It's so easy to create a beautiful watercolor wash using a plastic bag and edible ink markers. I've seen this technique done on paper many times and you know I had to try it on royal icing! See the video tutorial on how to decorate watercolor cookies with edible ink markers below.
Get this tutorial ad-free along with other members-only benefits by subscribing on Patreon!
This post contains affiliate links. Read my affiliate disclosure here.
These cookies are personalized with the names of the women in my family using Chefmaster edible ink markers (available in my Amazon Store). They have a brush tip that makes it easy to write in “fauxligraphy”. Take a look at Laura Hooper Calligraphy and Maria Harwell Caliligraphy on Instagram for great tips on how to write in this style.
Supplies for decorating watercolor cookies with edible ink markers
- Chilled sheet of cookie dough (available in the Cookie Art Club)
- Heart cookie cutter
- Square plaque cookie cutter
- Flood consistency royal icing in white
- Edible ink markers
- Slightly thinned stiff consistency royal icing in teal (I used Chefmaster Teal Green)
- Decorating bags
- Decorating tip 3
- Couplers
- Bag ties
- Scribe tool
- Plastic bag
- Strong vodka or grain alcohol (I use alcohol when I paint on royal icing because it evaporates very quickly, which means that the liquid won’t dissolve the icing.)
- Fine mist spray bottle
Instructions
Step 1
Ice a cookie with white flood consistency royal icing and a decorating tip 3. Use a scribe tool to help shape the icing. Allow the icing to dry completely (overnight is best).
See my Ultimate Guide To Royal Icing to learn all about icing consistencies.
Step 2
Fill a spray bottle with vodka or grain alcohol.
Step 3
Use edible ink markers to color a zip top bag and spray the marker with the vodka.
Step 4
Press the bag onto the cookies. The marker should be dry after a minute or two.
Step 5
Use a scribe tool to draw a name in the icing and then trace the letters with an edible ink marker. Thicken the letters on the downstrokes.
Step 6
Pipe borders with slightly thinned stiff consistency royal icing and a decorating tip 3.
Printable instructions and supply list for watercolor cookies with edible ink markers
Watercolor Cookies With Edible Ink Markers
Learn how to decorate watercolor cookies with edible ink markers! These supplies are available in my Amazon Store unless otherwise noted.
Materials
- Chilled sheet of cookie dough
- Heart cookie cutter
- Square plaque cookie cutter
- Flood consistency royal icing in white
- Chefmaster edible ink markers
- Slightly thinned stiff consistency royal icing in teal (I used Chefmaster Teal Green)
- Decorating bags
- Decorating tip 3
- Couplers
- Bag ties
- Scribe tool
- Zip top bag
- Strong vodka or grain alcohol (I use alcohol when I paint on royal icing because it evaporates very quickly, which means that the liquid won’t dissolve the icing.)
- Fine mist spray bottle
Instructions
- Ice a cookie with white flood consistency royal icing and a decorating tip 3. Use a scribe tool to help shape the icing. Allow the icing to dry completely (overnight is best).
- Fill a spray bottle with vodka or grain alcohol.
- Use edible ink markers to color a zip top bag.
- Spray the marker with the vodka.
- Press the bag onto the cookies. The marker should be dry after a minute or two.
- Use a scribe tool to draw a name in the icing.
- Trace the letters with an edible ink marker. Thicken the letters on the downstrokes.
- Pipe borders with slightly thinned stiff consistency royal icing and a decorating tip 3.
Hi Amber,
Your videos are a great help for a beginner like me, thanks a bunch 🙂. I tried using a food marker. The colour bled into the icing. The icing was left to dry overnight. What could have gone wrong?
Hi D! I'm so glad my videos are helpful. Thank you! This post on painting on royal icing has tips on how to make sure the color doesn't get absorbed into the icing whether you're working with food coloring or edible markers: https://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/painting-on-royal-icing-with-food-coloring/
Gorgeous! Do you ever have issues with the ink smearing once bagged in cello? I’ve let the ink (markers) dry over night, even dusting with cornstarch (letting it sit several hours before dusting off) and finally bagging. The ink still smeared inside the heat-sealed cello bag upon delivery 🙁 any ideas or tips to prevent this?
Thanks!!
Hi Erin! I haven't had issues with the marker smudging, but it might be happening because your icing surface is TOO smooth and not porous (which is usually what we want when making decorated cookies!). This would make it so that the marker just sits on the surface of the icing rather than getting absorbed. You could try getting a more porous icing surface by allowing your cookies to dry slowly (no fans, no dehydrators). You could also try using a different brand of edible ink marker to see if that helps 🙂
These are so beautiful! Do you know if there's a way to do this without using alcohol?
Thanks, Mackenzie! Water is the next best option, although it will most likely leave some pitting on the surface. Read this post for more info about alternatives to alcohol when painting on royal icing: https://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/gold-royal-icing-alternatives-to-alcohol/
Thanks so much! Looking forward to trying this. 😊