If you love cut-out sugar cookies topped with sweet, hard icing, this recipe is for you! I love making this icing for sugar cookies because it tastes fast, easy, and incredible! You’re going to love my recipe for sugar cookies, too. It’s soft and fluffy, and the cookies always hold their shape. This is a match made in heaven. Make it with me!
Royal Icing for Sugar Cookies
Make this easy royal icing recipe for sugar cookies, and you can decorate them with beautiful sugar cookies for any occasion!
The best part? This sugar cookie icing only requires three ingredients, and you probably already have them!
Powdered sugar, corn syrup, and water!
That’s it! That is all you need to make these adorable holiday sugar cookie cutouts. You can add food coloring and flavor to make this recipe more fun, but it is so simple!
Soft Sugar Cookies
This is my go-to recipe for Easy Cut-Out Sugar Cookies! I’m sharing my tips on how to make the best cut-out sugar cookies. These sugar cookies are buttery and sweet.
This cookie dough holds its shape when you bake it. It’s perfect for any holiday you have coming up!
With crisp edges, thick centers, and room for decorating icing, I know you’ll love these soft sugar cookies as much as I do.
Get the recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
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Simple Cookie Decorating
Frosting and decorating cookies and cakes are my least favorite things. I don’t have a steady hand, I am not an artist, and honestly, I don’t have the patience to make things picture-perfect.
So, I don’t even try!
That’s why I wanted to find a way to decorate sugar cookies as fast as possible while still producing a pretty finished product.
I fell in love with this icing! I can whip it together, dip each cookie into the icing, and set it down to dry. Add sprinkles or other embellishments if you like, and watch them turn into something magical.
This recipe makes decorating fun for me, and I sincerely hope it does the same for you!
Icing for Sugar Cookies
With crisp edges, thick centers, and room for decorating icing, I know you’ll love these soft sugar cookies as much as I do.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 almond extract
- Icing or Frosting
Icing
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons warm water
- 1/2 Tablespoon light corn syrup
- *Food coloring & flavorings optional
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together at high speed until completely smooth and creamy, for about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. The dough will be relatively soft.
- Place the dough on a cookie sheet topped with parchment paper & lightly flour. Roll the dough out onto the parchment with a lightly floured rolling pin to about 1/4-inch thickness.
- Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then refrigerate for 1-2 hours and up to 2 days.
- Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used.
- Arrange cookies on baking sheets 3 inches apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Frost & sprinkle as desired. Enjoy!
For the Icing
- Mix water and corn syrup to create sugar water.
- Add sugar water to powdered sugar and stir until thoroughly combined. The mixture will be thick. The consistency you’re looking for is a slowly dripping icing that disappears into the bowl.
- Add coloring and flavors if desired. Dip each cookie in the icing, then let it drip to remove the excess before placing it on a wire rack to harden and set. If adding sprinkles, do so before the icing sets so they stick.
Notes
*I like to add a teaspoon of vanilla to the icing to give it a little flavor. You could also do almond or other extracts to add flavors if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 102Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 42mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g
[…] If you are looking for a fast and easy way to frost your cut-out sugar cookies, try my recipe for homemade royal icing! […]