Learn How To Dip Cookies With Royal Icing

Today we’re spilling our tips and tricks to teach you how to dip cookies with royal icing! Now, you might be asking, “Bestie, why would I want to dip my cookies?” Well, there’s actually several great reasons why this can be a super helpful technique! We’ll dive into these below, but first, I want to remind you that we specialize in techniques to help ALL levels of bakers and decorators. So, whether you haven’t even started decorating cookies but are interested? This will be super helpful for you! Or maybe you’re a pro at outlining and flooding cookies already? No worries, there is value in this technique for you too! Let’s dip in!

The Pros of Dipping

Maybe you want deliciously iced cookies but don’t want to learn to outline and flood with a decorating bag? Dipping is for you. Or maybe outlining and flooding is just not your strength? Dipping is for you. Maying you are great at flooding certain shapes but not others (looking at you, circles)? Dipping is for you. Maybe you need to flood 400 cookies for a large volume order? Dipping is for you. Maybe you need to apply a thin icing coating to print on your cookies? Dipping is for you. Or maybe you want to hand over a stack of cookies and a bowl of icing to your kids? Dipping is for them. There are MANY reasons why this technique can come in super handy and is just another tool in your cookie decorating arsenal!

The Cons of Dipping

There’s always a tradeoff, right? While dipping cookies with royal icing can be a huge win in many scenarios, I’d like to point out a few drawbacks to consider. First, if you are a perfectionist and want immaculately iced edges, it will take more practice to achieve this with dipping. You may be better off outlining and flooding with a bag. Secondly, dipping results in a thinner flood layer, due to the consistency required. So, if you want a thick, puffy flood layer, you probably won’t like dipping. And lastly, you need to be prepared to spend time prepping your icing properly which will give less air bubbles and better results. Most often, these are not deal breakers, but as your bestie, I like to share both the pros and cons so you can decide what’s best for you.

It’s All About The Prep

While overall, you can flood a large volume of cookies much faster by dipping, it is critical that you take the time to prep your icing properly. If you rush it, you’ll battle air bubbles or get subpar results you won’t be happy with. So, give yourself time to adequately prepare the icing and you’ll thank yourself later.

I demonstrate the entire process in the video below, but here are some key points to keep in mind.

1. Ideal icing consistency for dipping is about 5 seconds.
2. Give your icing time for air bubbles to rise, and then pop them, before you start dipping. Let your icing sit for about 10 minutes to allow them to rise, or help them rise by tapping the bowl.
3. Do not keep stirring your icing as you’ll keep introducing more air bubbles.
4. Be prepared to get your fingertips messy…have towels nearby.
5. Have your trusty scribe nearby
6. Know that your first few cookies can attract any air bubbles in your icing, but as you dip more, you’ll notice less and less.
7. I still recommend putting the cookies in the dehydrator (ideally) or in front of a fan to quick set the icing and add shine.

How To Dip COokies With Royal Icing Video Demo!

You can find the full demo video HERE! I hope you find this demonstration and commentary helpful! Here is the result of the cookies I dipped in the video. 😍

I Dip, You Dip, We Dip!

I hope this post all about how to dip cookies with royal icing was helpful for you! Make sure you’ve subscribed to receive our weekly newsletter! Never miss out on a new recipe, technique, product recommendation or Featured Baker! Happy Baking Besties!