Get the App

Recipes

Find a Recipe Blue Ribbon Recipes Pinch It!™ Feed Browse All Recipes

Editorial

Food Bites & Articles Videos What is a Blue Ribbon? Meet the Test Kitchen

Community

Member Recipes Groups Sweepstakes Contests Shopping

royal icing

(3 RATINGS)
1.02K Pinches 8 Photos
Courtney_Bailey avatar
Jackson, MI
Updated on Sep 2, 2021

There are lots of great recipes out there for royal icing. This one is my favorite and one that I have tweaked a lot to make it just what I wanted. I hope you have as much success with this recipe as I have. Enjoy!

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Royal icing sounds intimidating, but it's easy to make with simple ingredients. If you have a stand mixer, the whisk attachment does all the work. There is no meringue powder in this recipe; egg whites are used instead. This is the firm icing piped onto cutout cookies or used to put together gingerbread houses. Prepare a batch of to up your cookie decorating game.

— The Test Kitchen
prep time 20 Min
cook time
method No-Cook or Other
yield 24-30 serving(s)

Ingredients

  • 2 large egg whites
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3-4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon whole milk

How To Make royal icing

Test Kitchen Tips
Since there are raw eggs in this recipe, make sure to purchase store-bought eggs that are pasteurized.

A few royal icing tips: This dries pretty quickly so keep unused portions covered. If the frosting is in a piping bag, cover the tip with a damp paper towel. Add more powdered sugar for a thicker icing and thin the icing with a little milk. Also, Courtney doesn't mention this, but extracts can be added for additional flavor.
  • Egg whites and lemon juice in a bowl.
    Step 1
    In a large mixing bowl, add the egg whites and lemon juice.
  • Slowly whisking egg whites.
    Step 2
    Mix slowly with a wire whisk.
  • Slowly adding powdered sugar.
    Step 3
    Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
  • Powdered sugar whisked into the egg whites until fluffy.
    Step 4
    Mix on medium speed until well blended.
  • Tinting the royal icing.
    Step 5
    To add coloring, I recommend using gel food colors instead of liquid, as they add brilliant color without thinning your frosting. For piping, I use all four cups of sugar and blend until stiff glossy peaks form that do not disappear into the bowl after a 3-second count. If using for "flooding" or filling, I only add 3 cups.
  • Adding milk to thin the royal icing.
    Step 6
    If you have thickened the frosting too much add the milk, a small amount at a time, until you achieve the consistency you're looking for.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!

Discover More

Keyword: #icing
Keyword: #royal
Culture: American
Ingredient: Sugar

Comment & Reviews

ADVERTISEMENT
Just A Pinch Sweepstakes