Vanilla Glaze Recipe (2024)

By Sam 11 Comments

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This Vanilla Glaze uses just 3 basic ingredients and takes minutes to make! It’s perfect for drizzling over coffee cakes, muffins, scones, and breads. Every baker needs this foolproof recipe!

Vanilla Glaze Recipe (1)

Quick Vanilla Glaze

If you’re looking for the perfect finishing touch for your coffee cake, muffins or scones, you’ve come to the right place. My vanilla glaze recipe is quick, simple to make (never has there been a more foolproof recipe, you literally can’t mess this one up!), and so versatile.

This glaze has a perfectly balanced vanilla flavor. It’s quite sweet (it is mostly sugar, after all), but keep in mind it’s meant to be used sparingly.I especially love it drizzled it over crumb cake or scones.

You can also thin out the glaze and dip bare muffin tops right in (my lemon muffins are a good example of this technique) or spoon it over warm cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven. It’s a must-know recipe for any baker!

What You Need

Vanilla Glaze Recipe (2)

You only need three ingredients to make this easy vanilla glaze recipe:

  • Powdered sugar. I typically don’t sift my sugar beforehand (I can usually work clumps out with my whisk), but if you need a super smooth glaze and your sugar seems particularly lumpy, sift first!
  • Milk. Pretty much any kind will work (even heavy cream works!), but keep in mind that the thickness of your milk will affect how much you need. I prefer to use whole milk.
  • Vanilla. The amount I use may seem sparing compared to other recipes, but I find it’s the perfect amount. If you have some homemade vanilla extract, this is a great time to let it shine!

SAM’S TIP: Sometimes I’ll melt a tablespoon of butter and whisk this into the powdered sugar before adding the milk for a richer, slightly buttery glaze. This is especially good on cinnamon breads, like king cake.

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Vanilla Glaze

Vanilla Glaze Recipe (3)
  1. Whisk together the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk.
  2. Add more milk as needed, depending on how you plan to use your glaze, until desired consistency is reached.
  3. Whisk in vanilla and use as desired.

SAM’S TIP: If your glaze gets too thick, add more milk. If it gets too thin, add more sugar. This recipe is impossible to mess up!

Vanilla Glaze Recipe (4)

Frequently Asked Questions

Does vanilla glaze need to be refrigerated?

Because of its high sugar content, this glaze is fine to sit out of refrigeration for a few days.

How do you make vanilla glaze without milk?

You can always substitute the milk for a non-dairy milk, heavy cream, or even water. You could also skip both the vanilla and milk and use a fruit juice as your liquid (think lemon juice for a lemon glaze). Keep in mind different liquids will be thicker or thinner and will affect how much powdered sugar you need.

Is this a vanilla glaze that hardens?

This glaze won’t harden like royal icing, but it will firm up nicely. The thinner you make it, the softer it will be.

Vanilla Glaze Recipe (5)

You can use a spoon or whisk to drizzle your glaze over baked goods, or you can pour it into a piping bag or squeeze bottle for more precision.

Enjoy!

If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me onInstagram, and you can also find me onYouTubeandFacebook

Vanilla Glaze Recipe (6)

Vanilla Glaze Recipe

This vanilla glaze uses just 3 basic ingredients and takes a minutes to make! It's perfect for drizzling over coffee cake, muffins, scones, and breads. Every baker needs this foolproof recipe!

5 from 10 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: icing, ingredient

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 cup

Calories: 488kcal

Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar (sifting after measuring is recommended)
  • 2-4 Tablespoons milk see note
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Recommended Equipment

Instructions

  • Combine powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoons of milk and whisk together.

    1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar, 2-4 Tablespoons milk

  • Add additional milk, a splash at a time, until glaze is smooth and the glaze falls in a smooth ribbon from the whisk.

  • For a thicker/sturdier glaze or one that you would like to drizzle in lines that hold their shape, the ribbon that falls from the whisk should hold its shape for several seconds before dissolving back into the bowl. For a thinner glaze it should dissolve into the bowl within one second.

  • Whisk in vanilla extract.

    ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Use to drizzle over muffins, scones, coffee cakes, etc.

Notes

Sifting

I very rarely sift my sugar when making a glaze. I’m typically able to whisk any lumps out. However, if your powdered sugar seems particularly lumpy or a perfectly smooth glaze is critical, I recommend sifting after measuring to guarantee smooth results.

Milk substitutes

I recommend using whole milk. You may substitute heavy cream, a lower fat milk, or non-dairy milk. Keep in mind that if you are using a lower-fat milk, it will be thinner and you will likely need slightly less than is called for.

Troubleshooting

If you accidentally made your glaze too thin, simply whisk in more powdered sugar, a Tablespoon at a time. If your glaze is too thick even after adding all of the milk, add more milk a teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 121g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 49mg | Sugar: 119g | Vitamin A: 49IU | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nikki

    Can you add food coloring onto this glaze to make it a different color?

    Reply

    • Sam

      Hi Nikki! You could certainly color this glaze. ☺️

      Reply

  2. Patriot

    Can I use pineapple juice instead of the milk I’d like to make a lite glaze on my pineapple-cherry dump cake what do you think?

