A recipe for Gingerbread House icing.
This recipe contains raw egg. We recommend that pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and the infirm do not consume raw egg. Learn more about egg safety from our article, How to Make Your Eggs Safe.
This recipe is fast fast fast. We made graham cracker houses and it was thick like glue. I actually assembled the houses with sugar melted in a small omlete pan. It works like hot glue if you would like to try it. Just put the sugar in a small flat pan. Heat on med-high until melted then turn down to warm. dip the grahams into the sugar and they stick and dry within seconds. This royal icing recipe works great for sticking the candy or decorations on.
Read MoreAs written, the recipe did not work for me. After 35 seconds of beating the egg whites into the icing sugar/cream of tartar mixture, the whole thing hardened to the point of actually breaking the hand mixer. Once I overcame the horror of this catastrophe, I deftly switched to a wooden spoon and my trusty bicep-tricep tag team to finish the job. I needed to add the juice of one fresh lemon to add enough moisture to be able to reach a decent consistency. Not a great recipe, but thanks for the new muscle training regimen.
Read More This recipe is fast fast fast. We made graham cracker houses and it was thick like glue. I actually assembled the houses with sugar melted in a small omlete pan. It works like hot glue if you would like to try it. Just put the sugar in a small flat pan. Heat on med-high until melted then turn down to warm. dip the grahams into the sugar and they stick and dry within seconds. This royal icing recipe works great for sticking the candy or decorations on.
Fantastic. I used 1 egg white, 1 cup confectioner's sugar and 1/4 tsp cream of tartar and the results were most excellent on sugar cookies. The cream of tartar is essential for a smooth icing . For all of you looking for the perfect royal icing, you've now found it!
I add 2 cups of confectioner sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice to make icing for my cupcakes and it was perfect. It is dry outside and soft inside which is a hit with kids.
Perfect! I doubled the recipe for our gingerbread house, and it could not have worked better. It set up well, and is VERY strong. I remember when I was a kid having such a hard time getting the house to stand up, or the roof to stay on, etc. No problems with this one! In fact, our house has a steep A-frame roof, and we covered the entire roof with overlapping Necco wafer shingles. They are HEAVY, and we put them on with the roof already in place. This icing held it all on with zero slippage. I was very impressed. It tastes awful, but we primarily just make our gingerbread house for decorative purposes, so this is not an issue for us.
Awesome, awesome, awesome! This works GREAT! I used this to ice gingerbread cookies. This will surely be my go-to recipe for decorative icing from now on. It dries very nice (dries hard so it doesn't get all messed up when you stack cookies on top of each other). And it was SO easy!!!!!
I was not looking forward to making this and have been putting it off! Needed the recipe for icing for Sugar Cube House Contest in my family. Thought I would get a head start so I would not get overwhelmed with it. EASY to make, thought it would be much harder. Just made it and put it in a zip lock baggie and cut the end off and used it to glue my "bricks" together! Started the outline and was very pleased with the results! Thank you for such a great recipe that makes it easy for us baking/cooking newbies!
tastes fine; has nice consistency; yiels one cup, however, not four, big difference.
I forgot to beat the eggs and just mixed them together. I whipped it extra long then it was just fine. We made candy train with it and it turned out perfect! I didn't have any problem with the icing at all. My husband was concerned it uses the raw eggs though.
As written, the recipe did not work for me. After 35 seconds of beating the egg whites into the icing sugar/cream of tartar mixture, the whole thing hardened to the point of actually breaking the hand mixer. Once I overcame the horror of this catastrophe, I deftly switched to a wooden spoon and my trusty bicep-tricep tag team to finish the job. I needed to add the juice of one fresh lemon to add enough moisture to be able to reach a decent consistency. Not a great recipe, but thanks for the new muscle training regimen.
Worked great! I added 1/4 tsp vanilla and 1/8 tsp almond extract for subtle flavoring - tasted great. 2 batches covered and decorated 30 large cookies with a little left over.
