Foolproof Meringue Powder Royal Icing
This no-fuss royal icing recipe made with meringue powder is incredibly easy to whip up and stays reliably stable for all your decorating projects. It sets into a smooth, firm finish perfectly every time, and eliminates the safety concern of consuming raw egg whites that comes with traditional royal icing recipes. It’s simple to tint for festive holiday cutout cookies, and sturdy enough to hold together even the most elaborate gingerbread house builds.
| Prep Time | Total Time | Servings | Yield |
|-----------|------------|----------|-------|
| 10 minutes | 10 minutes | 48 | 3 cups |
Ingredients
4 cups sifted confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
6 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons meringue powder
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Combine the confectioners’ sugar, water, and meringue powder in a large mixing bowl. Beat the full mixture with an electric mixer for 7 to 10 minutes, until thick, glossy soft peaks form when you lift the mixer out of the icing.
Cook’s Notes
While you work with your icing, always keep any unused portion covered with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the icing. This prevents the icing from drying out or forming a crumbly crust mid-decorating.
For the best coloring results that won’t throw off your icing’s thickness, stick to gel food coloring. Gel formulas are far more concentrated than standard liquid food coloring, so you only need a tiny amount to get vibrant shades, which avoids thinning your icing out unnecessarily.
