Here’s your answer for an easy, soft, luxurious sugar cookie frosting! Six of our favorite icing recipes to spread on top of homemade cookies and decorate as desired…sprinkles anyone?! Mix and match your favorite flavors, there’s something for everyone to love!
There’s nothing quite like an old-fashioned soft sugar cookie. They melt in your mouth with their soft texture that’s slightly chewy with a hint of tang. Until now…
Now when we take our favorite frosting flavors and spread them on top of those amazing sugar cookies to create an unreal cookie experience!
Why You’ll Love these Frosting Recipes
These sugar cookie icing recipes have the same buttercream base. It’s made with simple ingredients of powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract (in most cases), and whichever flavor you’re making. It doesn’t require any corn starch or corn syrup.
Texture: You’ll love this smooth, soft frosting that stays soft on the cookies, only very slightly hardening as the outer layer of buttercream frosting does, but it does not harden overall. The buttercream frosting stays soft, smooth, and melts in your mouth.
Easy: It’s easy to make and so versatile! You’ll love how adaptable the flavors are, and how easy it is to make a batch of fluffy buttercream frosting!
Decoration and Flavor: It’s a decadent addition to soft homemade sugar cookies and is easy to decorate with sprinkles or additional drizzles of icing, chocolate, or caramel.
Now the only question left: which flavor will you try first?
How to Make Buttercream Frosting
It’s pretty simple to make homemade frosting, you’ll be amazed. You will need a stand or hand mixer to make the best-whipped frosting, making sure it’s light and airy. Start by creaming the butter to make sure it is smooth and will incorporate fully into the sugar and other ingredients.
Once the butter is ready, mix in powdered sugar in batches, incorporating between each addition, and adding flavor variations as needed. Find exact variations below, but here are some overall tips for how to make the best frosting.
Use Softened Unsalted Butter
Typically I’d say room temperature, but if your room temperature is too hot or too cold, it can affect the outcome of your butter and therefore frosting, too.
Properly softened room temperature butter will hold a finger imprint, but is not so soft it melts into itself or is losing its shape, and not so hard you cannot gently press your finger into it.
Clup-Free Powdered Sugar
Have you ever had powdered sugar that was clumpy…like, little pebbles? To ensure your frosting is completely smooth, it’s important to get any clumps out of your powdered sugar before mixing it into the frosting.
You can do this by sifting it through a fine-mesh strainer before using it. You’ll find the little ‘pebbles’ left in the sieve, and you can just discard them, proceeding with the sifted sugar.
Dry and Wet Ingredients
Making homemade frosting is really customizable. Using a variety of ratios between powdered sugar and liquid you can adjust the texture of the frosting – making it thicker or thinner depending on your preferences.
- Thicker Frosting: add powdered sugar in 1-2 tablespoon increments until the frosting is at the desired thickness. Thicker frosting is better for piping it on the cookies, but spreads well, too.
- Thinner Frosting: add whole milk or cream in 1-2 teaspoon increments to thin it out as needed.
Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting
Vanilla buttercream frosting is a classic pairing for both cookies and cakes. It’s nostalgic, comforting, and always hits the spot.
I love using vanilla bean paste both for ease and the most real vanilla flavor, without messing with actual vanilla bean pods. It adds beautiful vanilla bean specks throughout the frosting and tastes incredible, truly making the BEST vanilla buttercream frosting.
Of course, if needed, you can also use real vanilla extract.
Almond Buttercream Frosting
Using almond extract in buttercream frosting is a decadent and indulgent addition. It’s sweet, unique yet comforting, and is a delicious twist on a classic vanilla buttercream. In fact, it *might* be my favorite buttercream…but I’m not going to actually pick favorites.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Oh, go ahead and use a luxurious chocolate frosting for cookies and make the best of all worlds. This is for the chocolate frosting lovers that are for sure filling their cupcakes with chocolate frosting, eating it by the spoon, and spreading it on thick on their cookies.
Use unsweetened 100% cocoa powder for this frosting for a rich, chocolate buttercream you’ll fall in love with.
Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
Talk about LUSCIOUS. Adding peanut butter to buttercream frosting creates a beautifully whipped texture and honestly is irresistible. It’s a frosting I could eat with a spoon (I mean, is there one I wouldn’t though?!). Peanut butter lovers are going to go head over heels for this frosting.
