With the winter and Christmas season fast approaching we’ve had a few people ask how to pipe royal icing snowflakes. Surprisingly, it’s really not that hard. Plus if you’re scared of royal icing you can also use melted white chocolate instead. These cute winter-y decorations are perfect for cupcakes, cookies and even to make a batch of brownies super festive. For this how-to we’re going to pipe our snowflakes in a pink colour. This is so you can see the process better. Trying to photograph and then view white on white in a tutorial is pretty frustrating. Also, opting for a more unique colour is fun! Anyway, make sure to check out our tutorial and tips below!
To pipe royal icing snowflakes you’ll need…
- Royal icing (15 second consistency)
- Cookie tray
- Washi tape
- Silpat mat or parchment
- 03 piping tip by Wilton
- Piping bag
- Repeat snowflake print-out
- Cocktail sticks
- Food colouring (if you don’t want traditional white snowflakes)
- Sanding sugar, pearl sprinkles or edible glitter (optional)
How to pipe royal icing snowflakes!
Note! Royal icing can take a while to set so make sure you plan and create these in advance. If you are pressed for time or making these last minute try using melted white chocolate instead!
1: You can print out some cute snowflake designs via google, but make sure they are the right size. Around 1 inch to 2 inches in diameter is great. Also, make sure not to opt for snowflakes that look complicated or heavily detailed. When you start to pipe them you’re going to regret it. Go for something simple yet effective.
Tip! Try searching for snowflake fonts too. This can bring up a variety of more simplified designs that might be easier to pipe as they tend to be clear and more graphic looking.
2: Lay your chosen template down on a cookie / baking tray. This is handy in case you need to move your snowflakes later because they need to be on a flat and sturdy surface while they dry so they don’t crack. If you know you won’t have to move them to another surface then feel free to tape and work directly on top of your counter. Over your template lay out and tape sheet of parchment paper or your silpat mat using some washi tape. You should be able to see your snowflake shapes easily from underneath.
Tip! Make sure you create a few extra snowflakes as these are still delicate to handle.
3: Bag up your royal icing with a number 3 piping tip by Wilton. This is the tip we used for this tutorial. You can use finer tips for more delicate work, but the thinner the snowflake the more likely it is to break!
Here’s a quick guide to the consistency you need to pipe your royal icing snowflakes!
We recommended and used what is called a 15 second consistency. This just means that when you drag a knife through the middle of your royal icing it should take 15 seconds to meet and ‘mould’ together again. It’s generally not too runny and not too stiff. So you should have smooth snowflakes without rough peaks in them.
4: Now following your template pipe out your snowflakes!
Tip! You can use melted chocolate to make your snowflakes instead. Chocolate sets a lot quicker so that’s a plus. However, melted chocolate is going to be more fluid or runny so you may need to take it slower piping the snowflakes.
5: Before they set you can add fun things like sanding sugar, pearl lustre, edible sequins or stars and even desiccated / shredded coconut!
Tip! If you’re going to add extra decorations to your snowflakes make sure to opt for sprinkles or decor that is small. This is so that you can still see the overall shape of your snowflake.
Easy royal icing snowflakes tutorial!
6: Leave your royal icing snowflakes to set! This can take overnight or a full day depending on where you live. The more humid or ‘wet’ your weather is the longer they’ll take to dry out. Generally you’ll know if they’re drying out when they begin to look less wet.
Tip! Here’s a pretty handy tip that means you’re not going to ruin a snowflake testing if it’s set. When you’re done piping your snowflakes pipe a few lines or blobs of royal icing down the side of your greaseproof paper. Every time you need to check them lightly poke one of these ‘blobs’ to see if it’s dry.
7: To remove your royal icing snowflakes the best move is to gently peel the silpat or parchment paper instead of forcing the snowflakes. You can use the edge of a table to help ‘roll’ or peel the the paper / mat away too.
Now you can use your royal icing piped snowflakes to decorate all kids of cute treats. We used our pink snowflakes to make our fluffy marshmallows ready for Christmas. Nestle on top of buttercream swirled cupcakes for a festive finish. Add to freshly flooded cookies for quick decorations. Or why not gently press around the bottom of a holiday cake to impress the family!
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