Easy Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe

By: Shelly
Posted: Nov 11, 2025

I’ll show you how to make the best icing for decorating sugar cookies! This is a simple sugar cookie icing that hardens to a smooth, shiny finish without egg whites. It’s perfect for frosting, flooding, piping, and dipping sugar cookies!

Two cookies decorated with blue sugar cookie icing and sprinkles on a countertop, with a bowl of blue icing in the background.

This recipe is my quick, foolproof royal icing alternative, without egg whites. It’s an easy sugar cookie icing for holidays and everyday decorating that’s great for beginners. All you need to make it is powdered sugar, corn syrup, and milk. After that, you can flavor your frosting and color it any way you’d like!

The Best Icing for Decorating Cookies

No special tools. All you need is a whisk, a bowl, and simple ingredients.
Easy and reliable. Whether I’m decorating cookies for Christmas, birthdays, or holidays, this is the easiest no-fail icing recipe ever. It’s ready in minutes.
The perfect finish. This icing dries down to a smooth, shiny finish that’s great for stacking cookies, but also not rock hard when you bite into it. And the best part? This frosting actually tastes good!

Sugar cookie icing ingredients with text labels overlaying each ingredient.

You’ll Need These Ingredients

Below are some quick notes. Scroll to the recipe card below the post for the full, printable measurements and recipe instructions.

Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar, for the base of the icing.
Milk – To get the right consistency. This can be whole milk or any kind you’d like. If you’d prefer a dairy-free sugar cookie icing, or if you plan to store the frosted cookies at room temperature, swap milk for water.
Corn Syrup – Corn syrup adds shine and gives the icing a softer bite. I recommend light corn syrup.
Vanilla Extract – Optional, for flavor. If you prefer a bright white frosting, omit the vanilla extract, as it will add a slight tint. You could also use clear vanilla extract.
Food Coloring – Also optional, for decorating.

How to Make Sugar Cookie Icing

Making this icing from scratch takes a matter of minutes and three simple steps.

A whisk resting in a bowl of powdered sugar with the rest of the icing ingredients in the background. — Whisk the powdered sugar.

Start with powdered sugar. Whisk the powdered sugar or sift it through a fine-mesh sieve to break up any lumps. This makes the icing silky smooth.
Add the other ingredients. Next, add the milk, corn syrup, and vanilla, and whisk until you have a smooth icing.
Finishing touches. Adjust the consistency and then divide and color the icing as needed. Your cookie icing is ready to use right away, or you can store it airtight. See below for more details.

Close up of a whisk drizzling sugar cookie icing into a bowl, showing the smooth consistency.

Adapting the Icing Consistency

Depending on what you’re using it for, you can easily adapt the consistency to make it thinner for flooding (outlining the cookies and then covering them with icing) or thicker for piping.

For flooding. Made as written in the recipe, this icing is perfect for flooding cookies for a smooth finish. To thin it out further, add more milk. If the icing becomes too thin, simply add a little more powdered sugar.
For piping. If you’d like to pipe this icing, decrease the amount of milk so the consistency is thicker.

How to Color Sugar Cookie Icing

Whether you’re coloring icing for Christmas cookies, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, or making pastel sugar cookie icing for Easter cookies, gel food coloring will give you the brightest, most vibrant colors. You can buy gel colors from brands like AmeriColor and Wilton from the baking aisle, craft stores, or online.

A drop of blue gel food coloring added to a bowl of sugar cookie icing. — Add a small amount of color.

To color the icing, add a drop or two at a time, and mix it well before adding more. Unlike water-based food coloring (often found in grocery stores), a little gel dye goes a long way.

Cookie Decorating Tips and Tricks

Use this easy sugar cookie icing to decorate any of your favorite cookie recipes, from classic cut-out cookies to soft sugar cookies and chocolate sugar cookies. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind when decorating your cookies with icing:

To flood the cookies, pipe an outline around the outside edge or the area of the cookie you’d like to flood. Then, fill the outline using a small open round piping tip. Lightly tap the cookie to smooth out the icing.
To pipe the cookies, make sure to use slightly thicker icing. Fill a piping bag or zip-top bag with icing, and snip off the corner or fit it with a small open round tip. If you need practice, try piping the icing on a piece of parchment paper first.
Dip the cookies. If you’re looking for a faster option, dipping the tops of the cookies into the icing is a quick and easy way to coat the cookies with color all in one go.
Don’t wait too long to add sprinkles. Add any sprinkles while the icing is still wet, so they adhere to the cookies.
Allow the icing to set before storing. Allow the cookies to sit at room temperature to harden before you store them. See the How to Store section below.

Close up of a sugar cookie topped with blue sugar cookie icing with a second unfrosted cookie in the background.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does sugar cookie icing take to dry?

Depending on the humidity in your kitchen, sugar cookie icing can take anywhere from 2-3 hours or longer to harden at room temperature. If you plan on stacking your cookies, I’d suggest letting them dry overnight.

How do I fix icing that won’t set?

If your icing doesn’t dry, it could be that there wasn’t enough powdered sugar added. Try refrigerating the decorated cookies or placing them in front of a fan to help the icing set.

What’s the difference between royal icing and sugar cookie icing?

Royal icing is made from beaten egg whites, powdered sugar, and lemon juice, and dries to a hard, crunchy texture. This cookie icing doesn’t use eggs, and it’s also softer thanks to the corn syrup in the recipe.

Will other flavors work in this recipe?

Yes! Try icing flavor variations using orange, lemon, almond, or peppermint extract. You can also add spices to the icing, like cinnamon or nutmeg, for a festive version.

Overhead view of sugar cookies decorated with blue cookie icing and sprinkles on a countertop, next to a bowl of blue icing and a jar of sprinkles.

How to Store

Store decorated cookies. Allow the icing to set before you store your decorated sugar cookies. Keep the cookies covered in the fridge and serve them at room temperature.
Store leftover sugar cookie icing. Store any leftover icing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Freeze. You can freeze this cookie icing and any decorated cookies for up to 2 months. Let the cookies and icing thaw in the fridge. You may need to mix the cookie icing again before you use it.

Description

This quick and simple sugar cookie icing hardens to a smooth, shiny finish without egg whites. It’s perfect for decorating Christmas cookies and for everyday baking.

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract *see note
Food coloring

Add the powdered sugar to a medium bowl and whisk to break up any lumps.
Add in the milk, corn syrup, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
Add in food coloring if desired.
Spread icing onto the cookies, or dip the tops of the cookies into the icing.
Top with sprinkles if desired while the icing is still wet. Allow the icing to set before storing.

Notes

* If you are trying to achieve a bright white frosting, skip adding the vanilla extract, as it will tint it slightly, or use a clear vanilla extract.
You can add more or less milk to achieve the consistency you desire. If you add too much milk and your icing becomes too thin, just add a bit more powdered sugar. This icing is very forgiving.