Can I make this glaze ahead of time?

Yes! Make this cinnamon glaze recipe a day or two ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you're ready to use it, microwave in 5 second intervals, stirring well in between, until it returns to a drizzle-able consistency. Honestly, though, it takes just as much time to make this glaze from scratch as it does to microwave it if you mixed it ahead of time, so we typically prefer to just make this glaze right when we need it. You can also freeze leftover glaze for up to 6 months.

What's the difference between frosting and glaze?

We consider frosting to be thick and spreadable , while glaze is thin and drizzle-able . Frosting may also have additional dairy products - like heavy cream or milk - while we keep our glazes purposefully minimal and rely on hot water to thin them out. We also use this technique in our chocolate donut icin g and maple glaze for donuts ! Some frostings - like our chocolate fudge frosting and maple frosting recipe - do feature the same melted butter + hot water combination we use in this glaze, although those frostings were developed to be much thicker and spreadable.

Does glaze icing dry?

Yes - as this cinnamon sugar glaze sits, it will dry a bit and develop a very slight crunch along the outer surfaces. The melted butter is what makes this possible: It sets as it cools to room temperature, giving you a more solid texture. Once set, this glaze will hold its shape fairly well: It's great if you need to stack a bunch of scones or cookies in a container, because those pretty glaze drizzles will stay fairly intact! (You can also see this technique in action in our funfetti baked donuts recipe!)

How do I adjust the thickness of the glaze?

If your glaze is too thin, add another spoonful or two of powdered sugar (keep in mind that the glaze will also thicken a little bit as it cools!) If your glaze is too thick, add another splash of hot water.

Cinnamon Glaze (5 Ingredients)

Description

This easy cinnamon glaze is perfect for drizzling over fall cakes, cookies, muffins, and more!

Ingredients

Scale

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
small pinch of kosher salt
1 Tablespoon very hot water (you may not need it all)

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Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine cinnamon, powdered sugar, and melted butter with a small pinch of kosher salt. Mix or whisk until the butter begins to form clumps with the dry ingredients. It will look a bit clumpy and weird here - that's ok!
Add the hot water a teaspoon at a time, mixing well between each addition, until you reach your desired consistency. You may not need all of the water.
Drizzle glaze over cooled baked goods. Let sit for about an hour to let the glaze firm up, then serve and enjoy!

Notes

Additions and Substitutions. Use melted coconut oil instead of butter for a dairy-free/vegan version (the coconut oil will act similarly to butter and help the glaze firm up as it dries). Add a spoonful of cream cheese or a dash of vanilla extract or maple syrup for extra flavor. Mix up the spice blend by adding a pinch of ground nutmeg, ginger, or cloves, or use pumpkin spice in place of the cinnamon.

How hot should my water be? We heat our water in an electric kettle just like if we're making tea! You can also heat water in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop, or just use very hot water from the tap.

How much glaze does this make? This recipe makes about 1/4 cup of glaze. In our testing, this was plenty for drizzling a few ribbons over a batch of scones, cookies, muffins, or coffee cake. It's also the perfect amount for pouring a thin, uniform layer of glaze over a quick bread (like our pumpkin loaf). Feel free to scale this recipe up if you'd like more glaze!

How can I reheat this cinnamon glaze? If you make this glaze ahead of time, microwave in 5 second intervals, stirring well in between, until it returns to a drizzle-able consistency.