How to Decorate Cookies With Royal Icing

Step up your Christmas cookie decorating this year with royal icing. It’s the secret bakeries use to decorate their cookies so beautifully. Besides making them look pretty, royal icing actually helps to keep cookies fresh by sealing in their moisture. Once you get the knack for it, making royal icing is very simple (learn to make royal icing). So, find your favorite cookie cutters, bake a batch of cookies and get creative. You can do this!

Here are a few tips before you get started:

  • Dampen a paper towel and place in a glass. Use this to cover the tips of a squeeze bottle or piping bag to prevent the icing from drying out.
  • Completely cover any royal icing you aren’t using with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
  • Use a slightly thicker icing to outline the cookies. Thicken up the frosting by adding slightly more powdered sugar.
  • To fill the inside of the cookie (also known as flooding), thin out the icing by adding a few drops of water at a time until you get the proper consistency.
  • Test out icing consistency on a sample cookie.
  • If you’re having an issue piping the icing, it may be too thick.
  • If air bubbles appear, use a toothpick to pop them and they should disappear.

How to Decorate Cookies With Royal Icing

1. Make the royal icing.


2. Tint the royal icing and put in a piping bag (fitted with a small tip) or squeeze bottle. Cover the tip with a damp paper towel when not using.


3. Outline the cookie with a thickened icing.


4. Put frosting in a small bowl. Add a few drops of water to thin frosting then spoon inside the lines. The icing will dry nice and smooth.

If you try to flood the cookie with icing too thick,

You’ll get lots of bumps which is what you do not want.


5. Add additional decorations to the cookies, if desired. Try adding alternate royal icing colors or dragees.


6. Set aside cookies and allow to completely dry. Enjoy!

Comfortable with your decorating skills? Learn how to make adorable rosettes with royal icing. It’ll elevate your cookies and cupcakes to a new level.