Is it okay to use egg whites for royal icing?
Andrew Mclaughlin
Updated on March 01, 2026
To eliminate risk and ensure food safety, one should replace the raw egg white with lightly cooked egg whites, use pasteurized egg whites, or meringue powder when making Royal Icing. Lightly Cooked Egg Whites. Note that you must use sugar to keep the whites from coagulating too rapidly.
What can I use instead of egg whites in royal icing?
To substitute one egg white: Combine 2 tablespoons of meringue powder with 2 tablespoons of water. For royal icing: Combine 4 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons meringue powder, and 9 tablespoons warm water.
Does royal icing dry hard?
As it dries, it hardens to the consistency of candy, similar to like button candy or a smarty. Hard enough to not smear, but not so hard you can’t bite it easily. It’s perfect for piping decorations. Pipe out your image, flower, or whatever, then set it out to dry for a few hours or overnight.
Can you use Bob’s Red Mill Egg replacer for royal icing?
Bob’s Red Mill makes a really excellent Egg Replacer (which also happen to be gluten-free!) I use this egg replacer in my cookie recipe, and sometimes in my vegan royal icing! I also do a direct substitution of vegan butter in place of my regular butter for my cookie recipes.
Is meringue powder the same as egg replacer?
We suggest not using meringue powder as a baking substitute for eggs in a recipe. If you’re making cake batter, brownies, cookies or breads, you’re better off using real eggs. Meringue powder is meant as a substitute for eggs that need to be beaten to stiff peaks.
Can I drink pasteurized egg white?
Before packaging, liquid egg whites are beaten and pasteurized to reduce bacterial exposure, so they are safe enough to eat.
How do you make royal icing without eggs?
Making Royal Icing without Egg Whites Gather the ingredients. Add the confectioners sugar to a medium mixing bowl. Stir the ingredients together until a smooth paste forms. Pour in the corn syrup and vanilla extract. If adding food coloring, remove even amounts from the bowl. Use the royal icing straight away.
What is the best recipe for royal icing?
Beat egg whites in clean, large bowl with mixer at high speed until foamy (use only grade A clean, uncracked eggs). Gradually add sugar and lemon extract. Beat at high speed until thickened. NOTE: When dry, Royal Icing is very hard and resistant to damage that can occur during shipping/handling.
What is royal icing recipe?
Directions Combine the egg whites and powdered sugar in a medium-size mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer on medium speed until opaque and shiny, about 5 minutes. Make a cornet and fill it half full with royal icing. Piping fine decorations with royal icing takes some practice but you will improve with time.
How do you make icing with egg whites?
Remove the spindle that connects the egg yolk to the egg white. Otherwise it will later on plug up your icing tip. Add a couple of tablespoons of icing sugar to the egg white and lemon juice mixture. With a clean spatula start working the icing sugar into the egg white.