How to Decorate Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing – the easy way!

Creating gorgeous cookies isn’t just for the pros! I can’t wait to walk you through how to decorate sugar cookies with royal icing – the easy way! Get ready to create some BEAUTIFUL Christmas cookies! (Or, decorated cookies for any time of the year!)

Well, you’ve made your royal icing, and now it’s time to start decorating! I walk you through everything you need to know about how to decorate sugar cookies with royal icing below – you’re going to create some absolutely beautiful holiday cookies by the end of this! 🙂 

(And psst – if you’re still on the lookout for the perfect one, my easy royal icing recipe is so simple to make AND it tastes good! It’s my favorite sugar cookie icing if you’re wanting the icing to 100% harden – it’s made with meringue powder vs. raw egg whites, and it comes together very reliably!)

I’m going to show you FOUR slightly different ways for how to decorate with this icing!

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Helpful tips for decorating with royal icing:

Let’s cover a few important details before we get started!

• You definitely want to make sure your icing is the right consistency. I know this can be tricky, but I talk you through exactly how to achieve that in my royal icing recipe post! Consistency is CRUCIAL for flooding, piping, and drying, so make sure to check out my detailed instructions in that post!
• You’ll want to make sure you’re using GEL food coloring, not liquid food coloring. See more about that below!
• Make sure you give your cookies enough dry time before stacking or transporting them. 😉

Equipment you’ll need for decorating with royal icing:

• Gel food colors – I get Wilton gel colors (in the small bottles – 4 to a box) from my local grocery store. I usually have a box of the 4 standard colors (red, green, blue, and yellow), as well as a box with some “off” colors (turquoise, pink, purple, and orange). You probably don’t need both – just the standard box will be fine; you can do several variations of colors just using those 4! I just like having a wide variety of colors, so I keep both on hand. 
• Piping bags or sandwich bags – I use sandwich bags at least half the time I decorate cookies. They often work just fine for me! However, if you’re wanting to put a lot of icing in one bag (i.e. especially if you’re not doing detail work and you’re only going to make a few colors), I’d recommend piping bags. They’re sturdier and hold up a lot better with gobs of icing. You can get them at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Walmart, and often times on the baking aisle of the grocery store. I’ve always just used the standard Wilton ones, but my cousin, who is a fantastic cookie decorator, recently recommended these to me, and I LOVE them. The texture and consistency of them makes decorating even easier. I probably won’t go back to other piping bags now! 
• Small bowls for mixing colors + damp paper towels to lay on top of the bowls – because the icing starts to develop a slight crust fairly quickly, you’ll want to cover your bowls with damp paper towels as you’re mixing your colors. This helps keep the icing from drying out too much.
• Sprinkles! I used a few different kinds of sprinkles on the cookies you see in these photos – the variety is so fun! 

Ok, let’s get started!

How to decorate with royal icing:

Color the frosting with gel food coloring.

Make sure to reserve some white icing (if you want to also use white to decorate your cookies), and then add some icing into separate small bowls for coloring.

Add drops of food coloring to each bowl – starting with just a drop or two and adding more as you go. Stir between adding more drops, and just keep adding and stirring until you’ve reached the desired color. (A little goes a long way, so be sure to start small!)

You may have some air bubbles in the icing after mixing it, but most, if not all of them, should work themselves out after you put them in the piping bags/sandwich bags for decorating. 

TIP: this icing starts to set pretty quickly, so if you’re making several colors (and therefore taking several minutes to make all of your colors), you’ll want to put a damp paper towel over each bowl so that the icing doesn’t develop too much of a film on top before you get around to adding it to a piping bag, sandwich bag, or squeeze bottle.

Have fun making different colors!

Use piping bags or sandwich bags. 

I actually used sandwich bags (yep, just regular ‘ole Ziplock baggies!) to decorate all of these cookies in the photos, so you really don’t have to get fancy with your decorating pieces. I simply trimmed the tips of the baggies after adding some colored icing to them, and then piped the icing onto the cookies – I didn’t even bother using any metal piping tips. I literally just piped straight out of the baggie. 

That being said, you can definitely use piping bags if you prefer, and you could also use squeeze bottles. I’d only use squeeze bottles if you plan to make just a few colors, simply because I don’t think squeeze bottles would be worth your time or effort if you were going to have a large assortment of colors. I also think you’ll have a little more control over the flow of the icing if you use a bag (either a piping bag or sandwich bag). 

