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!
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
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
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk.
- Add more milk as needed, depending on how you plan to use your glaze, until desired consistency is reached.
- 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!
Frequently Asked Questions
Because of its high sugar content, this glaze is fine to sit out of refrigeration for a few days.
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.
This glaze won’t harden like royal icing, but it will firm up nicely. The thinner you make it, the softer it will be.
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 on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Vanilla Glaze Recipe
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
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.
Cassie
Delicious! Should left over glaze be stored in the fridge or will it get hard?
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Cassie! It won’t get hard, but will definitely firm up as it sits so it’s not the best candidate for storing and using later.
Skye
Very yum glaze and very easy recipe! It was super handy being able to make it so quickly. I do have a quick question as well though, would this glaze be suitable for a no-bake cheesecake?
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Skye! It would be an interesting combination, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. 🙂
Marty
Those cinnamon rolls looked sooooo yummy in the grocery store on sale, yet!! However, “gut bomb”, my pilot husband’s favorite term for purchased pastry was more accurate, This glaze saved the day. A little heat and alot of glaze and he actually enjoyed them. So thank you very much 😊
Sam
I’m glad the glaze was able to save the day! 🙂
Violet
Good
Nikki
Can you add food coloring onto this glaze to make it a different color?
Sam
Hi Nikki! You could certainly color this glaze. ☺️
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?
Sam
That should work just fine. 🙂
Freya
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.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Freya! 🙂
Evie
Very quick and easy!
Evie Wilsford
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.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Evie! 🙂
Cheryl
I add a very small amount of melted butter which I think adds richer flavor.
Evie
Hmmm, I’ll be sure to try that next time! Does it make it thicker?
Mindy
After making this I remembered how awful powdered sugar tastes on its own(i hadn’t had it in years i usually make a cream cheese frosting) 😆 Yes it’s your basic powdered sugar glaze nothing wrong with the recipe itself. Since I personally didn’t care for the powdered sugar taste i added a little soft butter, and lemon juice, and omg SO much better.