Royal Icing vs Buttercream for Decorating Sugar Cookies

Rolled Buttercream vs Royal Icing: Which One Is Best When Decorating Sugar Cookies?

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If you're thinking of decorating sugar cookies, you might be asking yourself which type of icing to use for your decorations. Personally, I think that royal icing AND rolled buttercream BOTH have their own place. I love my royal icing recipe but the rolled buttercream is delicious!

When you’re decorating sugar cookies, the icing you choose is everything. It controls the finish, the flavor, the time commitment, and honestly… your sanity. Most beginners assume royal icing is the only “real” option — but rolled buttercream has been rising as the soft, stress-free alternative that still looks professional.

So which one should you actually use?

Let’s break down the differences in texture, taste, difficulty level, drying time, and real-life workflow so you can choose the best icing for you, not for the internet.

What Most Beginners Get Wrong About Decorating Cookies

Most new decorators think:

1. Royal icing makes cookies look professional

2. Buttercream is only for cakes

3. Smooth finishes require piping 47 lines with perfect precision

4. Fast decorating = sloppy decorating

Reality check. Choosing your icing method can solve 80% of your cookie-decorating frustrations. You don’t need more tools — you need icing that matches your skill level, your time limits, and the style you want to create.

What Is Rolled Buttercream?

Rolled buttercream is exactly what it sounds like: buttercream icing that you roll out like fondant. But unlike fondant, it tastes delicious — soft, dreamy, melt-in-your-mouth and is more delicate than fondant.

Texture

Soft, pliable, and bendable.

Think play-dough meets buttercream

Flavor

Sweeter and richer than royal icing, with a fudge-like bite.

Best Uses

• Stamped designs

• Embossed textures

• Fast decorating

• Kids' parties

• Soft, chewy cookies that don’t crunch when you bite

Tools

• A rolling pin

• A dusting of powdered sugar

• Circle or shape cutters

• Optional: embossers, texture mats, stamps

If your decorating style leans toward soft, pretty, smooth aesthetics with minimal piping, rolled buttercream is a dream.

What Is Royal Icing?

Royal icing is the OG of cookie decorating. It dries hard, pipes details beautifully, and lets you create that glass-smooth finish everyone recognizes.

Texture

Sets firm sturdy

Perfect for stacking, packaging, and freezing.

Flavor

Sweet, crisp, and can be slightly crunchy (depending on the recipe)

Best Uses

• Outlining and flooding

• Lettering

• Fine details

• Dimensional work

• Transfers

• Anything that needs to ship or be sold

Tools Needed

• Piping bags

• Scribe

• Tipless piping bags or metal tips

• Dehydrator (optional)

• Gel colors

If your style is detailed and polished, this icing is your go-to.

Rolled Buttercream vs Royal Icing: Side-By-Side Breakdown

Rolled Buttercream Looks Best When:

• You use stamps or embossed textures

• You want a soft matte finish

• You film overhead videos or TikToks

• You do minimalist designs

• It gives a luxe, boutique feel with almost zero effort.

The lemon design on these rolled buttercream cookies were achieved by using a lemon printed embossing mat. This is a similar product.

Royal Icing Looks Best When:

• You want a high-shine finish

• You do lettering, piping, or character cookies

• You want tight, crisp lines

• You want that “bakery” look

• Royal icing beats buttercream for fine detail work every time.

Army Retirement cookies. Many were made with royal icing transfers. Want transfers...click here!

Which One Is THE BEST for Busy Home Bakers?

This is where rolled buttercream absolutely shines.

If you’re:

• a mom

• working night shifts

• running a home bakery on limited time

• decorating in short bursts

• constantly interrupted

• …rolled buttercream lets you decorate without drying time, consistency tests, or multiple icing bags.

With royal icing?

It’s possible — but realistic?

You need at least one uninterrupted chunk of time.

Is Royal Icing or Buttercream Better for Selling Cookies?

Rolled Buttercream

Pros:

Fast to produce

Incredible flavor

Gorgeous embossed designs

Cons:

Doesn’t stack as well

Requires careful packaging

Can’t be shipped long-distance

Royal Icing

Pros:

Durable finish

Stackable

Shippable

Traditional “cookie order” aesthetic

Cons:

Time-consuming

Higher skill requirement

More cleanup

If you sell locally?

Rolled buttercream is a hidden advantage — customers LOVE the taste.

If you ship cookies or take large orders?

Royal icing wins for stability.

Final Verdict: Should You Use Rolled Buttercream or Royal Icing?

By now, you've surely realized that there isn't a cut and dry answer and I can't answer this for you. It all depends on you, your (or your customer's) preferences and logistics of each decorated set.

Here’s the simple breakdown:

Choose Rolled Buttercream If You:

Want fast, stress-free decorating

Are a beginner

Prefer softer cookies

Do a lot of seasonal sets

Don’t need to ship cookies

Choose Royal Icing If You:

Want high-detail designs

• Need to stack or ship

• Love traditional cookie decorating

• Take custom orders

• Require precision

The good news?

You don’t have to choose one forever.

Many decorators use both, depending on the set.

Transfer Templates to Make Decorating Easy!

If you want your decorating process to be easier — whether using buttercream or royal icing — I’ve created pre-made transfer templates you can use instantly!

These pair with:

Projectors

Stencils

Rolled buttercream

Royal icing transfers

➡️ Get them inside the Transfer Vault for just $12/month

➡️ Watch the full Rolled Buttercream Tutorial on YouTube