Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe is a sweet homemade frosting that is made with just four ingredients and can be adapted to your favorite flavor and color. I love sugar cookies year-round, but they are especially popular around the holidays. It’s such a fun cookie to play around with. They are the perfect cookie for making into your favorite shapes and, of course, decorating! This icing recipe is an easy recipe to make and be as colorful and flavorful as you want it to be. Be sure to check out my Sugar Cookie Decorating 101 for tips on decorating sugar cookies.
Icing Ingredients
Confectioners’ sugar: Be sure to sift the confectioners’ sugar (also known as icing sugar) before adding the other ingredients. This will remove any lumps that may be in the sugar.
Milk: Whole milk will give you the best consistency in the frosting. Amounts of milk may vary depending on seasonality.
Corn syrup: Light corn syrup is in the frosting recipe gives the frosting a glossy finish and adds a little more moisture to it.
Lemon juice: As with the milk, the amount of lemon juice added to the recipe will be determined by the temperature of your kitchen and the overall climate. Lemon juice is an acid and will counter the “sweetness” of the confectioner’s sugar and corn syrup. No, the icing will not taste lemony.
What is the 10-Second Rule?
If you have already outlined your cookies and need to fill in or ‘spill’ your cookies, you can add more milk (as much as you would need) to make your frosting very runny. A great way to check the consistency of your frosting if you need to fill a cookie is to use the ‘ten-second rule’.
For this ten-second rule, run your spoon along the bottom of the bowl of frosting. You will want to be able to see the bottom of the bowl for at least a few seconds. If ten seconds pass and you can still see the bottom of the bowl you will need to add a little more milk.
Can You Stack Cookies with Glaze Icing?
Yes! Absolutely. After the icing dries it will stack beautifully, about 3 cookies high. It takes about 24 hours for the icing to dry depending on how thick your icing is.
Variations to Sugar Cookie Icing
- If you are using food coloring, be sure to use LESS milk. Most food colorings are liquid and can make your frosting runnier. If you are using gel food coloring, your milk quantity can remain the same.
- To add different flavors, you can add drops of vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon, etc. to flavor your frosting.
- If you want more shine, use more corn syrup and less milk.
How to Store Sugar Cookie Icing
I will often times store it in piping bags that have been sealed with a rubber band or twist tie. You can also store it in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you are using food coloring, I will often color the icing before storing, as you will see the “true” color after the icing settles.
I used this icing to make my Original Ugly Sweater Cookies. You can see how beautifully it sets and is firm enough to gently stack!
More Sugar Cookies
Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 g) confectioners' sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk, as needed depending on seasonality and desired consistency
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1 -3 drops lemon juice, as needed depending on seasonality and desired consistency
Instructions
- Sift the confectioners' sugar to remove lumps.
- To a medium bowl, add all the ingredients and mix until combined.
- Add more milk and/or lemon juice as needed to achieve desired consistency.
Video
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I’m in Australia and any type of corn syrup is hard to find, is there anything I could use instead? Thanks!
You don’t have to use it if you don’t have it..
Hi Katrina, you can find corn syrup in AUSTRALIA. Karo Light Corn Syrup (transparent one) is available at some supermarkets but with a quick search online you will find it in cake supplies shops and in Amazon. Also, although not all Glucose Syrups are Corn Syrups, the Queen Glucose Syrup 500g is derived from corn, therefore being a corn syrup and it is available in most supermarkets. Hope this will assist you 🙂 Merry Christmas!
I use glucose syrup instead of corn syrup.
Try this recipe it works really well and does not take corn syrup..
1/4 room temp. Butter
2 1/3 cups of sifted powder sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 TBS whole milk plus 2 tsp whole milk
Mix together and add more milk if you want a thinner consistency or more sifted powder sugar for a thinker consistency!!
A Google search yielded this: “ What is corn syrup called in australia?
One of the best replacements for corn syrup is glucose syrup which adds moisture and sweetness in much the same way corn syrup does. Queen Glucose Syrup (available from Coles and Woolworths RRP $4.50 for 500g) is derived from corn and is perfect for making toffee, caramel, marshmallows and jellies.”
Hi, I am in Aus too and will try this later in the week. I’ll be using glucose syrup instead. 🙂
Do you have golden syrup ? I heard that’s a good substitute.
Hi Katrina I’m in Australia too and you can use Liquid Glucose it does the same thing. Find it in the baking aisle of Woollies or Coles. Good luck
Turned out great, smooth glossy finish. Easy to work with. Tastes great, I added vanilla and almond flavoring.
Instead of lemon juice or in addition?
do you have to use lemon juice or can I use almond extract? thanks
Do you have to use lemon extract or can I use vanilla or almond
No, you can use almond extract and/or vanilla.
The lemon juice is so the acid can combat the sugar in regards to cutting that sweetness. So no. Almond extract has no citrus. Just flavour.
Do you know if a milk substitute, like oatmilk, work equally well? My son has dairy allergies so trying to find a good icing he can have.
Looks good I will have to try it soon.
Is the milk essential for it to pipe well and harden? I can’t have milk. Could I use water instead?
Does the type of food coloring effect the consistency of the frosting. Would a powder or gel coloring be better than a liguid?
Do you have a baking cook book. How much and where would I send for it thanks for the
Recipes
I use confectionery sugar, milk and vanilla. You need corn syrup.
How much vanilla in place of lemon?
You don’t have to use corn syrup if you have liquid glucose.
My husband is type 2 diabetic. He does eat sugar in a limited basis. I know that corn syrup really runs his sugar up. From what I gather, you must use corn syrup to be successful. Did I get that right. I’m still going to decorate some cookies.