MAking beautiful royal iced cookies that don’t taste chalky or dry hard is Possible! Here I’ll share my tips, tricks, and favorite recipe for tasty and soft royal icing.
I used to think that Royal Iced Cookies were fun to look at, but NOT fun to eat! But I’m here to blow your preconceived notions of what a Royal Iced Cookie IS out of the water! I’m going to tell you all about Soft Royal Icing, what makes it different, and share my recipe adapted from Cookie Concepts Soft Royal Icing Recipe. It will change everything you THOUGHT you knew, and help you fall in love with Pretty AND Delicious Royal Iced Cookies!
What is Royal Icing?
Lets start with talking about what Royal Icing is… Royal Icing is a hard white icing traditionally made from Egg Whites and Powdered Sugar. By definition, Royal Icing is void of oils and fat.
Royal Icing is most commonly used to decorate cookies so that you can stack and bag them without destroying the pretty decoration.
This Soft Royal Icing Recipe contains fat. Which is typically a no no, but we’re going to do it anyway!
what makes this recipe different?
One difference between traditional Royal Icing and this Soft Royal Icing Recipe is the addition of Shortening. There isn’t much, only 2 tablespoons, but that’s all it takes to prevent that chalky, hard texture that we all dread when biting into one of these beautiful cookies.
I love the addition of Shortening for a couple of reasons:
- A soft bite instead of a hard one when the icing dries.
- A slight sheen to the icing when it dries.
- The ability to add oil based flavors! This makes it possible to add fun, non traditional flavors without having to turn to an emulsion. (I personally do not like the taste of emulsions, especially in a non baked portion of the dessert.)
The CTR Shield Cookie <above> on the left was decorated with Soft Royal Icing, the Heart Cookies on the right were decorated with Traditional Royal Icing. If you look closely, you can see that the Traditional Royal Iced hearts are a bit dull and the shield has a bit of a shine.
Another difference between traditional Royal icing and this Soft Royal Icing Recipe is the amount of time that you will need to cure the icing before you can bag your cookies. This icing takes a bit longer to set up. You’ll need to give your decorated cookies at least 24 hours to dry before you try to bag or box them. Maybe even longer if you have layers of decoration on your cookie.
Flavor, Flavor, Flavor!
Royal Icing has come a long way when it comes to taste. If you were to make it the traditional way, it pretty much just tastes like sugar… There are so many ways to flavor this Soft Royal Icing Recipe. I’ve listed my favorite flavors in the actual recipe. But they can be substituted with various other flavors:
- Mexican Vanilla Extract
- Butter Extract
- Cream Cheese Extract
- Almond Extract
- Lemon Juice
- Lime Juice
- Orange Extract
- Mint Extract
- Cinnamon Oil. Think Liquid Red Hots! (This is my absolute favorite, but remember, this can only be used in this Soft Royal Icing Recipe, as it is an oil based flavor. It will break traditional Royal Icing recipes)
How to make Soft Royal Icing
- Add your meringue powder and water to a bowl. Mix with a hand mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, until frothy.
- Add about a third of your powdered sugar, flavors, shortening and light corn syrup and mix until combined.
- Slowly add in the remainder of your powdered sugar and mix until combined.
- Add about a tablespoon of white gel food color (this part is optional, but the icing will be opaque without it and almost an ivory color.) This does 2 things: gives it a bright white color, and prevents colors from bleeding. **So I recommend adding even if you will be tinting it different colors**
- Scrape down the sides of your bowl and then mix for 2 minutes, or until well combined and stiff.
Mixture should be quite thick. This is the consistency you want for things like Gingerbread Houses.
At this point, you’ll want to thin to your desired consistencies. See my post All About Royal Icing Consistency.
This Soft Royal Icing Recipe is a great addition to my Soft No-Spread Sugar Cookies. They bake up relatively flat, keep their shape, and are very flood friendly cookie. There are great tips for how to bake them included in the post.
If you’re looking for a great cookie that isn’t a sugar cookie, I would highly recommend LilaLoa’s Chocolate Cookies. I have personally made these cookies many times (Including with the cookie set pictured below) and I think they pair beautifully with this Soft Royal Icing Recipe.
