Easy Sugar Cookie Icing Without Corn Syrup Recipe (2024)

Published on December 10, 2023February 24, 2023 by Maggie Turansky

Making sugar cookie icing without corn syrup is incredibly quick and easy and can have you decorating cookies in no time! If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to use corn syrup in the icing for your cookies, you’ll be pleased to find out you don’t need to!

Making a classic royal icing is, arguably, the best kind of icing for decorating sugar cookies anyway. And it only calls for three ingredients, can be made entirely by hand (if you have strong arms!) and is incredibly simple.

This sugar cookie icing recipe without corn syrup also sets up to be completely hard, much like the other icing, though it will have more of a matte finish rather than a glossy one (that is the one thing that corn syrup lends to the icing). It’s also a great way to use up leftover egg whites — for instance if you’ve been making aioli or caesar dressing!

So if you’re looking to make an icing for sugar cookies that doesn’t have any corn syrup, you’ll find this royal icing does just the trick!

How to Make Sugar Cookie Icing Without Corn Syrup

You can make this icing in a stand mixer, using a hand mixer or entirely by hand so long as you have a whisk and a bit of upper body strength.

Obviously, the easiest and quickest way to make this is using a stand mixer, but the process is the same either way you choose to make the icing.

What you need to do first is froth up your egg whites. In general, whites separate from the yolks much easier if they’re warm, however, they do whip up a bit more quickly if they’re room temperature.

You don’t need to whip the egg whites too much for this recipe, however, this is something to keep in mind if you’re making something meringue based, like my marshmallow recipe.

Add your egg whites to a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and whip until they’re frothy, about a minute or two. If you’re using a stand mixer, fit it with the whisk attachment and whip on medium-high.

If using a hand mixer, then whip them on medium-high speed, as well. If you’re making these by hand, you’re going to have to whisk vigorously for a bit longer until you reach the desired results.

Once your egg whites are nice and frothy, it’s time to add some icing sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to mix this together until the sugar is completely incorporated into the egg whites and the icing is cohesive and glossy. At this point, the icing is done!

You can then transfer it to a piping bag and begin decorating or, if you’d like, divide it into smaller bowls and colour the icing as you see fit.

Keep in mind that the icing will set up if left exposed to air for too long, however, it will keep in the fridge (in an airtight container) for a couple of weeks. Just make sure to let it come to room temperature before attempting to pipe it.

Sugar Cookie Icing Without Corn Syrup

Yield: 250ml (2 cups)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

This classic royal icing is the perfect way to ice sugar cookies without any corn syrup!

Ingredients

• 2 (60g) egg whites
• 350g (3 cups) icing (powdered) sugar
• 10ml (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract

Instructions

1. If using a stand mixer: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until frothy. If using a hand mixer: In a large mixing bowl, whip the egg whites with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until frothy. If making by hand: In a large mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the egg whites until frothy - this may take up to 5 minutes.
2. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to mix until well combined and the icing is cohesive and glossy. Transfer to a piping bag or add colouring as desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 2Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

This sugar cookie icing recipe without corn syrup is so easy to make and incredibly versatile when it comes to all of the different colour and decorating possibilities!

Are you looking to make icing for sugar cookies? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!