I absolutely love the shiny appearance of my cut out cookies using this Glossy Sugar Cookie Icing (that hardens)!
This icing is perfect for either dipping your sugar cookies or flooding Christmas cookies, as well as using for a semi-transparent thin glaze on cookies, cakes, and other desserts. It's so quick and easy and made with only 4 ingredients!
Glossy Sugar Cookie Icing (that hardens) Recipe
The trick to a perfect icing is to sift your confectioners sugar before adding any liquids (and I'm guilty of having skipped this step many times), as it will save the hassle of having to stir until all lumps are removed. Or worse, applying your icing and finding a lump on your beautiful cut out sugar cookies!
Looking for the best rolled sugar cookies recipe? Try out my most used and well loved classic rolled sugar cookies, or save time and skip the chilling period with my no chill rolled sugar cookies - either one will have you set for Christmas cookie decorating!!
I've covered alot of my tips and tricks for making icing and glazes for your holiday cookies and treats below!
How To Make Glossy Sugar Cookie Icing (that hardens):
- Sift confectioners sugar into a medium bowl.
- Add liquid: light corn syrup, extract and milk (or water).
- Stir until smooth and the desired consistency has been reached.
- Divide into separate bowls and add desired food coloring.
- Spread onto cut out sugar cookies, or flood into piped outlines.
Tips For Icing and Glazes:
- Use about half the liquid called for in an icing recipe, adding more liquid as needed to thin to your desired consistency.
- Alternatively, if your icing or glaze is too runny simply add more sifted confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) until thickened.
- We are using milk and cold water interchangeably in this recipe, either one will give you a high shine, glossy slash glassy appearance and both will harden once set. The water based icing will give a very clear appearance, and the milk based version is well, somewhat milky.
- Your best icing colors are attained using gel based food coloring, rather than your usual food coloring drops. Gel food coloring also retains your desired consistency.
- I recommend sifting your confectioners sugar before making your icings and/or glazes. I'm totally the worst at doing this, but it does save from having to fix lumps in your icing.
- For your best color results, use a clear extract flavoring. Clear vanilla, almond extract, and lemon extract are my most commonly used flavors. Additional flavors such as orange, maple, peppermint, coconut, chocolate, banana, raspberry, strawberry, and rum also work beautifully.
- For flooding and dipping, use a consistency that sticks well to your spoon and icing 'drops' off slowly.
- For a light glaze that is somewhat transparent, use a consistency that runs off slowly from your spoon but also leaves a good clear coating on the spoon.
- To flood your cut out sugar cookies, pipe an outline of icing on your sugar cookies and fill with glossy sugar cookie icing (that hardens). Spread to the edges using the back of your spoon, a small knife, or a cookie decorating edging tool.
- To spread without flooding (using an icing outline), drop icing into center of cookie and spread toward the edges without getting close enough to run over.
- Gently tamping the cookie down onto a surface removes any air bubbles.
- A film will develop quickly over the icing, so apply any desired sprinkles directly after spreading the icing.
- Do not stack until icing is completely set, about 12 hours (depending on the thickness of your icing coating).
📖 Recipe Card
Glossy Sugar Cookie Icing (that hardens)
Glossy Sugar Cookie Icing (that hardens) is an easy icing for holiday sugar cookie decorating!
Servings: 24 iced cookies
Calories: 43kcal
Prep 5 minutes
Cooking 0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
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Ingredients
- 2 c confectioners sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1 ½ tablespoon milk or cold water (more or less, as needed to reach desired consistency)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (or your desired clear extract flavoring)
- gel food coloring (optional, desired colors)
Help Us Out!If you love a recipe, be sure to come back and share your ratings. This helps future users, and allows me to continue sharing free recipes! Angela
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, sift confectioners sugar and then combine with light corn syrup, milk or water, and clear extract flavoring. Stir until smooth and the icing has reached your desired consistency.
- For flooding and dipping, use a consistency that sticks well to your spoon and icing 'drops' off slowly.
- For a light glaze that is somewhat transparent, use a consistency that runs off slowly from your spoon but also leaves a good clear coating on the spoon.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Notes
*Typically ices 24-36 cookies.
**Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Tips For Icing and Glazes:
Tips For Icing and Glazes:
- Use about half the liquid called for in an icing recipe, adding more liquid as needed to thin to your desired consistency.
- Alternatively, if your icing or glaze is too runny simply add more sifted confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) until thickened.
- We are using milk and cold water interchangeably in this recipe, either one will give you a high shine, glossy slash glassy appearance and both will harden once set. The water based icing will give a very clear appearance, and the milk based version is well, somewhat milky.
- Your best icing colors are attained using gel based food coloring, rather than your usual food coloring drops. Gel food coloring also retains your desired consistency.
- I recommend sifting your confectioners sugar before making your icings and/or glazes. I'm totally the worst at doing this, but it does save from having to fix lumps in your icing.
- For your best color results, use a clear extract flavoring. Clear vanilla, almond extract, and lemon extract are my most commonly used flavors. Additional flavors such as orange, maple, peppermint, coconut, chocolate, banana, raspberry, strawberry, and rum also work beautifully.
- For flooding and dipping, use a consistency that sticks well to your spoon and icing 'drops' off slowly.
- For a light glaze that is somewhat transparent, use a consistency that runs off slowly from your spoon but also leaves a good clear coating on the spoon.
- To flood your cut out sugar cookies, pipe an outline of icing on your sugar cookies and fill with glossy sugar cookie icing (that hardens). Spread to the edges using the back of your spoon, a small knife, or a cookie decorating edging tool.
