How to Keep Royal Icing Soft

Co-authored by Maha Mohamed and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: December 12, 2022 References

Royal icing is a simple frosting made out of sugar, water, and meringue powder that adds a hint of sweetness to any dessert. If you’ve made a lot of royal icing and you have some left over, you may be wondering how to save it for your next baking project. Try storing your icing in an airtight container and mixing it up again before you use it to keep your icing soft and sweet for up to 2 weeks.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Storing Your Icing

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Place your icing in an airtight container with a lid to keep it fresh. Use a baking spatula or a spoon to scoop your icing into an airtight container. Make sure your container has a lid that fits tightly on it to keep air out.^{[1]
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- Leaving royal icing in a piping bag will cause it to separate within a few hours. It’s better to transfer it if you plan on storing it for more than 3 hours.
- Consider using old yogurt containers for a recyclable container option.
2
Add a piece of plastic wrap on top of the icing before securing the lid. Cut a piece of plastic wrap a little bit larger than the circumference of your container. Place it in your container touching the surface of the icing. Put the lid to your container on top of the plastic wrap.^{[2]
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- Plastic wrap adds an extra layer of airtight protection.
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Store icing made with meringue powder at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Most royal icing is made with meringue powder, so it won’t spoil if you leave it at room temperature. Place your container in a cool, dry place, like a kitchen cabinet or pantry.^{[3]
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- You may see some separation of solids and liquids or a yellow liquid at the bottom of your container, which is totally normal.^{[4]
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Warning: Never put your icing in the direct sunlight, or you could cause it to spoil.
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Keep your icing in the fridge for up to 3 days if you used raw eggs. Traditional royal icing is made with raw eggs, so it needs to be put in the fridge to prevent spoilage. Set your container in the fridge and make sure your it stays below 40 °F (4 °C) to keep your icing from going bad.^{[5]
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- You may notice some slight separation, but the fridge should keep your icing mostly intact.
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Freeze royal icing for up to 3 months if you can't use all of it. Make sure your container is airtight so that no moisture gets inside to your frosting. Use your icing within 3 months for the best flavor and consistency. ^{[6]
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- Thaw your icing for at least 1 hour at room temperature to soften it up before using it again.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Using Your Icing Again

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Use royal icing 2-3 hours before serving your treats to avoid a crusty shell. Some desserts, like cookies, benefit from a hard crust of icing on top to keep the design intact. However, if you want your icing to stay soft, pipe it onto your desserts 2 to 3 hours in advance so the icing doesn’t have time to dry fully.^{[7]
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- If you do want your royal icing to dry with a hard crust, allow it to air dry for at least 24 hours.
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Avoid using your icing if it smells sour. If you open up your container of icing and it smells like sour milk or rotten eggs, your icing has spoiled. Throw away your expired icing and clean out your container thoroughly before you use it again.^{[8]
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- Thankfully, royal icing is simple to make on your own, so it won’t take you long to whip up a new batch.
Tip: Your icing may have gone bad if the container you used wasn’t truly airtight or your icing got too warm.
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Stir your icing thoroughly so the ingredients are fully combined. Open up your container of icing and put it into a mixing bowl. Use a baking spatula or an electric mixer to mix up your icing again to remove any lumps and re-combine any ingredients that may have separated during storage.^{[9]
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- You can also add food coloring to your icing as you mix it if you’d like to.
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Add 1 tbsp (4 g) of icing sugar to thicken your icing. If your icing is too thin, start by adding 1 tbsp (4 g) of icing sugar to your mix. Gently fold in the sugar with a baking spatula to see if your icing thickens up. If it doesn’t, add in more icing sugar in 1/2 tbsp (2 g) increments until you icing is thick enough to use again.^{[10]
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- You may need to do this if you live in a humid climate, since your icing might have absorbed some of the humidity out of the air.
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Put 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of water in your icing to thin it out. If you mix up your icing and find that it is too thick or lumpy, add 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of water to your icing. Gently mix it in with a baking spatula to see if your icing reaches the right consistency. If it doesn’t, add more water in ¹⁄₂ tablespoon (7.4 mL) increments.^{[11]
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- Mixing up your icing adds air to it and can make it too thick, which is why you might need to add some water to it.