Easy Sugar Cookie Icing
This truly is the best ever sugar cookie icing! It hardens without becoming too crunchy, is full of vanilla flavor, and can be colored to suit any holiday.
Making homemade icing for sugar cookies is incredibly easy and requires just four basic ingredients, plus some food coloring.
After testing this recipe many times, I can confidently say that it pipes easily (both for outlining cookies and filling them!), tastes delicious, and sets up nicely.
Customize your homemade icing with whatever food coloring you’d like to suit the occasion, or transform one batch into multiple colors. When it comes to decorating sugar cookies, the sky is the limit!
Ingredients for This Recipe
To make homemade sugar cookie icing, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioners sugar or icing sugar, this is the main component of the icing. You’ll be starting with 4 cups of powdered sugar.
- Milk: Any kind of milk will work just fine in this recipe. I’ve used whole, 2%, 1%, skim, and even almond milk and they all work great. Don’t have any milk on hand? You can replace it with an equal amount of water.
- Vanilla Extract: If you want a pure white icing, I recommend using clear vanilla extract. If you’re not concerned about it or are coloring the icing feel free to use pure vanilla extract instead.
- Light Corn Syrup: The corn syrup helps the icing set up a little faster and makes it shinier too. If you don’t have any, you can leave it out and just use a little bit more milk.
- Food Coloring: You can use either liquid or gel food coloring in this icing. Keep in mind that too much liquid food coloring can thin out the icing. If you’re looking for a vibrant or darker color, then I recommend a gel food coloring like AmeriColor.
How to Make Sugar Cookie Icing
One batch of this icing can be used to make both the outline icing and flood icing, so get two bowls and two piping bags out and prepare to decorate your cookies! Here’s how to make the outline icing:
- In a large bowl, combine the powdered sugar, 5 tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Whisk the mixture well until no lumps remain. It will be fairly thick at this point!
- Add an additional 1 teaspoon of milk at a time to the mixture until it reaches an outline consistency.
- If coloring the icing, do so at this point.
- Transfer 1/3 of the icing to another bowl and keep separate. The remaining 2/3 will be the flood icing.
Tip: To tell whether the icing has reached outline consistency, lift the whisk from the mixing bowl. If the ribbons of icing falling into the bowl take 3 to 4 seconds to melt back into the icing, it’s the right consistency.
Now it’s time to make the flood icing. This will be much thinner than the outline icing, so it’s easier to decorate the cookies. Here’s how to make it:
- Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of milk at a time to the remaining 2/3 of icing.
- You’ll know it’s the appropriate flood consistency when you lift the whisk from the bowl and the icing quickly melts back into the bowl, like the picture above.
- Ice your sugar cookies as desired. For more information on how to do so, keep scrolling to the next section of this post.
How to Decorate Sugar Cookies
Now that you know how to make icing for sugar cookies, you’re ready to begin decorating. I recommend using two piping bags for this task, one for the outline icing and one for the flood icing. If you’ve created multiple colors of icing, you’ll need separate piping bags for each color.
- Once you’ve put the outline icing and flood icing into their own piping bags, snip off the very tip of each bag. Don’t cut the hole too big or else the icing won’t come out in a thin, clean line.
- Outline each cookie with the outline icing.
- Use the flood icing to fill each cookie. You may want to use the tip of a toothpick to help fill it out.
- If using sprinkles, add them at this point.
- Seal the cookies in an airtight container in a single layer. They need to lay flat for about 24 hours before you can safely stack them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does the Icing Take to Harden?
The top layer of the sugar cookie icing hardens after just a few hours, but you’ll need to wait about 20 to 24 hours before you can stack the cookies without ruining the decorations.
Can the Iced Cookies Be Frozen?
Yes! Once you’ve decorated your sugar cookies and have let the icing fully set, you can freeze them in a freezer bag/container for up to three months. When you’re ready to eat them, let them come to room temperature on your counter.
Can the Corn Syrup Be Omitted?
