Blackberry Icing Glaze (with Fresh Blackberry Juice or Powder)
Blackberry icing is a beautiful, delicious glaze perfect for cookies and quick breads. Made with just a few, simple ingredients, this icing offers sweet blackberry flavor with a pretty hue.
vegan • easy • low waste
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Jump to:
- ✨ difference between blackberry icing, frosting, glaze, and topping
- 📝 quick recipe overview
- 💜 what you'll love about this blackberry icing recipe
- 🥣 ingredient notes
- 🔪 equipment notes
- 🧑🏽🍳 instruction notes
- ❓difference between the two methods
- Recipe
- 🍽️ how to serve blackberry icing
- 🧊 storage
- ✅ flavor variations
- ♻️ sustainability profile
- waste
- ❓ frequently asked questions
- 💜 more blackberry recipes
- 🕰️ the latest
Blackberry icing is not only pretty, but especially versatile because you can make it with blackberry powder or fresh blackberry juice. Use homemade powder for a deeper purple color and slightly more blackberry flavor, or fresh blackberry juice for a brighter pink hue.
✨ difference between blackberry icing, frosting, glaze, and topping
The terms "icing," "frosting," "glaze," and "topping" are often used interchangeably; though, there are a few distinctions to consider when deciding which to use.
- Blackberry icing: A thin coating made of powdered sugar, vanilla extract, milk, and a flavor...like blackberry powder or juice. Icing sets when it dries.
- Blackberry frosting: Usually refers to a blackberry-flavored buttercream frosting made from butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and blackberry powder, jam, or juice. The ingredients are creamed together until evenly distributed and results in a thick, spreadable frosting.
- Blackberry glaze: A thinner form of blackberry icing, usually drizzled over sweet breads
- Blackberry topping: A fruit-based preparation, such as a compote or sauce, that contains blackberry pieces and is spooned over a dessert.
📝 quick recipe overview
- Skill level: Easy
- Taste: Sweet and fruity
- Sustainability: High
- Waste: Low
- Cleanup: Easy
- Ingredients: Pantry staples
- Equipment: Basic kitchen tools
- Time: 5 minutes
- Consistency: Pourable, with enough thickness to "set" as it dries
- Kid-friendly: Yes
- Best for: Cookie topping
💜 what you'll love about this blackberry icing recipe
Beautiful color. Depending on how much blackberry powder you use, the icing ranges from a light lilac to a deeper purple.
Adjustable blackberry flavor. The icing adds a little sweet-tart flavor of the blackberries without overwhelming the other flavors of the pastry.
Easy and ready in minutes. You only need some simple ingredients and this is ready in just minutes.
Customizable. Add more liquid for a thinner icing, or less for a thicker version. Or, add different fruit powders or spices for a completely different flavor profile! See our substitutions section for more ideas.
Great way to repurpose food scraps. For a very light blackberry flavor, you can dehydrate blackberry pulp (leftover when you make recipes like blackberry simple syrup) and grind it into a powder to infuse in this icing.
🥣 ingredient notes
Powdered sugar. If you follow a vegan diet and live in the U.S., remember that organic is vegan-friendly. Or, make your own powdered sugar from organic granulated sugar and cornstarch!
Plant-based milk. Choose a neutral-flavored milk. I also recommend unsweetened so you have more control of the sweetness level in the finished icing.
Pure vanilla extract. Creates a well-rounded flavor that complements the blackberry.
Blackberry powder or blackberry juice. You can use homemade blackberry powder or fresh blackberry juice to flavor the icing. Powder made from leftover blackberry pulp may have a more subtle blackberry flavor, while powder made from whole berries can produce a deeper color and more concentrated flavor. Fresh blackberry juice creates a brighter, more pink-toned icing.
🔪 equipment notes
- Measuring cups and spoons.
- Spoon or whisk.
- Bowl.
- Sifter or fine mesh sieve.
- Potato masher or spoon. If using fresh blackberries instead of blackberry powder.
- Small saucepan. If using fresh blackberries instead of blackberry powder.
🧑🏽🍳 instruction notes
Blackberry Powder Method
Add all ingredients to a small bowl.
Stir to combine. Taste and make adjustments based on the flavor and texture you prefer.
Don't have blackberry powder on hand? Continue reading to see how you can make it using fresh blackberries.
