Sugar Cookie Icing Without Corn Syrup (4 Recipes) - Design Eat Repeat (2024)

Table of Contents

#1: Powdered Sugar Icing for Cookies #2: Royal Icing for Sugar Cookies #3: Cream Cheese Frosting for Cookies #4: Pipeable Sugar Cookie Buttercream Frosting Which icing is the easiest to make? Which icing tastes the best? What's the best sugar cookie recipe to use with these icings? More Uncategorized Reader Interactions Leave a Comment FAQs References

Posted: Apr 10, 2018 · Updated: Oct 30, 2021 by Melissa
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Ever since posting my easy sugar cookie icing recipe, I've gotten some questions on what a good substitute for corn syrup in the icing would be. So today I'm going to go through my top 4 recipes for sugar cookie icing without corn syrup and talk through the pros and cons to each.

Sugar Cookie Icing Without Corn Syrup (4 Recipes) - Design Eat Repeat (1)

#1: Powdered Sugar Icing for Cookies

Besides my original sugar cookie icing recipes (that uses corn syrup), powdered sugar icing is probably on the same level of easy. Using basic ingredients like powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and almond extract, and a pinch of salt - this is the perfect icing when you're in a pinch and need something quick.

Sugar Cookie Icing Without Corn Syrup (4 Recipes) - Design Eat Repeat (2)

#2: Royal Icing for Sugar Cookies

Traditional royal icing doesn't use corn syrup, but rather uses meringue powder to help it harden. Because of this, royal icing is best when you want your cookies to be able to be stacked or when you need to pipe intricate details that you want to hold their shape.

Sugar Cookie Icing Without Corn Syrup (4 Recipes) - Design Eat Repeat (3)

Pros/Great when...

Great when you need the cookies to dry completely hard for storing, stacking, or freezing.
Great when you need to use multiple colors or pipe intricate details.
When cookies are iced with royal icing, they freeze well (i.e. the icing won't crystallize like it would if there were corn syrup inside).Learn more on how to freeze sugar cookies.
Does not use corn syrup
Cookies do not need to be refrigerated after frosting if you're using meringue powder.
Recipes best paired with: Cut Out Sugar Cookies

Cons:

Uses meringue powder, which you may not have on hand (but can find at Michaels or Walmart)
Some people don't like how hard or crunchy royal icing can be when eating
Can be tricky to get consistency correct. I talk all about how to achieve the perfect consistency in my royal icing for sugar cookies post.

#3: Cream Cheese Frosting for Cookies

If you're looking for something more creamy than traditional icings (that doesn't require fancy decorating), I recommend frosting the cookies with cream cheese frosting. This frosting is a smooth cream cheese buttercream that you can spread with a knife or by using a piping bag (or even just a ziploc bag with the corner cut off).

#4: Pipeable Sugar Cookie Buttercream Frosting

Looking for something a little fancy without going all out on intricate designs? My pipeable sugar cookie buttercream frosting is the perfect addition to soft and thick sugar cookies. Use a star tip to swirl on the frosting and top with sprinkles.

Sugar Cookie Icing Without Corn Syrup (4 Recipes) - Design Eat Repeat (5)

Pros/Great when...

You want a thicker, creamier frosting.
Cookies freeze well after being frosted.Learn more on how to freeze sugar cookies to prevent smudging.
Does not use corn syrup
Recipes best paired with: Cut Out Sugar Cookiesor No Roll Sugar Cookies

Cons:

The frosting will develop a slight crust if left sitting out (or when refrigerated), but it won't completely harden. Which means you shouldn't stack them. For my tips of perfect stacking, see my guide on how to freeze sugar cookies.
Although the amount of sugar will stabilize the butter (meaning you could technically leave them at room temperature for 2-3 days), I recommend refrigerating these so that the frosting doesn't "melt" down and flatten out.

Which icing is the easiest to make?

If I had to rank them from easiest (1) to hardest (4), they would go:

Powdered Sugar Icing for Cookies
Cream Cheese Frosting for Cookies
Sugar Cookie Buttercream Frosting
Royal Icing

Which icing tastes the best?

If I had to rank them according to taste, I tend to lean towards putting the cream cheese or buttercream frosting before the icings. But if I had to rank ALL five of the icing/glaze recipes on my site for actual icing/glaze recipes, they would go:

Cream Cheese Frosting
Buttercream Frosting
Easy Sugar Cookie Icing (uses corn syrup)
Royal Icing
Powdered Sugar Icing for Cookies

What's the best sugar cookie recipe to use with these icings?

