My vanilla icing for donuts is smooth and creamy, making it perfect for pouring, drizzling, or dunking your favorite baked goods. With just 3 ingredients and 5 minutes time, you can whip up this easy vanilla icing for cinnamon rolls, scones, cakes, turnovers, or whatever you like!
This simple powdered sugar vanilla icing is velvety smooth and creamy with just 3 ingredients. It's a great recipe to keep in your back pocket for finishing up homemade baked donuts, cinnamon rolls, scones, cakes, or quick breads.
You can adjust the thickness of this icing to suit your preference by adding a touch more powdered sugar or a bit more milk. It doesn't get any easier!
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🥘 Ingredients
You only need 3 basic ingredients to make this icing. The optional salt helps to balance the sweetness.
- Confectioners' Sugar - 1 cup powdered sugar.
- Milk - 2 tablespoons (1-2 tablespoons, as needed).
- Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon.
- Salt (optional) - to taste, start with a pinch if icing is too sweet.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Vanilla Icing For Donuts
This icing recipe requires no actual cooking. All you need is measuring cups and spoons, a mixing bowl, and a whisk.
This makes about ¾ cup of icing or 12 tablespoons. You can easily double or triple the recipe as needed.
Step 1: Mix icing ingredients. In a small to a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of confectioners' sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix, then add more milk as needed to reach your desired consistency for the icing.
Step 2: Add salt (optional). Once your glaze has reached a good thickness that drizzles freely from your whisk, spatula, or spoon, taste and add the optional pinch of salt if too sweet.
Step 3: Ice donuts. Take cooled donuts and dip them halfway into the icing with the top facing downward. Transfer the dunked donuts to a wire cooling rack over a sheet of parchment paper.
Step 4: Let sit. The glaze will harden over time, depending on your icing consistency.
Try this vanilla icing on homemade baked donuts or blueberry scones. It also makes a fabulous addition to any of my mug cake recipes. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Always wait for the donuts or other baked goods to cool before applying the icing. The heat will cause the icing to melt and run.
- For a thicker, creamier icing swap the milk for heavy cream.
- Transform the flavor of your icing by swapping the vanilla for any of your favorite extracts like almond, coconut, maple, rum, orange, or lemon.
- To store: Any unused icing can be kept in an airtight jar or container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Cover with cling film over the surface of your icing (touching) to prevent a skin from forming.
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❓ Does Powdered Sugar Icing Need To Be Refrigerated?
No. It has such a small amount of milk that it is safe to keep at room temperature for up to 4 days.
❓ Can I Make Vegan Vanilla Icing?
You can easily make this recipe vegan by swapping the milk for your favorite dairy-free milk such as almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk.
❓ Are Frosting And Icing The Same Thing?
Though the terms are often used interchangeably, there are differences between frosting and icing. Frosting is fluffier, thicker, and not pour-able while icing can be poured or drizzled and is smoother with a shine or glossy appearance.
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📖 Recipe Card
Vanilla Icing For Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoon milk (1-2 tablespoons, as needed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt (optional, to taste)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- In a small to a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk and vanilla extract. Mix, then add more milk as needed to reach your desired consistency for the icing.
- Once your glaze has reached a good thickness that drizzles freely from your whisk, spatula, or spoon, taste and add the optional pinch of salt if too sweet.
- Dip baked and cooled donuts into the icing with the tops facing downward so that they are halfway submerged into the icing. Place dunked donuts back onto a wire cooling rack over a sheet of parchment paper.
- The glaze will harden over time, depending on your icing consistency.
Notes
- Always wait for the donuts or other baked goods to cool before applying the icing. The heat will cause the icing to melt and run.
- For a thicker, creamier icing swap the milk for heavy cream.
- Transform the flavor of your icing by swapping the vanilla for any of your favorite extracts like almond, coconut, maple, rum, orange, or lemon.
- To store: Any unused icing can be kept in an airtight jar or container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Cover with cling film over the surface of your icing (touching) to prevent a skin from forming.
Joyce McKay says
Love this recipe and all the additional comments about making it vegan and adding salt to cut sweetness if there's too much. It drizzles beautifully on my vanilla Bundt cake and has a beautiful shine.