Sugar Cookie Icing
This Sugar Cookie Icing recipe delivers a smooth, glossy finish perfect for elevating your holiday baking or everyday treats. Easy to prepare with simple pantry staples, this versatile icing can be customized with different extracts and colors, providing the ideal balance of sweetness and sparkle to make your sugar cookies truly memorable.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Enough to ice approximately 2 dozen sugar cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake / Mixing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free, Dairy Free (if using egg whites and no dairy additives)
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder (or 2 large pasteurized egg whites)
- 4–6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- Food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Your Ingredients: Measure powdered sugar, meringue powder or egg whites, and extract. Sift the powdered sugar thoroughly to avoid lumps and ensure a silky smooth icing.
- Combine and Beat: In a clean bowl, mix powdered sugar and meringue powder. Gradually add lemon juice or water and vanilla extract while beating at medium speed until the icing is glossy and forms soft peaks, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Adjust Consistency: For piping or outlining, thicken the icing by adding more powdered sugar. For flooding, thin with a few drops of water until it flows easily but isn’t runny.
- Add Color and Decorate: Divide icing into bowls and mix in food coloring if desired. Use piping bags with fine tips or squeeze bottles for detailed decorating on sugar cookies.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon juice and pure extracts for brighter, cleaner flavors.
- Always sift powdered sugar to prevent lumps and achieve smooth texture.
- Test icing consistency by spreading a small amount on parchment; it should hold shape but spread easily.
- Work quickly as the icing dries fast; cover bowls tightly between uses.
- Store unused icing in an airtight container at room temperature and stir before reuse.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 40
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 0mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: Sugar cookie icing, royal icing, holiday baking, cookie decoration, easy sugar cookie icing
Find it online: https://lillysplate.com/sugar-cookie-icing/
