Take your cookie decorating to the next level with this excellent royal icing recipe. Kelli Eldred shares the professional favorite used by many cookie decorators.
Who doesn’t enjoy making cookies—especially sugar cookies? There’s something satisfying about a day spent baking, rolling, and decorating. I recently spent time with my friend Kelli Eldred, who has impressive cookie-decorating skills and generous tips to share.
To make great cookies, you need a great royal icing recipe—and the right consistency.
Kelli emphasizes that the recipe is only the start. Use a thicker icing for outlining and structure, and a thinner icing for flooding (filling) cookie areas. This recipe produces a very thick, stable icing; add small amounts of water to thin it to the consistency you need. It’s Kelli’s go-to royal icing and works beautifully for detailed cookie work.
Is this royal icing good for gingerbread houses?
Yes. For constructing gingerbread houses, use less water to make a very thick, “stiff” royal icing—sometimes called “stiff royal icing” or “piping” consistency. That thicker mix is ideal for building and securing walls and roofs. Use piping-consistency icing for outlines and stiff for structural work.
The same base recipe can be adjusted for every purpose simply by adding more or less water.
What are the three main royal icing consistencies?
The three consistencies are: Stiff (best for building gingerbread houses), Piping (for outlining), and Flooding (for filling in designs). They all come from the same recipe; you achieve each one by changing how much water you add.
How to make “flooding” consistency royal icing
Most decorators use at least two consistencies: a thicker one for outlines and construction, and a looser flooding one for filling. To reach flooding consistency, add water slowly until the icing moves enough to spread easily with a scribe tool or toothpick.
Key ingredients for royal icing success
Use meringue powder for consistency and convenience—Kelli prefers it for ease of adjusting water without handling raw egg whites. Gel food coloring is recommended because it adds color without thinning the icing. To add shine and a slightly softer finish, include a small amount of corn syrup or golden syrup.
Corn-free royal icing option
You can make a corn-free version by substituting golden syrup for light corn syrup and using organic powdered sugar stabilized with tapioca starch. When using these swaps, start with about 1/3 cup of water instead of 1/2 cup and adjust to reach the desired stiffness.
Let’s use your royal icing
Pair this icing with a sturdy cut-and-roll sugar cookie or a gingerbread base. A reliable gluten-free sugar cookie or gingerbread recipe will roll, cut, and decorate nicely and provide the perfect canvas for your designs. Enjoy experimenting with outlines, floods, and layered details.
Cookies by Kelli Eldred, photos by James Collier.
Royal Icing Recipe
Kelli Eldred
10 mins
10 mins
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup meringue powder
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla
- 2 lb powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (or golden syrup for corn-free)
Instructions
- Combine meringue powder, warm water, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.
- Using the mixer’s paddle attachment, slowly add powdered sugar while mixing.
- Add the corn syrup (or golden syrup). Continue mixing on high for about three minutes until the icing turns white and slightly fluffy. Do not overmix.
- This produces a very stiff icing. To thin to piping or flooding consistency, add small amounts of water slowly until you reach your desired texture.
Notes
Nutrition
Our Favorite Cut and Roll Sugar Cookie Recipe: Gluten-Free!
We think this is one of the best cut-and-roll sugar cookie recipes—gluten-free or not. It provides a solid, flavorful base for decorating and adds a festive touch to any occasion.
Frequently Asked Questions about this royal icing
Royal icing is made by combining meringue powder or egg whites with warm water, vanilla, powdered sugar, and a small amount of corn syrup or golden syrup for shine and a slightly softer finish.
Using meringue powder instead of raw egg whites makes it easier to control consistency and safer for storage and transport.
Corn syrup adds shine and keeps the completed icing slightly softer, which many people prefer when eating decorated cookies.
Yes, royal icing dries to a firm, candy-like finish. Adding corn syrup or golden syrup will make it a bit more tender.
Royal icing can contain raw egg whites, but most professional recipes use meringue powder as a safe, shelf-stable alternative.