Once decorated, most Cookies tend to keep their soft, delicious flavor and texture for days. This Soft Royal Icing Recipe acts as a great freshness preserver. If you’d like to keep your Royal Iced Sugar Cookies fresh for weeks, consider investing in some bags and a Heat Sealer.
How to Store Soft Royal Icing
Once made, this royal icing should remain covered to prevent forming a shell. When coloring, thinning, bagging etc… I recommend draping a damp lint free cloth, or paper towel over the bowl.
If you happen to have leftover icing, I personally bag mine in a Ziploc bag and place it into the freezer. That way I have some all ready to go next time! Set it out on the counter for a couple of hours to come to room temperature, mix it thoroughly and it’ll be all set to color, thin, and bag.
Soft Royal Icing
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Meringue Powder
- 2 lbs Powdered Sugar
- 2 TBSP Light Corn Syrup
- 2 TBSP Vegetable Shortening
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Tsp Butter Extract
- 1 Tsp Cream Cheese Extract
- 1 TBSP White Gel Food Color (optional)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add water and meringue powder. Mix on med-high speed until frothy.
- Add corn syrup, shortening, flavors and about 1/3 of the powdered sugar and mix well. Make sure it is all combined and there are no chunks of shortening left behind.
- Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add white gel food color. Then mix on med speed for about two minutes, until stiff and pretty thick.
- Color, and thin to desired consistency(s), bag and DECORATE!! Keep covered to prevent drying out. Store completely covered at room temperature for up to a week, or bag and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
I’ve never been a fan of royal icing but your version sounds awesome.
I understand completely! I have NEVER liked it, but with the right flavors, consistencies and a soft bite… It can be just what you’re looking for! You’ll have to give it another try with this soft royal icing and tell me what you think!
May I use butter flavored shortening? I will also use the flavoring, but only have butter flavored Crisco on hand.
Hi Penni, that shouldn’t be a problem! Good luck! -Chels
Hi! Looks and sounds delicious. I was wondering if you have tried a dehydrator to help the cookies icing cure or dry faster? I am not sure if this would just melt the shortening and cause the dreaded butter bleed? Thx
I know that Amanda with Cookie Concepts uses a dehydrator, and she uses Soft Royal Icing. So I’m sure it can cut your time down. But I couldn’t tell you how much time it would save you, as I don’t have one. It should PREVENT color bleed, I usually just put mine under a fan for a little while. Hope this helps! -Chels
I loved this recipe. For a first time trying royal icing it went well! I am super excited for the post about consistencies so I can try it out again. It made decorating sugar cookies a lot more fun! Oh the frosting is delicious! Next time I will try a different flavor listed.
It’s coming soon! Royal Icing is a delicate procedure, and I want to make sure to include all of the information you will need for success and troubleshooting! I’m so happy that you loved the flavor! I definitely recommend using cinnamon oil (if you can find it!) a little bit goes a LONG way and they are the most addicting cookies!!!
I will try this. I had a soft iced, sugar cookie not to long ago, it was amazing. I asked for the recipe and this person did’nt want to share it. She only bakes for her family. Thank you for sharing. I will give these a try. I’m sure they’re amazing.
Soft Royal Icing is the only way I enjoy a royal iced cookie! I hope you try it! Let me know if you do!
This recipe sounds amazing! I’ve decorated cookies with normal royal icing before and it tasted too eggy, my family hated it! Thank you so much, can’t wait to try it out!
I’m excited to hear what you think! It was definitely a game changer for me.
Hi! Wondering if these can be stacked on a platter once dry? Or would the icing get mushed?
You have to give them a couple days in the open air to set, but yes… after that they can be gently stacked. 🙂
I love this recipe!
I’m wondering about doing the cinnamon oil. Should I swap out the cream cheese AND butter flavor for cinnamon? And what would the measurement be?
THANK YOU!
