Sugar Cookie Frosting: This easy homemade vanilla frosting (vanilla buttercream) is the perfect sugar cookie frosting! It’s light and fluffy, and full of sweet vanilla flavor. This vanilla frosting is my favorite topping for homemade sugar cookies! Plus a video!
How is it already the 14th of December?!
I keep telling myself I have all this time to buy gifts and bake Christmas goodies and do all the things on my Christmas bucket list…and time is ticking away at the speed of light and I just don’t know how I’m going to pack it all in.
Send help.
And time, if any of you have that to spare. 😉
At least I did check one thing off my list: baking Christmas cookies with my sweet niece! My mom, sister, niece and I spent Saturday making homemade cutout sugar cookies with this super Easy Sugar Cookie Frosting, and it as one of those fantastic Christmas-memory-making-moments.
You should have seen her eyes when the cookies came out of the oven. 😍
Cutest thing ever.
Before I go on and on and start sharing pictures and videos (I am unabashedly that aunt), let’s get back to the reason we’re all here!
And, in the words of my niece, “It’s cookie time!”
Sugar Cookie Frosting, that is.
All right, so I’ve been watching Food Network’s Christmas Cookie Challenge, and let me tell you, there are some cookie artists over there.
Umm, I have discovered that I am not a cookie artist.
However, when it comes to sugar cookie frosting, I am all about the vanilla buttercream. And thankfully, spreading buttercream on a cookie does not take any artistic ability whatsoever.
Hallelujah!
Plus, I am way more of a frosting person than I am an icing person. Buttercream is all fluffy and creamy and rich, and icing is a little more in-your-face-sweet, which, for me, can be a little too much on top of an already sweet sugar cookie.
Plus, this sugar cookie frosting is bomb!
I would pretty much slather this on everything, including a spoon.
So, homemade frosting. Have you ever made it before? For some reason, homemade buttercream frosting used to be really intimidating, especially when you can just buy pre-made frosting at the store in pretty much every flavor imaginable.
Homemade frosting, though, is super simple to make! Plus, it tastes better. It’s richer, creamier, and has this sweet flavor that’s unbeatable.
And, and, and! This Sugar Cookie Frosting is only 4-ingredients. Let’s talk about the Tips & Tricks for this Sugar Cookie Frosting!
- Start with room temperature butter. You want the butter to be soft to the touch but not liquid.
- Cream the butter for a couple of minutes (seriously!). It might feel like a long time, but it is worth it to get the butter extra creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar a little bit at a time. Not only will this keep the powdered sugar from exploding everywhere, it also will help it mix more smoothly into the buttercream.
So, technically, even though I call this “sugar cookie frosting,” you can use this vanilla buttercream recipe on any dessert you want.
Sandwich it between Double Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies (I’ve done this before, and YUM.) Spread it over this Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza. Or slather it on some cake.
The possibilities are endless!
Oh happy day!
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
- food coloring, if desired
- With a standing mixer or hand mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes--it seems like a long time, but it's worth it!).
- Add in powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time (beginning with only 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar), beating well after each addition.
- Add in vanilla extract and 2 Tbsp of heavy whipping cream, beating well.
- If the frosting seems too thin, add in the remaining powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add in the remaining heavy whipping cream.
- If desired, add food coloring.
- Spread or pipe onto cookie!
- Enjoy!
- If making ahead of time, keep frosting in the fridge, and then let the frosting come to room temperature before spreading onto cookies.
*Allow the frosting to dry (10-15 minutes or so) before stacking in an airtight container.
Here are some other recipes you might like:
JP says
Do the cookies need to be refrigerated since there’s heavy whipping cream?
Michelle says
If sealed in an airtight container, the cookies and frosting do last for about 3-4 days. You are more than welcome to refrigerate, however, if you would prefer! Thanks!
Anna Lorraine says
So easy and yummy. 🙂 I used Earth Balance Vegan Butter and it still worked great.
Michelle says
Ooh, that’s so good to know! I’m glad it turned out great! ❤️
Moniqueca says
Made cookie cake bars but after reading the reviews decided to look for a different frosting. That’s when I found this recipe and can I say I am so happy that I did!!
Easy recipe, that made my cookie bars pop with the extra flavor. 😊
Peggy Jones says
I dont have heavy whipping cream so going to use half and half.
Jasmine opal says
This worked out great thank you so much! I’m hoping to make a you tube video of it!
Donna says
Awesome recipe! Very vanilla-y! Im mailing to my Dad out of state so i left the milk oit and it tastes fine still. Made one batch with peppermint flavor and green coloring. Savimg this recipe thanks!
Katy says
An making this for my caroling party!
krista Lynn says
ugh! I don’t have heavy whipping cream, can I use milk?
Michelle says
Yes! It won’t be as creamy, but milk will definitely do the trick 🙂
Sara says
Salted or unsalted bitter? Lol
Michelle says
Hi Sara! I always use unsalted butter so that I can control how much salt goes in the recipe. 🙂