Be sure to use a common big-name brand of creamy peanut butter like Skippy or Jif peanut butter. Natural peanut butter has too much oil that will naturally separate, leaving the frosting in a goopy mess.
Spread it on sugar cookies…sandwich it in chocolate cookies…spread it on a cake…you really can’t go wrong.
Lemon or Orange Buttercream Frosting
When you need a citrusy twist, give lemon or orange buttercream frosting a try. Or, go on a limb and use both lemon and orange.
Zesting citrus gives it the freshest, most vibrant flavor. Rub it between the sugars to release the oil (like we do in lavender scones!) for even more flavor. Since we will be using the fresh fruit to zest it, also use freshly squeezed juice in the frosting.
Between the zest and fresh juice, this frosting is fresh, flavorful, and has the perfect citrus punch.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Sweet and fruity, this buttercream frosting is pretty and delicious. Simply use strawberry preserves or jam to add flavor to the frosting. I recommend using seedless preserves for the smoothest frosting, however, I have used jam that has a few seeds and it hasn’t been a huge issue.
Looking to make it another fruity flavor? Feel free to use blueberry, cherry, or make a raspberry buttercream by changing out the preserves or jam you use.
P.S. there’s a very similar strawberry frosting on these moist, light, fluffy Strawberry Cupcakes, too!
Common Frosting Questions
Buttercream frosting is stable at room temperature for 1-2 days, however, if you need to store it any longer, place it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. When ready to use, warm to room temperature and re-whip for best results.
Yes, buttercream frosting can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge the day before using it to allow it to slowly transition temperature and prevent shock. When you’re ready to use the frosting, whip it to bring back its original fluffy consistency.
The frosting will not harden, it remains soft, but once it’s frosted on your cookies a crust may form. Place plastic wrap on top of your frosted treats to prevent further crusting.
If you’ll be enjoying the cookies within 3 days of making and frosting them, store them in an airtight container at room temperature on the counter. If storing longer, transfer the airtight container to the fridge.
Yes, you absolutely can. Store it as recommended in the fridge or freezer, depending on when you’ll use it, and re-whip when you’re ready to frost your cookies.
More Frosting Recipes to Love
If you’re looking for even more frosting recipes, check out one of these recipes:
- Cream Cheese Frosting (on Pumpkin Bars…and Guinness Cupcakes, and Red Wine Cupcakes, too!)
- Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting (on Pumpkin Sugar Cookies!)
- Mint Cream Cheese Frosting (on brownies!)
- Sour Cream Frosting (on a mini chocolate cake!)
- Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting (on apple cider cupcakes!)
- Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting (with strawberry cake!)
Sugar Cookie Frosting: 6 Ways
Equipment
Ingredients
Vanilla Bean Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk or half-and-half
Almond Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 Tablespoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk or half-and-half
Chocolate Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons whole milk or half-and-half
- Pinch fine salt
Strawberry Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup seedless strawberry preserves or jam
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk or half-and-half if needed
Orange or Lemon Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon fresh orange or lemon juice
- Zest one orange or lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- Pinch fine salt as needed
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter Skippy or Jif
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- Pinch fine salt
Instructions
Vanilla Bean Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add vanilla bean paste and milk to combine. Add powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments, beating between each addition until smooth. Continue working until light and fluffy. approximately 2-3 minutes on medium speed.
Almond Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add almond and vanilla extracts, and milk to combine. Add powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments, beating between each addition until smooth. Continue working until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes on medium speed.
Chocolate Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and milk to combine. Add a pinch of salt, and powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments, beating between each addition until smooth. Continue working until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes on medium speed.
Strawberry Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add strawberry preserves and mix to combine. Add powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments, beating between each addition until smooth. Continue working until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes on medium speed. You likely won't need milk due to the moisture in the jam, but if you do, add about 1/2 tablespoon at a time until desired texture is reached.
Orange or Lemon Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add juice and vanilla extract to combine. Rub the zest with the powdered sugar for additional flavor (optional) then, in 1/2 cup increments, add the sugar to the butter, beating between each addition until smooth. Continue working until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes on medium speed.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add peanut butter and mix to combine. Add powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments, beating between each addition until smooth, along with a pinch of salt. Continue working until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes on medium speed. You likely won't need milk due to the moisture in the peanut butter, but if you do, add about 1/2 tablespoon at a time until desired texture is reached. You may want to add an additional 1/2 cup powdered sugar if it is too fluffy and smooth, too.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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