How to Make Royal Icing |Fresh Egg Whites, Meringue, Liquid Egg Whites|
In this article, I share recipes for the three types of royal icing I use most often: royal icing made with meringue powder, fresh egg whites, and pasteurized liquid egg whites from a carton.
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WHAT IS ROYAL ICING MADE OF?
Traditional royal icing is made with egg whites, powdered sugar (10x pulverized confectioner’s sugar), stabilizers such as lemon juice, vinegar, or cream of tartar, a pinch of salt, and flavorings to enhance performance and taste.
HOW IS ROYAL ICING DIFFERENT FROM BUTTERCREAM?
Royal icing dries into a hard, candy-like shell. Buttercream stays soft and creamy.
TYPES OF EGG WHITES YOU CAN USE
To make royal icing, you need egg whites. Depending on what is available, you can use different forms of egg whites to make traditional royal icing.
- Fresh Eggs: widely available
- Fresh Eggs in-shell pasteurized: not widely available; check with your local grocery store to see if they carry in-shell pasteurized eggs in the USA. These eggs have shells stamped with a circled red “P”.
- Liquid Egg Whites in a container or box (pasteurized): widely available in the USA.
- Meringue Powder: consists of dried pasteurized egg whites, cornstarch, and stabilizers. Readily available with the longest shelf life.
1. Fresh Egg Whites
As you may have heard, shell eggs can contain bacteria such as Salmonella. For this reason, food-safety guidelines recommend avoiding raw, unpasteurized egg whites when making royal icing for young children, pregnant women, older adults, or anyone with a weakened immune system. If you’d like to learn more about Egg Safety (via FDA).
I often use fresh egg whites to make royal icing stronger when building a gingerbread house. When using fresh egg whites, I recommend using pasteurized ones whenever possible. If they aren’t available, use eggs from a reputable source and store and handle them properly.
In 2022, the FDA released an Egg Safety Final rule (via FDA)with requirements designed to reduce the risk of Salmonella contamination in shell eggs.
2. Fresh Eggs in-shell pasteurized
Although they can be harder to find, pasteurized shell eggs are available in some U.S. grocery stores. The shells are typically stamped with letter “P” inside a circle. According to the FDA, pasteurized shell eggs can be used in recipes that call for raw applications (via FDA), such as royal icing. Learn more about the pasteurization process.
Pasteurized shell egg whites may appear slightly cloudy compared to fresh shell eggs.
3. Liquid Egg Whites
You can use All Whites Egg Whites (from a carton); they are pasteurized and safe to use uncooked. You can find Liquid Egg Whites in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, usually somewhere around shell eggs.
4. Meringue Powder
To make royal icing, I primarily use Wilton Meringue Powder. It has a long shelf life and is safe to use uncooked. Meringue Powder consists of pasteurized dried egg whites, gum, cornstarch, and stabilizers such as cream of tartar.
HOW TO MAKE ROYAL ICING TASTE BETTER?
Because it doesn’t taste like much on its own, I flavor it with extracts and natural flavors. My favorite icing to use is my Fresh Lemon Royal Icing (made with meringue powder). I like to use fresh lemon juice in addition to Vanilla and Almond extract. Lemon adds a refreshing flavor. It also cuts down on the sweetness of otherwise very sweet icing. Almond and vanilla round it out into what I call Holy Trinity Flavor.
If you’re not a fan of lemon, you can flavor royal icing with other extracts. I always begin with vanilla extract, then add other flavorings to taste. Stick with alcohol- and water-based flavorings, and avoid oil-based ones, as they can affect the icing’s structure and cause it to break. For example, it can show up as icing that never dries. And let’s not overlook plain vanilla! I especially love it when flavored with both vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste. It’s simple, but oh so delicious.
CONFECTIONERS’ POWDERED SUGAR
I prefer to use powdered sugar that I don’t have to sift. If your powdered sugar has a lot of hard lumps, sift it. Powdered sugar contains a small amount of starch (3% of the sugar’s weight) to prevent caking.