I would still use the cream cheese and butter flavor personally, because those offer the allusion that the icing is a frosting. The cinnamon oil is very strong. So I add it to taste. I would start with an 1/8 of a teaspoon and then try it. I’m guilty of adding too much occasionally, and it’s overpowering. So add and taste as you go. You want to flavor to be present, but semi-subtle. -Chels
Does this royal icing ‘bleed ‘? I’ve been searching tirelessly for a royal icing that is softer than the traditional but doesn’t bleed. Generally when I add shortening the colors bleed together on the cookie after a few days.
In my experience all royal icings are guilty of occasional bleed. This one is no different. Though most of the color bleed issues I have happen when I use a dark sprinkle or when the cookie is exposed to moisture after it’s set. Bleeding is usually a user error, unfortunately, and it happens to us all. You want to make sure that you aren’t adding too much food coloring (I do talk about letting your deep colors develop overnight in my post), and also try and avoid piping deep colors onto completely set icing, as it can pull the coloring out of the wet icing. Hope those tips can help! -Chels
Can coconut oil be used in place of veg shortening?
I have never tried it! My only concern with subbing coconut oil is that it can clump a bit, so you would want to make sure it’s not melted, but very very smooth when you add it so that it doesn’t clog up your piping bag. Let me know if you decide to try it, I’d love to know if that would be a viable substitute. -Chels
HI, what could you substitute for corn syrup?
I’m told you can use food grade glycerin. I have not personally tried it. If you don’t have either you can omit it all together. It helps with the softer bite.
could you substitute butter for the veg shorting?
You could sub in butter, but then your royal icing will not be shelf stable. You’d need to refrigerate it when you’re not using it.
Hi there, Chelsey! I came across your soft bite recipe on a search; lucky me! This formulation seems more “biteable” and more flavorful.
However, the recipe calls for 2 pounds of confectioners, instead of cups.
Is that correct, or a typo?
Most definitely 2 pounds! 7-8 cups! 🙂
Hi there, do I have to use gel food colorings? Or can I use the regular old McCormick food coloring that most of us have in stock.
Hi Denise! Royal Icing is all about consistency. The problem with liquid food color is that it thins out your icing as you add more and more. It also takes quite a bit to make any bright or deep colors. This can often break your icing, make your icing taste bad, and prevent it from setting. If you’re making some light, pastel like colors, it is probably fine. But otherwise, I would invest in a small starter kit of gel colors. They’ll last much longer and won’t affect the taste of your icing. I’m all for using what you have, but in this case, quality really does make a difference. -Chels
Perfect! Thank you. I bought a small gel starter kit@
This was delicious! I have been searching for a better tasting, less hard, royal icing for some time now. I tried the corn syrup glaze that some decorators use, but I disliked the taste. This icing was perfect, with a softer bite than traditional royal icing and a nice sheen from the small amount of corn syrup (small enough that the taste of the icing wasn’t adversely affected for me). I also really liked your easy instructions…very quick to make! This will be my go-to sugar cookie icing from now on – thank you!!
Oh Pam, Thank You! I’m so glad you were pleased with the icing! It is great! And thank you so much for your compliment about the instructions. That really made my day! Happy Baking! -Chels
Would you omit the butter extract if using butter flavored shortening? And also, do you know if using a hi-ratio shortening, like Sweetex, changes anything?
I would probably still use the butter extract. The amount of shortening to the ratio of icing won’t pull much butter flavor. I have never used a hi-ratio shortening, so I’m not sure. Keep in mind if your shortening is not white it might change the color of your icing a bit. Good luck and let me know how it goes! -Chels
I made your soft royal icing today along with your soft bite cookies… I have been using another RI recipe but after it all dried… I almost cracked a tooth eating it… My question is, the other RI recipe made ALOT of icing.. where yours did not… Ingredients with almost identical minus the shortening and cream cheese… the other one fluff right up.. and had enough for days… Yours didnt make ALOT… should I have doubled it?? I baked today and will decorate tommorrow. I cant wait to see for myself how much of a soft bite they really have!
You are right, this icing doesn’t fluff as much as other royal icing. I’m not sure if you’ll need double the icing as I’m not sure how many cookies you will be decorating. But I do guarantee you won’t crack any teeth! 😉 Please let me know what you think!
You are totally right about not cracking any teeth… these are really good…. I had another question about writing on the soft bite icing…. below..
thank you
So so glad you were happy with the recipe!
