Tested Vegan Royal Icing Recipe with Aquafaba
This Vegan Royal Icing is completely egg-free, easy to make, and wonderful for decorating cookies. Made with aquafaba, it pipes, floods, and dries similarly to traditional royal icing, creating a smooth finish on cookies. In this post, I also share a few fun science bits explaining how humble bean water transforms into decorating icing. Ready to see bean water work its magic? Let’s spill the beans.
Featured Comment ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- “This was the best recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. My daughter (who is recently vegan dairy-free) and I made this recipe this Christmas and had a great time. The tips were so helpful, and the cookies tasted fabulous! Who knew you could use chickpea brine? Brilliant! Thank you so so much!! Love following all of your creative ideas and recipes!! ” Lynne
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Sets like traditional royal icing – Icing made with bean water hardens just like traditional royal icing. It dries shiny and can be beautifully colored with gel food coloring. Once dry, cookies are packaged, stacked, or frozen for later
- No eggs required – this recipe is great for those who are allergic to egg whites or are following a vegan lifestyle.
- This royal icing is made without eggs! Instead, it relies on the magic of Aquafaba, which mimics many of the whipping qualities of egg whites, making it a wonderful vegan alternative to royal icing.
- Once whipped, it forms a stable foam that, when combined with powdered sugar, produces a glossy icing remarkably similar to traditional royal icing.
- Honestly, it still baffles me that something as humble as ‘bean water’ can be whipped up into such a beautiful decorating icing.
- Canned chickpea brine – No need to make your own aquafaba. Based on this study, brine from commercially processed beans has a higher protein concentration and therefore a more reliable foaming ability than homemade versions.
- No bean taste – I hear this all the time – “Will it taste like beans”? Despite using chickpea brine, the icing does not taste like beans. I use vanilla, almond, and lemon extracts to help round out the sweetness while completely masking any trace of chickpea flavor.
- Works for piping, flooding, and transfers – I’ve used this icing for outlining, flooding cookies – Vegan Shamrock Cookies, and making decorative royal icing transfers.
- Make-ahead-friendly – The icing keeps well in the refrigerator for several days and freezes beautifully for future decorating projects. If you’d like detailed tips on how to freeze, thaw, and use frozen royal icing, I share the full process in my dedicated post about freezing royal icing.
EGGLESS ROYAL ICING FACTS
- Vegan royal icing is slightly sweeter and a bit less flexible than traditional egg-white royal icing. It’s made with bean water, cream of tartar, powdered sugar, and flavorings.
- I like to use several drops of white food coloring per batch to make it more opaque. It helps to brighten and accept the coloring better.
- Plant proteins and polysaccharides naturally present in bean water can cause aquafaba royal icing to crust a little faster than traditional egg-white icing. To help slow this down and give you more time to work while decorating, you can add a small amount of corn syrup – about 1 tablespoon per batch does the trick.
CHICKPEAS BRINE/AQUAFABA
Did you know that Aquafaba’s remarkable whipping ability was discovered in 2014? And ever since, it has become a global sensation in the culinary world of vegan recipes. But what exactly is aquafaba? It’s a viscous legume brine (‘bean water’) produced during pressure cooking. What is fascinating is that once whipped, it behaves much like egg whites, forming a fluffy white foam that traps air and creates structure. The foaming secret lies in the naturally occurring proteins released from the chickpeas during processing.
Does the brand of canned chickpeas matter?
Yes, it does. Different brands use slightly different canning processes, and that can affect the quality of the aquafaba, especially its protein content and foaming ability. Research also shows that added salt in the cooking process plays an important role. It can reduce viscosity and weaken foam stability, which may impact how well the aquafaba whips and holds structure. Aquafaba with higher viscosity whips better. So what should you look for? Look for consistency similar to egg whites. If your bean water is too watery, simmer it for 10 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened. Let it cool completely and use it in the recipe.
Strain the aquafaba
Make sure to drain the chickpea brine through a fine mesh sieve. Just in case there are some bean bits in the aquafaba. You don’t want those in your icing.
