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    Recipes » Desserts » Cookies and Brownies

    Sugar Cookie Icing

    Published: Dec 3, 2018 · Modified: Dec 21, 2020 by Marissa Stevens ·

    Vegetarian

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    pouring sugar cookie icing over soft sugar cookies

    This Sugar Cookie Icing is buttery sweet and made in minutes. It's the ideal texture for pouring in swirling designs over your soft sugar cookies (or these gluten free Almond Flour Sugar Cookies) or cut-out sugar cookies and hardens just enough to make them stackable for party platters and edible gift giving.

    Sugar Cookie Icing pouring over soft sugar cookies

    With a melted butter base, this sugar cookie icing is made without light corn syrup (a riff on this recipe from Tieghan of Half Baked Harvest) and has a decadently rich flavor that you can't achieve with the sugar and water glazes that often adorn sugar cookies. It's so easy to make - just 4 ingredients and there is no need for a mixer. Just combine the icing ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk until silky smooth (Watch the recipe video below to see what I mean!).

    It’s easy to adjust this icing to the right consistency; if it's too thick, add a little water; too thin, add more confectioners sugar. You can also add food coloring and/or liquid flavoring like almond extract if you like.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What's the difference between icing and frosting?

    First of all, the terms are debatable (and you can throw 'glaze' in there too). Typically, 'frosting' is thick, fluffy, and less sweet than icing. It also stays soft and doesn't stack well so it's not ideal for party platters (unless you can place them in a single layer) or for edible gift giving. Icing is sweeter than frosting, glossy instead of fluffy, and is often pourable for easy cookie decorating, and hardens enough to allow for stacking.

    Is cookie icing the same as royal icing?

    Royal icing is typically made with beaten raw egg whites, powdered sugar and often a citrus juice like lime or lemon and hardens as it drys. But 'icing' is a broader term that is used to refer to everything from the simplest glacé icing that is just powdered sugar and water, to elaborate buttercream frostings and fondants.

    Many icings are too sweet for my taste, but it's the amount of sugar that determines how much the icing will harden. This sugar cookie icing recipe leans more toward buttery and hardens just enough to make your cookies stackable in an airtight container, but you'll want to be gentle with them.

    If you're in need of a perfect sugar cookie recipe, these Soft Sugar Cookies are a family favorite!

    How to make Sugar Cookie Icing

    Step 1: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining icing ingredients (confectioners sugar, water and vanilla) and whisk until smooth and shiny (all sugar has dissolved). Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

    melted butter in a saucepan
    confectioners sugar and melted butter in a saucepan
    adding water to confectioners sugar and butter in saucepan
    adding vanilla to confectioners sugar and melted butter in saucepan
    sugar cookie icing

    Step 2: Transfer slightly cooled icing to small pitcher for drizzling over sugar cookies. Allow icing to cool and harden on cookies before serving.

    Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe Video

    SUBSCRIBE TO VIDEOS

    Sugar Cookie Icing pouring over soft sugar cookies

    Sugar Cookie Icing

    Marissa Stevens
    A sweet and buttery rich sugar cookie icing that's easy to make and hardens so that cookies are stackable!
    4.73 from 11 votes
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Resting Time 5 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 24 servings
    Calories 73 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup butter 1 cube, ideally 85% fat European style butter
    • 2 cups confectioners sugar 240g, sifted (see recipe note #1)
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

    Instructions
     

    • Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When butter has melted, whisk in remaining ingredients until very shiny and smooth (sugar has dissolved completely). Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
    • Check consistency of icing: it should be thin enough to be pourable, but not so thin that it runs off the sides of the sugar cookie. If too thick, whisk in more water a few drops at a time. If too thin, whisk in more sugar until the icing reaches your desired consistency.
    • Transfer icing to small pitcher and swirl artfully over cooled sugar cookies. Let icing cool and harden. Serve.

