Skip royal icing and try this easy icing for decorating cookies. Ready in minutes, this simple powdered sugar icing will turn your plain sugar cookies into festive treats! It’s perfect for drizzling over cakes and pastries too!
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe:
This simple 2-ingredient powdered sugar glaze is a perfect way to decorate holiday cookies!
- Quick and easy – It takes less than a minute to make!
- Easy to customize – Start with just 2 ingredients and add flavors and coloring, if desired!
- No-fuss decorating – It’s perfect for kids and beginners!
- Versatile – Don’t just stop with cookie decorating! You can also glaze cakes, pastries and muffins with this easy vanilla icing!
Royal Icing vs Powdered Sugar Icing
Royal icing is made of meringue powder or whipped egg whites and powdered sugar. It sets quickly and ideal for intricate piped designs!
Powdered sugar icing, on other hand, is made of powdered sugar and liquid. While it’s quite easy to work with, it takes a little longer to set. But once set, you can stack the glazed cookies.
Key Ingredient Notes:
You can make the simplest icing with just powdered sugar and water. It’ll taste nothing but sugar, and I love it that way.
- Powdered sugar – Also known as confectioner’s sugar, it dissolves easily making a smooth icing.
- Liquid – You can use water or milk. For decorating cookies, I use water. For drizzling cakes and pastries, I like to use milk for a nice and creamy glaze.
You can also jazz up this basic version with different flavor extracts, milk and/or corn syrup. Corn syrup yields a glaze with a nice sheen after drying.
How to make icing with powdered sugar:
This powdered sugar icing recipe is practically foolproof. And to be perfectly honest, I don’t even measure anything.
- Add the powdered sugar and liquid(s) into a bowl. Mix until the desired consistency is reached.
- To test the consistency, let the glaze pour off the spoon. The glaze should fall into a ribbon and hold the shape for a few seconds before melting back into the glaze.
Perfect Consistency for sugar cookies
The glaze should fall into a ribbon and hold the shape for a few seconds before melting back into the glaze.
Tips for Success:
- Adjust the consistency: If the glaze is too thick, add a drop of water and test again. If the glaze is too runny, add a little more powdered sugar.
- Color the icing: Feel free to color the icing with any food coloring.
- Add flavorings: You can add different flavors to this glaze. More details below.
- Add a sheen: A light corn syrup adds a nice sheen to the set glaze. It’s especially perfect for decorating sugar cookies!
- Set the glaze: Let the glazed cookies set overnight before stacking and packaging.
Sugar Glaze Flavor Variations:
- Vanilla Icing: Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. For vanilla forward icing, scrape the beans of vanilla bean as well! The beautiful vanilla specks add special touch!
- Lemon | Lime Icing: Add 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice. If you’re not decorating sugar cookies, you can also add a freshly grazed zest!
- Orange Icing: Add 1 teaspoon of orange juice, or Grand Marnier orange liquor.
- Almond Icing: Add ½ teaspoon pure almond extract.
- Amaretto Icing: For a nutty sweet icing, add 1 teaspoon of Amaretto liquor.
Storing Tip:
- Powdered sugar icing made with water can be stored on the counter for up to 1 week.
- Refrigerate sugar glaze with milk for up to 3 days.
- You can also freeze the icing for up to 3 months.
Ways to use sugar icing:
This sugar icing is so versatile and perfect for drizzling over…
- Sugar cookies (also, chocolate sugar cookies!)
- Bundt cakes and coffee cakes
- Scones
- Pastries like danishes, rugelach, donuts
- Muffins
- Cinnamon rolls
Powdered Sugar Glaze FAQs:
You can use milk instead of water for better flavor. You can also add a touch of vanilla extract, lemon juice, or any other extracts you wish.
It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to use, bring it to room temperature and whisk it until smooth. You may need to add a little bit of water to thin it out as needed.
No. You won’t get the same consistency with a regular sugar.
If the icing is too thin, it can separate. Add more powdered sugar and mix it well.
Easy Powdered Sugar Icing
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons water Note 1
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup optional Note 2
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional Note 3
Instructions
To make the icing:
- Add powdered sugar in a bowl and stir in water (or milk), corn syrup and vanilla extract, if using.
- Mix until the desired consistency is reached.
- To test the consistency, let the glaze pour off the spoon. The glaze should fall into a ribbon and hold the shape for a few seconds before melting back into the glaze. It's perfect consistency for outlining and filling sugar cookies.
- If the glaze is too thick, add a drop of water and test again. If the glaze is too runny, add a little more powdered sugar.
- Feel free to add food coloring to make colored icing.
To decorate cookies:
- Transfer the icing into a squeeze bottle, or a piping bag with small round tip. Decorate the cookies and let the icing set. (TIP: If you want to stack and package the glazed cookies, make sure to let the icing set overnight.)
Tips & Notes
– Powdered sugar icing made with water can be stored on the counter for up to 1 week.
– Refrigerate sugar glaze with milk for up to 3 days.
– You can also freeze the icing for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Wonderful and easy icing!