Easy to make and the kids found it easy to use! It dried well and held their creations together (we used it for gingerbread men).
This frosting is perfect to decorate sugar cookies! The trick is to beat the heck out of those egg whites! I had to dump out my first batch since it was too runny from not beating the eggs long enough.
Great Recipe for a perfect Royal Icing!!! It dried nice and hard--I made a crown out of the icing... make a pattern- Tape it onto a coffee can, tape wax paper on top of that, then trace the pattern on the wax paper with this royal icing, let dry--repeat 2 more times, then let dry overnight. Carefully remove the waxpaper from can and peel off of the icing VOILA!!! Will be a great topper on a cake!!! Thanks a lot Veronica!!
Great icing, great taste. Just remember to beat the eggs first, you'll probably be beating them for 5 minutes. Then beat the sugar into the eggs a little at a time.
Goes very well with gingerbread cookies... made half a batch (32 servings) and that was enough for a full batch of cookies... but we didn't cover the whole cookie. Also, we didn't sift the sugar (sifter was still wet from cleaning after use for our cookies). Great recipe!
We just made and decorated 8 gingerbread houses using this icing. I made two triple batches, and it turned out perfect both times. I let the icing harden overnight before we added decorations to the houses the next day (using this same recipe to glue them on). This is definitely the best recipe for when you need icing "glue".
Perfect royal icing recipe. Incredible glue, and dried nicely. Not yummy, but that's not what royal icing is for.
This icing worked out perfectly. I used it to decorate the arms, eyes, nose and mouth on my melting snowmen. I will definitely use this again!
Add a little lemon juice and you will have a wonderful frosting. Be prepared to frost quickly as this frosting sets right away.
I am sooo happy with how this icing turned out...it was perfect! The gingerbread house was VERY easy to put together, much easier than past years. No slipping and the icing dried super fast. I thought I would have to make a different icing for the kids to use on the cookies they were going to decorate and eat because another reviewer said this icing tasted bad, but I changed my mind after a taste test...it tastes great too! I will be using this icing year after year. Oh and I tripled the recipe, 6 eggs, 3/4 tsp cream of tarter and 9 cups of sugar. It was plenty for the house and all the cookies.
I'll use this recipe again and again! Used it to make pacifiers out of lifesavers & dots. A little candy for a baby shower. I did use a tad of pure lemon extract to add a bit of a different taste to the assembled candy. Also when using the egg whites, I made sure to use them at room temp.
Used this to ice sugar cookies. A bright white color. Has a thick consistency, which was nice because it stayed put and didn't run off the sides but stayed spreadable for a long time, long enough to ice several dozen cookies without rushing. Very fast recipe!
Good and stiff!
My second attempt on this recipe was far more successful than the first one... I've learned my lessons. I piped roses of pink royal icing directly on chocolate cupcakes, which made a nice contrasting colors. Love it this time!
This recipe works great. I don't have much experience decorating cookies, but this worked perfectly. My only thing is that it sounds like it would make a lot, but it goes really fast, so I would suggest making a double-batch. We used this for gingerbread houses and it works great. Amazingly, the kids actually thought it tastes great!
Great easy recipe, placed in piping bags for the kids and they had a blast! You can substitute the egg whites for meringue powder, add 4 tsp of meringue powder and 4 TBS of water
I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out as perfect as promised! It was just what I needed for our Christmas cookies. It dried within an hour of frosting them, and held on to all our sprinkles and stars! I added a little vanilla extract and lemon extract- very sweet!
I'm happy with this recipe. It was stiff and setting up before I finished decorating my cookies making it hard to pipe. I warmed it up in the microwave for a few seconds and it was better to work with than when I first made it.
Thank-you Veronica for a great icing for gingerbread houses! I am sooo glad you submitted this to All-Recipes...it made it so easy to find! It is super-easy and works great!
The only decent royal icing recipe I have ever found has egg whites & cream of tartar. The rest, not so good.