CREAM OF TARTAR
To help stabilize the foam, I use cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate). Aquafaba naturally sits around a neutral pH of 6, and cream of tartar lowers the pH slightly, helping the proteins form a more stable structure that holds air better and whips into a glossy foam much like meringue.
FLAVOR ICING
To flavor icing, I like to add the holy trinity of extracts: vanilla, lemon, and almond. I know it seems like an odd combination of flavors, but it really works. Of course, nothing is set in stone and you can experiment with other flavors. However, I’d recommend sticking with Vanilla Extract. You can then add other flavors of your choice, but avoid oil-based flavorings; use either alcohol-based extracts or water-based bakery emulsions.
COLOR ICING
I use gel food colors to color royal icing. Check with the manufacturer if you have further questions about the contents of the gel food colorings you are using.
SUCCESS TIPS & FAQ
- can you taste the bean flavor in vegan icing?
- why isn’t my aquafaba whipping?
- how long do cookies decorated with vegan icing last?
- why is my vegan icing translucent?
- why is it crusting so quickly?
- does it dry matte or shiny?
Can you taste the bean flavor in vegan icing?
No. I haven’t noticed the bean taste.
Why isn’t my aquafaba whipping?
This issue is usually caused by weak aquafaba, a bowl with traces of grease, or skipping a stabilizer like cream of tartar. If the bean water seems too thin, you can gently simmer it for about 10 minutes to reduce and concentrate it, which often improves its whipping ability. For the most consistent results, I recommend sticking with canned chickpeas, as their brine tends to be more stable and reliable for whipping.
How long do cookies decorated with vegan icing last?
Decorated vegan cut-out cookies generally keep well for about 10–14 days, though I find they tend to dry out slightly over time and become a bit crunchier as they sit. I had a batch of decorated vegan cookies last up to three weeks- they were still pleasantly crisp and enjoyable. To help keep them softer for longer, you can also add a touch of invert sugar to cookie dough, which helps retain moisture and slows down drying.
Why is my vegan icing translucent?
This usually happens when the icing hasn’t been mixed thoroughly or when the liquid-to-powdered sugar ratio is a little off. To fix it, adjust the consistency as needed and mix until smooth. If the icing looks too translucent, a few drops of white food coloring can also help make it more opaque and give it a more polished finish.
Why is it crusting so quickly?
Vegan icing tends to crust a little faster than traditional royal icing because the plant proteins and polysaccharides in the bean water encourage quicker drying. To slow this down and give yourself more decorating time, you can add about 1 tablespoon of corn syrup to the icing. It also helps to avoid decorating in a drafty room or under a running fan, since airflow and warmer ambient temperatures can speed up the drying process.
Does it dry matte or shiny?
Icing dries hard with a subtle sheen.
Vegan Royal Icing
Ingredients
Vegan Royal Icing
- 6 tbsp strained canned chickpeas brine 90ml
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar 480-600 grams
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 3 drops white food coloring
Instructions
Vegan Royal Icing
- Open a can of store-bought chickpeas, drain and strain the brine through a fine- mesh sieve.
- Measure chickpea brine (6 tablespoons, 90 milliliters) into a bowl of your stand mixer. Add cream of tartar (1/2teaspoon). Beat with a wire beater until the mixture is foamy. Add all powdered sugar (4-5 cups, 480-600 grams) and continue beating on low speed until thick.Beat in Vanilla Extract (1/2tsp), Lemon Extract (1/2tsp), and white food coloring (3drops). Beat until thick, 5-8 minutes.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container, covered with plastic wrap, and sealed with a lid in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let it come to room temperature before using.Thin the icing with room temperature water to the desired consistency for decorating.
Color Vegan Royal Icing
- Vegan royal icing can be colored with gel food colors.
Video
Notes
- Can I use homemade chickpea brine? – For the best results, use brine from drained store-bought chickpeas. It isn’t easy to control the concentration of homemade chickpea brine.
