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.
Lynn says
Is it preferable to use the water from unsalted canned chick peas or is the regular salted peas ok?
Kam says
Excellent recipe! Well done for this. I had a few failures before this, can honestly say it has increased my confidence working with royal icing.
dani says
hi !
first, incredible and simple recipe. i was so intimidated by the thought and this is so simple — i’ve made it 4 times this week and at this point have been able to just make it by understanding the process.
my only question, do you know if this is storable?
i always end up with batches bigger than i need and i feel bad wasting.
no worries if not, you’ve already been such a help !
katie says
I made a batch of this at christmas, made way too much and have had it stored in the fridge since then with no issues! it’s in a glass bowl with cling film over it, ensuring the cling film is touching the top of the icing all the way around. just needs a whip each time I use it as it can separate in the fridge, but otherwise works exactly the same as it did the first time I made it!
Ali says
Aquafaba meringue makes excellent choc mousse. Just melt down some cooking chocolate, and stir it into the whipped aquafaba. You can add vanilla/choc chips/ nuts/even coffee. Put into little pots, store in the fridge and eat within 2 days.
Ruby O'Brien says
Hi. I made the icing for my Christmas cake leaving out the glycerine and it turned out great but a week or so after Christmas the icing is turning yellow ♀️ I want to use this recipe for a wedding cake later this year did I do something wrong . It still tastes good.
Allie says
Hi. I have to do an intricate pattern on a wedding cake and it must be gold. The cake will be covered in fondant. Should I keep the glycerine and will it harden sufficiently for painting in gold? If it can be painted, can I keep it overnight in the refrigerator overnight once painted?
Mike says
I read that this happens (the Royal icing turning Yellow).
Apparently you can stop that from happening by putting a layer of marzipan under the icing
Rowan says
That’s what the glycerine is for actually. So I’d recommend using it next time as it stops the icing from going yellow!
Gabrielle Naptali says
Hi, I want to use it on a wedding fruitcake over white marzipan. How long in advance can I ice it? How thick do I apply it & does it need to be kept in the fridge? It’s a 10″ stack of 3 X 9″ cakes in a cylinder. I’ve been asking all over & had no replies, but this blog seems to be what most people are recommending. Praying for answers! Thanks
Gabrielle Naptali says
I’ve not marzipan-ed it yet, & as my big fridge died they are currently in layers of foil in Tupperware cake boxes. Once it’s iced I don’t have a Tupperware tall enough.. need advice please. Thanks!
David G Young says
Thank you very much for this recipe.
Not only did it work perfectly as icing for a traditional British Christmas cake, it kept for absolutely ages afterwards.
This is definitely the recipe I’ll be using from now on.
Many thanks.