Yes, but it makes the icing shiny and also helps it set faster. I highly recommend including it in the recipe, but you’re welcome to omit it if you don’t have any on hand or prefer not to use it.
If you omit the corn syrup, be sure to add extra milk to compensate (1/2 teaspoon at a time until the right consistency is reached).
Can I Make This Ahead Of Time?
You can prepare this icing 1 to 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You will need to set it out ahead of time to come to room temperature before using it. If the mixture is a bit too thick, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of milk or water.
Baking Tips
- If you’re looking for a cut-out sugar cookie recipe, this is my favorite cut-out sugar cookie recipe!
- You can use either liquid or gel food coloring with this icing. Keep in mind that using liquid food coloring may thin out the icing, which will require you to add extra powdered sugar to thicken it up. If you’re wanting more vibrant colors, then gel food coloring would be the best option.
- To make several different colors of icing: Divide the icing between a few different bowls and add your food coloring. Then, divide each color again to create the outline and flood icings.
- This recipe makes 1 and 3/4 cups of icing which is enough for two dozen cookies. If you’re making a smaller batch of cookies, you can cut the recipe in half.
More Frosting Recipes You’ll Love!
- Buttercream Frosting
- Peanut Butter Frosting
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Ermine Frosting
Recipe Video
![Several iced sugar cookies on a white plate.](https://i0.wp.com/www.livewellbakeoften.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Sugar-Cookie-Icing-18.jpg?fit=200%2C200&ssl=1)
Easy Sugar Cookie Icing
Ingredients
- 4 cups powdered sugar (480 grams)
- 5 to 6 tablespoons milk divided, plus more if needed (75 to 90 ml)
- 4 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure or clear vanilla extract
- Optional: Gel or liquid food coloring
Instructions
- To make the outline icing: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 5 tablespoons of milk, light corn syrup, and vanilla extract until well combined and no lumps remain. The mixture will be pretty thick at this point.
- Mix in 1 additional teaspoon of milk at a time until the icing has thinned out and reached an outline consistency. To test the icing, lift the whisk or spoon from the mixing bowl; you should see ribbons of icing that fall back into the bowl for 3 to 4 seconds. If needed, add more milk to thin out the icing or more powdered sugar to make it thicker.
- Mix in the food coloring (if using) until fully combined. Remove ⅓ of the mixture for the outline icing and set aside.
- To make the flood icing: Add ½ to 1 teaspoon of milk at a time to the remaining two-thirds of the mixture until the icing reaches a flood consistency. When you lift your whisk or spoon from the bowl, the icing should quickly melt back into the bowl of icing.
- To decorate your cookies: Place the outline icing and flood icing in separate piping bags, and cut a small piece of the tip off each one. Outline each cookie with the outline icing, then use the flood icing to fill in the cookie. Use a toothpick if needed to move the icing around and fill in any empty spots.
- Place the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container, and allow the icing to harden fully for about 20 to 24 hours before stacking the cookies.
As always, your recipes are the best. This frosting is very good and very easy to work with. I just used a knife instead of a piping bag.
Thank you, Terri! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Made with cashew-almond milk so it would be kosher-parve (neither meat nor dairy), and it worked fine. Used cane sugar syrup, because I had it on hand from candy-making, and that worked find as well, although kosher corn syrups exist. If anyone ever asks you if it can be made kosher, it absolutely can.
This icing was easy to make and tasted great, however, once my cookies were fully dry it appeared the sugar “bloomed ” in the icing and discolored and turned blotchy. Tastes great but didn’t look very appetizing. Did I do something wrong?
Hi, Cathy! Did you make sure to mix everything together until there were no lumps? I haven’t had that issue before, so I’m wondering if there may have been some lumps of powdered sugar in your icing. You could try sifting it next time and see if that helps.
My icing bloomed as well and didn’t look very attractive. It tasted alright but because I was selling the cookies, I couldn’t sell them based on how they looked. I used sifted icing sugar and a KitchenAid mixer so I don’t think there were any lumps to cause this to happen. I will find a different recipe for the next batch.