- My icing is not drying; what happened? I see this happen when too much food coloring is added. As with all royal icing recipes, adding too much food coloring can result in excessive drying times. Allow icing to dry overnight.
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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.
Hi Hani, how much white gel color do you use? TIA.
Hi Lenore,
I’d add 3 drops of white gel color. Thank you.
Hiya,
I’m thinking of using this vegan royal icing recipe to cover my Xmas cake. How long will it stay OK on the cake for before being eaten? I’m hoping I don’t have to eat it within a few weeks as I’m thinking of making it a few weeks before Christmas.
Hi Stella,
I haven’t used this recipe on a cake. I’m not sure how well it would do on a cake. I generally use buttercream on cakes. That being said you can use it to dip cookies, either cut-out or drop cookies.
Can you use swerve (confectioners sugar replacement) instead of confectioners sugar?
Hi Jennifer,
I haven’t tried a sugar replacement, but I assume it should work.
I love this recipe, and it’s my new go to for icing cookies! I’d like to know if there is any trick to slowing the crusting process, as it does crust much quicker than RI. Any tips or tricks would be so appreciated! Thank you!!
Hi Victoria,
there are couple things you can try – white gel food coloring, and little bit of corn syrup.
Hi,
What should I do if I want to make this a lemon flavor? Thanks!
Hello Hyunji,
you can add lemon extract and/or use freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice to thin icing.
Hello! Would this work for a gingerbread house icing to hold the walls /roof together ?
Hi Fleur,
yes.
I just love this recipe!! I’ve substituted with both Swerve and Splenda. I made cute fish cookies for my son’s class that were low sugar and so, so cute!! I also usually make a huge batch of frosting and freeze it in small bags for later use – in case anyone wants to know if you can, sometimes it needs a little added sugar or cornstarch. Thanks for sharing your recipes Hani- Hani- I’ve tried several and yours are always my favorite and my go-to if I’m making cookies for others!!
Hi Anna,
Thank you so much for sharing this with me. I’m sure others will find it also helpful. I’m glad you like this recipe and were able to make it also low sugar. That’s
so great to know that Swerve and Splenda work well.
Happy Baking.
Hani
Hi Hani! Wondering if you have any updates on how long this recipe is good for? I love the flavor of this icing and am wanting to use it for my vegan DIY cookie kits that I’ll be selling this Christmas. I want to make sure I note proper storage instructions for their vegan royal icing, and I think that (if it is the case), my customers would be thrilled if it lasted a few days without needing to be refrigerated!
Thanks so much! Love your recipes!
Hi Jessica,
4-5 days are fine. Thank you and Happy Baking.
Hi Hani,
Can we make the cookies thicker? like 3/8 like my other sugar cookies?
Hi Brigid,
yes, I don’t see why not. You’ll most likely need to adjust the baking time, since they are a little thicker.
Hi
Can I use almond extract instead of lemon extract?
Hi Trish,
yes.
Hi! Thanks for the recipe. Can this be stored in the freezer for longer use like regular royal icing? Thanks!
Hi Kelsey,
yes you can. Just like with meringue based royal icing, frozen icing become slightly more fluid when thawed. So you’ll probably need to add more powdered sugar.
hello,
I read through all the comments first to see if my question was asked lol
I know sometimes people will make 2 different consistencies with icing. One to outline and one to flood. Is this recipe suitable for both? Do you recommend thinning with water to flood or is it not necessary?
Thank you so much. I’m making these for a party in a couple weeks and planning on making them as advanced as possible, maybe a couple days before the party. Cant wait to try!
Hello La
You will most likely have to thin this royal icing to desired consistency. Icing when first made is going to be on a thicker side so adding little bit of water (drops) will make it more fluid and easier to work with. You don’t necessary need to make 2 consistencies to outline and flood. I use 15 to 20 second consistency icing to outline and flood. If you have any details you’d like pipe on the top of the 1st layer, after’s crusted for this I’d use thicker icing. It’s fine to make cookie a week ahead, You can store them in airtight container,layered between parchment. Thank you and have fun decorating.
