The Best Icing for Decorating Cookies

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Easy to make, great for decorating with, and this icing dries fast. Try this recipe to make the best sugar cookie icing for decorating.

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Christmas cookie decorating is one of my favorite Christmas activities to do with my family. I used to choose buttercream icing because I liked the taste. However, I found it hard to decorate with. It also always got squished when I went to store the cookies. So, I decided to experiment and try making a more liquid, decorating icing for cut sugar cookies. One that we can be really creative with!

This turned out to be the perfect icing recipe for decorating cut sugar cookies with. It’s creamy and full of flavor. I also love that it ends up drying solid enough to pack the cookies in a tin but still soft enough to bite into. It is also really pretty to look at!

The Ingredients

Food coloring

Liquid food coloring is easiest.

Icing Sugar

Make sure you have lots of this as you’ll need 2 cups per color you are making.

Honey

Liquid honey works best. You’ll have to put the honey in the microwave to make it more liquid in texture if you only have crystallized honey.

Vanilla or Almond Extract

I use vanilla extract from Mexico and I love it. It is pure and gives a wonderfully rich flavor. However, any vanilla extract will do the trick in this recipe. Almond extract is nice if you want less sweetness.

Milk

I use homogenized milk (3.25%). However any milk will work. You might find that your icing is a little more on the thin side if you use skim milk.

How to get the right consistency of icing?

Start with only 2 TBSP of milk and then if the icing looks too thick for your liking you can add more milk. I personally like the consistency of 4 TBSP of milk for decorating with. For pipping you will want slightly thicker icing and for dipping cookies you will want thin icing.

Why you will love this recipe?

• This icing is really fast and easy to make.
• Decorating cookies is a wonderful tradition to do as a family or with friends. Whether it is for Christmas cookies or a birthday; it is so fun to get together and decorate cookies.
• You can be artistic and creative! This icing is very versatile and even the most novice cookie decorator will have fun making new creations. Remember that the cookies don’t need to be decorated perfectly. Just have fun!

Final Thoughts and Tips

• Keep a toothpick handy for when you are decorating. It helps to spread the icing without ruining the design.
• Add sprinkles as soon as possible after icing so that the sprinkles stick to the icing as it dries.
• You can make these the day before you decorate and store them in the fridge. Just make sure you allow them enough time to get up to room temperature before you use them. Also give the icing a good shake before starting.
• Using condiment bottles to store your icing is a great way to keep them from drying out. They are easy to handle and not as messy. If you don’t have these bottles, you can use any plastic bag and just out one of the corners for the icing to come out.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to try this recipe. Please leave a comment and let me know how your icing turned out. I would also love to know if you came up with any tips and tricks to make them even better!