I absolutely hate baking or anything to do with it-but had to make gingerbread house for daughter-This icing was SO easy and foolproof!
I was looking more for an icing to decorate the gingerbread houses with and this one was too thick for that. I thinned it out by adding another egg white but also a little more powdered sugar because just adding an egg white makes it's too runny. I played around with the ratio and found one that works for me but this was a good guide. If you are looking for the actual glue for the gingerbread houses, I think the way this is written would work great.
I followed the recipe exactly as shown and was pleased with the result. The icing was relatively easy to apply with a small icing tip, and it became easier as the icing bag warmed up in my hands. It's got a mild papery taste, so it's better used as glue or as a piping decoration on stronger flavored cookies like gingerbread, rather than used like cake frosting.
Made as instructed, except that I halved it because it was just my daughter making one small house. I used powdered sugar, if that makes a difference. I added several drops of thick food coloring GEL, and it did not affect the consistency whatsoever. This held up very well, and dried in about an hour, so that she could start decorating. Great recipe, thanks!
This was perfect for piping onto my gingerbread cookies and tastes great. I even use this recipe for decorating my cakes because it is so easy to make and use.
The Best !!! This was first time making royal icing and this recipe is the bomb. I had the ingredients on hand so that it a huge plus! It set up well and was easy to work with. I am so glad I tried it! I made two batches and the 2nd came out as well as the first. It is an idiot proof recipe .:) Thank you!
Easy and tasty. I think I'll mix it by hand next time though. I may have broken my electric mixer this time. It gets pretty stiff pretty quick. Great recipe though.
just made 4 double batches of this recipe for German club gingerbread house decorating contest. Nice and thick, and doesn't taste too bad when you add the juice of 1/2 a lime to each batch. Thanks for the recipe.
Having worked in Gingerbread construction for many years I would say this is the standard 'Royal icing' recipe. To cement walls and roof tiles you want a firm icing. To create 'snow drifts' you'll want something softer. Think about where you're going to use the icing before you add all the sugar. It will be a little thick for piping with a small tip if you add all the sugar.
I used this to elaborately decorate snowflake-shaped cookies for Christmas. The icing held its form beautifully and tasted fantastic with the buttery sugar cookies!
Thanks for the great recipe. It worked very well for decorating my gingerbread men. I was glad to find a recipe that didn't need powdered egg white.
Perfect. Easy to make and dried beautifully. Although I suggest adding 1/2 tsp. clear vanilla.
I used these when decorating gingerbread cookies. Not only did it hold the candy on the cookies but it tasted wonderful. I plan to attempt a gingerbread house with it in the future.
perfect for cookie decorating/gingerbread men! I added a little vanilla extract.
This was simple to make, but it was hard to work with and the flavor was kind of strange.
I used this on gingerbread men. I divided and made seperate colors and some just with the white outlining. I added vanilla as one reviewer suggested. I mixed the cream of tartar and egg white together than slowing added confectioner sugar to my desired consistancy. I will use this recipe again.
Great icing, I used for piping as the recipe goes but then dilluted with water to flood the cookie. Dried smooth, hard and sweet, I added vanilla for extra flavor and this did nothing to the color or texture. It was a good frosting for adding color to as it is easy to blend, be sure to let dry Completely before stacking or icing over with another color! Great for my needs! Would get 5 stars however the recipe as it stands I think needs a flavoring like vanilla, orange or something for added taste.
Awesome recipe! Worked Fantastic! I just added a 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract just for some flavor as I was using this for sugar cookies, and it worked great. I tinted the icing too and had no problems. I even doubles it and had no issues it still came out great. I wanted the consisentcy slightly thinner for 1 batch and just added a little bit, like 1 tsp of water and it was perfecto! Thanks for sharing!
I have no experience with icing, but I can HIGHLY recommend this recipe now. It is soooo easy to make, and can easily make more on the spot when I ran out. I chose this recipe because it didn't use carn syrup, and didn't require heating on the stove.
