Best Glaze For Cookies: 5 Delicious Recipes

Last Updated on January 12, 2023

Cookies are one of the most versatile and delicious desserts. This post is sharing the best glaze for cookies, that are both tasty and easy to make.

Glazes are a simple way to make your cookies look beautiful. You can easily add in different food coloring or sprinkles to make it extra festive. All these recipes contain five or fewer ingredients that are typically pantry staples.

These glazes will set on your cookies, giving them a beautiful shiny appearance. They require no prior baking experience to make. From classic glazes to dairy-free versions, each one of these recipes will perfectly complement your favorite cookies.

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Basic Powdered Sugar Glaze For Cookies

Ingredients:

For the basic powdered sugar glaze by Pilsbury, you will need:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3-4 tablespoons milk or half-and-half

Equipment:

• Medium bowl
• Whisk

Step-by-Step Instructions: Basic Powdered Sugar Glaze

Step 1: Combine All Ingredients

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Use a whisk to make sure the glaze is smooth and fully mixed.

Step 2: Add More Milk if Needed

If the glaze is too thick for your liking, you can add another tablespoon of milk.

Step 3: Decorate Cookies

Once your glaze has reached your desired consistency, add it to your cookies. You can either drizzle it on or use a piping bag. Allow the glaze to set on the cookies before serving.

Servings and Preparation Time – Basic Powdered Sugar Glaze

Dairy-Free Glaze For Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

Equipment:

• Medium bowl
• Whisk

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls Set, 23PCS Nesting Metal Mixing Bowls with 9.4” Lid

Step by Step Instructions: Cookie Glaze (Dairy-Free)

Step 1: Combine Ingredients

In a medium bowl, use a whisk to combine the powdered sugar and water. The glaze should be smooth and thin.

Step 2: Decorate Cookies

Spoon the glaze onto the cookies and allow them to set before serving.

Servings and Preparation Time – Cookie Glaze (Dairy-Free)

Check out more cookies recipes:

• Best Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies
• Delicious Vegan Cookies Without Butter 

Colorful Sugar Cookie Glaze Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 1/2 teaspoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• Food coloring

Equipment:

• Medium bowl
• Whisk

Step by Step Instructions: Colorful Cookie Glaze

Step 1: Mix Powdered Sugar, Milk, and Vanilla Extract

In a medium bowl, use a whisk to mix the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Combine until the mix is completely smooth.

Step 2: Add Corn Syrup

Add the corn syrup to the mix. If the glaze is still too thick, you can add a bit more corn syrup. The corn syrup gives the glaze a smooth and glossy finish.

Step 3: Add Food Coloring

Add 3-4 drops of your choice of food coloring to the glaze. Mix the food coloring in until fully combined.

Step 4: Decorate Cookies

To decorate the cookies, dip them into the glaze. You can also use a spoon, food-grade paintbrush, or piping bag to decorate the cookies. Allow the glaze to dry on the cookies before serving.

Servings and Preparation Time – Best Glaze for Cookies

Tips And Tricks For Making Glazes For Cookies

To make your glazes more flavorful, you can add different mix-ins and extracts. Almond extract is a classic flavor combination when decorating cookies. You can also add lemon juice, orange juice, maple extract, and even coffee.

For other delicious flavors, you can add two ounces of melted chocolate to the glaze. If you want a wonderful flavor combination, you can add  1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. There are several amazing flavor mix-ins you can add to elevate your cookies.

When decorating your cookies, it is best to do it on a wire rack with parchment paper underneath. That way any glaze that drips off will go onto the parchment paper, making for easy cleanup. The cookies will stay fresh for up to five days at room temperature in an airtight container, or up to 10 days in the fridge.

If you have any leftover glaze, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for up to 10 days in the fridge. Allow the glaze to reach room temperature before use.

Cookie Glaze That Hardens Recipe

Finding a cookie glaze that hardens and sets may feel impossible, but it’s easier than you may think. For this simple decorating icing glaze, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 3 cups of confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons of light corn syrup
• 4-5 tablespoons of room temp water
• pinch of salt

Now all you need to do is:

1. Add the syrup, vanilla extract, confectioners sugar, and 4 tablespoons of water to a bowl. Mix well with a fork until it begins to thicken.
2. Once thickened, add 1/2-1 tablespoon of water. Add 1/2 a tablespoon first and assess the thickness. The consistency should be like a drizzle and should be able to keep shape for several seconds. If it’s too thick, add additional water. It’s very unlikely that you’ll find the icing to be too thin.
3. If coloring your icing, it’s at this point that you should mix in your gel food coloring. Only use around 1-2 drops of food coloring and mix. It’s important not to use too much as the color will intensify when the icing sets.
4. For ease, add your icing to the squeeze bottle and use it on your cookies, as required. Whether you’re outlining or filling, this icing glaze works great.

While you can eat these cookies straight after icing, it’s best to leave the icing to fully set. As this icing is a different consistency to royal icing, you should leave them for around 24 hours at room temperature to fully dry. If you need them to dry quicker, you can place them in the refrigerator for faster results.

Lemon Cookie Icing Recipe

When making cookie icing glaze, you can use a whole range of flavorings. However, one of my favorites is lemon. It pairs with cookies so well. For this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 4-5 teaspoons of lemon juice

Now all you need to do is:

1. Add both the sugar and lemon juice to a bowl. Using a whisk, mix the ingredients until it becomes a glaze consistency.
2. At this point, you can either add the icing to a squeeze bottle and squeeze over your cookies, or you can simply dip the cookies into the glaze.
3. Leave the cookies at room temperature until the icing has set. This is likely to take at least several hours.

What to Use Glaze For

When it comes to using glaze, you may be wondering what you could use it for. There are so many baked goods that it works perfectly. Some of my favorites include:

• sugar cookies
• gingerbread cookies
• chocolate sugar cookies
• shortbread cookies
• Halloween cookies
• Christmas cookies
• spritz cookies
• sponge cakes
• Bundt cakes
• chocolate cakes

Advice For Using Best Glaze for Cookies

There are many tips when using glaze for cookies. Here’s some of my best advice:

• Allow cookies to cool completely before you try to glaze them. The glaze will simply melt if you use it on your cookies too early.
• No need to splash out on fancy baking equipment. You’ll only need a whisk and a bowl to make the best glaze for cookies.
• Use a squeeze bottle rather than a piping bag; particularly if you’re a beginner.
• Leave the glaze to dry completely before eating, as it tastes much better once dried!

Conclusion

I hope this post has helped you to become more familiar with the best glaze for cookies. No matter what you are decorating your cookies for, each of these recipes will result in tasty cookies. These glazes are simple to make and you don’t need any prior baking experience.

Did you enjoy these best glazes for cookie recipes? If so, please share your thoughts in the comments down below and share this article if you enjoyed it. Sharing is caring!