I use this icing all the time! Recently letting the cookie dry overnight results in the icing being dull and blotchy. This keeps happening, I sift the confectioners sugar. Any ideas??
Hi, Jill! Are you using the corn syrup? That’s what helps to keep the icing shiny. If you are you can try using a bit more and see if that helps. You can also add a bit more food coloring and see if that helps too.
I am ready to make this icing but was wondering from your photo if those were 4 cookies on a dinner plate or on a cup plate…it makes a huge difference as to how much I need to multiply the recipe for 2 dozen sugar cookies.
They’re on a smaller plate, not a dinner plate. I used 2.5-3 inch cookie cutters for those cookies.
First, you have amazing recipes. I love getting your emails. Have you ever tried 1/2 and 1/2 instead of just milk? I find the icing I make with 1/2 and 1/2 has a richer flavor.
Thank you, Kathy! I haven’t tried half and half in this icing, but I do think it would be fine to use it!
Can you decorate your cookies with this icing and then freeze them? Good results when they defrost? Ty!
Yes, it freezes well! Once the icing has fully hardened you can freeze the cookies, just thaw to room temperature before serving.
Oops, sorry, I saw you just replied! Thank you. Your icing came out awesome! Will def be my go to from now on!
I love love love this recipe but instead of using vanilla I use almond flavoring it is amazing!
I just made my cookies and then about an hour later started to frost them. After a while I noticed that my coolies started to soak up my icing. Could this be because I frosted them before the cookies were fully dry from baking? I typically wait to frost the next day.
It depends on the cookie recipe that you used. If you used a regular sugar cookie recipe and they were cooled it shouldn’t have soaked into the cookies.
Is there a way to “dilute” the sweetness of the icing, if that makes sense. I like decorating the cookies but find the icing too sweet. How can I make it milder?
There’s really not a way to do that with this recipe. You do need a high ratio of powdered sugar compared to the other ingredients so that it sets up. You could always use a very light layer of icing or try a sugar cookie recipe that’s not as sweet.
Perfect and easy! I used this recipe to decorate sugar cookies with my 3 year old. I separated it into small containers to color it multiple colors, and then let my daughter use a paintbrush to decorate the cookies. It was so fun and easy! Thanks for creating and sharing this wonderful recipe!
hi Danielle, I was going to use this recipe later today and I was wondering if I could simply boil sugar and water to make a syrup and use that as a substitute for the corns syrup, or would it be best to just leave it out? 🙂
You can just leave it out and add a little extra milk!
Can the cookies be left at room temperature after the icing is hardened or do they need to be kept in the refrigerator?
It’s fine to leave them at room temperature.
Hi, you mentioned that after 20-24 hrs of chilling the iced cookies it will then set, does this mean even when the iced cookies are to be exposed to room temp the icing will not melt again? Because I noticed mine starts to look glossy and lose its set state once I get them out from the fridge 🙁 🙁
Hi, Melody! You actually want to leave the cookies at room temperature after you ice them. Did you refrigerate all of the cookies? If so, I would leave them at room temperature overnight and hopefully they will set properly.
Can I use almond extract in place of the vanilla?
That would be fine. You may want to only start with 1/4 teaspoon and add more as needed.
Hi! Do these set like royal icing? Can you write with them and make pretty details that won’t smudge once hardened?
Hi, Zoe! I haven’t ever tried writing on the icing, but it will set and harden like royal icing.
I am going to purchase 6 dozen bunny sugar cookies from a grocery store and make my own
frosting using your recipe. Will have light green, light blue and pink colors They will then be taken to our child development center for 1.5 to 3 year olds to decorate.
Any suggestions you have to make this go more smoothly? How do you think it would work to use tongue depressors as the tool of application? Young fingers and hands don’t have good coordination.
