Vegan royal icing is made with aquafaba, confectioners sugar (icing sugar) and lemon juice. It is perfect for decorating cookies and cakes.
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Vegan royal icing is quite easy to whip up and has a variety of uses. It can be used to decorate cookies, glue gingerbread houses, spread onto muffins and make sugar decorations such as flowers.
This eggless royal icing can be flavoured as per your liking, I have used vanilla in this recipe, however, you could add a drop or two of mint, caramel, almond, citrus flavouring or just about anything you like.
I love using this vegan royal icing recipe to decorate my Gluten-free vegan Gingerbread Cookies, which are always gobbled down quick.
😋Why you’ll love this recipe
- Super easy to prepare
- Stores well at room temperature or in the refrigerator
- Can easily be coloured if desired
- Can be used on cookies, muffins or as gingerbread glue
- It's the best vegan cookie icing that hardens
✔️What You’ll Need
🥘 Ingredients Notes
Lemon is needed to help brighten the royal icing. I especially love keeping it white. It also adds some sourness. Lemon juice or water can be used to thin out this vegan royal icing.
Aquafaba (the magical juice of chickpeas) - it is easier to use the brine of canned chickpeas, by draining the brine into a cup. There are so many uses for aquafaba, I generally use it as an egg replacer in cakes Lemon Cake with Thyme, muffins Eggless chocolate chip muffins and meringues Vegan Meringues.
Leftover aquafaba can be stored in a container in the fridge for about a week.
Icing sugar, also known as confectioners sugar or powdered sugar. It is best to sift the icing sugar prior to use to ensure that there are no clumps.
Optional - vanilla essence for flavouring and food colouring to add a little colour. If using food colouring ensure it is vegan and divide your royal icing into batches according to the colours you require.
🔪 Step by step guide
Here's how to make vegan royal icing
Step 1 - In an electric mixing bowl, whisk aquafaba, lemon juice and optional vanilla essence until foam forms. I used my Kitchen Aid Artisan Mini Stand Mixer* using the whisk attachment*
Step 2 - Divide icing sugar (confectioners/powdered sugar) into two parts. Add the first part of the icing sugar to the aquafaba foam and whisk until all well blended into a paste. Add the second part of icing sugar into the paste and whisk until the mixture resembles white glue for approximately 7-8 minutes.
Step 3 - If desired, add food colouring to all or some of the batch by dividing it into batches. Use a piping bag to decorate cookies, muffins, etc. Store leftovers in a snap-lock bag in the fridge.
💭 Pro Tips and Variations
Lemon can be replaced with white vinegar. My preference is lemon as I find the taste is subtle.
For gluing gingerbread or flowers to cakes etcetera, keep the vegan royal icing thick. Don’t add any additional liquid to this eggless royal icing
To thicken just add in more confectioners sugar.
For making smooth icing cookies, you will want flood icing (thinner consistency) by adding either more lemon juice or water by small spoonfuls at a time. The consistency should be that of when applied it is runny but absorb back into itself once applied.
Aquafaba has been used at room and fridge temperature for this recipe. Both have worked fine.
❓FAQ
The dry time of vegan royal icing is dependant on how it is used. Is it a thick layer vs a thin layer. If it is used in small amounts like the photos within this post - it can take 30 minutes, if applied to an entire cookie (flood icing) this can take up to 8 hours.
💡Related Recipes
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Janelle x
📖 Recipe
Vegan Royal Icing
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice fresh
- ¼ cup Aquafaba juice from canned chick peas
- 700 g Icing sugar confectioners/powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 g Food colouring optional
Instructions
- In an electric mixing bowl, whisk aquafaba, lemon juice and vanilla until foam forms1 teaspoon Lemon juice, ¼ cup Aquafaba, ¼ teaspoon Vanilla
- Divide icing sugar (confectioners/powdered sug¼ar) into two parts700 g Icing sugar
- Add the first part of the icing sugar to the aquafaba foam and whisk until all well blended into a paste.
- Add second part of icing sugar into the paste and whisk until mixture resembles white glue for approximately 7-8 minutes. Adjust consistency by adding and whisking a small spoonful of lemon juice (or water).
- If desired, add food colouring to all or some of the batch. Use piping bag to decorate cookies, muffins, etc. Store in a snap lock bag in fridge
Video
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
Hilda
I couldn't believe this was true. this icing worked well on my cookies
Rachel
Does this "harden" like the egg-based stuff?
plantbasedfolk
Yes, it sure does
Pete
How long will this stay fresh if used to ice a fruitcake?
Janelle Hama
If the fruit cake is stored in the fridge, it should keep for several weeks. The longest I have stored it in my fridge (in a jar/bag) is a couple of months.