Lemon Vanilla Bean Glaze adds a bright and zesty accent to cookies, cakes, scones, and more! It is rich with sunny lemon and flecks of warm vanilla bean paste and adds a sweet sheen to your baked goods. Just add ingredients to a bowl and whisk!
This Lemon Vanilla Bean Glaze is packed with rich lemon and vanilla bean flavor. We love to drizzle it on our lemon shortbread cookies or Meyer lemon olive oil cake for dessert. We also love it with our blackberry lemon bread and pancakes for breakfast. In general, we recommend making some to enjoy with a yummy sweet then saving the rest for later!
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About Lemon Vanilla Glaze
- Taste - The combination of lemon, sugar, and vanilla add a bright and citrusy accent to sweets.
- Texture - The glaze is thick but light enough to drizzle over your favorite baked goods.
- Effort - All you need to do is mix the ingredients then use it or store it for later.
- Time - It takes just 3 minutes to mix the ingredients.
Ingredients
- Powdered sugar - Powdered sugar is the sweet base for the glaze.
- Lemon juice and zest - Fresh lemon juice and zest provides a bright and zesty flavor.
- Vanilla bean paste - Vanilla adds a delicious complexity to the glaze. Use high-quality vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract for a true distinct vanilla flavor. Vanilla bean paste will show flecks of vanilla bean in the glaze.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions/Variations
- Pure lemon glaze - Omit the vanilla for a more pure lemon glaze.
- Miso glaze - Replace the lemon with miso paste for an umami flavored glaze.
- Matcha glaze - Try our matcha glaze for a unique and earthy alternative.
- Citrus - Use other citrus juice and zest, like grapefruit, lime, Meyer lemon, orange, tangerine, and more.
Instructions
- Whisk glaze - In a bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla bean paste until it forms a smooth glaze. If the glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar; if the glaze is too thick, add a little more lemon juice. Use for cakes, cookies, scones, and more.
Pro tip - Be sure the baked goods are cool before you glaze them. This ensures the glaze won't run off the baked goods or soak into them too much.
Storage
Store leftover glaze in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week for best results. After 1 week, the glaze will lose its texture. You can also freeze the glaze in a freezer bag for up to 1 month.
Recipe FAQs
The lemon glaze should be smooth and sticky. It should be slightly thinner than syrup but not runny.
Yes, you could use orange, lime, or grapefruit to make a delicious glaze.
Frosting is typically thicker than an icing or glaze. Frosting also usually has a cream cheese or butter base while a glaze is usually made from powdered sugar.
If you want to make it thicker, add a little more powdered sugar. If you want to make it thinner, add a little more water, milk, or lemon juice.
Once the glaze dries, it should add a nice sheen to your baked goods. But it should still be soft once it dries.
Top Tip
- Sift the powdered sugar and whisk the ingredients thoroughly so there aren't any clumps.
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Lemon Vanilla Bean Glaze (For Cakes, Cookies, and More)
Equipment
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste optional
Instructions
- Whisk glaze - In a bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla bean paste until it forms a smooth glaze. If the glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar; if the glaze is too thick, add a little more lemon juice. Use for cakes, scones, cookies, and more.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
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Notes
- Make sure the baked goods are cool before you glaze them. This ensures the glaze won't run off the baked goods or soak into them too much.
- Whisk the glaze ingredients thoroughly so there aren't any clumps.
- Store leftover glaze in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week for best results. After 1 week, the glaze will lose its texture. You can also freeze it in a freezer bag for up to 1 month.
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