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This vegan royal icing recipe is the real deal! It's perfectly controllable for your cookie art projects, lovely in cake design, and made with easy-to-find pantry staples, whipped up with the magic of aquafaba! In just a few minutes, you'll have a glossy, perfectly smooth icing that's ready to decorate with.
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Whether you are making vegan Christmas cookies or using it to pipe some mouths and scars onto the tops of vegan Halloween s'mores, or for making candy googly eyes to decorate Halloween donuts or mummy brownies with, this foolproof icing will give you pro-level results every time.
I have used this vegan royal icing recipe to make some treats that really went viral over the years. Some cheeky and cute, and others? Downright insane and perhaps a bit offensive (sorry, not sorry).
Bonus? This recipe's totally gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free, and doesn't have any weird aftertaste like some royal icing recipes do. Let's rock this out!
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🥰 Why you'll adore this vegan royal icing recipe
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of the vegan recipes I share, once I fine-tuned the heck out of it, I shared it with a team of over 400 bakers from all around the world who checked it and got the same flawless results. I've also been making this particular recipe professionally and serving it to thousands of customers for over 20 years!
⏱️ Whips Up Stupidly-Fast: With just five minutes of mixing time, you'll have icing ready to go for whatever weird, spur-of-the-moment cookie artistry you are about to embark upon.
🛒 Pantry-Friendly Ingredients: Screw hard-to-find ingredients! Everything you need is probably already in your kitchen. No meringue powder or high-fructose corn syrup up in here!
✊ Vegan AF & GF: Like all my vegan dessert recipes, this recipe proves you don't need to harm animals to make impressive food. Thanks to aquafaba, there's no need for egg whites, and you'll still get a gorgeous, glossy finish.
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🧁 Vegan Royal Icing Ingredients
Aquafaba
Aquafaba is the starchy liquid found in canned or cooked chickpeas. It works as a perfect vegan substitute for egg whites in my vegan ladyfingers, vegan matcha cookies, vegan blueberry muffins, and vegan pie crust, because it whips up into stiff peaks.
You can substitute it with the brine from white beans in a pinch, without majorly affecting the flavor.
Powdered Sugar
Not all icing sugar is vegan. A lot of it is made using sugar refined using a bone char filtration system.
So if you want your royal icing to be completely cruelty-free, use a vegan powdered sugar like this one. It's the same stuff I use to coat my zeppole with and to make the vegan cream cheese frosting for my vegan lemon pound cake.
Cream of Tartar
Cream of tartar (aka potassium bitartrate) is actually a byproduct of winemaking. It stabilizes the aquafaba in the recipe, ensuring your icing holds its shape and forms a glossy finish.
Cream of tartar also prevents sugar crystals from forming, which keeps the icing smooth. Some of my recipe testers had good results substituting lemon juice, though the liquid will slightly throw off the consistency, and you might need to add a little additional powdered sugar to make up for it.
Extracts
You can make this recipe either with vanilla extract, swap it out for a more "purpose-built" extract, or leave it out completely.
For instance, if you are using this icing on picarones, you might want to add some anise extract. Or if you are using the icing to decorate (we used to do this all the time for our vegan catering) a cookie top to put on vegan Nutella stuffed Korean donuts, you might want to use hazelnut extract or rum extract.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
60+ stunning holiday classics designed to win over even the most anti-vegan guests.
🤯Variations
Matcha Vegan Royal Icing
Add a lovely green hue by incorporating spirulina powder and matcha into your icing. A little dash of spirulina lets you add more striking color, without the cost of using a ton of ceremonial grade matcha powder. This could be a good alternative to colored glae for coating your Frankenstein-themed Halloween cake pops with.
Pitaya Powder Vegan Royal Icing
For a naturally bold pink color, mix in pitaya (dragon fruit) powder. It creates a bright magenta color. Sometimes I drizzle some on my ube glazed karioka donuts because the color complements the dark purple of the ube glaze so nicely.
📖 How to make easy vegan royal icing
Nail this on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Powder to the People:
If you're using a hand mixer, toss the powdered sugar, aquafaba, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl with high sides (to prevent mess). If you're rolling with a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.
Step Two
Peaky Blinders:
Start mixing on low speed for 90 seconds to keep the powdered sugar from blasting everywhere.
After the icing starts to come together, bump up the mixer to medium speed. Keep mixing for 4-5 minutes until the icing is stiff and super-smooth.
Step Three
In Living Color:
If you're adding food coloring, split the icing into separate bowls. Mix in your chosen colors until they're blended evenly.
✅ This recipe is purposely made a bit thicker that some royal icing recipes, to ensure that when you add liquid or gel food coloring, it won't become too runny to be able to pipe.
Step Four
Stash It, or Smash It:
The icing is ready to use right away, or you can store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If storing, stir the icing before using it again.
Otherwise, go ahead and decorate all the stuff (such as these vegan gingerbread cookies) right way using piping bags or squeeze bottles to make your pastry art dreams come true!
👉Top tips
- Time to Get Sifty In Here: Especially if it's been sitting around for a while, make sure to sift your powdered sugar before mixing it into your royal icing. If you don't have an actual sifter, a wire mesh strainer works well, or you can run it through your food processor to break up any clumps.
- Room Temp Magic: Make sure your plant-based milk is at room temperature before adding it to the icing mixture. This helps achieve a creamy consistency that blends seamlessly and sets better.
