Smooth Homemade Royal Icing Sugar Cookie Frosting Easy Recipe Without Corn Syrup
An easy, smooth royal icing recipe for sugar cookies that requires no corn syrup, using simple pantry ingredients and delivering a glossy, pipe-friendly finish.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: About 2 cups of royal icing (approximately 24 servings of 2 tablespoons each) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar), sifted
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 5 to 6 tablespoons (75–90 ml) warm water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Optional: gel food coloring
Instructions
- Sift your powdered sugar into your mixing bowl to avoid lumps.
- Add the meringue powder and cream of tartar to the sugar and stir gently to combine.
- Pour in 5 tablespoons of warm water and vanilla extract. Begin mixing on low speed to prevent a sugar cloud.
- Whip on medium-high speed for 5-7 minutes until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
- Test the consistency: for outlining cookies, the icing should hold its shape and not spread immediately when piped; for flooding, add an extra tablespoon of water and mix gently to thin it out.
- If using colors, divide the icing into small bowls and add gel food coloring a little at a time until you reach your desired shade.
- Cover the icing bowls with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent drying. Use within 24 hours for best results.
Notes
Do not skip sifting powdered sugar to avoid lumps. Use meringue powder instead of raw egg whites for safety and consistency. Whip until stiff peaks form. Adjust water gradually to achieve desired consistency. Store leftover icing covered tightly and refrigerate up to 3 days. Let decorated cookies dry at room temperature overnight for best results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 5
- Carbohydrates: 26
Keywords: royal icing, sugar cookie frosting, no corn syrup, smooth frosting, easy royal icing, meringue powder frosting, cookie decorating