WHAT TOOLS DO YOU NEED
- Stand Mixer with a paddle attachment
- Handheld Mixer with 2 beaters
- Kitchen Scale
- Spatula
- Bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Whisk
- Piping Bags
- Food Colors
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ROYAL ICING RECIPES
Instructions for making royal icing are pretty much the same, regardless of the egg whites you use. When preparing royal icing, I always make it stiff; this means that icing can hold a stiff peak without the very tip bending. Starting with stiff icing has a great advantage of being able to use it for a variety of tasks: piped flowers, creating texture, and thinning it down to different consistencies. However, if you’re decorating a larger amount of cookies and need a large amount of flood consistency, I encourage you to prepare the flood icing in the mixer by adding a small amount of water to stiff icing to reach the desired consistency for your project.
- clean the bowl
- meringue powder royal icing
- fresh egg whites royal icing (these can be fresh or pasteurized shell eggs)
- liquid egg whites royal icing (pasteurized egg whites in a carton)
- Fresh Lemon Royal Icing Recipe (my personal favorite, using meringue)
Clean the bowl
The mixing bowl and any tools that come in contact with royal icing should be completely grease-free. See, even small traces of fat can cause icing to break. And so, before I begin, I like to wipe the bowl, mixing attachment, and other tools with a little white vinegar or lemon juice. I have a royal icing-designated spatula that I only use with royal icing, which helps a lot, too.
Royal icing recipe with meringue powder
Flavoring royal icing made with meringue powder is super easy. You can use water in the recipe as a flavor carrier. What I mean is that you can replace some of the water with freshly squeezed lemon juice or coffee, or use dry drink powder to create unique flavors.
- Meringue powder
- Powdered sugar
- Cream of tartar – I used cream of tartar to stabilize icing; it helps prevent overbeating and slightly whitens the icing
- Pinch of salt (optional)
- Lukewarm water
- Vanilla extract
Whisking the meringue and cream of tartar in water first helps reconstitute egg white proteins, making smooth and glossy icing and ensuring both powders dissolve before adding powdered sugar, avoiding stray pockets in the icing.
After you add powdered sugar, beat the mixture on low speed until the sugar is incorporated and the icing starts to thicken. Continue mixing until the icing is smooth, thick, and glossy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl to make sure everything is well combined. On low speed, mix in extracts. Scrape out the icing into an airtight container. Cover the opening with food wrap and close tightly with a lid. Store at room temperature for up to 3 weeks; in the fridge, it will keep for 4 weeks.
Royal icing with fresh egg whites
- Fresh egg whites or egg whites from pasteurized shell eggs (process is the same for both)
- Powdered sugar
- Cream of tartar (substitute 1tsp lemon juice)
- Vanilla, Almond, Lemon Extracts
Crack the room-temperature eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Into a clean mixing bowl, add egg whites. Next, on low speed, beat in cream of tartar until the egg whites are broken up and foamy. Then, on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar.
Mix until the icing thickens, then add the extracts. Mix well and scrape the bowl to incorporate all ingredients. Once icing is thick, store or use immediately. If icing appears too soft, add an additional 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Fresh egg white royal icing keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or 2-3 days at room temperature.
Liquid egg whites royal icing
- Liquid egg whites (from a carton)
- Powdered sugar
- Cream of tartar (substitute 1 tsp lemon juice)
- Vanilla, Almond and Lemon Extracts
Liquid egg whites are already liquid. Once you open the carton, you’ll see they look and feel thinner than fresh egg whites. This is normal. During pasteurization, the egg white proteins are heated and denatured, which makes pasteurized egg whites more fluid (via eating well) and slightly cloudier than their fresh counterparts.
Pour the liquid egg whites into a mixing bowl. On low speed, beat in the cream of tartar. Gradually add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides to make sure all powdered sugar in mixed in.
Then beat in the extracts and continue beating until the icing is thick, smooth, and glossy. Mixing the icing with a handheld mixer takes about 5-7 minutes. Use immediately, or store for later; keep it in the fridge, well covered, for up to 2 weeks.
