This simple eggless royal icing recipe works just as well as the kind with egg whites. It's even easier and much cheaper to make too! Use to decorate cookies and cakes.
A simple vegan royal icing recipe made without egg whites. Instead, using the water from a can of chickpeas (yes! trust me, this works).
Use this icing for covering fruit cakes, wedding cakes, gingerbread houses, writing icing etc etc.
How to make royal icing without egg whites
This vegan royal icing is even easier and cheaper than the kind with egg whites!
Ingredients
So if you haven't already heard of aquafaba, it is simply just the liquid you find in a tin of chickpeas, or other tinned legume. Yep, that water that is normally discarded!
This viscous water is able to trap a lot of air which is the perfect for making meringues, mayonnaise and royal icing.
The only other ingredient needed is powdered sugar. Also known as confectioner's sugar, this is just very very fine sugar that won't weigh down the mixture.
An optional ingredient that I recommend is glycerine. This prevents your icing from drying out and setting too hard.
Instructions
Much like making a meringue, it starts with just the aquafaba (egg white substitute) and getting as much air into it as possible.
Then slowly adding in the sugar, until you get a thick icing.
Flavouring & Colouring
If adding colouring and flavouring, be careful about how much. Preferably use just a tiny amount of paste, where possible.
If you want to add vanilla - opt for vanilla paste or use just ½ tsp at a time, to check the consistency.
Use this royal icing with:
Vegan Shortbread / Sugar Cookies
Leave a comment if you loved this recipe, give a rating and tag #WallflowerKitchen on instagram so I can share your creation on my stories!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Royal Icing
This vegan royal icing uses water from a can of chickpeas in place of egg whites, like magic! This batch makes enough to cover a 20cm cake or ice up to 24 biscuits.
Ingredients
- 135 ml / 41⁄2 fl oz (generous 1⁄2 cup) aquafaba
- 500g/1lb 2oz (4 cups) icing (confectioner’s) sugar, plus extra if needed
- 1 tsp vegetable glycerine, optional
Instructions
1. Put the aquafaba in a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric hand whisk or stand mixer until foamy. Sift in the icing sugar, a little at a time, and continue to mix for about 10 minutes, until the sugar is incorporated and the mixture is thick and glossy.
2. Add the glycerine and keep whisking until soft peaks are formed. It should now be a pipeable consistency. If you need to make it thicker, add more sugar.
3. Transfer to a piping bag and use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. You will need to whip the mixture again to loosen it up, before using.
Paayel says
Hello Ammie
Can i make the brine at home? By soaking the chickpeas at night and using the liquid next morning. Will it give same results. Cos buying a can every time to make icing does not make sense. Thanks!
Aimee says
Hi Paayel, someone posted about this in the Aquafaba facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/372343816286624/permalink/381094045411601/ I haven't tried it myself but apparently it works just as well as canned. Good luck :-)
Khyla says
I'm looking for a substitute royal icing recipe to decorate cookies. Do you know how well this holds up? With cookies decorated with standard royal icing, they can stay at room temp in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. I wonder how long these would last? Or would the icing soften back up?
Meagan says
We made cookies using this icing and it stayed hard and perfect for over a week. Unfortunately, the cookies were all eaten in that time so i can't say for how long exactly they would be good. We just kept ours in a cardboard to go box.
Laura says
I just made a frosting. Wow. Sadly, I think I over beat it, because it was really nice and fluffy but I beat in more sugar and it started losing volume. It became runny. So I think a tip might be once it reaches the fluffy point, stop. I guess that means you need to get the sugar in up front.
Vivian says
Thanks for your sharing. Can I skip the vegeyable glycerin if I do not have it? Any substitution? I need to make cookies with vegan icing harden enough to stay for long hours display at a event... Fortunate I found your sharing. Appreciate if I could have your thought s on this quest ion too.... Thanks you very much!
Laura says
I am not sure what kind of sugar you are using - confectioners (powdered) or a finely ground granulated sugar?
Liv says
Confectioners.
Renee Vance says
so when you say "icing sugar" you mean confectioners powdered sugar"
Easy Vegan Blog says
Wow! Really cool! Do you think that glicerine may be omitted or substituted with a more common ingredient?
Easy Vegan Blog says
Thank you :)