Cookie Frosting Recipe (Soft yet Stackable!) Cooking With Karli (2024)

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The only frosting you’ll need for Sugar Cookies from now on- Super simple to make, actually tastes good (we all know what I’m talking about), and the outside of the frosting crusts so they can be packaged without the frosting smearing everywhere! That’s a win-win-win, as Michael Scott would say.

Cookie Frosting Recipe (Soft yet Stackable!) Cooking With Karli (1)

This Sugar Cookie Frosting Recipe is Delicious and Stackable!

This frosting is one of those things that I know I could do some real damage with. I could eat this stuff by the spoonful..okay, okay. You caught me. I totallyhave eaten this stuff by the spoonful and I certainly won’t judge you if you do the same.

This frosting can be used with homemade Sugar Cookies, store-bought sugar cookies, or even the kind that you make from a mix from the grocery store. No matter the cookie, this frosting with MAKE it.

This crusting buttercream is incredibly easy to make and super delicious, to boot. Before you know it, you’ll be making it to top literally everything with. Again, no judgement here.

Cookie Frosting Recipe (Soft yet Stackable!) Cooking With Karli (2)

Cookie Frosting Ingredients

  • Butter– This is what all good frostings start with, right? I alway use salted butter. If you only have unsalted on hand, add a pinch of salt to the frosting.
  • Vegetable Shortening– hear me out with this one, this is the magical ingredient that makes our frosting crust. Meaning, it was have a dry outer layer so it won’t smear like crazy but the inside of the frosting will stay soft and creamy. If you are planning on eating immediately, you can totally use all butter. However, if packaging these bad boys up is in your future, definitely use the vegetable shortening.
  • Powdered sugar– This both sweetens and thickens the frosting.
  • Vanilla– I’m a vanilla girl through and through but feel free to get creative here. Almond extract, cake batter, you name it, you can use it! Note that I usually use Clear Vanilla to get a bright white frosting which makes coloring the frosting easier.
  • Milk or Heavy Cream– I always have heavy cream on hand so that is what I typically use to achieve a super rich and creamy frosting. You can definitely use milk, you just won’t need near as much.

Depending on what my plans are with the frosting, I will often use all butter instead of half butter, half shortening. This will result in a non-crusting frosting.

Cookie Frosting Recipe (Soft yet Stackable!) Cooking With Karli (3)

How to Make Frosting for Sugar Cookies

  1. In a mixing bowl, start by creaming the butter and vegetable shortening until it becomes smooth. Use the lowest setting on your mixer.
  2. Add one cup of powdered sugar, followed by just enough milk or heavy cream to blend the powdered sugar and butter mixture together.
  3. Repeat this step for the remaining powdered sugar, continuing to mix on the lowest setting. At this point, the frosting should be quite thick.
  4. Now, add the vanilla extract (or flavoring of your choice) and mix thoroughly into the frosting.
  5. To achieve your desired frosting consistency, gradually add small amounts of milk or heavy cream at a time. Keep the mixer on the lowest setting while doing this.
  6. Once you’ve reached the ideal consistency, divide the frosting into separate bowls and add gel food coloring to achieve your desired colors.
  7. Transfer the colored frosting into piping bags for decorating the cooled cookies, or you can use a knife to spread it onto the cookies.
Cookie Frosting Recipe (Soft yet Stackable!) Cooking With Karli (4)

Cookie Frosting Recipe Tips

  • Use Clear Vanilla Extract to keep your frosting bright and white! If you plan on dying the frosting, this helps to keep your colors bright! I found mine at Walmart.
  • Butter: You can use all butter instead of half butter and half shortening, this will just result in a non crusting frosting. That type of buttercream is not stackable at all.
  • Shelf life: this frosting is okay at room temperature for 2-3 days. I know, I know. The milk! Have no fear! There is enough sugar to stabilize the milk.

Sugar Cookie Frosting Storage

In the short term (a few hours or up to 2 days) store in and air tight container on the counter. If you are wanting to store longterm (up to 1 week!) store in the refrigerator. Just pull the frosting out a few hours before needing it to allow the frosting to come up to room temperature.

Frosting for Cookies FAQs

Is this Sugar Cookie Frosting okay at room temperature even though it contains milk?

Yes! All that powdered sugar stabilizes the milk in this recipe and keeps it from spoiling.

When is the best time to add food coloring to the Sugar Cookie Frosting?

Add the food coloring by hand right before frosting the cookies. So, if you are planning on saving this frosting to use later in the week, I would suggest keeping the frosting white until right before using it.

Do I have to use Clear Vanilla Extract in my Sugar Cookie Frosting?

Nope, regular vanilla extract will taste great! I like to use the clear extract so my frosting colors stay bright and clear. Using Clear extract also allows for a brilliant white frosting.

Is cookie icing different than frosting?

Yes, cookie icing and frosting are different in terms of their texture, consistency and intended use. Frosting is typically thicker and can be piped or spread onto cookies while icing is thinner and usually is like a glaze on a cookie.

Cookie Frosting Recipe (Soft yet Stackable!) Cooking With Karli (5)

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  • Brownie Ice-cream Sandwiches
  • Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
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4.70 from 145 votes

Frosting for Sugar Cookies

By: Karli Bitner

Sugar Cookie Frosting is a crusting vanilla buttercream that pipes and holds shape but tastes amazing at the same time!

Prep Time: 4 minutes minutes

Total Time: 4 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp clear vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream , can sub milk (approx 2 tbsp), if desired.

