Easy No-Fail Royal Icing for Gingerbread Houses
This no-fail royal icing recipe is the secret to building sturdy, beautiful gingerbread houses that hold together perfectly. Made with just four simple ingredients, it sets up firm enough to hold heavy candy decorations and dries with a beautiful matte finish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: About 2 cups of icing 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 1/3 cup warm water, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Sift the powdered sugar into your large mixing bowl.
- Add the meringue powder to the sifted sugar and whisk them together briefly with a fork.
- Add the warm water and vanilla extract. Start with 1/3 cup of water.
- Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds to combine, then increase to medium speed and beat for 4-5 minutes until stiff peaks form.
- Check the consistency. For gingerbread houses, you want a stiff icing that holds its shape like toothpaste. If too thick, add water one teaspoon at a time. If too thin, add sifted powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time.
- Color your icing if desired by dividing into small bowls and adding gel food coloring a tiny bit at a time.
- Fill your piping bags with the icing and test the flow before decorating.
Notes
Keep a damp paper towel over the bowl of icing while piping to prevent crusting. For assembling gingerbread houses, use stiff icing to glue walls together and let dry for at least 30 minutes before adding the roof. Royal icing hates humidity – on humid days, it may take longer to set. This icing can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon (approx
- Calories: 60
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 5
- Carbohydrates: 15
- Protein: 0.5
Keywords: royal icing, gingerbread house icing, no-fail royal icing, holiday icing, gingerbread house glue, easy royal icing