I’m so excited about this sugar free frosting that is suitable for GAPS/SCD! I had no idea cooked frosting could be this simple or tasty. This fluffy marshmallow frosting is going to be my new standard frosting- whether the cake I’m making is grain and sugar free or not.
Simple Meringue Frosting Recipe
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 egg whites, eggs at room temperature will be easier to separate
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
Simple Meringue Frosting Directions
This recipe takes less than 10 minutes, but it does have to be done all at once. The honey must be poured into the egg whites while it is still hot or it will solidify. The hot honey also cooks the egg whites.
- Heat honey in a saucepan over medium heat 5-10 minutes; until mixture bubbles and darkens.
- Meanwhile, separate two eggs, being very careful to avoid getting any yolk in with the whites.
- Add the salt to the egg whites.
- Put two whites in a stand mixer with a whip attachment, or use a hand held mixer and a bowl held steady by a helper.
- Mix starting on medium.
- As the eggs start to froth, turn the mixer up to high.
- At the same time you turn the mixer up to high, start pouring the honey in with a thin steady stream, taking about 1 minute to pour in the hot honey.
- Continue mixing on high as the frosting fluffs and thickens and is cool enough to touch, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the optional vanilla while mixing.
- Use a spatula or butter knife to frost cupcakes, or spoon into a piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes for a more decorative look. The icing goes on the cupcakes or cake easiest if used within a couple hours of making.
This looks so good! I’m so glad you posted this. I always have extra egg whites in my fridge but most egg white recipes are loaded with white sugar. My kids keep asking me to by them marshmallows, they will love this.
It’s really good on hot chocolate too!
Yum!! Can’t wait to try it soon!
Do you have a GAPS legal hot chocolate recipe?
This looks amazing! I have been CRAVING cupcakes with frosting. I’ve been hard pressed to find a suitable alternative sugary icings- this will work great. I’m so excited!
How funny, i tried this for the first time at the weekend and i was really excited with it too. The only difference was i added a pinch of cream of tartar (is that GAPS legal? not sure) and only warmed the honey. It’s absolutely delicious with chopped roasted hazelnuts!
Funny thing is we had some cake over and ate it up over the next couple of days and as time passed it apppeared to melt like snow, gradually disappearing(presumably it’s all the air that’s incorporated into the frosting ‘releasing’?). It looked just like the way snow melts gradually over a few days!
I think that by cooking the honey until it darkens, it will hold up better – mine was the same 3 days later when we used up the rest as a topping on tea :) And I wish cream of tartar was GAPS legal, but it’s not. It sure is good for stabilizing egg whites though!
I’m curious, Charlotte: Is simply warming the honey enough to cook the egg whites? I buy raw honey & really would prefer not to heat it too much. Glad to know it works for you…but am really wondering how it affects the egg.
PS. This sounds wonderful, Cara, & I am looking forward to trying it! I’ve missed frosting [and marshmallows!]
Hi Thia, no the egg whites remain raw in my version. I know some people feel raw egg white might not be as digestible as the yolks but I don’t feel too concerned (people in traditional cultures who eat eggs raw don’t separate the white out first). Of course we make sure our eggs are from organic free range chickens.
I’m at Nic’s house in Co, our last night here, and I saw this testimony and thought you’d be interested, http://gnowfglins.com/2010/10/05/our-experience-with-curing-food-allergy/
As you know, Nic is amazing, I’ve learned so much about being a mom and a homemaker being here with her since the wee hours of Saturday night. Sadly we leave in the morning, and I wish I could take her with me!!!!
I know you’re down there, I’m a little bit jealous :) I read the article, that’s fascinating! I cured my milk allergy by following the GAPS diet for a few months, but I wonder if this NEAT stuff would be good for Hannah. Thanks for sharing!
This is incredibly cool! I really have had no success making simple frosting w/o refined sugar! This looks like THE PERFECT solution! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this recipe! My kids are on SCD (with lots of broth – GAPS!). My son’s birthday is next week and I was going to do a sad fake cake from fruit, but when I found your coconut flour and simple meringue frosting recipes, even I am excited to eat these treats! I was even inspired by your photograph for boy party ideas…thanks again!