Hey! How long do cookies iced with this royal icing stay good for (in an airtight container) ?
Thanks so much in advance!
10 days. Vegan cookies tend to dry out faster. Cookie are still edible after 10 they are just a bit more crunchier.
Would this icing be good to use for making flowers like roses for cake dec?
I haven’t tried piped flowers, but I made some thick transfers and took a long time to dry.
Typical royal icing is pretty shelf-stable, meaning it doesn’t go bad for a LONG time. Do you find there is a shorter shelf life to this icing, either before it’s used, or after being piped and dried? Curious if it needs any different care or concern than typical royal icing
Hi Kristy,
I wouldn’t keep this vegan icing with aquafaba for a month like my regular meringue based royal icing. And I definitely store in the fridge. Lemon juice also acts as a preservative so it’s helpful that way. I’d keep it in the fridge for 10 to 14 days. I think fresher it’s better.
This was the best recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. My daughter (who is recently vegan dairy free) and I made this recipe this Christmas and had a great time. The tips were so helpful and the cookies tasted fabulous! Who knew you could use chickpea brine? Brilliant! Thank you so so much!! love following all of your creative ideas and recipes!! We tried the vegan royal icing recipe as well! It was perfect! The icing dried hard and we did not need to find white food coloring as mentioned in the recipe. The powdered sugar took care of keeping it white. One tip for those who are using liquid food color, use gel food color with a toothpick and you won’t add extra moisture to your royal icing. Thanks again for sharing the recipe! This will definitely be a holiday favorite in our house!
Hi Lynne,
so glad you like the recipe. Thank you for sharing and Happy New Year!
Hi Hani! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have a query, do I need to use the canned chickpeas brine for this or can I use the homemade chickpeas brine too? Thank you ☺️
Hello Amrita,
it is best to use store bought chickpeas brine. It’s hard to tell with homemade brine if the concentration is the same and such. Hope that makes sense. You can also freeze the brine for later.
Hi Hani! I tried this recipe and it was loved by all. Love how quick, easy and delicious this icing is. Thank you so much for your prompt reply 💝
Do I need to add in white food coloring drops? I am decorating a penguin, but I do not have white food coloring because I am use to royal icing being white no matter what. Is it because the chick peas could turn the icing a brownish color?
You don’t have to add it if you don’t have white.
Hi Hani, uhm I have a quick question… do you use anything to “dry” quick your icing? Or just air dry? Because someone told me that a fruit dehydrator works to dry fast & secure the royal icing. (In case that you sell cookies)
Thank you ♡!
Hi Charlote,
I personally don’t use food dehydrator to dry royal icing but yes you can use to dry royal icing faster. I’d suggest testing it out with a couple of cookies first, using different setting, time etc. Please don’t leave them there for too long or cookies will dry out.
Oh, thank you very much for your reply! I dont know if you have a post here in the blog with the exact time of drying? Because now I’m starting the xmas season for sell cookies and I live in a place where is almost summer time and the enviorment temp is 80°+F in summer is 100°+F so it’s really important for me to know drying times for royal icing.
Hiiiii Hani
I will be shipping these how long to dry before shipping?
How do you suggest defrosting already made icing?
Thank you so much
Kimberly
Hi Kimberly,
Package cookies after icing has dried. Drying time can take up to 8 hours, depending on thickness of icing, humidity etc.
Defrosting icing on the counter.
Hope this helps.
Hi again, do you think I could use this icing for a birthday cake? I’ve never made royal icing vegan or with eggs- but would like to cover a vegan cake with it🤷♀️ Thanks so much , Lynne
Hi Lynne,
this recipe is not really suitable in place of buttercream for the cake, as it dries hard. It’s more suitable for cookie decorating than cake decorating. Here is what you can do, you can use Regular American Buttercream Recipe but omit dairy butter, instead use vegan butter substitute such as Earth Balance or Miyokos and in place of milk use coconut milk, almond milk or other dairy free milk you use. I’d say 1 stick of fat(butter), 2-3 cups powdered sugar and few tablespoons of 2-3 tablespoons of non-dairy milk and vanilla extract. Beat butter until creamy about a minute, then add powdered sugar, vanilla and beat until fluffy, add milk to reach the consistency as desired. Hope it helps. Hani
Hi! Wondering how many batches of this icing is needed to ice a 3x batch of vegan sugar cookies? First time for both recipes and I want to make sure it is correct. Thanks!