Pro tips:

• For intricate designs (i.e. designs with lots of skinnier lines, lots of colors on one cookie, lots of details), you’ll want to pay close attention to the size of the hole you cut out of the piping bag/sandwich bag. 
• The best way to figure out the size of the hole is just to START SMALL. If it comes out too slowly on your first attempt, cut it a little larger. You can always make it bigger if you need to!

Pipe the edges & then fill in with more icing

Outline the edges of the cookies…

Then fill it in with more icing…

And then use the tip of your icing bag to fill in the gaps. You can squeeze out more icing to fill in the gaps, too – I like to do both. I try not to make the icing layer TOO thick, just so they will actually dry overnight. 

Pro tip: if the icing is just TOO thick to flood, empty the piping bag and mix the icing with just a couple drops of water. Stir, and you should be good to go!

Then add sprinkles after you ice it. Even though it does take a while for the icing to fully dry, it starts to set quickly, so I like to add sprinkles after icing each cookie, just to ensure they stick. 

Different Ways to Decorate with Royal Icing

Pipe & Fill vs. Drizzle Decorating

The two basic ways you can decorate your cookies are to pipe & fill (i.e. outline the edges + fill in with icing) or just do a quick drizzle. Then, add fun sprinkles!

Here’s a simple pipe & fill look:

And here’s a drizzle look:

Both are lovely! The benefit of doing the drizzled look is that your icing will dry quite a bit faster (and it’s probably the easiest way to decorate!), but the benefit of the filled-in look is that you get a higher icing to cookie ratio, which makes for a more decadent bite. Your choice!

Alternating sprinkles

If you want some of your icing to have sprinkles & leave some of the icing without, then ice the part you want with sprinkles first, add the sprinkles…

And then pipe with the other color(s). 

Multicolored flooding

You can get a little fancy without getting too technical here. Let me show you how to easily get that multicolored look on the bottom tree…

Outline & drizzle with the first color, while leaving some gaps for the other color…

Then immediately flood icing with the second color, using your piping bag tip to blend the two together a bit. 

Add sprinkles if you want!

Decorate with layers

If you want to layer some of your icing (where you have detailed icing on top of the main icing layer) like these…

Then you’ll want to pipe/flood the bottom layer first & let it sit for at least 30 minutes to give the surface of the icing some time to set…

And then you can start to add your detail. 

The bottom layer of icing will still be very wet, so try not to allow your piping bag to touch it, but the icing on top shouldn’t mess with it. 

If your flooded bottom layer is particularly thick, you might want to give it more time to set before you do this, but I usually find that waiting about 30 minutes is fine. (You can also give it a lot more time than just 30 minutes if you need to leave & come back to it later, I just wouldn’t try to pipe detail on top before allowing the bottom layer to set for at least 30 min.)

Allow cookies to dry overnight before stacking

The drying process is going to be the longest part. Unless you decorate your cookies first thing in the morning, I would allow them to sit out overnight before you try to stack/package/store them. Unless you JUST do a drizzle on all of your cookies (vs. a pipe + flood), it’s best to let them sit out for about 12 hours to fully harden. 

Give them a little tap on top the next morning just to ensure they’ve fully hardened. If they’re not 100% set, they should be pretty darn close! 

Then, you can stack them with no problems!

Questions about decorating with royal icing:

How long does it take for royal icing to dry on cookies?

If you’re going to do a bottom layer (i.e. if you’re going to flood the cookie to have a background), then it’ll dry enough within 30-60 minutes that you can start adding some icing details on top. However, for cookies to fully dry before transporting them/packing them, you’ll want to allow them to dry overnight on a baking sheet (in a single layer – not stacked). 

If you ice them first thing in the morning, there’s a good chance your cookies will be completely dry and stackable by the evening. Do some taps on an iced cookie to test the hardness of the icing before stacking or packing!

Will the cookies dry out if I leave them out overnight? 

Nope! They’ll be just fine. I always leave mine to dry – uncovered – overnight. Then in the morning, I transfer them to an airtight container. Before you store them, though, be sure to give some of the iced cookies a little tap to ensure your icing has completely set. 

What are the best piping bags for royal icing?