Hi…. I just tried this amazing recipe for my cookies. It definitely has a MUCH softer bite then regular RI. My question is…. How can I write on theses? I tried several times and the pen just went straight into the icing…. HELP! What am I doing wrong? I made your soft bite cookies and icing… love it minus the writing on the icing…..
thank you for any suggestions!
Unfortunately this icing does not crust over enough to write on like a normal royal icing recipe does. That is one big drawback… I have had some success with the felt tip edible pens, but you still have to be very very careful! What I recommend instead is painting with some black food color mixed with vodka or everclear instead. I’d also make sure they’ve had maybe 48 hours to set before you attempt to write or paint on them. So sorry for the frustration, I’ve been there! But I have found taste and texture to be of more importance that perfection with decorating! That’s just my personal opinion though!!
I loved this recipe and will def have to add more white because I noticed it being too opaque.
I had a few questions though…
How long do you have to wait before being able to airbrush it?
Can you write or paint on this icing (like water color, gold splatter)?
How long to decorate between layers?
If I package these, are they better packed standing or can they be stacked?
Will they dry okay if they have florals piped on them?
Looking forward to some answers!
Hi Sonia, I’m so glad you’re liking this Soft Royal Icing Recipe. I suggest you give your cookies 24 hours to set up before airbrushing or painting, I’d also wait at least 12 hours between layers. Packaging is a little tricky… If you’re layering this icing, you might want 48 hours before packaging. I would definitely suggest standing instead of stacking. And I’ve had no problem with florals drying, your icing will just need to be SUPER thick!!
I’ve touched on this before, but I don’t suggest trying to write on your icing. It just doesn’t get hard enough for that. It’s the one drawback of using a soft bite icing. Good luck! I’m so glad you’re tying out this recipe. It really is such a better alternative, taste wise!
Love this icing have been using awhile now. Original recipe I found from The Decorated Cookie. I normally wait 48 hours to use a fine pen for face details etc, don’t push to hard. I add layers like noses etc after the base coat has crusted 2 hours without any problems. In the Summer the cookies take much longer to dry but that is because of humidity, invest in a dehumidifier, best investment this year. I have a dehydrator but don’t use it much for my shortbread base cookies, I still prefer a large floor fan to dry on a bakers rack. Claire
It is fabulous! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it as well! There are lots of variations of the recipe, but it is still kind of a secret, I swear! Thanks for some extra tips for people who don’t live in a dry area!
I want to make these cookies for party favors . Can I bag them individually and still maintain a good appearance ?
As long as you give them at least 24 hours to dry, you’ll be just fine! -Chels
Hi there. I tried making this royal icing receipe for your soft no spread cookies, and I’m having an issue with the icing looking wrinkled about 5-10 minutes after flooding. I was wondering if that’s ever happened to you? I don’t have any fans running near the cookies and I was letting the icing dry out in the open. Not sure what’s going on, because I’ve never had this issue with regular royal icing 🤨 thank you!
I have had this happen before, and it is usually due to poor airflow. I would actually encourage you using fans for the first half hour or so if you are experiencing this issue while leaving them out in the open. I usually flood and DON’T move the tray for at least a half hour on my table and then slide the tray onto my baking rack. But even then, if I space the trays too close to one another I have an airflow issue. So fans on the table for a while is a sure fire way to nix that from the beginning. This recipe DOES have its quirks, but it is SO much better. I promise it’s worth the extra hassle. Please reach out if you have any other issues! -Chels
I absolutely love this recipe! Regular royal icing is like cement and doesn’t taste good – this however is delicious. I just encountered one problem that I’ve come across after trying it a few times – I randomly get cracks in my icing as it dries. Has this ever happened to you? If so, do you know how to prevent it? Thank you!
I just saw somebody else asked the same thing 😂 so no response needed! Thank you!