12-2011. This royal icing recipe has been the best I've tried over the years. Each Christmas, the kids decorate a gingerbread house, but the tricky part has been making the walls stick to each other. This icing is really thick and gooey, and the walls went up easily!
Fantastic! Best recipe I have ever used, we built a sugar cube igloo and it cemented it together perfectly.
Just made this on my gingerbread valendine cookies. OMG! Perfect! and so easy. Thank you
made this to use with gingerbread cookies. Icing set way to fast & was pretty difficult to work with. The cookies weren't great either (McCormick). Unusual for Allrecipes.com anyway, useing less sugar may make the icing a little more easier to work with.
This recipe worked fantastic for decorating gingerbread houses. The consistency was perfect for a frosting bag, after carefully measuring each ingredient. I'm sure it would also work fabulous for a gingerbread house - as it was a nice thick frosting. Thanks for sharing!
This recipe was exactly what I was looking for. It makes the perfect royal icing for gingerbread men, and I plan on using it as the glue for a gingerbread house this Christmas.
Perfect for cookies!! Added a touch of vanilla (for sugar cookies) and it was amazing.
An easy enough recipe that my 9 year old daughter and her friend were able to make on their own. The icing worked like cement on their gingerbread house. It held the sides and the roof beautifully - even with all the candies on it. It is a great recipe to work with.
I personally hate the taste of this - it's just what I would imagine super sweet gluey icing to taste like. However, it holds amazingly well and dries super quick. I would never eat this frosting, but I *might* decorate with it.
Perfect! Just made a gingerbread house from scratch and used this recipe exactly (made no changes). It came out nice and thick, but still manageable. We propped up the house with can goods to help it set, but started decorating immediately. After about 10 minutes we didn't need the cans anymore. It even tasted good! This will be my permanent royal icing recipe.
Awesome recipe. I do have a few tips on decorating. I found this most helpful in making a snowflake design on a sugar cookie. Take a mixture of warm water and confectioners sugar to make a clear glaze. Take a small paintbrush and coat the cookie, giving it a shiny appearance. After you pipe the design on the cookie, again use the warm mixture with the paintbrush to smooth out the lines. Then add the edible glitter. They are simply gorgeous.
It dried quik, and was beutifull. I used it over a glaze on my sugar cookies.
This was VERY easy to make! To be able to pipe it on cookies, I had to use 3 beaten egg whites instead of 2 to get a looser consistency.
We just finished making graham cracker "gingerbread-style" houses with the kids. This recipe worked great. I mixed the cream of tartar and powdered sugar in a bowl first and then added the lightly mixed egg whites. After mixing the ingredients with a spoon (so I wouldn't have powdered sugar all over my kitchen), I mixed with an electric hand mixer for about 5-7 minutes. I definitely didn't end up with four cups worth, but the consistency was good without any additions. We didn't have any vanilla extract, so I omitted it. I made one batch as directed and then mixed another 1/3 batch. We had enough for all three houses, one of which was a four-story condo. :) I will definitely use this recipe again next year.
I just got done making this Icing.. It was easy and quick... Not sure if it is the egg whites or the confectioners sugar, that gives off that taste... kids don't like it at all. Very unhappy with this.. going to use the method for Italian cookie icing instead!
This sets up great. Suggestions: Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites instead of adding it to the sugar. Cream of Tartar is used to help "stabilize" or stiffen the egg whites. Note: I modified the recipe a tad by using 1/2 tsp. of cream of tartar (1/4 tsp. in conf. sugar and 1/4 tsp in egg whites). Use a quart size zip lock bag to pipe onto the cookies, and try adding 1 tsp. of vanilla extract to bring up the flavor a little bit.
This is a decent icing. I was a little worried at first because it seemed very runny, but it harden really well. We colored it and used it to ice cookies. Everything was okay until we actually ate the cookies. The icing tasted like wet powdered sugar in a non-desirable way. I'm sorry to say that we will not be using this recipe again
Not the best icing recipe for fine piping tips! Got stiff way too quickly!! Would advise to keep looking for a better recipe!
