Vegan Royal Icing

Bright white like freshly fallen snow, royal icing is an equally important harbinger of the holiday season. It’s the foundation that every beautiful cookie platter is built upon, the glue that holds together gingerbread houses, and the finishing touch on intricately decorated cakes.

Unlike fluffy buttercream frosting, royal icing can be piped or drizzled in fine lines and artistic patterns that dry to a hard, crunchy finish—perfect for decorating vegan sugar cookies with. It’s easy to loosen the consistency to make it spreadable and cover large areas at once, making it an essential component that every baker can master.

This recipe comes from Vegan Christmas Cookies and Cocoa by Audrey Dunham and is perfect for the holiday season and more. This classic royal icing recipe without eggs can be used year-round for whatever your cookie decorating needs may be!

Why This Is The Best Royal Icing Recipe

• Only six ingredients: There’s a good chance you already have these common pantry staples on hand!
• Ready in minutes: This recipe is so quick and easy that it practically makes itself. Your mixer does all the work so you can reap the rewards in no time.
• Tastes great: The flavor is subtle and goes well with everything. Using only vanilla and almond extract in the mix, it has an uncanny marshmallow taste that everyone will love.
• Free of all common allergens: Everyone should be able to enjoy a beautiful treat. This recipe was made to be shared, since it’s naturally nut-free, seed-free, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan.
• Light corn syrup: Distinctly different from high-fructose corn syrup, light corn syrup is processed in the same way as cornstarch. It’s a clear, flavorless liquid sweetener that’s very helpful in candy making to prevent crystallization.

Key Ingredients

• Aquafaba: Once dumped down the drain, the brine in a can of chickpeas is now every bit as valuable as the beans themselves. Aquafaba is the liquid they’re packed in, which can be whipped just like egg whites to make cakes, meringues, and in this case, icing!
• Cream of tartar: Despite the name, there’s no dairy involved here. Cream of tartar is the acidic byproduct of fermenting grapes into wine. It helps stabilize foams, like the beaten aquafaba, to make a stronger structure that will hold up over time.
• Confectioner’s sugar: Also known as powdered sugar, or 10x sugar, this is the most crucial element in the icing, both for sweetness and structure.

How To Make Vegan Royal Icing Without Meringue Powder

Traditionally, royal icing was made with liquid egg whites or meringue powder. This was the secret ingredient that allowed it to set and dry to a hard, glossy finish. Luckily, it’s even easier to make eggless royal icing in just a few steps!

Step 1: To start, use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment installed or a hand mixer to whip together the aquafaba and cream of tartar. Start on a low speed and gradually increase it to the highest setting. It should take about 5 to 7 minutes for the mixture to be light and fluffy, much like whipped cream.

Step 2: Add half of the powdered sugar, whisk until incorporated, then add the remaining half. Whisk again until smooth and glossy. Follow that with the corn syrup and both extracts, mixing again well.

Step 3: Test the consistency to see if it’s thick enough to pipe as desired. If not, add another ½ cup of powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add in more water, just a few drops at a time; a little bit goes a long way.

Step 4: Divide into bowls and add color if using (see below for natural coloring ideas.) Transfer into piping bags and apply to your desserts. If you don’t have traditional piping bags, you can also use zip top baggies with the very tip of one corner snipped off.

Tips For Success

• Always sift your powdered sugar! If it’s packed into the measuring cup, the ratios will be off. Clumps are also tricky to beat out once they’re already in the aquafaba mixture, so save yourself the headache and take care of it early on.
• Liquid food coloring will add more moisture to the icing, which means you’ll probably have to add more powdered sugar to achieve a firm, pipable royal icing that isn’t too runny.
• Play with different flavor extracts to make your icing more exciting. There’s everything from coconut to root beer, but bear in mind that some of these will change the color of the icing too.
• If you’re working with multiple colors at once, make sure you keep the icing you’re not working with fully covered to prevent it from drying out. Keep plastic wrap directly on the surface so it doesn’t form a crackled skin on top.

How To Store Decorated Cookies

Once applied to your desserts, let the icing stand for at least 1 to 2 hours to dry and fully set. It will take longer in more humid environments.

Carefully stack them using a piece of parchment paper in between each one and store them in an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh for a few days at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

For longer storage, you can even freeze iced sugar cookies for up to three months! This is great if you want to get all of your holiday baking done ahead of time. Simply remove the cookies from the freezer and thaw them at room temperature in the morning on the day you want to serve them.

How To Color Vegan-Friendly Royal Icing

Plain white royal icing has a clean and elegant look. When you want to inject more color into your cookie masterpieces, it’s the perfect canvas. You can find natural food coloring in liquid or powder form at most health food stores and online. If you’d like to make your own, there are many easy ways to add color from whole food sources. Add a little bit at a time until it reaches your desired intensity.

• Red: Beet powder or annatto
• Orange: Carrot powder or pumpkin powder
• Yellow: Ground turmeric or saffron
• Green: Matcha or spinach powder
• Blue: Blue spirulina or butterfly pea tea powder
• Purple: Purple potato powder or red cabbage powder
• Black: Food-grade charcoal
• Brown: Cocoa or carob powder

Frequently Asked Questions

Recipes You’ll Love To Decorate With Royal Icing

• Our classic Vegan Sugar Cookies are the perfect base for this vegan royal icing!
• Vegan Gingersnap Cookies are also delicious to decorate for Christmas.
• These Super Fudgy Vegan Brownies are great when you want to mix up your baking routine.
• Have you tried these Vegan Pop Tarts yet? What are you waiting for? They’re super fun to decorate, and even more fun to eat!

Vegan Royal Icing recipe was reprinted with permission from Vegan Christmas Cookies and Cocoa by Audrey Dunham. Photos by Candi Elm for World of Vegan, all rights reserved.