You’ll manage just fine with the Wilton piping bags you can find at craft stores or Walmart, BUT, I think the absolute best piping bags for royal icing are these really flexible ones you can find on Amazon. My cousin – who is a master cookie decorator! – introduced them to me and I absolutely love them! I actually use them with both royal icing and buttercream – they’re strong enough to prevent rips and tears down the seam, but they’re also really flexible, which makes them very easy to work with! 

Another thing about those bags: these are “tipless” bags, which means you can cut the tip however thin (or thick) you want it. Completely customizable to whatever you need, and that’s huge! (That being said, you can still use metal or plastic icing tips with these bags if you want to, but they’re not necessary! You can pipe beautifully without them!)

And, just one more note: icing consistency makes ALL the difference before you start adding it to the piping bags, so just make sure you read the post above where I talk all about how to ensure you’ve got the perfect consistency!

What is the best food coloring for royal icing?

GEL FOOD COLORING! Wilton (likely the brand that your grocery store carries) is completely fine. That’s what I always use! I really would stay away from using liquid – it’ll affect the consistency of the icing and the colors won’t be as bold. I always have a 4-pack of the basic colors (red, yellow, blue, green), but I also like to have a 4-pack of the “off” colors – (pink, purple, turquoise, and orange), just for variety. 

How long do these cookies last? 

They’re best to eat within the first 3 days, but as long as they’re stored in an airtight container, they should be tasty for about 5 days. The cookies will start to lose some moisture after that. If you need them to last longer than 5 days, I’d consider freezing them soon after making them. (However, if you individually package them, they should last longer.)

Can you freeze cookies with royal icing?

YES! I did a test run in my freezer, and mine came out beautifully – even after a couple of months in my freezer! Royal icing (already on decorated cookies) freezes much better than any other icing I’ve tried. 

How do you freeze decorated cookies?

First, make sure the iced cookies are completely dry. Then, begin placing cookies in a single layer on the bottom of a large airtight container. Place a sheet of wax paper on top, add another layer of cookies, and repeat until you run out of room. To thaw, remove container from freezer and set on counter to come up to room temperature – you’ll want to make sure to take them out of the freezer at least a few hours ahead of time so they can thaw naturally and gradually. From everything I’ve read, you should be able to freeze them for up to 3 months. I haven’t yet tried it for that long, but it seems like that’s the standard limit. 

How long can royal icing sit out?

It can sit out in an airtight container for up to a couple of weeks. (See above question!) No need to refrigerate. If you’ve added food coloring, the color will likely start to separate after a few days, but just re-stir and it’ll be fine. 

What should I do with leftover royal icing?

If you’re going to use it again soon (within a week or two), you can leave it out on your counter in an airtight container. If not, you can freeze it for up to 4-6 months. Just beware of color separation – you’ll want to bring the icing back to room temperature and then give it some good stirring before using it again.

How long does royal icing last in the fridge?

It’ll still be good to use after a week or two, but if you’re going to use it within that time frame, I wouldn’t bother refrigerating it – I’d leave it out at room temperature. If not, I’d freeze it instead. In other words, I don’t know that I’d ever even put it in the fridge!

How do you freeze royal icing?

If you haven’t yet added food coloring, then store it the same way I suggested above – in an airtight container, but with a piece of plastic wrap laid directly on top of the icing and then the lid on the container – and then put it in the freezer. For icing with color & in piping bags – tie off the top of the bags. Push the icing away from the tip (if you’ve already cut out the tip) and bend it, just to prevent icing from leaking out the bottom. Then, place the piping bags into a large gallon baggie and put it in your freezer. You can freeze up to 4-6 months. Allow to thaw to room temperature before using, and make sure to stir (or mix well in the bags with your hands) before using!

Sugar cookie recipes you might like:

• The BEST cut-out sugar cookie recipe – these cookies are delish!! They’re not too hard, not too flour-y, and just overall have a great flavor and texture. They’re a great option if you want to make cutout cookies.
• Soft & chewy sugar cookie recipe – for soft, round, super chewy sugar cookies! (These are our FAVE.) This isn’t the best recipe to use for cut-outs because they’ll puff up too much, but if you’re content with just a classic round sugar cookie, this recipe is out of this WORLD. 

• No-Chill Pumpkin Spice Cut-Out Cookies – for a fun, seasonal alternative to regular sugar cookies. These are SUPER soft, very flavorful, and soooo tasty! 

Be sure to check out my full royal icing recipe post for all the details! Have so much fun cookie decorating!!