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Sugar Cookie Icing

This sugar cookie icing recipe is super easy, using only 3 or 4 ingredients, depending on your needs. Vary the flavor and colors to suit any occasion throughout the year.

Prep Time
5 mins
Servings: 2 cups
Calories: 57 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups confectioner's sugar
  • 4-5 TB water
  • 2 tsp light corn syrup see note
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract or almond extract, see note
Optional: gel food coloring

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a bowl, add confectioner's sugar, 4 TB water, corn syrup, and extract. Use a small hand whisk to mix well. If it's too thick to mix, add 1/2 TB water at a time, until mixture is a consistency similar to honey.
  2. If using, stir in 1-2 drops of gel food coloring at a time until desired tint is achieved. Color will darken a bit as it dries.
  3. Spoon icing into these easy piping bags, or use Ziploc bags with a tiny hole cut out of the corner tip. Drizzle icing over cookies, or outline the cookies first and let the outline set for 5-10 minutes. Then, fill in the centers of the outlined cookies. If you're topping icing with sprinkles, do so immediately, before icing dries.

Notes

  • *Corn syrup is useful if you're making the icing ahead of time and would like it to stay soft and pliable in the pantry. Keep icing in an airtight container for several days at moderate room temperature.
  • *If you'd like to omit corn syrup, use the icing immediately, as it will dry out easier. Icing without corn syrup will dry super fast on piped cookies, which can be a benefit. 
  • *For super white, plain-sugar flavored icing, replace extract with water. 
  • *We love using almond extract in place of vanilla extract! Or use 1/4 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp almond extracts for the perfect combination. You can try lemon or peppermint extracts, too.
  • *Set cookies on a sheet of wax paper, for easy icing cleanup. 
  • *If icing is too thick, add 1 tsp water at a time to thin it out. If icing it too thin, add 1 TB confectioner's sugar at a time until it's thickened.
  • *If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating ♡

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 57kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 7g (2%) Potassium 7mg (0%) Sugar 8g (16%) Calcium 4mg (0%) Iron 0.1mg (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2cups

Amount Per Serving

Calories 57

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 57kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 7g 2%
Potassium 7mg 0%
Sugar 8g 16%
Calcium 4mg 0%
Iron 0.1mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.