    Notes

    1. For the best texture, use fresh powdered sugar / confectioners sugar and sift. And be sure that it's made from cane sugar not beet sugar, which can be more grainy. 
    2. This recipe makes enough for icing about 25, 3-inch round sugar cookies.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 73kcalCarbohydrates: 10gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 34mgSugar: 9gVitamin A: 120IUCalcium: 1mg
    Keyword baking, Christmas, gluten free
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @pinchandswirl or leave me a comment and rating below.
    « Soft Sugar Cookies
    Green Enchilada Sauce »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katie says

      June 21, 2020 at 10:42 pm

      5 stars
      Wow!!!! This is my absolute new favorite sugar cookie icing recipe! I happened to have European butter because all of the butter was gone at the store. I swear that is the key! This icing is perfect and so quick! Our sugar cookies with the best icing were a nice distraction at this time. Thank you!

      • Marissa Stevens says

        June 22, 2020 at 1:08 pm

        I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipe, Katie! Be safe and well... 🙂

    2. Hailey says

      June 16, 2020 at 10:26 am

      3 stars
      I wisked this recipie up and put it on my sugar cookies. The vanilla was a little strong for me but it complimented the cookie well, mine was grainy, which is fine but it turned out well otherwis

      • Marissa Stevens says

        June 16, 2020 at 12:03 pm

        Hi Hailey...Glad you enjoyed the frosting and you can always reduce the vanilla. As you'll read from other comments, this recipe seems to be hit or miss with the graininess. I haven't had the issue - mine has turned out smooth and iridescent. There are several thoughts on avoiding graininess in the post and comments if you'd like to give the recipe another go. Thanks for your comment.

    3. Linda says

      December 17, 2019 at 11:05 am

      How should I store these iced cookies

      • Marissa says

        December 17, 2019 at 1:10 pm

        Hi, Linda. You can keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I recommend placing a sheet of parchment or wax paper between each layer so they're sure not to stick together. 🙂

    4. Sara says

      December 05, 2019 at 5:43 pm

      5 stars
      Hi! Can I use this as a glaze over petit fours?

      • Marissa says

        December 06, 2019 at 2:58 pm

        Hi Sara! Yes, absolutely!

    5. Sandra says

      June 26, 2019 at 10:01 am

      5 stars
      I tried this recipe for the first time last night.
      It’s definitely ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!
      I read some of the reviews regarding it being grainy, so I decided to try something as I dont have a sifter of any sort. I started off with the stove and transferred everything to the Vitamix! In my opinion, it’s perfect and I will definitely be making it again,
      Thank you

      • Marissa says

        June 27, 2019 at 8:27 am

        So glad you enjoyed it, Sandra!

    6. Audrey says

      April 22, 2019 at 5:39 pm

      thank you!!

    7. Audrey says

      April 19, 2019 at 11:50 am

      Hi, I've never made cookie icing before and I was wondering if I could put food coloring in this? And if so, what type and when to add it? Thank you!

      • Marissa says

        April 22, 2019 at 9:14 am

        Hi Audrey! Yes, you can certainly add color. I would go with a drop or two of liquid coloring whisked in at the end.

    8. Vanessa says

      April 10, 2019 at 6:18 pm

      This may be a silly question, but can this icing be piped instead of poured out?

      • Marissa says

        April 10, 2019 at 7:21 pm

        Hi Vanessa! Not a silly questions at all. This frosting isn't good for piping, it's just right for pouring. It goes on easily and then hardens just enough to allow you to stack the cookies if you like.

    9. Viola says

      February 25, 2019 at 10:16 pm

      I was wondering could you substitute lemon for the vanilla extract? Have you thought about or tried it?

      • Marissa says

        February 26, 2019 at 11:58 am

        Hi Viola! Lemon juice in this sounds really good, but I haven't tried it. If you give it a try, will you let me know how it goes?

        • Carrie says

          December 22, 2019 at 3:05 pm

          I actually substituted almond extract for the Vanilla and it was delicious! I received so many compliments! Thanks for the recipe!

          • Marissa says

            December 23, 2019 at 9:16 am

            That’s fantastic, Carrie! Thank you for coming back to let me know!