- Consistency is Key: Test the icing's consistency by drizzling it off a spoon. It should flow easily but hold its shape. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar; if it's too thick, add a drop more milk. Aim for a consistency that gives you controllable lines that don't bleed, but isn't so thick you struggle to get it out of your squeeze bottle, or icing bag!
- Patience Pays: Allow your iced treats to set at room temperature instead of refrigerating them. Chilling the decorated cookies can cause the icing to develop some imperfections. And worse, it can cause condensation to form, ruining your artwork when you go to serve it.
- Grab a Bunch of Ramekins: For complex designs, you may want to divide this into a ton of different colors. Make sure you have enough little receptacles to hold them all in.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
This can be worked with just like traditional royal icing! It can be used for decorating vegan gingerbread cookies, creating intricate designs on vegan sugar cookies, or as a glue for gingerbread houses. Simply use a piping bag with a small tip or spread it onto your baked goods and let it dry.
I like to use thicker icing for creating borders and then use slightly thinner icing to fill in the spaces.
For the best perfect icing, use plant-based food coloring to achieve more natural-looking shades without altering the consistency of the icing. Start with a small amount and gradually add more until you reach your desired color.
To thin royal icing, add a small amount of water, one teaspoon at a time, mixing until you achieve the desired consistency. Or simply warm it in a double boiler. The consistency royal icing should be for piping is a bit thicker than that which flows easily when drizzled from a spoon. If you thin it too much, you can achieve the right consistency by adding back in some additional powdered sugar.
Yes, you can make royal icing ahead of time and store it in an airtight container for weeks. Just be sure to cover the surface with plastic to prevent it from drying out. Unlike royal icing made with chemical preservatives, the powdered sugar particles may settle the longer it is stored. Be sure to mix it for a few minutes before using it if it's been sitting around for a while.
If you read my blog regularly, you know I am pretty strict about wasting single use plastic, and other non-biodegradable products. So if you are someone like me, you might consider cleaning and re-purposing a bag that some kind of food came in for the purpose of covering the top layer of your icing. Produce bags, or other thin plastic work best for that.
Regular royal icing typically takes about 12 hours to dry completely, depending on the thickness and humidity levels. But you can apply thin layers that dry enough in just a few minutes for the next color not to mix in. Be patient to ensure your designs set perfectly!
Don't waste a whole can of chickpeas just for the juice! You might want to make some Moroccan harira, vegan chana masala, or chana palak with those yummy little protein balls.
✌️You'll love these vegan dessert projects too
The Perfect Vegan Royal Icing Recipe (Great for Cookies)
Ingredients
- 500 g. powdered sugar about 4 ½ cups
- ⅓ cup aquafaba canned chickpea brine
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- vegan food coloring optional
Instructions
- If using a hand mixer, place the powdered sugar, aquafaba, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract into a large mixing bowl; otherwise, place it into a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment.
- Start mixing on low speed to avoid powdered sugar flying everywhere. After about 90 seconds when the icing starts to come together, gradually increase the speed to medium and continue mixing until the icing forms stiff peaks and has a smooth consistency. This process should take 4-5 minutes.
- If using food coloring, divide the icing into separate bowls and add your desired colors, mixing thoroughly to achieve even coloring. This recipe is made intentionally on the thicker side so that if you are using liquid or gel food coloring, it doesn't become too loose when you mix them in.
- The icing can be used immediately or stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Stir before use if storing.
Notes
If your powdered sugar has been hanging out for a while, give it a sift before mixing it into your icing. A wire mesh strainer works great if you don't have a sifter, or blitz it in a food processor to knock out any clumps. 🥶 Don’t Use Frosty The Snowman’s Liquid Frostbite Juice:
Make sure your plant-based milk is room temperature before adding it to the icing. This gives you a smoother blend and a better set. 🧪 Consistency is Futile:
Check your icing’s consistency by drizzling it from a spoon. It should flow smoothly but hold its shape. If it’s too runny, mix in more powdered sugar; if it’s too thick, add a bit more milk to hit that sweet spot. ⏳ Freeze? Hard Pass!
Let your iced treats set at room temperature. Refrigerating can cause cracks and condensation, which will mess up your masterpiece.
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Paige Davis says
This recipe is the best! So easy to make, tastes great, but especially it really makes decorating fun. It stayed in place on my cookies and took them to the next level. It makes me very happy to have successful results and this recipe is a MUST for anyone who wants great looking treats without eggs. The aquafaba is the way to go, for sure! Thank you Chef Adam !!
hg says
Easy to make, easy to work with, and tastes great too! Perfect way to add the final touch to sugar cookies.
Rachel says
This was a very good icing however it was not thin enough to pipe but we didn't care about that.
Aude says
Hi.
How to prevent color bleeding and how long do cookies last once decorated?
Thank you.
Adam Sobel says
The icing is thick enough not to bleed. But if you use thicker concentrations (more podered sugaer) for the borders and fill it with thinner concentrations (a drop or two more liquid) you can have very clearly defined lines. Sometimes brushing finer details on top of filled areas using food coloring directly with a fine paintbrush is a technique we use too. Typically the designs can stay nice-looking for weeks if the cookies are stored at room temp, out of sunlight, in a sealed container. But who wants to eat weeks-old cookies?