Eggless Royal Icing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can I use instead of eggs in royal icing? ›

The most traditional way to make royal icing is with raw egg whites. Egg whites will create the most smooth, glossy finish on whatever you use the royal icing to decorate with. Royal icing made with meringue powder will have a more matte finish.

Anti-royal icing is an alternative to traditional royal icing. It does not contain egg white. And unlike classic royal icing, which hardens quickly and has a stiffer texture, anti-royal icing sets but remains a little lighter and fluffier, making it perfect for cakes, cupcakes, brownies and other pastries.

The risk is slight, but it is certainly possible for raw egg whites to contain food-borne pathogens, such as Salmonella. Fortunately, you can prepare royal icing using two different methods with little to no risk by using meringue powder or pasteurized egg whites.

Royal icing is made from confectioners sugar, water, egg white, and flavorings. This is the only icing that I use to decorate my cookies. The egg white is what allows it to dry hard, which is what makes royal icing so versatile.

Substitutes like vinegar and baking soda, plain yogurt or buttermilk can help keep cake light, airy and structurally sound. Replace each egg with 1 teaspoon of baking soda combined with 1 tablespoon of vinegar, ¼ cup of plain yogurt or ¼ cup of buttermilk.

The lemon juice whitens the royal icing. The royal icing should be light, fluffy, and slightly stiff. You may need to adjust the consistency by adding more egg whites if the icing is too dry or more powdered sugar if it is too wet.

There are three main types of royal icing: stiff consistency, piping consistency, and flood consistency. They are used for different decorating techniques, although sometimes you can use different consistencies to achieve the same result.

Royal icing is frosting that's made from confectioners' sugar, egg whites, and flavorings, and used in many ways to decorate cookies and cakes. The biggest difference between buttercream frosting and royal icing is texture-buttercream is creamy and soft; royal icing hardens to a candy-like texture.

Salmonella will not grow in the frosting, but bacteria present in the egg may still be alive. Although the risk is relatively low, it is best for immune-compromised people not to eat royal icing made using fresh egg whites. Dried egg whites are a safe option since they have been pasteurized.

Do you have to refrigerate royal icing made with egg whites? ›

If you're using pasteurized egg whites or fresh egg whites in your royal icing recipe, shelf life is generally lowered by about 50% for countertop, and 25% for fridge, and remains the same for freezer.

Royal icing is typically a raw preparation, with everything just mixed up in a bowl, but I've found it has a much creamier consistency if cooked over a water bath. Not only does this technique ensure the powdered sugar is fully dissolved, and therefore less gritty, it effectively pasteurizes the egg whites, too.

Meringue powder is often used as a substitute for fresh egg whites in recipes that aren't cooked and don't reach temperatures high enough to kill any potential bacteria in eggs.

Aquafaba is one of the most common replacements for egg whites, especially in baked goods, and it's also one of the few replacements that can also be used to create meringues, marshmallows, and foams.

Xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is a white powder that comes from the exoskeleton of bacteria. Add 1 tsp. per recipe to bind and add texture to egg-free cakes and cookies, as well as milk-free ice cream.