When it comes to creating beautifully decorated cookies, royal icing is definitely my go-to choice. But what’s the best way to package them?
After investing time and effort into crafting these edible masterpieces, the last thing I want is for my cookies to arrive damaged or stale due to improper packaging. I want something both cute AND practical.
Thankfully, I’ve learned some effective techniques for packaging royal icing cookies that will help ensure they arrive looking just as beautiful as when I finished decorating them.
Key Points at a Glance
- Cookie materials like cellophane bags, bubble wrap, and bakery boxes provide secure and fresh packaging and deliver beautiful, delicious cookies.
- Fully drying royal icing is crucial for successful packaging.
Keep reading for some expert tips for safe travel!
Cellophane Bags
As an avid baker, I’ve found that properly packaging royal icing cookies is essential for maintaining their freshness and appearance.
Clear cellophane bags materials are my go-to packaging for individual cookie packaging, as they keep my cookies fresh and showcase the beautiful designs.
To keep the cookies in pristine condition, I gently slide them into a cello bag and secure the top with a piece of ribbon or packing tape.
Heat Sealing
You can use a heat sealer to seal the cellophane bags for an even better way to keep your cookies fresh. Heat sealing ensures an airtight seal, preserving the cookies’ freshness for weeks.
Labels
I like to apply labels to the back of the cookies, offering a space for a special message, ingredient list, or simply my logo. It gives the cookie packages a touch of professionalism and personalization.
This small detail can make a big difference in the overall presentation of royal icing cookies!
Bubble Wrap
When it comes to shipping or transporting delicate royal icing cookies, bubble wrap is my best friend. I carefully wrap each cookie in a piece of bubble wrap, ensuring the fragile designs are protected.
You can use bubble wrap pouches that fit each cookie perfectly, providing additional protection.
Gift Boxes
Cute gift boxes make the perfect presentation for royal icing cookies. They come in a variety and sizes and colors.
These are best when handing out a few cookies as gifts, or when selling them in your home bake shop.
Cookie Tins
Adorable cookie tins, especially around the holidays, are one of my favorite ways to package royal icing cookies.
The Dollar Tree stocks up on cookie tins as it gets close to Christmas, but they can sell quickly! You can also find cookie tins online.
Cardboard Protection
For a sturdy base and added support, I place a piece of cardboard at the bottom of my gift box or between cookie layers when stacking them.
I often layer tissue paper, crinkle paper, or wrapping paper on top of the cardboard to cushion the cookies and avoid stacking them too high.
Extra filling materials such as tissue paper or parchment paper help prevent the royal icing cookies from shifting during transport.
You want to avoid as much movement as possible when sending cookies through the mail or simply as a gift.
Cookie Buckets
When you’re not shipping your royal icing cookies, and you just want an adorable presentation, look into some decorative metal buckets!
These cookie buckets make great gifts and centerpieces.
Where to Buy Cookie Packaging
Whether you decide to shop online or at physical stores, there are many options available for purchasing the right packaging materials for your royal icing cookies.
Local Stores
If you prefer shopping in person or need materials urgently, several craft stores carry packaging materials suitable for royal icing cookies.
- Michaels
- JoAnns
- Hobby Lobby
In addition, Dollar Tree and Walmart sometimes have affordable cookie boxes, tins, or bins.
Online
There are lots of online cookie suppliers to choose from
Here are some of my favorite cookies supplies:
Why Use Royal Icing
Royal icing is often the go-to choice for many bakers, including myself, when decorating sugar cookies. Its smooth, hard finish offers endless opportunities to create intricate and colorful sugar cookie designs!
The main ingredients in traditional royal icing are egg whites, confectioner’s sugar, water, and flavoring.
What I love about royal icing is that it dries hard. That means you can package your royal icing cookies with intricate designs and layered colors, without fear of the decorations becoming smudged or ruined.
Drying Time
Before packaging cookies, the most important step is to make sure that the royal icing is fully dry. This ensures that the decorations won’t smear during the packaging process.
Royal icing can take anywhere between 4-24 hours to dry completely, depending on factors such as humidity and the thickness of the icing.
Living in a humid environment, I often use a fan or a dehumidifier to help accelerate the drying process.
I check on my cookies periodically to assess their progress and determine if the drying environment needs modifications.
After my royal icing cookies are fully dry, I gather the materials we discussed above, such as clear cellophane bags, tape, bubble wrap, tissue paper, and bakery boxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to store decorated cookies with royal icing is in an airtight container, which helps the cookies maintain their freshness and taste.
This will help keep them fresh for up to two weeks, as long as they’re not exposed to heat, direct sunlight, or moisture, which can soften the icing.
I recommend placing each cookie in a cellophane bag, heat-sealed bag, or wrapping them with plastic wrap.
This will preserve their freshness and protect the icing from damage or contamination.
When transporting decorated cookies, make sure the icing is completely dry and hard before packaging them.
Place them in a sturdy container with layers of bubble wrap or tissue paper separating each cookie. You can also wrap each cookie individually with bubble wrap to provide additional protection.
Royal icing dries faster than buttercream icing, making it the better option for packaging and transporting cookies.
It typically takes about 4-6 hours to dry completely, but this time can vary depending on the thickness of the icing and the humidity in the environment.
Yes, there are alternatives to royal icing for decorating cookies. One popular option is buttercream icing, which has a softer texture and a richer taste than royal icing.
However, buttercream-decorated cookies do not dry as quickly or as hard, so buttercream may not be the best choice for transporting or packaging cookies.
Another option is using melted chocolate or candy melts (also used in my cake popsicles), which can be piped or spread onto cookies and will harden as they cool.
You can learn more about these types of icing and ingredients in my Cake Terminology post.
I hope this cookie guide has been helpful! Taking the time to thoughtfully package royal icing cookies with the appropriate materials and techniques ensures they arrive fresh and beautiful to their final destination.
The right cookie supplies will ensure your cookies remain fresh and well-presented for any occasion.
Best of luck with your royal icing cookie designs!
