Print

Bakery-Style Sugar Cookie Icing That Hardens

Close-up of a sugar cookie topped with white and bright blue sugar cookie icing that hardens, sitting on marble.
Print Recipe
Save Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Make smooth, glossy sugar cookie icing that hardens completely. This simple recipe is perfect for decorating cutout cookies you plan to stack or gift.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons milk (whole or 2%)
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Gel food coloring (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted confectioners sugar and the corn syrup until combined.
  2. Add the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of the milk. Mix with a whisk or electric mixer on low speed until the mixture is smooth.
  3. Check the consistency. If the icing is too thick to pour or spread easily, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of milk, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach a smooth, thick but flowing consistency. This is the flooding consistency.
  4. If you want colored icing, separate the white icing into smaller bowls. Add one drop of gel food coloring to each bowl and stir until the color is uniform.
  5. Use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the icing evenly over your cooled sugar cookies. For outlining, you may need a slightly thicker batch (use less milk).
  6. Allow the decorated cookies to sit at room temperature until the icing is completely dry and hard to the touch. This usually takes several hours, depending on humidity.

Notes

  • For the hardest, glossiest finish, use light corn syrup; it acts as a setting agent.
  • If you need to flood large areas quickly, thin the icing slightly more, but remember that thinner icing takes longer to dry hard.
  • Use gel food coloring instead of liquid coloring to avoid adding extra moisture, which can slow the hardening process.
  • Store decorated cookies in an airtight container once the icing is fully set.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://delishsymphony.com/sugar-cookie-icing-that-hardens/