Make the most delicious sugar cooking icing with only two ingredients! This super simple recipe is made without corn syrup. You can make it as thick (think multi-colored decorating) or thin (think glaze) as you like!
If you like this recipe for your cookies, you’ll also love this lemon cream cheese frosting or chocolate icing recipe for your cakes.
The Easiest Icing Ever!
Many holidays call for sugar cookies in a variety of shapes and sizes. When you get that itch to roll out the dough, first start with this sugar cookie recipe. (It’s the best.) Once you have your cookies cooled, all you need is two – yes, two – ingredients to make delicious icing for your cookies.
You start with the simple ingredients of powdered sugar and milk. And, of course, make sure you have your sugar cookies baked and cooled.
How to Make Sugar Cookie Icing without Corn Syrup
- Mix: Combine the powdered sugar and milk by mixing with a fork until smooth. The powdered sugar will dissolve as you stir.
- Color: Add your favorite food coloring (optional) to create unique colors for your cookies.
- Pipe: Using an icing bag or even a sandwich bag, pipe the icing onto your cooled cookies. Use a knife to spread.
Icing Tips and Tricks
Make your icing thicker. If you want your icing to be thicker, add more powdered sugar and stir.
Make your icing more thin (like a glaze). Add more milk. Just a little bit goes a long way!
Make your icing right before you use it. This icing does start to dry out and harden, which is what makes it so great for cookies! That being said, if you make it too far ahead of time, it will start to harden and make it much harder to add to the cookies.
How to pipe without a piping bag. I use sandwich bags! Fill a sandwich bag with icing after adding the food coloring. Seal the sandwich bag. Snip the corner and pipe onto cookies.
Icing FAQs
Yes! If you use the exact recipe, the milk will evaporate and harden. It’s not super hard but creates a thick outer crust to allow you to stack your dried cookies.
Once the icing has hardened, I store them in a large rectangular food storage container with a layer of wax paper between each layer of cookies.
Yes, you can. However, the darker colors added to the icing will discolor after freezing. That’s why I recommend freezing your cookies without icing. Then add icing to the cookies once defrosted and ready to serve.
No. The cookies with icing are fine at room temperature stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Yes. Start with 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla and add more to taste.
I use 2% of whole milk with success. I would avoid using skim.
Watch How Easy It Is To Make This Icing
Easy Sugar Cookie Icing (2 Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Mix: Combine the powdered sugar and milk in a bowl by mixing with a fork until smooth. The powdered sugar will dissolve as you stir.
- Color: Add your favorite food coloring (optional) to create unique colors for your cookies.
- Pipe: Using an icing bag or even a sandwich bag, pipe the icing onto your cooled cookies. Use a knife to spread.
Notes
Nutrition
More Cookies Recipes to Try
- Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
- The Microwave Easy Way to Make Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- Grandma’s Brickle Cookies
- The Best Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
This post was updated with more details and pictures. The recipe remains the same.
Comments & Reviews
What do you use to make it chocolate
Hi Margaret, for a chocolate icing I would use this recipe. . The recipe above is only meant to be made as is.
Do you bake them again after you take it out from freezer (if I make and freeze ahead) or just leave it to thaw to room temperature? Would the icing or glaze crack?
Hi Laura, I bake them completely, let them cool and then freeze them. You do not need to bake them again after freezing. To un-freeze leave at room temperature. If you do add icing to the cookies before, they will freeze as well once the icing has dried. Darker colors will have a bit of discoloration. Personally, I usually freeze the baked cookies and then add the icing a day ahead or the day of serving them.
How long does it take to dry before you can stack? I’m looking for a fast drying decorating option. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Rose, it depends on the humidity. I typically can stack them within 30 minutes.
can I put lemon extract or vanilla for flavoring?
Absolutely! How much is up to you based on taste preference. I would start with just a little and up the vanilla (or other flavoring) if you find it needs more.
This has been my go to recipe for 2 years now. My family loves it, and this year I started trying different flavors added in. So far the vanilla is the winner in my home.
So glad you enjoy it!
Agree with James. Useless recipe. Followed it to the letter, even sifted the sugar first and it was runny, colorless and never dried on the cookie. Fortunately I only tried it on one!
Did you use regular sugar by any chance? You are supposed to use powdered sugar.
Awful, tried original recipe and tried less milk. Was always running. Absolutely crap
We have used this icing/glaze recipe in our family since my father baked Christmas sugar cookies when I was a boy.
Can’t wait to try this with my grand girl
Let me know how it turns out Robin! It’s the best icing!
Hi there!
I made your recipe last night during the cooking class I gave to 2 young girls. I divided the recipe in 4, meaning I only used 1/4 cup icing sugar and 1 tsp milk. Found I needed about another 1/4-1/2 tsp milk to be able to mix it. But then decided to add another half tsp of icing sugar because my biggest concern was if it would be stiff on the cookies and it did! Thank you!!