How to Make Glaze Icing, Quickly and Easily!

If you need a quick and easy icing for cookies, cakes, donuts, or other baked treats, this simple glaze icing is a great recipe to have on hand. Made with just powdered sugar and water, it comes together in minutes and can easily be customized with your favorite flavor and color.

How to Make Glaze Icing

If you need a quick and easy icing for cookies, cakes, donuts, or other baked treats, this simple glaze icing is a great recipe to have on hand. It takes just a few ingredients and comes together in minutes. Plus, you can easily change the flavor, color, and consistency to suit whatever you’re making.

This powdered sugar glaze is especially handy when you want an icing that looks pretty without the fuss of a complicated frosting. Add vanilla extract for a classic flavor, almond extract for something a little more bakery-style, or lemon extract for a fresh citrus flavor. You can even add food coloring to create just about any color you need.

Concentrated gel colors work best. Start with a drop and add more as needed. White food coloring will make the colors more opaque. Without white coloring, the colors will be more translucent (think glaze icing on a donut).

Elevate the flavor and color of you’re desserts

Add a splash of vanilla, almond, lemon, or another favorite extract, then tint it with food coloring for the exact look you want.

For a smooth, shinier glaze that sets beautifully and has a slightly softer chew to it, you can also add a little corn syrup.

Best of all, you can make it as thick or thin as you need, making this an easy go-to icing for decorating just about anything.

Soft pink is one of my favorite colors!

Why You’ll Love This Glaze Icing

There are plenty of reasons to keep this simple glaze recipe in your recipe box.

It’s easy. You only need a few basic ingredients.

It’s quick. The glaze can be mixed together in just a few minutes.

It’s customizable. Change the flavor, color, and thickness depending on what you’re making.

It’s versatile. Use it on cookies, brownies, donuts, muffins, scones, breads, cakes, and more.

It looks great. A simple glaze adds a pretty finished touch to baked goods without covering them completely.

Ingredients

Powdered Sugar

Powdered sugar is the base of this glaze. Because it is finely ground, it dissolves easily and creates a smooth icing.

Water

A small amount of water thins the powdered sugar to create the glaze. Add it gradually because it is much easier to thin the icing than to thicken it again.

Flavoring

Vanilla extract is my go-to for a simple glaze, but there are plenty of other fun options.

• Orange extract great for holiday cookies and chocolate desserts.
• Peppermint extract makes a fun Christmas glaze
• Coconut extract for that yummy comfort flavor

When selecting flavors use good quality flavors, some cheap versions taste like medicine 🙁

Food Coloring

Food coloring is completely optional, but it’s an easy way to make this glaze fit the occasion. Use a few drops for a soft color or add more until you get the shade you want.

Corn Syrup

Corn syrup is optional, but adding a small amount can give the glaze a smoother, shinier finish. It can also help the icing set with a nice appearance.

How to Make Glaze Icing

First, add the powdered sugar to a bowl.

Next, add a small amount of water and stir until smooth. Start with less liquid than you think you need. You can always add more.

Then, add your favorite extract and stir well.

If you’re making colored icing, add food coloring a little at a time until you reach the color you want.

For a shinier glaze, add a small amount of corn syrup and mix until incorporated.

Finally, check the consistency before using it. If the glaze is too thick, add a few drops of water. If it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.

I do prefer using metal bowls (as I can’t tell you how many ceramic bowls I slid off the counter while whisking the icing over the years)

How Thick Should Glaze Icing Be?

The consistency depends on what you’re making.

• For drizzling, you’ll want a thinner glaze that easily runs from a spoon or whisk.
• For dipping cookies or donuts, make the glaze a little thicker so it coats the surface without running off completely.
• For decorating or outlining, you’ll want a thicker icing that holds its shape.

The best part is that you can adjust it as you go. Add powdered sugar to thicken it or a tiny amount of water to thin it.

How to Flavor Glaze Icing

This is where you can have a little fun with the recipe. Mix in the extract, start with a small amount, mix well… taste it, then add more,

How to Color Glaze Icing

Once you have your glaze mixed, divide it into small bowls if you’re making several colors.