I have a few favorites depending on the texture you're going for. My cut out sugar cookies is my favorite for roll out cookie, while my no roll sugar cookies is my favorite for soft pillowy cookies.

Cut Out Sugar Cookies = good with any 4 of these icings.
No Roll Sugar Cookies = best with the cream cheese or buttercream frostings.

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Reader Interactions

Sugar Cookie Icing Without Corn Syrup (4 Recipes) - Design Eat Repeat (2024)

FAQs

Why do you need corn syrup in icing? ›

Royal icing with corn syrup also increases the elasticity of the icing. This means you can pull the icing further away from the cookie or cake without the strand of icing breaking. This is especially helpful if you're trying to pipe rounded outlines or string work.

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What can I use instead of corn syrup in icing? ›

Maple syrup

It's a great addition to many dishes and can be swapped in for an equal amount of corn syrup in most recipes, including glazes, frostings, and homemade jams. However, keep in mind that using maple syrup instead of corn syrup may change the flavor and color of your final product.

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Will icing sugar and water set hard? ›

Yes, once this cookie icing is piped on or used to decorate cookies, it will set hard. Leave to sit out at room temperature to allow the cookies to dry. Once they are hard, store at room temperature in an airtight container.

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What is a substitute for corn syrup in sugar cookies? ›

The best corn syrup substitutes for baking are brown rice syrup, maple syrup, agave, tapioca syrup, honey, golden syrup, and black treacle. Whether you're avoiding using corn syrup, are allergic to corn, or don't have it on hand, there are a ton of substitutes for corn syrup to try instead.

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What is a substitute for corn syrup in icing reddit? ›

Now that you understand this, you can also substitute other syrups that contain inverted sugar, such as maple syrup, golden syrup, or agave syrup. Honey will also work. In my experience, you will notice a slight flavor difference using golden syrup or very strongly flavored maple syrup, such as Grade B Amber.

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Can I use golden syrup instead of corn syrup for icing? ›

Golden syrup is slightly thicker and more viscous than clear corn syrup. They can be used interchangeably in frosting, but golden syrup will give a faintly golden color to white frosting.

Is milk or water better for icing sugar? ›

Milk: The milk provides the liquid needed to dissolve the icing sugar. It can be substituted with any type of milk you prefer, cream or even water. Food colouring: If colouring this basic icing, it is better to use a food gel rather than a liquid.

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Why isn't my cookie frosting hardening? ›

Undermix, and your royal icing looks translucent and is structurally weak. Overwhip, and you're giving too much volume to the egg proteins via air, causing the structure to weaken in a different way. Overmixed icing usually looks porous when dry, and sometimes will not even fully dry and be soft/brittle.

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Can you skip corn syrup in a recipe? ›

Corn syrup doesn't add flavor to a recipe—just sweetness—so sugar is definitely the best substitute in terms of flavor. By dissolving it in water, you're creating a concentrated simple syrup. This liquid form is a great substitute for pies (like pecan) and coated fruits.

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What is a diabetic substitute for corn syrup? ›

ingredients

2 cups Splenda granular.
³⁄₄ cup water.
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cream of tartar.
1 pinch salt.

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What is the purpose of corn syrup in cookies? ›

So, when you mix corn syrup into your cookie batter, all of that moisture will make and keep your baked cookies deliciously tender. The texture of cookies benefits from corn syrup as well. As you combine your ingredients to make your cookie batter, corn syrup will pull some of the surrounding air into your batter.

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What is the purpose of adding corn syrup? ›

Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor. It can be processed into high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) by using the enzyme D-xylose isomerase to convert a large proportion of its glucose into sweeter fructose.

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Why add corn syrup to glaze? ›

“The function of the corn syrup is to keep sugar from crystallizing it,” says Medrich. “It keeps the sugar syrupy and moist.” And Cree notes that it helps create a dense, chewy texture in cookies. Medrich also uses corn syrup in her chocolate pecan pie.

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Why is corn syrup important? ›

It's what gives such foods their sweetness and "is a very common ingredient because it is inexpensive and helps enhance food flavor and texture," says Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, an adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University and author of "Finally Full, Finally Slim."

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Is corn syrup necessary for ice cream? ›

Because it has more viscosity than sugar, some recipes call for corn syrup to keep the churned and frozen sorbets and ice creams smoother and creamier. In my recipes, this is infrequently done in sorbets that have a lot of water, such as lemon, lime, or grape sorbets, which tend to freeze very hard and get icy.