I think with a few tweaks this recipe can be very versatile. For gingerbread house icing, add another egg and another 1/2 tsp cream of tartar and mix for 7-8 minutes(non-stop). Time based on use of a Kitchenaid stand mixer wisk attachment speed 4 then 6 when all incorporated. Frosting is ready when firm peaks form and is back to White color. This will make very workable frosting that is quite hard when dry. If you want more firm, add another tbsp or 2 of confectioners sugar. For the issue of smell and flavor, add 1/2tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp almond extract. Adjust to taste, but my family loves it. For cookie frosting, spread thin. this will be thick, butmakes very stackable cookies that hold decorations well.. For an easier to use cookie icing, use my same recommended ingredients above, but only beat 4-5 minutes as instructed above. Cookie icing will be a bit thinner and spread more evenly. If too thick, add 1/2 tsp water at a time to desired consistency. be careful to not use too much water. This colors well for lots of variety.
This is an excellent, easy Royal Icing recipe. It mixes up within 5 minutes and hardens quickly. A downside to royal icing is that it typically does not taste very good. That isn't the 'fault' of this recipe but a trait of royal icing.
It was great on dark chocolate cupcakes and I added a couple of drops of vanilla to mine. This is exactly what I needed. It made the journey in the car to Mom's house better than a softer frosting would have.
This recipe was too runny as is, I had to add a lot more sugar just to get it to a semi-usuable consistency. This recipe may be okay for a cookie or children's gingerbread house, but definitely not good for a cake or for a baked item where you need royal icing for more intricate designs and decorations (the icing is not a good enough consistency to dry properly for that). It is a simple recipe, just be sure you know what type of project/icing consistency you will need this for... for me it wasn't a faster route, it actually set me back time wise.
I made the Children's Gingerbread House recipe from this site, then used this recipe for icing since I had cream of tartar (magic stuff) and I know it really helps the icing harden. I made it just as listed but did this one change: mixed it until it got combined and a bit stiff, then since it didn't seem strong enough, added about 1/2 cup extra powdered sugar with a sifter a little at a time until it got pretty hard to mix. You can tell when it's done cause your shoulder hurts a bit, but should be nowhere near "beater-breaking". :) This recipe made enough to ice a small gingerbread house (using Wilton house cutters) with all the trimmings (men, trees, etc.). (If you had a large house I would bump up to 95 servings or so for 3 egg whites and more sugar.) It held like a dream! I probably didn't even need to prop up the roof (though I did out of habit and I recommend this practice). I do use toothpicks to prop up the other stuff. Hint: put icing under the toothpicks. Basically, just put icing on the "ground" wherever you need it, then just use a sifter or sieve to scatter powdered sugar snow over everything to hide it.
Great Royal Icing recipe, but the proportions are off - I would say this only makes 2 cups of icing (also, not sure where the 64 servings came from).
This is an essy recipe. I needed about 3 batches for our ginger bread house though. But it dried great and is holding well.
I don't know what I did wrong - measured carefully - but I found this too thick to pipe onto gingerbread cookies. Added an egg white and it turned out just fine.
This was perfect for making gingerbread houses! It was easy to make and held everything in place. I added color to some of it and it still turned out great. It tasted fine, but next time I will probably use the suggestion of other reviewers and add a little bit of vanilla. I think that would make it taste amazing.
I cut this down to 16 servings and used powdered egg whites. Came out great and more than enough to decoarate a dozen gingerbread cookies.
Works wonderfully! It can be thinned out a little with water to paint cookies with, too. Taste isn't great, but royal icing isn't necessarily for tasting...
worked perfectly for me--had plenty to do a house, maybe even two houses! I scooped it right into a quart-size zipper bag & snipped a corner to apply the icing.
wow. My 8 year old purchased a gigerbread house kit and the icing was not cutting it. This saved the day. Thank You