Tip: Before scraping the icing off the beaters into a bowl, take a moment to check that none of the icing on the beaters is crusted; sometimes it can happen. Those little crusted bits can be especially frustrating when you’re piping.
SUCCESS TIPS
Storing royal icing
Royal icing crusts quickly when exposed to air, so cover it with a damp towel or store it in an airtight container, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, until ready to use.
How long does royal icing keep
- Meringue powder royal icing: lasts for up to a month at room temperature. I prefer storing icing in the fridge as it doesn’t separate as much.
- Pasteurized liquid egg whites royal icing: icing keeps at room temperature for 3-4 days, or 1-2 weeks in the fridge.
- Fresh egg whites royal icing: use immediately, or store in the fridge for up a week.
My icing is too hard when it dries. Can I make it softer?
To soften the hard bite of dry icing, add up to 1/4 cup corn syrup to the recipe (2lb powdered sugar batch). Beat the corn syrup in with the extracts. However, if you’re making piped flowers and other decorations like butterflies, roses, and such, I’d definitely leave the corn syrup out, as it can interfere with how these transfers dry and make them difficult to remove from the parchment/acetate.
Icing separates
Separation is a common occurrence with royal icing. It can happen with uncolored or colored icing when left to rest for a while. It happens more quickly with icing thinned with water, and it’s especially noticeable in flood icing that has been heavily colored with food coloring. You may notice a layer of liquid settling at the bottom of the container, while solids remain on top (see the picture below). It can also happen inside the piping bag; it shows up as dark fluid patches, especially with heavily colored icing.
To remedy separation, simply stir the icing in the container with a spatula or chopstick. It works wonders, so save this tip for later!
Separated icing inside the piping is a bit more challenging, but you can still fix it. Gently massage the piping bag with your fingers to help redistribute the separated liquid and thicker icing until the icing is homogeneous. If that is not possible, pour the icing into a bowl and mix it with a spatula.
Ultimate guide to royal icing
For any other royal icing question, refer to my ultimate guide to royal icing. There you can find 50+ frequently asked questions and answers.
Royal Icing Recipe
Equipment
- handheld mixer
- stand mixer
- mixing bowls
- Whisk
- spatula
Ingredients
Meringue Powder Royal Icing (make about 6 cups)
- 5 tbsp Meringue Powder 40 grams
- 7-7½ cups powdered sugar 907 grams/2lb
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 10 tbsp lukewarm water 150 grams (1/2 cup +2 tbsp)
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Almond Extract
- 1 tsp Lemon Extract
Liquid Egg Whites Royal Icing (makes about 3 cups)
- 1/3 cup Liquid Egg Whites from a carton 80mL
- 5½ cups powdered sugar 660 grams
- ½ tsp cream of tartar substitute 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ tsp Almond Extract optional
- ½ tsp Lemon Extract optional
Fresh Eggs Royal Icing (makes about 3 cups) used in-shell pasteurized or raw eggs , in-shell pasteurized eggs can be hard to find, check your local grocery store if they carry such product.
- 3 egg whites, (90-100grams) 90-100 grams
- 5 ½ cups powdered sugar 660 grams
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar substitute 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ tsp Almond Extract optional
- ½ tsp Lemon Extract optional
Instructions
Meringue Royal Icing
- In a bowl of your mixer, whisk together water, meringue powder, and cream of tartar. Add powdered sugar and mix on low speed with a paddle attachment. Mix till thick. This can take up to 5-7 minutes. Beat in extracts.
Liquid Eggs Royal Icing
- Whisk together liquid egg whites and cream of tartar. On low speed, gradually beat in powdered sugar. Mix for several minutes; the mixture will gradually thicken and become glossy. Beat till thick, then add extracts. It should take about 7 minutes or so.
Fresh Eggs Royal Icing
- Separate egg yolks from egg whites. In a stand mixer bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy, gradually beating in powdered sugar. Mix on low speed till thick. Then beat in the extract and continue mixing until fully combined. Icing should be thick and glossy.TIP: Start with a wire beater, then change to a paddle attachment once thicker.
Notes
- Royal Icing Tips
- Make sure your tools are grease-free. Wipe them dry with vinegar.
