Eggless Royal Icing Recipe
Today, we are going to talk about royalty! Yeap… Eggless Royal Icing.
First of all, I have to clarify that by no means am I an expert on decorating cookies. Not even close.
But…
My daughter loves to decorate cookies!! Unfortunately, most royal icing recipes and store-bought royal icing products have eggs as an ingredient. So, last year I found a recipe and tweaked it a little to my liking.
What Is Royal Icing?
If you are unfamiliar, Royal icing is a thick white icing used to decorate mostly cookies. It dries hard and is very versatile. There are many techniques to work with this icing, depending on the consistency and what you want to achieve.
The Eggless Royal Icing recipe I’m sharing today has a thick consistency, which makes it best for detail work, such as piping borders, drawing decorative shapes, or gluing together a gingerbread house.
Of course, you can thin the icing out with water, depending on how thick you want it.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Confectioner’s sugar – also known as powdered sugar.
- Water
- Light corn syrup – If you don’t like to use corn syrup, I offer an alternative recipe that uses aquafaba and cream of tartar instead. See the detail in the recipe card below.
- Lemon juice
Step By Step Recipe Photo Tutorial
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Mix the confectioner’s sugar and water in a glass bowl until there are no lumps. Note: You can make this icing by hand but using an electric mixer or a stand mixer makes the mixing process a breeze.
- Add light corn syrup and mix until incorporated.
- Stir in lemon juice and mix until incorporated.
- Use the white icing as it is or divide it into several bowls and add gel food coloring.
Tips & Tricks to Make Eggless Royal Icing
- The consistency of this icing is best for detail work, such as piping border, drawing decorative shapes, or gluing together a gingerbread house. To thin icing for flooding a cookie, add more water, about one teaspoon at a time, stirring slowly. Be careful not to stir vigorously, or you will add air to the icing, and it won’t flood evenly.
- If you need thicker icing, mix in a little more confectioner’s sugar.
- If you need thinner icing, add a few more drops of water.
- The lemon juice helps harden the icing, but you could substitute vanilla extract if you prefer for flavor purposes.
- Keep all utensils completely grease-free.
- To add color, divide royal icing among several small bowls and stir in a few drops of gel paste.
Eggless Royal Icing Flavor Ideas
Feel free to add 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite flavored extracts, such as almond, lemon, coconut, orange, maple, or peppermint.
Frequently Asked Questions
The biggest difference between regular sugar icing and royal icing is texture: regular sugar icing is creamy and soft; royal icing hardens after it dries.
Royal icing is used to decorate gingerbread houses, sugar cookies, and many other sweet treats.
Royal icing can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
You can freeze eggless royal icing for up to a month. However, you may find an unpleasant texture change in your icing after being frozen, so I recommend using it within the first three days.
These Eggless Royal Icings are completely dry in about 4-6 hours at room temperature. I always let them dry overnight to be on the safe side. The cookies need to be left out in the open to dry properly. If you’re layering royal icing o
After mixing the ingredients, drag the tip of a butter knife through the surface of your icing. If it takes 8 – 10 seconds to settle flat, you are good. If it’s too thick, add more water (about a teaspoon at a time). If it’s too thin, add a little more sifted confectioners’ sugar. Continue adding more until you reach the consistency you’d like.
This Egg-Free Royal Icing Is Perfect On:
Eggless Royal Icing
Ingredients
RECIPE #1
- 2 cups (240 g) confectioner's sugar
- 4 – 5 teaspoons (20 – 25 ml) water
- 4 teaspoons (20 ml) light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon juice
RECIPE #2
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) aquafaba
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 cups (240 g) confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon juice
Instructions
RECIPE #1
- Mix confectioner's sugar and water in a glass bowl until no lumps. Note: You can make this icing by hand but using an electric mixer or a stand mixer makes the mixing process a breeze.
- Add light corn syrup and mix until incorporated.
- Stir in lemon juice and mix until incorporated. NOTE: Check consistency; after mixing the ingredients together, drag the tip of a butter knife through the surface of your icing. If it takes 8 – 10 seconds to settle flat, you are good. If it’s too thick, add more water (about a teaspoon at a time). If it’s too thin, add a little more sifted confectioners’ sugar. Continue adding more until you reach the consistency you’d like.
- Use the white icing as it is, or divide the icing into several bowls and add gel food coloring. See notes for different consistencies.
- Use immediately, or store in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the icing for up to 3 days. Stir gently with a spatula before using.
RECIPE #2
- Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the aquafaba and cream of tartar on medium-high speed until it reaches medium peaks, 5 to 8 minutes
- Add confectioner's sugar; mix until well incorporated.
- Add lemon juice and mix to incorporate. NOTE: Check consistency; after mixing the ingredients together, drag the tip of a butter knife through the surface of your icing. If it takes 8 – 10 seconds to settle flat, you are good. If it’s too thick, add more water (about a teaspoon at a time). If it’s too thin, add a little more sifted confectioners’ sugar. Continue adding more until you reach the consistency you’d like.
IMPORTANT: These Eggless Royal Icings completely dries in about 4-6 hours at room temperature. I always let them dry overnight to be on the safe side. The cookies need to be left out in the open to dry properly. If you’re layering royal icing onto cookies for specific designs and need it to set quickly, place cookies in the refrigerator to help speed it up.
- For Thicker Icing: If you need a thicker icing, mix in a little more confectioner’s sugar.
- For Thinner Icing: If you need thinner icing, add a few more drops of water.
- This icing’s consistency is best for detail work, such as piping border, drawing decorative shapes, or gluing together a gingerbread house.
- The lemon juice helps harden the icing, but you could substitute vanilla extract if you prefer for flavor purposes.
- Keep all utensils completely grease-free.
- Be careful not to stir vigorously, or you will add air to the icing, and it won’t flood evenly.
- To add color, divide royal icing among several small bowls and stir in a few gel or paste food coloring drops.
Nutrition
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
Originally posted in December 2017, the post content was edited to add more helpful information, no change to the recipe in September 2021.