There are 3 things that happen with this Soft Royal Icing as it dries that are problematic. Each one has a cause. Yes, I 100% agree with you, this Royal Icing IS delicious… which is why I put up with the fact that you have to baby it a bit more! If you get craters, it can be air bubbles, or an air flow issue or even overfilling. If you get wrinkles, it’s an air flow issue. But if you get small cracks… you moved your cookies and probably bumped your pan by accident. If you’re moving a sheet of cookies to dry, be extra careful. After the top forms a crust, any jerk movement will create cracks! And yes, it’s unreasonable NOT to move the pan to a better location to dry… so just remember to treat it like an infant that hasn’t slept in 24 hours… that baby is sleeping! Don’t wake it. 😉 -Chels
I consider myself an experienced baker – so this year I had some time off and wanted to try “fancy” cookies. I knew that royal icing is traditionally not very tasty, and I didn’t want to go through all the effort of making cute inedible cookies. I made this recipe, and I am blown away by how delicious it is. I used the cream cheese emulsion, and followed it to a T – and while my decorating skills are hardly impressive, the taste, texture and ease of use of this recipe is just so impressive. The silky finish is beautiful. This is a forever keeper. Thank you so much!
Oh yay! I’m so glad. I felt the same about Royal Icing until I took a local class where she taught this soft version. I fell in love! You’ll have to try out some different flavors! Cinnamon oil with the cream cheese extract is our favorite.
I’m so ready to try this but do not have the butter extract or cream cheese. What I do have is LorAnn cinnamon oil ( how much would I use) and numerous other flavor extracts. Is there any other that may work besides butter? My cookies are waiting and if possible I need to make your recipe this evening. Than you so much for the recipe and any help you can offer.
Butter and Cream Cheese Extract ARE optional. You can use Vanilla and if you have Cinnamon Oil I would start with a 1/4 tsp and taste. Then add from there. A little goes a LONG way! And if you add too much there is no way to fix it! Good Luck!
Do I need to add all 3 extracts listed in the recipe or just pick one? I was a little confused on that. I have butter and vanilla but not cream cheese. Just wasn’t sure if adding all 3 to the same icing was what needed to happen or not so I thought I’d check! Very excited to try this royal icing recipe out for some cookies im making for a friends sons birthday party!
Yes, all three are recommended. With that being said, I have had a VERY difficult time finding the cream cheese extract lately. So just omit that one if you can’t find it! Good luck!
Hello, I don’t have a stand mixer. Could I just use my hand mixer or is it not powerful enough? Thank you.
If your hand mixer is fairly powerful you certainly can use the hand mixer. I have blown out a hand mixer or two in my day. So if this is something you are planning to do often, I would probably invest in a stand mixer. This icing is fairly thick, so it might give your hand mixer a run for its money! Good luck.
I can’t wait to try this! I love almond extract. Could I substitute it for the vanilla?
100 %. Almond would be a great substitution. I often do half and half. Just take almond slow, as it’s a little more potent.
I was wondering where you get the smaller piping bags? I have looked everywhere and I cannot find them! I have the small tips but the bags would be much easier!
I order mine on amazon. Here is a link to the ones I purchase most frequently. https://amzn.to/2HyGtmI
I love this icing! I’m wondering could I mix it up the day before and bag it, and store it in an airtight container. Will the consistency remain the same?
You’ll need to to kneed the bag before you use it, but yes!
I lived in a VERY isolated place in Wyoming. Meringue powder is unfortunately out of the question in time to make cookies. I did manage to get some Egg Beaters liquid egg white substitute. How much would you recommend I use in place of the water and Meringue powder? I’ve looked EVERYWHERE for an alt recipe and you are the only one I’ve found using shortening so I really wanna try! Also, I’m well aware that I would be changing the base of your recipe so I absolutely WILL NOT hold it against you if it’s a fail on my end.
Hi Marea, I would do a little research and try to find a recipe that uses egg whites. If you can find one that uses a whole 2lb bag of powdered sugar- that would compare to this recipe. I hope this helps! I live in a small town too, and substitutions can be tricky to figure out!
Can you air brush a stencil design on this frosting after it is completely dry? Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Hi Becky,
As soon as it is completely dry, yes! 100% you can airbrush this royal icing.
I love your cookies! How did you do the beautiful lettering on the conversation heart cookies?
Airbrush and a stencil! 🙂