Vanilla Icing (Vanilla Glaze)
Posted Feb 21, 2025
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This homemade vanilla icing recipe is easy to make in under 5 minutes with only 3 ingredients. This vanilla glaze hardens well with a beautiful shine, and tastes delicious on top of donuts, cookies, cakes, etc.
So many recipes call for vanilla icing – and this homemade version is the best.
It’s easy to make in 3 minutes with simple ingredients you likely always have on hand. It has a rich vanilla flavor and hardens well.
Dip or drizzle it on top of your favorite baked goods like donuts, vanilla bundt cake, cinnamon rolls, oatmeal cookies, etc. as a final touch that takes any recipe from good to “wow!”
Vanilla Icing: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Powdered sugar. There is really no substitute here. You can make your own refined sugar free version, or just make your own by blending together 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1 Tablespoon cornstarch.
- Whole milk. heavy cream or half and half are great substitutes. For a dairy-free vanilla glaze, use coconut milk.
- Pure vanilla extract. use a high quality variety for the best results. To add additional flavor extracts, reduce the amount of vanilla by ¼ teaspoon, and add ¼ teaspoon of your desired extract such as lemon, mint, almond, etc.
How to Make Vanilla Icing
I always include step-by-step photos and a video to ensure your success in making even the simplest of recipes like this vanilla glaze.
Begin by measuring the powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Then add the milk and powdered sugar. Be sure to start with 3 Tablespoons of whole milk, you can always increase to make a thinner glaze as you go.
Whisk until the vanilla icing is smooth and there are no lumps of powdered sugar, this takes a bit but trust the process. Break up any clumps of powdered sugar with the whisk.
If you’d like a thicker glaze, 3 Tablespoons should be perfect. If you want it thinner, add an extra half tablespoon of glaze.
Dip or drizzle or spread the icing over your favorite dessert recipes, here are some suggestions:
- Cookies. This glaze is delicious on top of iced oatmeal cookies, lemon cookies, and sugar cookies.
- Cake. We love this on top of Vanilla bundt cake and chocolate bundt cake.
- Also try it on raspberry bars, cherry bars, chocolate chip scones (or regular scones), cinnamon rolls, etc.
Once the glaze is put on top of your desired baked goods, let it sit at room temperature until hardened (about 60 minutes). Or, you can put the dessert in the refrigerator to expedite the hardening process.
Serve
Wait to serve donuts, cookies etc. until the glaze has fully hardened.
Store/Freeze
I suggest storing baked goods topped with vanilla icing in the refrigerator.
To store or freeze the glaze itself, put it in an airtight piping bag or ziplock bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Vanilla Icing Recipe FAQS
This recipe can easily be halved or doubled depending on the amount you need to make.
Yes, to add a different flavor, reduce the 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract to 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla and ¼ teaspoon of your desired extract such as almond, lemon, mint, etc.
If your glaze gets too thin, add more powdered sugar 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
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Vanilla Icing (Vanilla Glaze)
Ingredients
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 to 3 ½ tablespoons whole milk*
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Put powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Immediately drizzle over your desired baked goods (cake, cookies, donuts etc).
- Or, dip the baked goods into glaze in a shallow bowl, or spread it on top of your favorite desserts.
- Let sit at room temperature until hardened (about 60 minutes). Or, let harden in the refrigerator.
- Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Video
Notes
- Powdered sugar. There is really no substitute here. You can make your own refined sugar free version, or just make your own by blending together 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1 Tablespoon cornstarch.
- Whole milk. heavy cream or half and half are great substitutes. For a dairy-free vanilla glaze, use coconut milk.
- Pure vanilla extract. use a high quality variety for the best results. To add additional flavor extracts, reduce the amount of vanilla by ¼ teaspoon, and add ¼ teaspoon of your desired extract such as lemon, mint, almond, etc.
- Cookies. This glaze is delicious on top of iced oatmeal cookies, lemon cookies, and sugar cookies.
- Cake. We love this on top of Vanilla bundt cake and chocolate bundt cake.
- Also try it on raspberry bars, cherry bars, chocolate chip scones (or regular scones), cinnamon rolls, etc.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