- Use a hand-held mixer or stand mixer.
- Once the Royal icing is prepared, you can color it and thin it to a more fluid consistency for cookie decorating.
- Then fill your piping bags and decorate the cookies as desired.
- If you plan to use royal icing later, store it in an airtight container, covered tightly with plastic wrap and a lid, to prevent crusting.
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This recipe was first published in 2010. In 2019, I updated this recipe post with new step-by-step instructions and pictures.
This post contains affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love. Learn more about my affiliate policy here.
Hi, I’m Hani
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting Haniela’s. On my blog, you’ll find delicious sweet & savory recipes made with simple ingredients. Why not start a new adventure? Discover a world of cookie decorating with my step-by-step tutorials.
Hi, I’m Hani
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting Haniela’s. On my blog, you’ll find delicious sweet & savory recipes made with simple ingredients. Why not start a new adventure? Discover a world of cookie decorating with my step-by-step tutorials.
Hello Haniela,
If I make the royal icing with fresh eggs, can I do it using the Swiss meringue technique?
Daniella
Hello Daniella,
Unfortunately the method of heating egg whites and sugar and beating it won’t create the classic royal icing recipe.
Hi Haniela, I have a question about royal icing. Ok so I ordered some cookies from a lady who uses the same meringue powder that I do which is Genies Dream Meringue. But when I make mine, I use Vanilla extract and I know she does to but it has this floral type smell is the best way I can describe it and it tastes amazing. Do you have any tips on what could be in the icing to make it smell like that?
Hi Elisha,
the most common floral flavoring that I can think of is rosewater so maybe that’s what the cookie lady uses.
I’m guessing it’s Tahitian or Mexican vanilla. They are different than regular vanilla and ti me, are fruity/floral like.
Hi Kristen,
yes both of those are wonderful. I also like McCormick, I believe their vanilla is Madagascar type.
Can I make Royal icing chocolate? I have used a small amount as a base for black, but I don’t know if too much cocoa powder will change the drying texture.
Hi Holly,
yes you can make chocolate royal icing. I use 1 tablespoon per 1 cup of stiff icing. That’s about 1/3 cup sifted dark cocoa powder per large batch of icing (1kg or 2 pounds powdered sugar).
Try it first on a small amount and then try if icing is drying ok. Adding too much cocoa powder will cause drying issues.
Employ fans when drying, this promotes air circulation and helps with a sheen finish on iced cookies.
Thank you so much for the recipe! Would you mind sharing what color/brand you used to get that beautiful purple on the heart cookie?
Hi Terri,
I used electric pink and electric blue to make the purple. I hope it helps. Thank you for stopping by, Terri.
Thank you so much!
My pleasure.
Hello Haniela
How many grams is 8 cups of icing sugar?
Cheers
Siera
Hi Siera,
1 cup powdered sugar is about 130 grams, so 8 cups is 1040grams.
Hola! Hice el royal icing con egg whites frescas, la receta dice 60 gramos de azucar impalpable creo que son 600 gramos aprox. de lo contrario quedaria muy liquido no? Gracias por las recetas ! your cookies are exelente!!
Hello Martha,
Hola Marta,
Sí, tienes razón, son 600-650 gramos de azúcar fina en polvo. Gracias.
Hi Hani,
First time I’m making a meringue Royal icing but having major difficulties. I used the ingredients as listed but for some reason my icing is runny. I want to make the Cherry Blossom flowers you made but the icing is just really runny. I added more and more powdered sugar didn’t work, even added corn starch. It thickened slightly but not enough to be piped. Please help..
Hi Mel,
it’s hard for me to say what could have caused it. Sounds like there was too much liquid or an issue with powdered sugar. What kind of sugar are you using? I would suggest trying my small batch royal icing.
I followed the recipe using liquid egg whites and my icing was almost a fondant consistency. I was able to thin it down to pipe with but it still has a bit of the powdered sugar taste. I think because it didn’t mix well enough. That was one third of a cup egg whites to four and a half cups powdered sugar, right?