Add food coloring a drop at a time and stir well between additions. Remember that the color can become more noticeable as it sits, so it’s better to start with a small amount.

For pastel colors, use just a tiny amount of food coloring. Dip a toothpick into the color then add it to the icing and mix it well and let it sit, colors deepen as time passes.

For brighter colors, continue adding food coloring until you get the shade you’re looking for.

For dark colors like red and black, mix it the day before, place plastic wrap directly over the icing, touching it so no air gets in, to make it hard and let it rest. The next day, mix it up, and the colors will be deeper.

Don’t add too much food coloring to start off, you don’t need to color everyone’s tongues like grocery store frosting.

Recipes I use Glaze Icing

• Banana Bread Cake with pancake mix
• Buttermilk Scones
• Glazed Almond Cookies
• Skillet Cake with Blackberry Glaze Icing
• Glazed Oreo Scones
• Maple Banana Walnut Cake
• Glazed Spritz Cookies
• Icing Sugar Cookies the easy way
• Chocolate glaze icing

How to Use Glaze Icing

There are so many ways to use this simple icing.

For cookies, you can spread the glaze with a small spatula, silicone brush, dip the tops directly into the icing, or drizzle it over the cookies or scones with a whisk a spoon.

For cakes and breads, let the baked good cool completely before adding the glaze. Otherwise, the icing can melt and disappear into the cake.

Tips for Making the Best Glaze

Add the liquid slowly. This is probably the most important tip. Powdered sugar can go from thick to too thin very quickly.

Sift the powdered sugar if needed. If your powdered sugar is lumpy, sifting it first will help you get a smoother glaze.

Taste before adding more flavoring. Extracts can be strong, especially almond and peppermint, so a little goes a long way.

Keep the glaze covered. Powdered sugar icing can begin to form a crust if it sits uncovered.

Adjust the consistency as needed. Don’t worry if your first mix isn’t perfect. A little more powdered sugar or a few drops of water will fix it.

Let your baked goods cool first. Glaze works best when it is applied to completely cooled baked goods.

Can I Make Glaze Icing Ahead of Time?

Yes. You can make the glaze ahead of time and keep it covered at room temperature for a short period.

Before using it, stir well. If it has thickened, add a few drops of water until it reaches the consistency you need.

If you’ve divided the icing into several colors, keep each bowl covered so the surface doesn’t dry out. Place plastic wrap touching the icing so it does not harden.

How Long Does Glaze Icing Take to Set?

The amount of time depends on how thick the glaze is and how much you apply. A thin drizzle will set faster than a thick coating.

For best results, allow glazed cookies or baked goods to sit uncovered until the surface feels dry before stacking or storing them. Don’t touch it with your finger, use a toothpick!

Can I use milk instead of water?

Do not use milk, it will give certain colors a white streak (trust me on this) plus you don’t want to use dairy and not refrigerate the. Most desserts we’ve discussed with glaze icing do not need refrigeration. For best results use water.

Can I use lemon juice?

Yes. Lemon juice is a great option when you want a lemon glaze. You can replace some or all of the water with lemon juice, depending on how strong you want the flavor.

Why is my glaze too thin?

Add more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the consistency you want. Mix well and allow the water to soak into and absorb the powdered sugar.

Why is my glaze too thick?

Add water a few drops at a time and stir well. A little liquid goes a long way. Fill a water bottle or spray bottle with water to add a drop at a time.

Can I make white glaze icing?

Absolutely. The basic recipe makes a naturally white glaze. For the whitest icing, use clear vanilla extract instead of regular vanilla, if desired. And add some white food coloring if you want it opaque and bright white.

Simple Glaze Icing

This is one of those recipes you’ll find yourself making again and again. Keep powdered sugar and your favorite extract on hand and you’ll always have a quick icing ready for cookies, cakes, muffins, and other treats.

It’s simple, versatile, and easy to customize. Plus, once you know how to adjust the consistency, you can make the glaze exactly how you need it for whatever you’re baking.