Easy Sugar Cookie Icing Without Corn Syrup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can you use instead of corn syrup for icing? ›

You can substitute an equal amount of honey for light corn syrup in many recipes. Like maple syrup, honey is not the best choice for making candies or caramel because it may crystallize. However, it is a good option for making frostings, baked goods, jams, and jellies. Be sure to opt for raw honey whenever possible.

If you've struggled with dull royal icing in the past, adding a small amount of corn syrup will help to keep the icing shiny (even when dry).

How Do You Make the Confectioners' Sugar Stick? After the cookies bake, roll each one in confectioners' sugar. The trick to the stick (ha!) is to roll them twice. Give the cookies their first coating when they are slightly warm.

Like powdered sugar, confectioners' sugar is made of finely ground granulated sugar. However, the key difference is the addition of cornstarch. Adding cornstarch to powdered sugar serves to prevent the sugar from caking up and getting clumpy over time.

If you have run out of icing sugar or can't find any to buy, you can make your own by whizzing granulated or caster sugar in a food processor, powerful blender, standard blender, coffee or spice grinder, or more laboriously, in a mortar and pestle.

Honey has a similar consistency as corn syrup, but it tends to be a bit sweeter. While it does make for a great swap in baked goods, it should not be used for candy making. Use a 1:1 swap for corn syrup, but do keep in mind that honey may impart a distinct flavor when using it as an alternative.

Sugar and Water

A modified simple syrup of four parts sugar to one-part warm water is an easy corn syrup swap in many recipes, including confections cooked to the soft-ball stage—think buttercreams, pralines and fudge.

Alternatives to corn syrup

The advantage corn syrup has is its neutral flavor, but it's not the only invert sugar you can use. Honey, maple syrup, and molasses can stand in for corn syrup, with slight adjustments up or down for their sweetness levels.

Frosting is the thickest of these confections and is ideal for spreading or piping on cakes, cupcakes and cookies. Icing is a little thinner than frosting and is often poured or piped over coffee cakes, pound cakes, doughnuts and cookies—and it usually hardens when it dries.

What type of frosting is best for cookie decorating? ›

Royal icing creates clean lines and takes on color to create a vibrant look. It also works for detailed piping and decorating, when you want to make a gingerbread house or small designs.

The starch added to most powdered sugar can make frosting taste slightly metallic. Here's how to fix that: Melt the butter and mix it with the powdered sugar, salt, and milk in a stainless steel bowl. Set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.

A: Bad tasting icing is very disappointing. It is likely caused by bad powdered sugar or vanilla extract. Not all powdered sugars are created equal. Make sure you use a good quality powdered or confectioners sugar that only contains cane sugar and corn starch.

Granulated sugar also helps tenderize batters and binds with water to keep baked goods moist. Powdered sugar in cookie dough will give you chewier cookies (if there's egg in the recipe).

The answer is YES! To make homemade powdered sugar, you'll need two ingredients: granulated sugar and cornstarch. The magic ratio is 1 cup granulated sugar to 1 tablespoon cornstarch.

Use flour for cooked frostings.

If you are making warm frosting on your stovetop, you can try thickening a runny frosting with a bit of flour. Sprinkle 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp (5 ml to 15 ml) of flour into the frosting and stir over low heat on the stove until it begins to thicken.