Royal Icing without Eggs: Perfect for Cookie Decorating
This royal icing recipe without eggs is the best cookie decorating icing. It is made with just four simple ingredients. It dries shiny, hardens beautifully for decorating, and tastes delicious.
Quick Look: Royal Icing without Eggs
⏱️ Prep: about 5 min
🧾 Ingredients (4): powdered sugar + water + light corn syrup + vanilla + optional gel food coloring
🕰️ Drying: about 6 hours to fully harden
For the longest time, I thought beautifully decorated sugar cookies were something only professional bakers could pull off. But I quickly learned that with this simple icing, anyone can enjoy the fun of decorating cookies at home.
Pair this recipe with my Cut-Out Sugar Cookies for Decorating (Eggless), and you’ll have everything you need for festive, decorated sugar cookies without using a single egg.
And here’s the truth: your cookies might not look perfect, and that’s okay. I’m a big believer that baking is just as much about the experience as it is about the end result. The laughter, the learning, and the memories made along the way are what truly make decorated cookies so special.
Ingredients and substitutions
How to make royal icing without egg whites
🎥 Don’t miss the video at the bottom of this post where I walk you through every step of making this easy chocolate buttercream frosting.
Step 1: Combine all ingredients (except food gel coloring) in a large bowl. Stir until smooth and well combined. For the correct consistency let some of the icing run off of a spoon and you want it to settle back into the bowl within about 12 seconds. Add more water to thin or powdered sugar to thicken.
Step 2: Add in food coloring a drop at a time (a little goes a long way). Stir to combine.
Step 3: You can simply just dip the cookies into the icing. If you want to decorate using a piping bag, line it on a jar and scoop icing into it.
Step 4: Cut tip from bag. See below for specific cookie decorating tips.
What is royal icing?
Royal icing hardens and presents with a glossy, shiny surface. It is sweet in flavor since powdered sugar is used to thicken it. Traditionally, royal icing is made with egg whites, powdered sugar, and lemon juice. This recipe is completely eggless and still results in a sweet, hard frosting.
Royal icing without meringue powder
To make this recipe egg free, this royal icing does not use meringue powder. It uses powdered sugar, light corn syrup, vanilla extract, and water for the recipe.
Cookie decorating tips
1. Start with outlining the cookie
Use slightly thicker icing to trace the edges of your cookie. This helps create a barrier, so the icing doesn’t run off the sides. To make a thicker icing add more powdered sugar. I use a piping bag with NO tip inserted. Just clip off the end of the bag.
2. Fill the cookie with flood icing
Once the outline has set a bit, fill the inside with thinner icing (“flood consistency”). Use a toothpick to help spread any icing or pop any bubbles.
3. Details on top
If you want to add details on top such as dots, stripes, or designs, let the base layer dry for several hours.
5. Don’t worry about perfection
Your cookies may not look bakery-perfect, and that’s okay! The joy is in the process. Each attempt builds skill as you learn.
Equipment needed
- Large bowl
- Piping bags: No need to use a tip with these. Just snip off the end of the bag.
- Squeeze bottles: I prefer these when decorating cookies with kids. They are much easier for them to handle and use. TIP: cut off the tip of the squeeze bottle if you need a faster flow.
A note from Lexi
Decorating cookies with royal icing has become such a sweet tradition in our home. My kids love choosing colors, adding sprinkles, and creating their own little masterpieces, and honestly the memories we make are far more important than how “perfect” the cookies look. When decorating with kids I much prefer to use plastic squeeze bottles instead of piping bags.
More eggless icings and frosting
Whether you have an egg allergy or are out of eggs, check out more of these frosting and icings as the perfect addition to your desserts!
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Royal Icing Recipe without Eggs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4-6 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- optional: gel food color
Instructions
- Combine powdered sugar, water, light corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Stir until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- To check for the correct consistency let some of the icing run off of a spoon and you want it to settle back into the bowl within about 12 seconds.
- Optional: Add in a drop of food gel at a time. A little bit goes a long way. Stir until desired color. The more you stir, the thicker the icing will become so you may need to add in a teaspoon of water to thin it out.
- To decorate: You can dip the cookies into the icing or using piping bags to decorate the cookies. See notes for cookie decorating tips.
Yum!
A great alternative if you can’t have eggs/meringue powder. Decorates cookies beautifully