If you want to instantly uplevel your cakes, cookies, loaves, and more, I highly recommend whipping up this simple Powdered Sugar Icing.
This multi-use icing requires just 3 ingredients and 5 minutes, and as a busy mom who never settles for bland food, you know how much I love a hack that quickly and easily uplevels your bakes!
And between this simple vanilla icing with powdered sugar and my 2-ingredient lemon icing, I’ve got all your easy baking upgrades covered. Heck, I’d even add this to a store-bought treat to bring a homemade touch and call it my own!
Ingredient Highlights for this Easy Icing Recipe
Powdered sugar, also known as confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar is the main ingredient in the easy icing recipe.
Any milk will work, including any percentage of dairy milk or any unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk alternative.
I make this with both vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste with great success; whatever you prefer and/or have on hand!
Confectioner’s Sugar Icing Tips and Tricks
How to Make Icing with Powdered Sugar
Start by adding your powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl with the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of milk.
Best practice is to sift your powdered sugar to ensure there are no lumps, but I have to admit I often skip this step and opt to chance that my hand mixer will work out any lumps.
After mixing, check the current consistency of the icing. Depending on what you’re using this quick vanilla icing recipe for, you may want it on the thicker or thinner side.
I’ll usually keep it quite thick if it’s going on cookies, but thin it out if I’m pouring it over cakes or loaves. For drizzling and pouring, it will ideally run easily off a spoon (think: Elmer’s glue. I know it’s not appetizing, but it really is the best comparison I can think of).
Slowly, a little splash at a time, add more milk, mixing all the while until you’re happy with the thickness. If for some reason you accidentally thin it out too much, you can always add a small amount of extra confectioner’s sugar.
How I Store Leftover Icing or Make it Ahead of Time
The cool thing about homemade icing is that it will last for 2-3 weeks in the fridge, so it’s a fun thing to have on hand or a great thing to make ahead if you have a big baking day in front of you!
Just store it in an airtight container. It’s important to note that as it cools, it will firm up. You can easily thin it out again by warming it up or just stirring in a splash of extra milk.
Simple Powdered Sugar Icing (5 Minutes!)
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEEquipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk of choice (I use whole milk)
Instructions
- Sift the powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of milk and use a hand mixer on high to combine.1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2-3 tablespoons milk of choice
- Test the consistency of the icing by allowing it to run off a spoon. I usually keep it thicker for cookies and thinner for cakes, muffins, and loaves. If needed, slowly add more milk, stirring in between, until you're happy with the thickness. Try it on this Sour Cream Coffee Cake!
Pro Tips
- If for some reason you accidentally make it too thin, you can always slowly add a little more powdered sugar.
- This icing lasts up to 3 weeks in the fridge, so it can easily be made ahead of time. It will get firm in the fridge; thin it out by heating it up or stirring in extra milk.
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