Hi there, just thought I would add my experience here. I made this yesterday – just for fun as I am not on any particular diet, and frankly, hated it. I ate it on gold cupcakes cake with fresh grated coconut and was sorely disappointed. I also tried in in cocoa which was okay; nothing special though. I was disappointed as the point of the experiment was to make a cake for a friends b’day. I went ahead and iced the 8″ gold cake with the fluff and the coconut and stuck it in the fridge. I decided against giving it to my friend though, as I would be too embarrassed. So, next day (today) I cut a piece figuring I’m not going to throw it out might as well have it as I was feeling for something sweet.
O. M. G. Overnight it turned SENSATIONAL! I don’t know if it was the chilling or what, but the icing is GOOD. Thanks so much! I feel bad for my friend as I can’t give her the cake now.. it has a piece cut out of it;)
TL;DR: Initially thought icing was bad, but it’s super good and kicks butt!
Hi Cara, do you think you could use this icing to frost cookies with? I’m making Christmas cookies (sugar and gingerbread, but only with sprouted flour and unrefined cane sugar). I need an icing or glaze for them. Will this work, or would you have any other suggestions?
Thanks!
I think you could, I had thought about piping it, but I didn’t have the time.
Cara, I just made this incredible icing! Wow, it was so simple and so light and tasty. I thank you so much for sharing with us. Keep up the great work you do in bringing us GAPS friendly recipes etc. It has been a great help!
This looks great! Do you think it would work if I tried to bake the frosting to make meringue cookies? SO hard to find a meringue recipe without refined sugar.
I’ve done meringue cookies with it before- I bake in a warm oven (250-300) on parchment paper :)
I wanted to let you know that I added a link of your recipe to my blog. Your frosting was delicious!
http://againstallgrain.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/cupcakes-yes-scd-cupcakes/
I’m sooo excited to try this! My sin is so allergic to table sugars, this is going to be perfect for his birthday thank you!!!o
oh my GOODNESS. What a great find this recipe is! Do you think it would be possible to flavor it at all or will the whites go flat?
I haven’t tried it! If you do, can you let us know?
i tried these 2 separate times and both the meringue went liquidy the second the honey touched it.
what the heck am i doing wrong?
I think it’s supposed to go liquidy right as soon as you add the honey–mine did. Just keep whipping it and it should thicken.
Wow, this was really easy and really really good!! I used it on the orange-vanilla cupcakes. I added some of the orange juice (3 tbsp?) during the final whipping process, and it worked just fine! Light and yummy. I increased the recipe by 1/2 and used 3 egg whites, not knowing how much it would make… I have iced a dozen cupcakes and could probably generously ice 2 dozen more…! I’m going to try to make meringues with the leftover after my oven cools down.
Perfect! I was on a last minute search for a recipe for my brother’s birthday cake because he wanted a cake that looked like an oreo cookie (white icing in the middle). I wasn’t sure if white icing existed that was gaps legal. Thank you!! :)
I just tried it and I don’t think I heated the honey long enough, it came out runny : / Any tips?! It still tastes great on the other hand!!! Thanks SO much for this recipe!!!
Has anyone tried colouring this? I am thinking of using natural home made vegetable colours to make it all pretty!
I just made this icing tonight. Maybe this is common knowledge, but if not I thought I’d let everyone know…cocoa ruins it! It was all sloppy and gooey. I tried it again with no cocoa and it turned out perfect and iced my cake beautifully. Thanks for the recipe!
This looks so great! Can I use maple syrup instead of honey? My son is very sensitive to honey, and perhaps even allergic.
Hello, I’m going to try this recipe this weekend ! Is there a way for me to make the frosting on the cupcake look like the ones from meringue pies – with the brownish peaks. Will it get over cook if I frost the cupcakes and then put them back into the oven to brown the frosting ? Any one tried? Thanks!!
Lastly, if I want to add flavored syrup, from a can of fruit cocktail, to the whites, should I add it after it gets stiffer (after honey goes in) or before the honey?
Thanks!!!!!
Hey curious if I can leave out the salt? How imparting is it to the final result?!?
I have substituted maple syrup for the honey, and it was delicious!