you commit to the cookie.

Tip 3: Color and shine hacks. Use gel color and add just a tiny bit at a time, stir gently so you dont whip air into the icing. For intense colors mix a tiny concentrated paste in a separate tiny bowl and fold that in so the whole batch doesnt get diluted. If you want extra glossy sheen add a teaspoon of light corn syrup, its optional but really helps.

Tip 4: Drying, storage and quick fixes. Press plastic wrap right onto the surface of any leftover icing to stop a crust, store airtight in the fridge up to five days. When using chilled icing let it warm to room temp then rewhip lightly and add a splash of water if it stiffened. Keep a small rescue bowl of icing for touch ups, and for tiny mistakes use a damp toothpick or a small brush to blend before the icing fully sets.

Easy Royal Icing Recipe

Recipe by Kate Sinclair

0.0 from 0 votes

I finally perfected a Royal Icing For Cookies that uses no meringue powder or eggs yet dries hard enough for crisp piping detail, and I break down the simple ingredient swap that makes it work.

Servings

servings

Calories

kcal

Equipment: 1. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for the powdered sugar
2. Large mixing bowl to hold the sifted sugar
3. Electric mixer, either a hand mixer or a stand mixer with whisk attachment
4. Small clean mixing bowl just for the aquafaba
5. Measuring cups and spoons plus a kitchen scale if you want precision
6. Rubber spatula and a sturdy spoon to scrape the bowl sides (dont skimp here)
7. Piping bags or squeeze bottles and a few small round icing tips for outlining/flooding
8. Small bowls and spoons for gel colors, plastic wrap to press onto the surface, and a plate to test flow

Ingredients

3 to 4 cups (360 to 480 g) sifted powdered sugar, confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or almond extract
1 to 2 teaspoons light corn syrup (optional, adds shine)
2 to 4 tablespoons warm water (optional)
Pinch of fine salt (optional)
Gel food coloring, as desired

Directions

Sift 3 to 4 cups (360 to 480 g) powdered sugar into a big bowl so there are no lumps, set aside the extra in case you need to thicken later.
Pour 3 tablespoons aquafaba into a clean mixing bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, then whip on medium-high until soft to medium peaks form, about 3 to 5 minutes — you want it glossy and a bit billowy, not flat.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract and beat briefly to combine, scraping the bowl sides so nothing gets left behind.
With the mixer on low, add the sifted powdered sugar slowly, about 1/2 cup at a time, until fully incorporated and you have a thick, pipeable icing; stop and scrape often so it mixes evenly.
Stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons light corn syrup if you want extra shine and slightly more stability, but its optional so don’t panic if you skip it.
If the icing is too stiff for your needs, loosen it with 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency; add a tiny pinch of fine salt if the flavor needs balancing.
For piping/outlining keep it thicker so it holds shape, for flooding thin it until a line you drizzle smooths out in about 10 to 15 seconds, test on a plate to be sure.
Add gel food coloring a little at a time and stir gently to avoid making the icing foamy, remember gel gives color without changing consistency much.
Transfer to piping bags, squeeze bottles or bowls, cover any bowls with plastic pressed right on the surface to stop crusting, then decorate; let cookies dry several hours to overnight depending on humidity.
Store leftover icing in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days, re-whip lightly and add a splash of water if it stiffened, and always keep a small extra bowl of icing on hand for quick fixes.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.