Blackberry Juice Method
Warm blackberries. No water is needed in the pot. Just keep the heat on low and stir berries.
Mash berries to extract juice. Use the back of a spoon or potato masher.
Strain pulp from juice. I use a fine mesh strainer to separate the pulp and juice. This will require a little pressing to extract all the juice. Reserve the blackberry pulp to make powder later, or discard in the compost.
Add juice and vanilla to sifted powdered sugar and stir to combine. Sifting the powdered sugar helps the icing come together faster and with less lumps.
❓difference between the two methods
Color. The icing made with blackberry juice will be a little closer to a rose-pink color. It's brighter than the powder. However, the powder creates a really deep purple hue.
- Blackberry juice: Bright rose color
- Blackberry powder made from leftover pulp: Medium purple color
- Blackberry powder made from whole berries: Deepest purple color
Texture. The texture of both are the same, but be prepared to add a little more milk to the version made with blackberry powder to thin it.
Flavor. Both icing versions have a sweet-tart blackberry flavor. The blackberry powder version is a little more "full" thanks to the heartiness of the powder and addition of plant-based milk.
Recipe
Blackberry Icing Glaze Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Sift the powdered sugar and blackberry powder into a bowl. Pre-sift your blackberry powder to remove any seed bits before taking this step.½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon blackberry powder
- Add vanilla extract and milk, then stir to combine.4 teaspoons soy milk, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- To a saucepan over low heat, add fresh blackberries.¼ cup blackberries
- Stir briefly to check if they're starting to release juices and prevent burning. Then, mash with a potato masher or back of a spoon to release juice.
- Strain the pulp from the liquid.
- Sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Add vanilla and blackberry juice before stirring to combine.½ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ cup blackberries
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!🍽️ how to serve blackberry icing
- Icing for shortbread and other baked goods.
- Thin to use as a glaze and drizzle over quick breads.
🧊 storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. The icing will thicken and develop a "skin" as it cools. When you're ready to use again allow to come to room temperature and stir thoroughly to create an even texture.
✅ flavor variations
You can customize this blackberry icing by substituting blackberry powder or juice with other flavors. Below are a few ideas:
- Other fruit powders or juices:
- Strawberry
- Blueberry
- Lemon
- Orange
- Herbs or dried petals, ground into a powder:
- Hibiscus
- Mint
- Butterfly pea
- Matcha
- Ground spices
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Nutmeg
- Turmeric (for color, not flavor)
- Mix with other syrups
- Maple
- Any fruit simple syrup
💡 Tip: When using a different powder or juice as a substitute for the blackberry powder, add in small amounts to taste and adjust amounts to your liking.
♻️ sustainability profile
sourcing
Organic sugar and produce. If you're following a vegan diet, check the package or contact the manufacturer to confirm the sugar is vegan. In the U.S., organic sugar is generally processed without bone char, making organic powdered sugar a convenient option for many vegans. You can also make your own powdered sugar from organic granulated sugar and cornstarch.
waste
Use the entire berry. This recipe uses blackberry powder, which can be made from dehydrating a food scrap (blackberry pulp) from other blackberry recipes. If you make the version with blackberry juice, use the pulp to make a fresh batch of blackberry powder. Therefore, this recipe allows you to either use blackberry powder you already have on hand, or create more from leftover pulp.
❓ frequently asked questions
How do I get my glaze to harden?
After you've applied the glaze to your cookies (or pastry), allow the cookies to rest and glaze to dry, or "set." The icing will harden as it dries. After several hours, you can gently test the top to see if it's resistant enough to pressure and safe to stack in a storage container.
What is the easiest icing to make?
While all icing is relatively easy, icing with powdered sugar and a liquid is one of the easiest types of icing to make. It only requires a few, simple ingredients and requires stirring instead of whipping or creaming to create air and volume.
Is blackberry icing gluten free?
Yes, this blackberry icing is naturally gluten-free. As always, check ingredient labels if you need to avoid gluten due to an allergy, intolerance, or celiac disease, particularly for ingredients that may be processed in facilities that also handle gluten products and could experience cross-contamination.
💜 more blackberry recipes
- Blackberry Powder
- Blackberry Simple Syrup
- Blackberry Lemon Bread
- Banana Blackberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Blackberry Strawberry Banana Smoothie