Hi Nicole,
icing, when first made is thick. I thin it with water to different consistencies.
Hi, if I’m using pasteurized liquid egg whites to ice my cookies, how long can the iced cookies stay at room temperature? Do the decorated cookies need to be refrigerated at some point?
Hi Jessica,
Cookies don’t need to be refrigerated.
Hi Haniela, I have a problem with my RI. I live in a country with highly humidity, I used all the water; however, my icing is not as stiff at the one on the photos. Can I eliminate the 2 tbsp?
Hi Monica,
yes, you can use little less water and also you can use up to 1/3 cup corn starch in the recipe to help reach the stiff consistency.
Can you use fresh egg whites for decorating gingerbread houses that will be on display for some time or does the icing go bad?
Hi Lina,
yes you can use use for houses that will be on display.
I love all your different cookie designs. I was hoping you could help me with a question. I will be doing a cookie decorating station for kids at our fall fair but I’m also helping set up, entering a baking contest ect. I was hoping I could make up the royal icing(pasteurized egg white), colour it and distribute it into the piping bags. I’m putting only a but of icing in many bags so each kid can pick 2 colors and each kid gets their own icing bags. If I wanted to get this done 2 days before the event do you think the bags of icing will hold up ok to be used 2 days later?
Hi Tara,
what a fun activity!
Yes, you should be fine making and prepping icing ahead of time. I’d store filled bags in the fridge to minimize separation. And then before your event
I’d just gently massage the bags, this is in case icing separates. I hope I make sense. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hani
I have a cookie business and always use meringue powder but with this Vivid mess I’m not able to go to the store to get more. I do have free range chickens. So I will be using fresh egg whites. AFTER I decorate the cookies and they are completely dry how do I store them for my costumers? Can they stay out on an air tight container or do they have to be stored in the fridge?
You can store them as usual. I know it’s difficult to get supplies right now. Hope you can get some meringue soon.
I love to watch your videos! I am trying royal icing for the first time for a baby shower and I was wondering if I could make & decorate the cookies ahead of time and then freeze them? I’ve frozen my cookies before and they come out fine, I am more asking how the icing will hold up.
Hello Ashleigh, yes you can freeze decorated cookies. Be sure to freeze them in freeze safe containers/ bags. Allow cookie to thaw completely before opening container or bags.
Have fun and Happy Easter.
Stay Safe.
Thank you so much for sharing. The recipe was so user-friendly and worked great.
Your videos are so inspiring!
Hi Nats,
thank you. So glad it worked out.
Hi Haniela! Thanks for posting this recipe, I absolutely love the consistency and it’s so easy to work with. I used the liquid egg whites when I made this (i had only ever used meringue powder with different recipes before I found yours). The only problem I ran into that I can’t seem to figure out is this icing dries SO fast! By the time I finish piping a circle outline, it’s already starting to crust. This makes it difficult when I flood too as I am not able to mix it in and get an even layer with a scribe. Help! How do I slow down the crusting?
Hi Nihana,
Sorry to hear you are experiencing these issues. Ambient temperature or air circulation. Are you working close the heater or a fan. I can affect how fast icing is crusting. Try adding little bit of glycerin or corn syrup to your royal icing, it can delay crusting time a little bit. And I’d recommend adding some white food coloring as well. Hope it helps. Hani
Hello! I am new to decorating cookies with royal icing and this is great info!! I wondered if you could tell me to make them shiny?!?
Hi Sarah, thank you!
How to make icing dry shiny
Try to speed up drying time by using fans to promote air circulation, it helps significantly with sheen finish on cookies iced with royal icing.
Hi, I use pasteurized liquid whites. Lately, my cookies get a splotchy look, not so much butter bleed but white splotches. I have dried the cookies on paper towels,do a 7 second flood, fan dry, etc. I whip my RI with the paddle and do it at #4 on my Kitchen Aid for 7 minutes. Hoping for advice on why this happens. I know to use AC and dehumidifier in summer and winter I keep the room at 66 degrees. I am about to give up on cookies!!
Hi Kristen,
Sorry to hear you are having issues with the icing. I would recommend adding white food coloring to royal icing.
