Make a quick and easy sugar cookie icing recipe with four simple pantry staples! The mixture yields a pipeable vanilla-flavored topping that dries smooth and shiny. Have fun creating custom designs on your sweet treats!
Recipe Science
- Powdered sugar is finely ground sugar that dissolves quickly with corn syrup and milk, creating a smooth, silky texture for the icing.
- Corn syrup is used in frosting to add sweetness and smoothness and prevent crystallization. This contributes to a shiny finish.
- Use whole milk to adjust the icing consistency. The fat and proteins give it an opaque appearance. Cold milk creates a thicker texture.
Jump To a Section
Why It Works
Making an elegant cookie icing from scratch doesn’t get easier than this! You only need powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and milk. Add to your mixer, and it’s ready in under a minute! The combination creates a super smooth consistency you can pipe into festive designs.
You can adjust the icing consistency to make intricate designs and fill them using the same base. Once dried, the sugar coating sets into a glossy glaze. Its shell hardens just enough so that it’s perfect for stacking or packaging boxes of cookies. This icing pairs perfectly with my sugar cookies recipe!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sugar: Powdered sugar is granulated sugar that’s finely ground, which gives it its opaque white appearance. Some manufacturers add a small amount of cornstarch to prevent clumping during storage, making the product denser and easier to weigh. When combined with corn syrup and milk, powdered sugar dissolves quickly into a silky texture.
- Corn Syrup: A small amount of corn syrup keeps the icing smooth and allows the surface to dry shiny. Use light corn syrup if you want a more pure white final product or dark corn syrup if you’re okay with an ivory hue.
- Flavoring: Vanilla extract adds flavor to the icing, giving it a sweet baked note instead of tasting like pure sugar.
- Milk: I use whole milk to adjust the consistency of the icing. The fat and proteins help give the icing a more opaque appearance. A cold liquid gives a thicker consistency, while the mixing will help dissolve the sugar.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This icing recipe for sugar cookies is easy to customize! Try these tasty options:
- Corn Syrup Swap: Brown rice and golden syrup are suitable substitutes. Honey can also be used, but it won’t prevent crystallization.
- Milk Substitute: You can use water instead, but it will be slightly more translucent. Plant-based milk like almond, coconut, oat, or cashew can be used. However, it may impact the flavor of the icing and how it sets.
- Flavoring: Try coconut, banana, caramel, anise, mint, peppermint, or almond extract. Start with ¼ teaspoons at a time. Compared to vanilla, those extracts are very concentrated in flavor.
- Coloring: I recommend gel food coloring as concentrated colors for the icing. Regular liquid food coloring can be used, but the hues won’t be as vibrant and can dilute the icing. Add more powdered sugar as needed.
How to Make Sugar Cookie Icing
Step 1: Make the Border Icing
Sift powdered sugar into a stand mixer bowl for a smooth texture. Add corn syrup, vanilla, and two tablespoons of milk. Mix on low, scraping in between.
Then, continue at medium-low speed until the icing is smooth and thick like toothpaste—ideal for decorating sugar cookies.
I use a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. However, you can also use a hand mixer or whisk. The latter takes a little longer. The whip helps dissolve the finely powdered sugar granules in the milk quickly. There is no egg or butter in the recipe like royal icing or cookie frosting, so the consistency will be heavier, similar to a glaze, and not light and fluffy.
Ingredient Chemistry: Corn syrup is often added to confections to prevent sugars from becoming grainy. It is made from cornstarch broken down into a liquid glucose syrup using enzymes and heat. Combined with the powdered sugar, it prevents the sucrose from recrystallization because it’s an inverted sugar. This ingredient allows the icing to set smoothly and appear shiny on the surface.
Step 2: Color the Icing (Optional)
To create fun, vibrant colors, I like to use gel food coloring and mix it into separate bowls with some icing.
Gel food coloring is more concentrated than liquid food coloring, resulting in vibrant hues that don’t dilute the consistency.
Step 3: Make the Flood Icing
Divide each color into two bowls: one for the border icing and one for the flood icing. In one of the bowls, gradually add more milk, ½ teaspoon at a time, until a thinner, honey-like consistency is reached.
Step 4: Decorate the Cookies
Transfer the icing to a piping bag or squeeze bottle for precise designs. If leaving it in the bowls, keep the icing covered, as the sugar dries and hardens very quickly when exposed to air.
I recommend piping the borders first and letting that set to be sturdy enough to hold back the flood icing when filling in. If using sprinkles or nonpareils, decorate immediately while the icing is still wet to ensure they stick.
Step 5: Dry the Icing
Let decorated cookies dry on a parchment-lined baking sheet or a wire rack for 1 to 2 hours until the surface sets. Store them in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Royal icing and sugar cookie icing differ in ingredients, texture, and drying properties. Royal icing uses powdered sugar, water, and egg whites or meringue powder, which helps it dry hard and smooth, making it ideal for intricate designs and long-term storage. Sugar cookie icing, made with powdered sugar, milk, and corn syrup, dries to a shiny, soft finish and is better for quick, casual decorating. Choose royal icing for detailed work and durability or sugar cookie icing for a glossy, softer look.
Suitable substitutes include brown rice syrup and golden syrup, which have similar viscosity and can help maintain the frosting’s texture and gloss. Honey is another option, though it doesn’t prevent crystallization as effectively and may alter the flavor slightly. If you omit corn syrup, the frosting will still set but will lack the glossy, shiny appearance when it dries.
For cookies, royal icing dries hard for intricate designs and stacking, sugar cookie icing dries glossy but semi-firm for decorating, and sugar cookie frosting is soft and flavorful, ideal for immediate serving. Choose based on your decoration and storage needs.
Fun Cookie Recipes
If you tried this Sugar Cookie Icing, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Sugar Cookie Icing
Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar, plus more as needed for thickening
- 4 teaspoons corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup milk, divided, plus more as needed for diluting
Instructions
- Make the Border Icing – Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, add corn syrup, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of milk. Pulse on and off eight times. Mix on low speed (setting 2) for 5 seconds. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of milk and mix on low speed (setting 2) for 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix at medium-low speed until combined, about 15 to 20 seconds.The consistency should be thick, like toothpaste, and hold its shape when piped. For a thinner consistency, gradually add more milk, ½ teaspoon at a time. For a thicker consistency, add 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar at a time.
- Color the Icing (Optional) – Based on the number of colors, divide the icing into separate bowls. Mix with gel or food coloring until the desired hue is reached.
- Make the Flood Icing – Using the border icing as a base, portion a desired amount into a separate bowl. Gradually add more milk, ½ teaspoon at a time, until a thinner, honey-like consistency is reached. The flood icing should spread evenly within the border icing.
- Decorate the Cookies – If not using the icing immediately, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of each bowl to prevent it from drying out. Transfer each icing to a piping bag or squeeze bottle to make designs. Pipe the border design first and let that set before adding the flood icing. If using sprinkles, nonpareils, or other decorations, apply them while the surface is still wet.
- Dry the Icing – Dry the decorated cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or on a wire rack. They will take about 1 to 2 hours to completely set and dry. Store finished cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield: About 1 cup, to use on about 24 small cookies or 12 large ones.
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- To Make it Dairy-Free: Instead of milk, substitute water, coconut milk, almond milk, or cashew milk.
- Storing: Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Place in a resealable plastic bag or an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap placed directly on top to prevent the surface from drying out.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Recipe Resources
Leave a Comment