How to Make Royal Icing (the Foolproof Way)

How you make it is where things differ. To some, royal icing is always made with pasteurized egg whites, but meringue powder is a popular alternative, and it’s so easy to use, it’s become our preferred method. (Some recipes call for corn syrup to make the frosting a bit softer and shinier, but we’ve found you don’t need it.)

Here’s What You’ll Need for a Meringue-Based Royal Icing:

• Meringue powder
• Warm water
• Confectioners sugar
• Gel food coloring
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Stand mixer or mixing bowl with hand mixer
• Silicone spatula
• Piping bags
• Round piping tips (we like the Wilton No. 2 and 3 sizes for a more precise application)
• Baked and cooled sugar cookies, for decorating

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• ½ cup water, room temperature or slightly warmer
• 6 cups confectioners sugar
• Gel food coloring of your choice

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine meringue powder and water, whisking until no lumps remain.

2. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a large mixing bowl and hand mixer). Add in 3 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar and mix on the lowest setting, for about 3 to 4 minutes. You want to add as little air as possible here, because air bubbles will result in a crackly, less smooth icing.

3. Make the Flooding Icing First, Using the 10-Second Rule: Lift the beater out of the icing and let the icing drizzle back into the bowl. It’ll slowly sink back into the rest of the icing, and ideally, this should take about 10 seconds. If it’s any less, it’ll be too runny, and you should add a teaspoon or so of confectioners sugar, mixing for another minute or so, and test again. If it’s too thick, add a ¼ teaspoon of water, mix for a minute, and test until you hit roughly 10 seconds. (If it lasts 7 to 8 seconds, that’s typically fine though, so don’t drive yourself bonkers trying to hit 10 exactly.)

4. Remove about two-thirds of the icing, placing it in a separate bowl and setting it aside for now. It will be used as your flooding icing. (Pro tip: Cover the surface with plastic wrap so it doesn’t start to harden.)

5. Make the Piping Icing, Following the 15-Second-Ish Rule: For the remaining icing, add a tablespoon of confectioners sugar and mix for a minute. Pull out the beater, letting icing drizzle back into the bowl. It should take closer to 12 to 15 seconds to sink from the surface back into the rest of the icing.

6. Here’s where you’ll want to do some frosting math: How many colors will you need for your cookie’s design? Separate your piping and flooding frosting into bowls, based on how many colors you’ll need for each. Add a few drops of food coloring to each one, stirring to combine, gradually adding more until you have the color you’d like.

7. Pour into piping bags. Use the piping frosting to outline your cookie, then the flooding icing to fill it in. Use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles that appear in the frosting, then set them aside to dry for at least six hours.

Pro Tip: Want to get really fancy with your designs? If you have a mini projector, you can project the outline of an image onto the cookie to create more detailed designs. Or you can use an edible ink marker to draw the details you like, then trace them with a piping bag.