Have you tried making royal icing with meringue and compare the results?
Hi Hani thanks for sharing your recepies and hints with us they are very useful. I have searched for the meringue powder here in Paris but cannot find it. Can you tell me how much egg powder and starch do I need to make my meringue powder please.
Hi Mimma,
you can use dehydrated/powdered egg whites to make royal icing. Have you checked the packaging on dehydrated egg whites you have? Often a recipe is printed on the back. If so, I’d follow that recipe to make royal icing.
Otherwise I’d use
3 tablespoons powdered egg whites (15ml liquid measure)
6 tablespoons warm water
4-5 cups powdered sugar (500grams)
1tsp lemon juice or cream of tartar (this is to stabilize the egg whites)
Thank you for this alternative recipe. I live in the UK and meringue powder is not widely available either, only on Amazon and it’s quite expensive. This comes in very handy. Cheers!
Hi Veronica,
I’m glad it’s helpful, keep me posted how it goes. Thank you!
Haniela, have you ever had a problem with bleeding when using liquid egg whites? It seems no matter what I do or how long I let each area dry I still have issues with bleeding.
Hi Elaine,
What food colors are you using? And what colors bleed, all or just some?
I use americolor. I have tried everything. Using a fan or heater. Adding corn syrup, mixing colors hours before use. All colors seem to bleed even yellow.
Try adding some white food coloring to the base of the royal icing. I personally prefer using meringue powder.
Thank you for everything you do!
Just wondering what bags you use? Also, do you use 1 or 2 bags per colour for outlining and flooding?
Thanks again!!
HI Kate,
I usually use 1 piping bag for outlining and for flooding. I like to use 15 second consistency for flood and outline.
Hi Hani from humid Qld Australia
Please could you let me know eggwhite royal icing recipe in grams. Can’t get meringue powder here. I’m using carton egg whites so just want to weigh everything out in metric. Merry Christmas and thanks for your great tutorials.
Hello Ruby,
Thank you for stopping by.
I updated the measurements to metric. Have a great day.
Hani
Hi, my meringue powder has cream of tartar listed as an ingredient, do I still add the tsp cream of tartar? Thanks.
Hello Heather, you don’t have to add it.
What can I use instead of meringue powder? How much and will it change how the icing looks and dries? I’m so confused about what to do.
You can use chickpeas liquid to make eggless royal icing. Use about 6 tbl of the liquid strained from the canned chickpeas. Whisk it until foamy then add about 5 cups powdered sugar and beat until thick. Flavor with vanilla, lemon etc. Color with food colors.
Sorry waht is TBL? Is that Tablespoon? Thank you so much.
yes the measurement is tablespoon
This is very helpful since this is my first attempt at cookie making. So, I mixed the icing per your recipe and recommendations. I don’t have a stand mixer (but seeing the need for one!) I mixed with a hand mixer for 10 minutes. I was afraid to go longer as you said not to over do it. My icing didn’t turn out as thick as yours. It’s more like the outline consistency. Any suggestions for my second try? Oh, I did use Cream of Tartar as this is a humid climate. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Thank you:)
You can add little more powdered sugar, and if you need to thin it down use little bit of water and a spray bottle. HOpe it helps.
Your recipe for this icing along with your sugar recipe are my go to recipes! Thank you for sharing these. They are wonderful! You are so talented!
Thank you Tammy, I’m glad you like them both.
Hi I just made this and it's freaky tangy like vinegar. I ended up tasting the cream of tartar and that's where out came from. Is it supposed to be that way our could my cream of tartar be bad?
Made these very pretty Used your cookie and royal icing recipe. But my I royal icing has a matte finish?
thanks for your recipe…I will try it later… in singapore we will have to use cold water.
Thank you Sadaf for stopping by.
Jeannie, I just love that recipe for Royal Icing.
You are very welcome.
Hi Haniela!
I use Antonio74 recipe too even her cookie recipe and I found them very good. Thanks for posting your techniques.
Jeannie
Wow its great great recipe, would like to give it try soon
cheers ,
sadaf