Easy Sugar Cookie Icing

This easy recipe for Sugar Cookie Icing makes decorating a breeze! Made with only 4 ingredients in 5 minutes, this smooth and creamy icing recipe is basically failproof when it comes to frosting and coloring. Make bright, beautifully decorated cookies with perfect icing and a few simple techniques.

I use this easy sugar cookie icing on my favorite holiday-worthy recipes, from Classic Cut Out Sugar Cookies to Gingerbread Men Cookies. You could even use them for my easy no-roll sugar cookies. You’re going to love it.

Why You’ll Love This Icing Recipe

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, here’s a quick overview of why this easy icing recipe is simply the BEST:

• Only 4 ingredients. I’m all about an easy icing recipe, and nothing beats this one. You need just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes, with no fancy bells, whistles, or equipment.
• Sets up perfectly. You don’t have to worry about smudging and denting with this icing. Once it sets fully, it doesn’t budge, making Christmas cookies easy to store and share.
• Adaptable. You can color this icing, thicken the consistency, thin it out, and more. It’s so easy to handle, you can even get the kids involved!

Icing Ingredients

Now, let’s get into the four basic ingredients that make up this ultra-simple icing recipe.

Be sure to SCROLL TO THE END OF THIS POST for the full amounts and details.

• Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioner’s sugar. You’ll want to sift your powdered sugar before you start, to break up any lumps. This is key to silky smooth sugar cookie icing.
• Corn Syrup – Adding corn syrup gives icing an attractive sheen, and also helps provide a thicker, more controllable consistency. I’ve included substitutions below.
• Milk – To thin out the consistency as needed. Any kind of milk will work – whole milk, 2% milk, or even cream. For a dairy-free option, use a non-dairy milk or water.
• Flavoring – Flavor your icing with basic vanilla extract, or mix it up with peppermint, almond, or even lemon extract. I highly recommend using pure flavor extracts versus artificial ones wherever possible.

Corn Syrup Alternatives

Over the years, I’ve received many questions about corn syrup alternatives. In places outside the US, this might be known as golden syrup. In the below example, I used traditional vanilla extract for all 3 recipes, which is shifting the color a little yellow. You can get some white icing color to make it a brighter white.

• Corn syrup gives these a light sheen when dried and also helps to thicken the frosting, allowing you to have control over the consistency without having to add more powdered sugar. When dried, the corn syrup dried the hardest, while still maintaining a soft bite.
• No corn syrup. Without corn syrup, this icing still performs very well and can be piped. It dries solid, but not quite as firm as the corn syrup. You can still stack them. You’ll have to add additional milk (1/2 teaspoon at a time) until you reach the desired consistency. The only way to make this thicker is to add more powdered sugar.
• Honey: Many of you have suggested you can use honey, I tried it with a 1:1 replacement of the corn syrup. This will tint the icing slightly yellow, similar to the milk. Consistency-wise, it’s very close to the corn syrup and still dries firm.

How to Make Perfect Sugar Cookie Icing

Ready to make some frosting? Making smooth and pipable sugar cookie icing couldn’t be easier. Be sure to read on for more icing tips as well as ways to use your fresh batches of sugar cookie icing.

1. Sift the powdered sugar. First, pass the powdered sugar through a fine mesh sieve, breaking up any lumps.
2. Combine the ingredients. Whisk together the sifted sugar with corn syrup and milk until smooth. You can adapt the consistency of your cookie icing depending on preference and/or what you’ll be using it for. See below.
3. Add flavoring and coloring. This part is optional, but if you’d like to flavor your frosting, mix between ¼ to ½ teaspoon of your choice of extract into the icing. You can also divide your icing and color it using gel food dye. See the section further on for details.

What Consistency Should My Icing Be?

The general consistency of icing should be thinner than corn syrup, but thicker than maple syrup. A good way to check is to let it run off the spoon: the icing should hold together and drip slowly, and not run off completely or stay stiff in place. 

Adapting your icing consistency is as easy as adding more milk or powdered sugar, a little at a time. For a thinner consistency, add a teaspoon of milk at a time. For thicker icing, add an additional ¼ cup of powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

What Is the Best Food Coloring for Icing?

Adding color to icing is easy, the key is to use quality gel colors, like the ones from Amerigel or Wilton’s Color Right Color System. Gel dyes are my favorites for coloring icing, and a little goes a long way.

So, which one is best? It depends on what you prefer. Amerigel offers lots of individual colors, so you’re more likely to find the one you need already available. Meanwhile, Wilton’s offers 8 basic colors that can be mixed by hand to create over 50 different shades. Both are available at craft stores, cake supply stores, or online.

How to Decorate Sugar Cookies With Icing

This sugar cookie icing is super easy to handle, making it great for everyday decorating. Let’s go over my favorite methods for decorating cookies with homemade icing:

• Squeeze Bottle – Squeeze bottles are great for little hands to use, but they are more difficult to clean. Icing consistency is key when using a squeeze bottle. It’s important that the icing can be easily squeezed out without blocking the tip, otherwise, you run the risk of a very messy POP! 
• Piping Bag – I actually prefer the piping method, as it allows for more control in terms of icing placement and the amount of pressure applied. Pro-tip for quickly filling a piping bag: Fold the top of the bag down over a cup, and pour/spoon the icing in. Find more helpful tips in my post on How to Use a Piping Bag. 
• When it comes to icing your sugar cookies, I recommend using a piping bag with a coupler for the best results. A size 2 or size 3 piping tip is best for outlining, meanwhile you can fill cookies with a size 5. Just be sure the filling doesn’t pour over the top of the outline you made.