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A festive pile of colorful royal icing Christmas cookies, including tree and star shapes, decorated with vibrant sprinkles on a white plate.

Classic Royal Icing Christmas Cookies

Crisp, tender sugar cookies topped with smooth, quick-drying royal icing. These colorful holiday treats are perfect for decorating, gifting, and celebrating the festive season.
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Course: Dessert, Holiday Treat
Cuisine: American
Calories: 190
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4–1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons meringue powder
  • 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
  • 4.5–5 tablespoons room temperature water (plus more as needed)
  • 1 pinch salt (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (for icing, optional)
  • gel food coloring (optional)
  • sprinkles or edible glitter (optional)

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowls
  • stand or handheld mixer
  • Rolling Pin
  • Cookie Cutters Holiday shapes
  • Baking sheets
  • parchment paper or silicone mats
  • wire cooling racks
  • piping bags or bottles With tips like Wilton #4
  • Sifter For confectioners’ sugar

Method
 

  1. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. Beat butter and sugar on high speed until smooth and creamy (about 3 minutes).
  3. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using). Beat until fully combined.
  4. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet. Mix on low until combined. If sticky, add 1 tbsp flour.
  5. Divide dough in half. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness on parchment. Stack and chill 1–2 hours.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
  7. Cut cookies into shapes. Re-roll scraps as needed. Place 3 inches apart on sheets.
  8. Bake for 11–12 minutes until edges are golden. Cool 5 minutes on tray, then transfer to rack.
  9. Sift confectioners’ sugar. Mix with meringue powder in a bowl.
  10. Add vanilla, corn syrup, and 4.5 tbsp water. Stir, then whisk until smooth. Add water as needed to get piping consistency.
  11. Divide icing for coloring. Add gel food coloring a drop at a time until desired color is reached.
  12. Thin some icing slightly for flooding. Stir in drops of water until it flows smoothly but slowly settles.
  13. Pipe outlines on cookies with piping-consistency icing. Let set briefly.
  14. Fill inside outlines with flood icing. Use toothpick or brush to spread and pop air bubbles.
  15. Add sprinkles immediately or wait until icing dries for details. Let cookies dry uncovered for 12–24 hours.

Notes

Use gel food coloring to avoid thinning icing. Meringue powder is safer than raw egg whites and helps icing harden. Chill dough before baking to prevent spreading. Let icing dry uncovered for 12–24 hours for best results.