Royal Icing With Meringue Powder
This is my go-to royal icing recipe using meringue powder! It comes together in minutes, actually tastes good, and makes cookie decorating an absolute breeze. It's super versatile, and can be colored and flavored to your heart's desire.
Servings: 3 cups
Calories: 647kcal
Equipment
- hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment
- large bowl or bowl of stand mixer
- Piping bags for decorating
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons meringue powder I also love the brand LorAnn!
- ½ cup water room temperature, plus more as needed
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ¼-½ teaspoon almond, mint, etc. you can also add lemon juice or zest!
- pinch fine sea salt
- gel food coloring
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add 4 tablespoons meringue powder and ½ cup water. Mix on medium speed until very frothy, about 2-3 minutes.
- While mixing on medium-low, gradually add 4 cups powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is fully incorporated, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and pinch fine sea salt.
- Whip on medium high for about 3-4 minutes until thickened and white. If the consistency is too thick for your liking, add a few drops of water at a time. If it is too thin, try whipping the mixture longer or adding in more powdered sugar.Note: For a royal icing consistency perfect for both lining and flooding, drag your whisk through the icing. It should smooth back into an even surface within 15–20 seconds.
- If you’re coloring your icing, divide it into separate bowls. Work with one color at a time, covering the remaining bowls with damp paper towels to prevent the icing from drying out.**As dyed royal icing dries, the color does deepen a few shades darker. So if you're going for pastels, go a bit lighter than you normally would. Stir in gel food coloring until combined.
- To minimize air bubbles in your decorated cookies, let icing rest in the bowl for about 15 minutes, so any trapped air can rise to the surface. Pop bubbles with a toothpick.
- Transfer icing to piping bags and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Storage: You can make this royal icing ahead of time! I like to store it in piping bags by color in an airtight container. You can keep them at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Before using, make sure to knead the bag. You may need to rewhip or add more water to fix the consistency!
For decorated cookies, drying time depends on the humidity and your environment. It can take 8-24 hours for royal icing cookies to completely dry. I like to leave my cookies uncovered on a wire rack on my counter.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cup | Calories: 647kcal | Carbohydrates: 160g | Protein: 4g | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 65mg | Sugar: 157g | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.1mg