    10. Holly says

      February 13, 2019 at 6:26 pm

      4 stars
      The flavor of this icing is great (especially when doing 1/2 vanilla, 1/2 almond! 😊), but the texture is grainy. Is yours grainy? When mine looks like yours does in the video- it’s super grainy. I cooked it for longer, whisking all the while, and it seemed to get grainier! Any ideas? Sugar was not lumpy, and I checked the texture frequently throughout cooking and whisking...

      • Marissa says

        February 15, 2019 at 1:30 pm

        Hi Holly! I'm sorry that your frosting was grainy! Mine was silky smooth, not grainy at all. I know that grainyness is a fairly common problem with icings and frostings like buttercream. There are a few common reasons, but you said that you cooked it for quite a while and that the sugar wasn't lumpy, but did you run it through a sieve? That's the only other thing I can think of.

        • A says

          March 09, 2020 at 9:23 pm

          I wonder what is causing some to have a grainy result. Perhaps the temp the mixture was heated to, or temp when sugar was added. Maybe water and fat content of the butter....
          Thanks for providing a unique option for a hardened icing, something with actual flavor! This ought to be more popular.

    11. Stacy says

      January 02, 2019 at 6:34 pm

      I love the flavor of this icing! Mine turned out grainy though. Any ideas to fix or prevent that in the future?

      • Marissa says

        January 02, 2019 at 8:15 pm

        Hi Stacy! I'm glad you enjoyed the flavor, but I'm sorry your icing was grainy. A couple of questions come to mind: was your powdered sugar at all lumpy? Did you whisk the frosting until it was so smooth it was almost pearlescent, a sign that the sugar has dissolved completely? (see the video to see what I mean) Those are the only two issues I can think of that might make the icing grainy.

    12. Dayna W says

      December 22, 2018 at 4:07 am

      5 stars
      I have been searching for the past few days to find a great icing recipe that does not contain corn syrup! I’m so happy that I stumbled upon yours and will be making this today with my kids! Thank you!

      • Marissa says

        December 22, 2018 at 8:45 am

        That’s wonderful, Dayna! I hop that you and your kids have so much fun and love the icing!! 😊

    13. Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says

      December 06, 2018 at 5:55 am

      5 stars
      I rarely ice my sugar cookies because usually the icing has no flavor. THANK YOU for this! I see a lot of deliciously frosted sugar cookies in my future and I can taste that buttery icing already 🙂

      • Marissa says

        December 11, 2018 at 1:34 pm

        woohoo! Thanks, Kelsie!! 🙂

    14. Katherine | Love In My Oven says

      December 05, 2018 at 7:51 am

      I like how simple this recipe is, with simple ingredients! I plan to make a batch of plain sugar cookies this year and let the boys go crazy decorating them. This icing recipe is perfect!

      • Marissa says

        December 05, 2018 at 1:28 pm

        How fun! I hope they love it, Katherine!! xo

    15. Kevin says

      December 04, 2018 at 11:48 am

      5 stars
      Perfect icing for you perfect soft sugar cookie - keeping this one handy for the holiday season!

      • Marissa says

        December 05, 2018 at 1:29 pm

        aww...thanks, Kevin!

    16. Dorothy Dunton says

      December 04, 2018 at 9:16 am

      Hi Marissa! I love all kinds of cookies, but I rarely pass up a frosted/iced sugar cookie! With only one "wing" there won't be much baking going on here for the Holidays 🙁 but I'll try to do a couple of things.

      • Marissa says

        December 05, 2018 at 1:30 pm

        Hi Dorothy! I've been thinking about you and your one wing!! So rough to have an arm injury during the holidays when all you want to do it bake!! Love to you my friend!

    17. David @ Spiced says

      December 04, 2018 at 5:36 am

      5 stars
      I absolutely love sugar cookies, and it's always good to have a go-to icing recipe. Thanks for sharing this one! I'm definitely going to hang on to it. 🙂

      • Marissa says

        December 05, 2018 at 1:31 pm

        My pleasure! So easy and SO good!! 🙂

    18. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

      December 03, 2018 at 6:25 pm

      5 stars
      Great idea for a post Marissa! This will definitely come in handy this holiday season. It sounds delicious!

      • Marissa says

        December 05, 2018 at 1:31 pm

        Thanks so much, Mary Ann!

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