Hi Kari,
Recipe should make enough to ice 24 to 30 cookies, approximately 3 inches across
Great recipe. How long will the icing keep once set on the biscuit? With normal royal icing, my biscuits will keep for a good few weeks in an air tight container, is this the same with this vegan RI? thanks
Hi Annie, I’ve only had the cookies for a week so I’d think at least a week. I would have to test it out.
When making regular Royal Icing, how much corn syrup do you add to a recipe? Thank you.
HI Margaret, depends on the batch size. When making a regular batch(using either 2lb powdered sugar, or 1kg powdered sugar – I add 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup corn syrup. Mix it thoroughly and use as usual.
Hi Hani, how long this RI stays good once yo had decorated the cookies?
Hello Mary, I haven’t kept it longer than 5 days. But my understanding is that you can freeze aquafaba. I also left it at room temperature for 2 days and it was fine, too.
Could I use this as a drip on a vegan buttercream cake?
Hi Stacey, I haven’t tried it. It dries hard but I think if you add corn syrup to make it a bit softer it could work. But like I said I haven’t tried it my self. Thank you.
Can vegan icing be left on the counter for several days? Also, can I freeze it? Thank you for your reply.
1-3 days should be fine. After that I noticed it started to separates a little. I haven’t tried freezing it myself but I recall someone telling me you can freeze chickpeas brine so I assume it will be fine to freeze the vegan royal icing. I freeze regular royal icing all the time. Hope it helps.
Hi Hani! I was wondering if this vegan RI dries as hard as regular RI? In the comments above you mentioned your transfers dried slower, would you recommend anticipating longer drying time for flooding?
Transfers for some reason took a bit longer to dry but overall I think it is very similar to regular royal, I don’t think you’d need extra time for flood to dry. I think perhaps because bees were a bit puffy that is why extra time was needed for them dry completely. I like how shiny the icing was.
You can also freeze the aquafaba ( bean juice). I freeze it in ice cube trays, 2 Tbls per cube.
That’s awesome to know. Thank you for sharing.
Is it necessary to keep this vegan RI 5 days on the fridge before using it? My own recipe I use it directly.
I have a bleeding prob with my colored RI, is this recipe avoid this prob?
You can use it right away. I meant to store it. Bleeding can occur for number of reasons. Food coloring, higher humidity. Try using a fan when drying the cookies.
So these are regular, salted chickpeas?
I just looked at the can of the chickpeas I use and there is sea salt, sodium 140mg. I’m not sure if it differs from brand to brand.
Hello Hani! Thanks for posting this recipe! I haven’t tried it yet but i was wondering if you noticed differences with the regular icing (how long it lasts in the fridge, the consistency, shininess, etc)
Thanks very much!
Hi Ana,
I think it dries very nicely with a nice shine. It was setting up pretty fast actually but it could have been ambient temperature, I worked by the wood stove. I was able to make different consistencies and I should have a tutorial out soon where I used it make royal icing transfers, they took a bit longer to dry than with traditional royal icing but at the end it worked.
Great alternative for folks with egg allergies! I’ve heard so many positive things about using the beams. Will give it a try!
Hi June,
I totally agree, my neighbor has an egg white allergy also. I’ll be using it to make her some cookies. Thank you.
Hi Hani, you mix all 3 flavors (vanilla, almond, and lemon) together in one batch? Thanks.
Yes, indeed.Vanilla is the main flavor and then I add little a little bit of almond and lemon. You can also use just vanilla, or add only extra almond. Make it your own.Thank you. Keep me posted how it goes.