Royal Icing

Royal icing is the decorator’s ink: it pipes crisp lines, floods smooth panels, and dries hard enough to stack — and it’s naturally gluten-free, being little more than sugar and egg white. Meringue powder makes it shelf-stable and consistent every batch.

Yield: About 3 cups · Time: 10 min

Ingredients

• 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 3 tbsp meringue powder
• 6–8 tbsp warm water
• 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract (clear for white icing)
• Gel food colors

Directions

1. Beat the sugar, meringue powder, and 6 tablespoons water on medium 4–5 minutes to stiff, glossy peaks.
2. Thin portions with water drop by drop: 10-second ribbon for flooding, toothpaste-thick for outlines.
3. Tint with gel colors, keeping bowls covered with damp towels — royal icing crusts fast.
4. Pipe outlines, flood centers, and pop bubbles with a toothpick.
5. Dry decorated cookies 6–8 hours uncovered before stacking.

Pro tip: Count the ribbon: icing that resurfaces in ten seconds floods glass-smooth; faster is runny, slower leaves lumps.

Gluten-Free Notes

If you are cooking for someone with celiac disease, cross-contact matters as much as ingredients — clean surfaces, dedicated utensils, and certified or labeled gluten-free packaged goods are the safe path.

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Browse more in Baking Basics & Pantry, or explore our gluten-free breakfast recipe database and hot cereal guide.