Hi, Faye! When I’m decorating cookies with my niece and nephews we used piping bags (ziplock bags would work too) to pipe and outline the cookies and then I put some icing in small containers and let them use a small spoon to spoon the fill icing inside the outline. It makes it a little easier and isn’t quite as messy! You could skip letting them outline the cookies though and just use a spoon to decorate the cookies with icing.
This icing initially looked perfect, but after it hardened overnight it looked rippled. After icing the cookies I put them into an air tight container to harden. Should I leave them uncovered instead? Was my consistency wrong for the flood icing?
It’s possible, but I’ve covered mine before and haven’t had that happen. I’m wondering if maybe there was too much moisture in the fill/flood icing and it caused that to happen? You could try using less milk next time and see if that helps.
This is the best cookie frosting I’ve ever tried! I try to lean away from royal icing, because of the fact that it has raw egg whites. This recipe doesn’t include any egg, so it makes me feel comfortable in using it. This icing’s consistency is really smooth, and dries almost immediately, so I don’t have to wait for the cookie icing to set before enjoying them. This recipe was so quick and simple, and didn’t require much effort of utensils.
I shouldn’t have been surprised, because all of your recipes are delicious and helpful!
Thank you, Marisa! So glad you love the icing!
Hi Danielle!
Is there anyway to prevent the fill consistency icing from “cracking” as it is drying? Thank you!
Hi, Andrea! You can try using less milk in the fill icing and make it a little thicker. Sometimes if it’s too thin, that can happen. I also recommend leaving the cookies on a solid surface after you’ve decorated them and try not to move them too much or disrupt them while they’re drying.
Hi Danielle!
Would you say this icing comes out like a true white? Or would I need to add coloring to get to that point? For reference, I’m making soccer-themed cookies for my nieces and am hoping to have a crisp white for the soccer balls!
P.S. I LOVE your recipes so much!! Thank you!
Hi Armaan! If you use clear vanilla extract, the icing will come out a true white like you see in the pictures. If you prefer pure vanilla extract the color will be a little off white, so you may want to add some white gel food coloring. I hope that helps!
Thank you so much! That is beyond helpful ?
I have used this recipe multiple times with my daughter. She LOVES to decorate cookies now and we are getting a lot better at it thanks to this easy (and delicious) recipe. I will be making multiple colors this thanksgiving so my daughter and nieces can decorate to their heart’s content. I always wondered how store bought cookies look so pretty. The best part is that now our cookies look very pretty and also taste delicious. Its crazy how many ingredients are in store bought icing. Thank you!
Thank you, Veronica! So glad you loved the recipe!
Do you have any recipes for gingerbread men icing?
You can use this recipe to ice gingerbread cookies. Are you looking for a gingerbread cookie recipe? If so, I have one here.
Recipe does says how much for ingredients to use
All of the ingredients and instructions are listed in the recipe card towards the bottom of the blog post. If you’re having trouble finding it, you can use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.
I’m going to use this recipe to decorate cookies for a mad hatter party. I would like to write the words eat me on them. How would you recommend I do that?
Are you adding a layer of icing underneath the words? If so, I would let that sit for a few hours before adding anything on top. You can use a piping bag with the corner snipped off to write it on the cookies too.
I tried this recepie and also had the issue with the icing drying and looking wrinkly. I’m going to try and post a picture. I did stuff the powered sugar so I don’t know what I didn’t wrong. Some are not completely dry so I don’t know if they’ll end up the same. Sad since the cookies are for my mothers birthday.
If the icing was wrinkly, it likely had too much moisture in it and it probably wasn’t drying fast enough. If you make it again, I’d recommend using less milk. You want the flood icing to be thin enough to spread, but not runny.
Great recipe! How long can the icing last in the fridge? I have a lot of leftover icing and would like to keep it for my next batch of cookies.
It would probably be fine for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Hi, I was just wondering if I’d be able to use liquid glucose syrup instead of corn syrup? Will it still work the same?
I think that would be fine!