- To spread without flooding (using an icing outline), drop icing into center of cookie and spread toward the edges without getting close enough to run over.
- Gently tamping the cookie down onto a surface removes any air bubbles.
- A film will develop quickly over the icing, so apply any desired sprinkles directly after spreading the icing.
- Do not stack until icing is completely set, about 12 hours (depending on the thickness of your icing coating).
Nutrition
Calories: 43kcal (2%) | Carbohydrates: 11g (4%) | Fat: 1g (2%) | Sodium: 1mg | Sugar: 11g (12%)
Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!
Pixie says
I bake once a year. Your easy , for me, to understand recipies make it easy and fun. Thank you. Pixie, Michigan, USA.
Joyce says
Quick and easy! Thanks for the recipe. Ready to decorate my Christmas cookies.
Echo says
How far in advance can I mix this up and how do I keep the surface from hardening? Is Saran Wrap enough?
Angela Latimer says
This is a very quick drying recipe (when the consistency isn't too thin) and it can be stored for up to a week in the fridge with the cling film on the surface of the icing. Make sure to stir while using to prevent the top surface from hardening, and you can pop it in the microwave to soften it back up if it does start to harden. Enjoy!
Roslyn says
Can you freeze this recipe?
Angela Latimer says
Do you mean can you freeze the decorated cookies - or freeze a large batch of the icing? To answer both - the decorated cookies freeze exceptionally well. My great grandma always had a batch stored away in the freezer for when the cousins and I would visit. I have never frozen the icing prior to applying to baked cookies, simply because it's an easy icing to make on demand. However, you can freeze most icings for up to about 6 weeks. Make sure that you place the icing in a bag and squeeze out all of the excess air or place a sheet of cling film on the surface if storing the icing in a container. You want as little air as possible to be in contact with the surface of the icing (since it will dry it out).
Rita E. says
I made this yesterday and they are absolutely delicious. I added 2 more teaspoons of lime juice to the wet mixture prior to adding the dry ingredients. I also added the zest of two limes. The texture was perfect. I found the bottoms brown much nicer baking on an ungreased cookie sheet rather than using a silicon mat as I usually do.
Mary says
Perfect for when actually spreading a butter frosting or cream cheese frosting isn’t practical. Perfect on my gingerbread men for the office party, trying it on a cake next….
SHARON Lee SISCO says
Great recipe fast and easy! The only change I made was to use fresh lemon juice plus the zest from the lemon. The final product was used to frost a Lemon Ricotta cookie. I did eliminate the vanilla as I had no clear vanilla and did not want to discolor the frosting. Your recipe is a keeper in my recipe box!
Rebecca says
Great recipe. Curious how you make your white icing. Despite not using any flavorings that could compromise the color, the icing is a little muddy looking after mixing without added food coloring. I would like to ice some snowmen today. Thank you.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I use clear vanilla and this is the color I end up with. You can always add the smallest bit of violet to turn whites whiter. Happy baking!
Nancy says
I use white food coloring before adding any other colors. It gives the icing a great base color to build on.
Amanda says
Works great!
Karen says
Eureka! I have been searching for a recipe for truly glossy icing forever. This is not only beautifully glossy, but easier than any other recipe. Thank you for sharing this!
Melanie says
Trying my best to go sugar-free this holiday season. I know, sounds crazy! But let me tell ya colon cancer dictates eliminating as much sugar from your diet as possible. Angela, have you ever made cookie icing using an alternate sweetener? If so, I'd really appreciate your recipe and tips. Thank you!!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hi Melanie! The answer is yes, and I really do recommend using Swerve for the best sugar-like consistency in baking. I've used the granulated version to bake sugar cookies, and the powdered sugar version to make icing. My SF friends raved over them (add some lemon or citrus, or holiday baking spices, to make the flavor pop).
You don't need to make any recipe adjustments when swapping out with Swerve, it will work just as intended in this recipe. Hope that helps and let me know if you have any other questions!
Camille says
Bonjour,
Quelle est la différence d’utilisation et de conservation avec du glaçage royal à la poudre de meringue?
Merci !
"Good morning,
What is the difference in use and storage with royal icing and meringue powder? THANKS !"
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Vous pouvez conserver et utiliser ce glaçage presque de la même manière que n'importe quel autre glaçage, y compris le glaçage royal avec de la poudre de meringue. Assurez-vous de garder une pellicule plastique en contact avec le dessus du glaçage pour empêcher l'air d'y pénétrer et de sécher le glaçage stocké.
"You can store and use this icing almost the same as any other icing, including royal icing with meringue powder. Make sure to keep plastic wrap in contact with the top of the icing to prevent air from getting to it and drying the stored icing out."
Cindy says
This worked out great! I was thrilled when I didn't have to do a lot of work to get the icing to lay flat. I woke up to pretty dried cookies ready for a second layer! I do have a few questions.
1. After I flood my cookies with two different colors...like a butterly shape with the outside white and inside orange...Can I use a cookie needle tool to pull some of the areas to mix like I can with royal icing?
2. After my first layer is dry and I add a dot of icing to the top of the cookie can I use a small paintbrush to pull and fan this icing like I can with royal icing?
Thank you so much for your help! I really enjoyed using this recipe and am thrilled I have this to work with for my Moms 80th birthday party this weekend! No more royal icing mixing nightmares!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, you can use your tools to blend colors and make designs. I like to let the icing set for a second, so I move through several cookies, then go back and start at the beginning of the set for designs. Have fun at the party!
Anonymous says
Thank you for your quick response and helpful tips! It is much appreciated. I'll be able to breathe a sigh of relief after my cookies are done and I don't have to remember to watch my every word talking to my Mom since it is a surprise.