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, start by creaming the butter and vegetable shortening until it becomes smooth. Use the lowest setting on your mixer.

  • Add one cup of powdered sugar, followed by just enough milk or heavy cream to blend the powdered sugar and butter mixture together.

  • Repeat this step for the remaining powdered sugar, continuing to mix on the lowest setting. At this point, the frosting should be quite thick.

  • Now, add the vanilla extract (or flavoring of your choice) and mix thoroughly into the frosting.

  • To achieve your desired frosting consistency, gradually add small amounts of milk or heavy cream at a time. Keep the mixer on the lowest setting while doing this.

  • Once you've reached the ideal consistency, divide the frosting into separate bowls and add gel food coloring to achieve your desired colors.

  • Transfer the colored frosting into piping bags for decorating the cooled cookies, or you can use a knife to spread it onto the cookies.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 2mg | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 61IU | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.01mg

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Cookie Frosting Recipe (Soft yet Stackable!) Cooking With Karli (7)
Cookie Frosting Recipe (Soft yet Stackable!) Cooking With Karli (8)
Cookie Frosting Recipe (Soft yet Stackable!) Cooking With Karli (9)
Cookie Frosting Recipe (Soft yet Stackable!) Cooking With Karli (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between cookie icing and frosting? ›

Frosting is the thickest of these confections and is ideal for spreading or piping on cakes, cupcakes and cookies. Icing is a little thinner than frosting and is often poured or piped over coffee cakes, pound cakes, doughnuts and cookies—and it usually hardens when it dries.

How to stack frosted sugar cookies? ›

Once decorated, pre-freeze the frosted cookies on a cookie sheet for 15-30 minutes, until hardened. Afterward, transfer the frozen cookies to an airtight container. As long as the frosting is firm, these can be stacked with a layer of parchment paper in between.

How do you make frosting less stiff? ›

If you stick your spatula into the buttercream, your frosting should maintain a stiff peak. If your buttercream is too thick and can't flow through a piping tip, add more milk – about 1 teaspoon at a time – to slightly thin it out.

Which is softer icing or frosting? ›

I've compiled some of the differences below, but the general consensus seems to be that frosting is thick, fluffy and soft, while icing is thin and hard.

What type of frosting is best for cookie decorating? ›

Royal icing creates clean lines and takes on color to create a vibrant look. It also works for detailed piping and decorating, when you want to make a gingerbread house or small designs.

What is cookie frosting made of? ›

For the icing, you need confectioners' sugar, water, vanilla extract (replace with water to keep the icing stark white, or use clear vanilla extract), a touch of corn syrup, and a little salt. The icing dries firm with a very slight crisp, so you can easily stack your decorated sugar cookies and travel with them.

Is royal icing or buttercream better for cookies? ›

If you want a neat and clean, beautiful/cute design on your cookies, go with royal icing. Most people who are decorating cookies in the first place are going for the eye appeal, so it's a popular choice. But if you value taste over looks, go with messy, delicious buttercream frosting.

How to attach icing to sugar cookies? ›

Decorate your sugar cookies by first outlining the border, then filling in the middle with flood icing which should settle into itself. Use a toothpick or scribe tool to fill in any gaps by spreading the icing around, then tap the cookie on the counter a few times to help the icing settle into a smooth, even layer.

How do you frost sugar cookies without a piping bag? ›

The Basic Dip

Hold a sugar cookie by the sides, then dip the top of the cookie in the royal icing. Lift the cookie from the icing and gently shake away the excess. That's it! (You could use a spatula or knife to spread the icing out, but it's really not necessary.)

Do cookies need to cool before frosting? ›

If the cookies aren't completely cooled when you start decorating, the icing will melt once it hits the warm cookie. Follow this tip: Don't rush the cooling process. The first step to making beautifully decorated cookies is making sure the cookies are completely cooled when you begin adding the icing.

How to make smooth frosting? ›

To make the frosting extra smooth, stir it by hand with a rubber spatula for a minute or two right before you use it. It's an arm workout, but it's worth it! Push the frosting back and forth and spread it around the side of the bowl. This will push out any extra air and make it easier to smooth onto cakes or pipe with.

How do you keep frosted cookies soft? ›

Putting a slice of fresh white bread in the container with the cookies will help the cookies stay soft: fresh bread is moist, and that slice will give up its moisture for the greater good: keeping the cookies from drying out.

How do you make cookies soft? ›

How to Make Soft Cookies
  1. Cream your butter and sugar well.
  2. Choose a low-protein flour.
  3. Don't overmix your dough.
  4. Chill your dough.
  5. Use a higher ratio of white to brown sugar.
  6. Don't chill your dough.
  7. Smash your dough and bang the pan.
Feb 19, 2021

What to do if frosting is too hard? ›

Start by tempting your frosting from the piping bag back into the mixing bowl. Then add 1 tablespoon of milk to the frosting and mix well. If the frosting is still a little too thick and stiff, add another tablespoon of milk. Continue repeating this process until you achieve a smoother, thinner frosting.

How do you soften dry frosting? ›

Ways to Soften Cake Icing

Heat your cake icing in the microwave in 5-second intervals. Don't heat the icing for more than 5 seconds at a time or you could potentially melt it. Stir the icing after every interval to check the texture.

How do you firm up homemade frosting? ›

Most frostings are made with powdered sugar (otherwise known as confectioners' sugar or icing sugar), which contains cornstarch to prevent it from caking. Adding more powdered sugar can be an effective way and the easiest way of absorbing too much liquid to achieve thicker frosting.

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