Royal icing is a versatile and elegant frosting that is often used for decorating cakes, cookies and other delectable desserts. Traditionally, royal icing is made with egg whites. However, for those who follow a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle or have dietary restrictions, an eggless dairy-free version of this regal frosting is a must-have. I’ll share an easy, scrumptious recipe for eggless royal icing that will elevate your sweet creations to a whole new level.
I created this back in 2023, while planning cookie decorating classes at my craft studio in Scottsdale, AZ (now operating as a mobile craft studio). I wanted to use Royal Icing for the cookie decorating classes, but at the time, Arizona Cottage Food Law did not allow egg whites, meringue powder, aquafaba, or dairy in icing. So I got creative and developed a version that complied.
The laws have since updated (great news for many bakers!), but I’m sticking with this recipe. It tastes fantastic, sets beautifully, and appeals to a wider range of guests—making it ideal for cookie classes, workshops and home bakers alike.
Join us for our next cookie decorating class!
Before we begin, I just want to point out that the term “eggless royal icing” is kind of an oxymoron. It’s like saying you’re going to make an eggless omelette. Egg whites are what make the icing “Royal”, so without them, can you still really call it Royal Icing? No, not really. But given that Royal Icing is pretty much the gold standard when it comes to decorating baked goods, if someone (like me) is looking for an alternative, chances are you’re going to google “eggless royal icing” (like me). So that’s why I titled this post “Eggless Royal Icing”.
No Eggs Allowed
I wanted to use Royal Icing for the cookie decorating classes I planned to offer, but back in 2023, Arizona Cottage Food Law did not permit the use of egg whites or meringue powder in icing.
Aquafaba
In doing research for an eggless Royal Icing, I came across what seemed like a promising substitution. You can use Aquafaba in place of egg whites. What’s Aquafaba you ask? It’s chickpea brine. Wait…what?
Yeah, that’s right. It’s the leftover, yellow-ish goop that you dump down the drain after straining chickpeas.
To be honest, my first reaction to using chickpea brine in icing was to vomit a little in my mouth.
I mean, I love me some hummus, but do I want my icing to taste like beans? Uh, that was a BIG NO. But the more I read about it, the more it seemed like Aquafaba was this magical ingredient that was going to solve all my problems. That was until I read (again, this was back in 2023) that Arizona Cottage Food Law also did not permit the use of Aquafaba in icing. So…back to the drawing board.
No Dairy Allowed
I came across other eggless Royal Icing recipes that called for ingredients like confectioners sugar, vanilla extract and milk, but that pesky 2023 Arizona Cottage Food Law did not allow dairy products in icing either.
So after more googling and some trial and error, I ended up with a recipe that I could use for cookie decorating classes.
Eggless Royal Icing Recipe
- 5 Tablespoons(74g) Light Corn Syrup
- 7 Tablespoons(70g) Warm Water
- 2 teaspoons (5g) Vanilla or Almond Extract (or substitute extract of your choice)
- 5 cups + 1/2 cup (561g) Confectioners (Powdered) Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
Directions for Eggless Royal Icing
- You can mix everything by hand; you do not need an electric mixer.
- Add warm water to bowl, along with light corn syrup and salt, then mix. Warm water helps the light corn syrup and salt to dissolve faster.
- Add the extract and mix.
- Add the confectioners sugar 1/2 cup at time, mixing between each addition until all the sugar has been incorporated.
- Add your food coloring. I use Ann Clark food coloring gel.
Piping and Flooding Consistency of your Eggless Royal Icing
After mixing all the ingredients together, your icing should be on the thick side. If the consistency you have works for what you want to do, then you are all set. If you need a thinner icing, add more water, 1/4 teaspoon at a time. For thicker frosting, add a small amount of confectioners sugar.
When decorating cookies you generally want to outline the design (pipe it) first with a thicker consistency icing, then flood (fill) in the design with a thinner consistency. Alternatively you can use a single slightly thinner consistency for both outlining and flooding. Just make sure to let your outline crust over before you begin to flood. There are a plethora of videos on YouTube to show you how to outline and flood, in addition to how to create icing in different consistencies.
Learn to outline & flood cookies at our next cookie decorating class!
If you’re a beginner cookie decorator, I do recommend purchasing a Notta Cookie. These are great for practicing outlining, flooding and decorating without having to bake extra cookies. Not only do you save time and money not having to bake extra cookies, but you also save calories because you aren’t tempted to eat all your practice cookies!
Author: Nicole Bolin
Check out our Sugar Cookie Recipe to go with your Eggless Royal Icing.