A simple icing recipe to make for decorating your favorite cut out sugar cookies.
When you are decorating sugar cookies there are a few options for what to ice them with. This easy 3-ingredient icing makes a thin vanilla glaze for sugar cookies. It adds a light layer of sweetness that lets the flavor of the cookie shine through. Simply whisk it together, tint with your favorite colors, and spread over cooled cookies.
I like to use this recipe because it doesn't take very much icing to decorate a cookie. When I'm making cookies, I want to taste the cookie and not just icing. With this simple recipe you get just that, a lightly sweet addition to your cookie.
Simple Ingredients
- Powdered Sugar - I recommend sifting the sugar to avoid lumps in the frosting.
- Vanilla Extract - If you want a white icing, be sure to use a clear vanilla extract.
- Milk - Tested with 2% or Whole milk.
- Food Dye - Optional. I like to use these natural food colors. For more vibrant colors, I recommend using gel food coloring.
Perfect for decorating sugar cookies
This icing makes the perfect addition to my Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies. It works well on Gingerbread Cookies too.
Recipe Tips
This cookie icing hardens after it sets. It is my go-to icing recipe when I'm decorating cookies with my kids.
- Cookies should be cooled to room temperature before decorating.
- I typically whisk this together in a mixing bowl. No need to pull out your stand mixer for this one.
- For best results, I recommend making the icing right before you decorate the cookies. Discard unused frosting.
- This recipe is very forgiving. Added too much milk? Just add more powdered sugar. Frosting starting to harden too quickly? Just add a splash or milk.
📖 Recipe
3 Ingredient Icing for Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 c. powdered sugar sifted
- ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract*
- 1-2 Tbsp. milk
- Food coloring optional
Instructions
- Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 Tbsp. milk. Add additional 1 Tbsp. of milk until desired consistency of icing is reached. Whisk until icing is smooth.
- Add food coloring as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
I hope you bake up some wonderful holiday memories this season!
Alaine
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becca l says
Hi, seems very simple to make. Quick question, how long does it take to set?
thx
Alaine says
It dries fairly quickly. I tend to make these at night and let them sit overnight. Great question, I will take note of the exact time next time I make this.
Izzy says
This is honestly the worst icing recipe I’ve ever tried. It was very easy to make, and I followed the instructions exactly as written, but unfortunately the taste was awful. I even tried tweaking it a little afterward to see if I could improve the flavor, but no matter what I changed, it still tasted the same. I really wanted to like this recipe, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.
Alaine says
I’m sorry this wasn’t for you! This recipe comes from a home economics teacher and dates back to before the 1980s. It makes a simple vanilla icing with a thin, glaze-like consistency. For a richer, buttery frosting, buttercream may be a better fit. If you can describe what tasted off, I’d be happy to help troubleshoot.