    Reply

    • Sam

      That should work just fine. 🙂

      Reply

  3. Freya

    Vanilla Glaze Recipe (11)
    This recipe was a life saver. Three tablespoons of full fat milk was perfect, along with red icing and a dash of strawberry flavour, for my little boy’s strawberry cake. Definitely using it again.

    Reply

    • Sam

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Freya! 🙂

      Reply

  4. Evie

    Vanilla Glaze Recipe (12)
    Very quick and easy!

    Reply

  5. Evie Wilsford

    Vanilla Glaze Recipe (13)
    This is a really easy and tasty glaze recipe that I used for muffins. I would definitely recommend it if you need a glaze that is quick and easy.

    Reply

    • Sam

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Evie! 🙂

      Reply

  6. Cheryl

    I add a very small amount of melted butter which I think adds richer flavor.

    Reply

    • Evie

      Hmmm, I’ll be sure to try that next time! Does it make it thicker?

      Reply

5 from 10 votes (7 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Vanilla Glaze Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is vanilla glaze made of? ›

Why You Should Make This Vanilla Glaze (Icing) It's uses only three ingredients: confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla (see notes below regarding choosing vanilla). It's incredibly versatile and works on everything from cookies and cakes to scones and loaf cakes.

Does vanilla glaze need to be refrigerated? ›

Does vanilla glaze need to be refrigerated? Because of its high sugar content, this glaze is fine to sit out of refrigeration for a few days.

Can you make glaze without powdered sugar? ›

To make icing without icing sugar, start by grinding granulated white sugar in a blender for 5 minutes or until it feels fine and powdery. Then, pour the sugar into a bowl and whisk it to make it fluffier and clump-free. Once you've whisked the sugar, just use it as a substitute for icing sugar in your recipe!

What is sweet glaze made of? ›

It's delicious and easy to make, calling for just confectioners' (or powdered) sugar, melted butter, and milk. The glaze hardens when it sets, creating a beautiful, sweet decoration that you'll use often in your baking adventures.

What are the three basic ingredients in glaze? ›

A BASE GLAZE is a mixture of these three basic groups: SILICA, FLUX AND ALUMINA.

What are the 4 components of glaze? ›

GLAZE COMPONENTS
  • Glass former- silica (SiO2), melting point 3119 degrees Fahrenheit. (RO2)
  • Flux- lowers the melting point of silica; provides the great variety of surfaces in ceramic glazes. ...
  • Stabilizer- alumina, keeps the glaze on a vertical surface; stiffens the melt. (
Jul 15, 2019

Can I use regular sugar for a glaze? ›

Combine granulated sugar, water and salt in 1-quart saucepan. Stir over heat until sugar dissolves. boil, without stirring to 230 degrees F or thread stage. Remove from heat.

What happens if you use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar? ›

"Regular sugar has a larger crystal size than powdered sugar," he explains. "This means, cup for cup, there would be more sugar in a cup of powdered sugar than in a cup of regular sugar." In addition to inconsistent measurements, regular sugar won't dissolve and mix as well into recipes like frosting and icing.

How do you thicken a glaze without icing sugar? ›

If you are trying to avoid adding more sugar to an already sweet dessert, try adding a flavor-appropriate thickening agent to your frosting. These thickening agents include: cornstarch, gelatin, cream cheese, cocoa powder, cold heavy cream, tapioca, arrowroot starch, flour and even butter.

How do you thicken a glaze without sugar? ›

Add corn starch

If you want to thicken your royal icing without adding additional sugar, you can add a minimal amount of corn starch (less than a teaspoon) to help your icing thicken up.

How is a glaze made? ›

A glaze is made up of three parts. A flux/melter that lowers the melting point, a refractory/stabilizer that bonds the glaze to the clay, and a glass former like silica. This creates the base and then a stain is added to give the glaze its color. It's a bit like mixing paint and a bit more like a chemistry experiment.

What can I use instead of confectioners sugar in glazed? ›

Just blend the coconut sugar until it becomes a fine powder. Combine 1 cup of coconut sugar with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot powder if you need confectioners' sugar.

What is glaze on donuts made of? ›

Glaze or fill as follows, and serve as soon as possible. Whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. When the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, dip into the glaze; if you like, flip them so the tops they're completely covered. Put on racks to let the glaze harden.

What is white glaze made of? ›

The white glaze is composed of lead and silica and is opacified with tin (between 25 and 37 percent lead monoxide; between . 18 and . 58 percent tin dioxide) (Emoto and Hasebe 1986, Yamazaki et al.

What makes a glaze sauce? ›

Glazes tend to be a thicker consistency than sauces to help them stick to hot meat. Most glaze recipes will use more sugar than a sauce recipe, while sauce recipes are more likely to use spices and herbs to add flavor.

What's the difference between icing and glaze? ›

Icing is a little thinner than frosting and is often poured or piped over coffee cakes, pound cakes, doughnuts and cookies—and it usually hardens when it dries. Glaze is the thinnest and most fluid of the three, and it will set but won't harden as much as icing.

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