This is the recipe for the Royal Icing that I used to frost both the Sugar Cookies and the gingerbread men. It is really easy, has a nice smooth texture and a good flow- plus it sets up hard like regular royal icing. If you are worried, there is no weird taste or smell to this! It is awesome and miraculous and I think you will really like it!
To learn more about aquafaba, you can check the article I wrote about it.
Vegan Royal Icing
Author: Heather Christo
Prep time:
Total time:
Ingredients
- ½ cup aquafaba (chickpea liquid)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- hot water
Instructions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment whip the aquafaba and vanilla and then add the powdered sugar cup by cup. Use a few spoon fuls of hot water to get it to just the right consistency- but go tablespoon by tablespoon so it’s not too runny!
- When you get the desired consistency, transfer to a piping bag or divide into smaller batches and color with food coloring.
- Use immediately.
Print Recipe
Oh my, this icing sounds great! I’ve never attempted to made an icing which hardens before but I want to give this a try.
I have a question though. When you say chick pea liquid, is that the same liquid which is in a can of canned chickpeas? That’s the only thing I can think of. Hope this isn’t a dumb question.
Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Lee Ann- that is not dumb at all! this is a new and very weird thing. Yes you are correct, it is literally the liquid that we have all been draining off of our beans for years and tossing down the sink! I wrote an article about it here if you want to learn more: http://thepioneerwoman.com/food-and-friends/aquafaba-101/
Aquafaba, very interesting – what is your whip cream recipe?
Hi LeAna, I use whipped unsweetened Coconut Cream :)there is a recipe in this post: http://heatherchristo.com/2016/02/07/blood-orange-coconut-tapioca-and-mixed-berry-parfait-vegan/
I’m new to experimenting with aquafaba, and I was curious to hear your experience with using it as a whipped cream substitute. I used aquafaba as an egg white substitute for a cake, and was very happy with the results. I was very hopeful that this would be the answer I was looking for for a whipped topping substitute since I’m not a huge coconut cream fan. I used it to make whipped topping a few weeks ago and I wasn’t thrilled with the results. It tasted more like marshmallow cream (as you alluded to in your article), and the texture was a little off to me. The recipe I used included vanilla, powdered sugar, and cream of tartar. Is it normal for whipped aquafaba to have a strange texture?? Thanks for the input!
Oh yes! I have definitely used it as whipped topping and my kids by far prefer the whipped aquafaba to the coconut cream. I also add powdered sugar and vanilla, but have never added cream of tartar. I wonder if that thickened it quite a bit? I would say that it is never going to be just like whipped cream so I just am happy for something that emulates it enough to make everyone feel like they are having the experience. I am excited to try with the cream of tartar! How much did you add?
I used a 1/2 tsp. I experimented and did two batches – one with the cream of tartar and one without. I found the one with cream of tartar was thicker and held up much better! I guess I just need to experiment with it some more. It’s like you said – it probably won’t ever be like the real thing, but it does emulate it, and doesn’t have the strong flavor that coconut cream has.
Ill have to give this icing a try! The cookies look beautiful!
Hi Heather, how long would this icing last for? As in how many days would it be good? Never used aqua faba before! Thanks!
Hi Heather,
Just found your blog in my search for GF vegan roll cookies and impressed by the variety of substitions you’ve found. My niece is dairy-intolerant and very allergic to peanuts and chickpeas. Are there any icing recipes that would work for her, or should I go with a dusting of sugar? Thanks!
Hi Barbara! You could absolutely use the liquid from white beans instead of chickpeas for vegan icing, or if she has no problem with eggs, then you could use egg whites!