Super Easy Royal Icing -Perfect Gingerbread House Icing
This recipe is so easy your kids can make it! Looking for a great icing recipe for cookies, or a gingerbread house maybe? Try this Super Easy Royal Icing recipe without meringue powder. Just powdered sugar, cream of tartar, egg whites, and vanilla.
If you’re looking for a Sugar Cookie Recipe that’s soft and chewy this is a true winner. I love to make these and then use the royal icing to decorate them for a fun afternoon with your kids.
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How to make this Super Easy Royal Icing
I’ve found that you can make this easily with a stand mixer or this hand mixer. However, if you would like to get a great arm workout then this wisk is excellent for you. Just let me know in the comments how long it took you to reach stiff peaks and if you do it, just know I envy you!
What you need to make royal icing
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk or
- Big Stand Mixer (this is the best)or
- Kitchen Aid Hand Mixer
- Spatula
- Ziplock bags or a piping bag to pipe your icing (We went ziplock all the way)
Having no time to mess around I dumped all the ingredients in the Kitchen Aid mixer bowl and flipped the switch to on. Mix..Mix.. Mix FASTER! Seriously did I say I was short on time? I was, and this recipe turned out marvelous!
This is what your icing will look like after 2 or 3 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate everything. You will also need to speed your mixer up a notch or two.
If you are hand mixing.. bless you because this is going to take you a bit longer than it did me. It would be a good idea to bring in your kids to whisk your icing. However, you will need to keep your eyes on them or you may not have much icing left. Their excuse was “I accidentally drank it Mom” and yes this has happened at my house!
Don’t leave your stand mixer because it shouldn’t take long to go from the runny icing above to this thick luscious icing in the below picture. Yummy!
Now to test your icing. We are looking for stiff peaks here! Although this icing looks like heaven, it actually needs a minute more. See the difference between this picture and the one below. Did you notice how the tip of the icing fell over? It shouldn’t!
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This royal icing recipe can not be easier. If you have any questions about the process drop them below. I am not a professional baker, just a lucky niece who was given the perfect recipe.
Your icing needs to be stiff but be careful not to over mix the icing. That would be disastrous! This icing is perfect and doesn’t flop over! Yay! Celebrate! See I told you the name says it all! Super Easy Royal Icing!
Keep it covered!
Make sure to keep your icing covered with a damp cloth in between use otherwise, you will have super crusty stuff that may taste ok but not pipe well at all.
What if I don’t have a piping bag for icing?
No problem! I don’t either..
If you don’t have a piping bag just grab a zip lock bag. They work well in a pinch and there’s no cleanup! Double win! To use this just fill about half full and snip off a small amount on the end to pipe your icing through. Done!
Happy icing!
How to make Super Easy Royal Icing -Video
Printer version of Super Easy Royal Icing Recipe
Super Easy Royal Icing
Easiest Royal Icing recipe ever!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk or
- Big Stand Mixer (this is the best)or
- Kitchen Aid Hand Mixer
- Spatula
- Ziplock bags or a piping bag to pipe your icing (We went ziplock all the way)
Instructions
- Dump all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well incorporated.
- Scrap the sides with a spatula every minute or two.
- When the icing has stiff peaks it's finished. Don't overmix.
- Open a ziplock bag and spoon in the icing then close. You can also cover the bowl of icing with a damp cloth until you need it.
- Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Did you ice cookies, a cake, or make a gingerbread house like us?
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So you don’t have to cook the egg whites it’s my first time using egg whites and I don’t want anyone to get sick
Thanks for the question Emma! No you don’t have to cook the egg whites. Hope that helps!
If I make a large batch can I just double everything? Even triple? We’re doing gingerbread houses for a youth activity, and want to try your recipe!
Christina, I’ve doubled it not tripled it yet. Let me know how it goes. Make sure to let your houses set for about 10 minutes before you decorate the top and sides. It seems to hold the weight better. Hope you have fun!
How long does it take to dry.?
Not long at all. A few minutes at most. Just make sure to prop up the sides of your house. 🙂
Today I tried this receipt and one other. This was definitely the winner!! Thank you so much!
Yay! I’m so glad you loved it!
Attempting to make gingerbread from scratch with my kiddos this evening & have searched an searched for a good icing recipe & judging by how yummy yours came out an the excellent reviews from other people saying how great it worked .. I’m trying to figure out just where I went wrong over here while my children are looking at me like .. jezz, mom how long is it going to take for this icing & I followed the ingredients to a T an some how I’m still whining up with what looks like your picture where its soupy looking its somehow not getting nice an whipped like yours & I keep blending but freaking out that I’m going to blend too much an it’s just staying runny… please save me from a disappointing icing fiasco praying you have a solution to this!! Thanks again!!
Harley, Try adding in powdered sugar a Tbsp at a time. That may help thicken it without having to start over again. Weather will sometimes change the consistency in things like fudge divinity and royal icing. Here’s a website with some troubleshooting for royal icing. https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/mistakes-almost-everyone-makes-with-royal-icing/ I hope that helps. You’re such a great mom making gingerbread from scratch too! WOW!
How long will the icing last refrigerated?
Hey Alicia, I usually store mine in the fridge for about 3 days. After that I’ll make a new batch.
Thank you!
Can you color the icing?
You sure can. I used a gel but regular food coloring will also work.
I did not have cream of tartar, I read lemon juice is a substitute for it. The icing never reached stiff peaks, could it be from the access liquid from the lemon juice? I will definitely invest in cream of tartar…
Hi Monica, I’ve actually never tried lemon juice. I think ill be testing that one over the Christmas break.
I made this for my great nephew’s birthday cookies. LOVE LOVE LOVE this perfect recipe!! I am in no way anything more than a baking enthusiast. But this time I made Royal Icing like a pro!!! He had the cutest Moo Cow & Ear Tag decorated cookies thanks to your recipe!!Thanks again so much.
That’s Amazing Katylee! I’m so excited for you! I bet those cookies were adorable and super yummy.
My daughter really wanted to make cookies with royal icing and I felt so intimidated because I’ve tried it before and was not successful. Your directions were so clear and I was able to make the perfect consistency for icing our sugar cookies. My daughter was thrilled and we felt like we conquered it together! So fun! Thank you for a great recipe and easy to follow instructions!
Thank you for sharing this recipe I was looking for a nice and easy one, but can I ask you for how long or minutes we need to keep mixing?! Thank you
Your recipe is easy and uses ingredients found in the house. How many cookies could you frost with your recipe?
I actually don’t know because I usually use this frosting to build edible things with my kids.
This is the best, and easiest Royal Icing I’ve come across. It works so well and it was really easy for the kids to handle! It’s a keeper for sure! Thank you.
Im so glad! Thanks so much for letting me know!