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Homemade Marshmallow Frosting recipe – great for cakes and cupcakes! Just a few ingredients including marshmallow fluff, butter, vanilla, & powdered sugar make this icing a hit!

This marshmallow fluff frosting can be used to top vanilla cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, or any flavor cupcake you like! You could even use it to make s’mores brownies with some crushed up graham crackers.

marshmallow frosting on top of a chocolate cupcake
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No hassle, just quick & easy!

For the most recent cupcakes I made, I decided I wanted to use Marshmallow Frosting. I did a few google searches but found only ones that involved egg whites and decided I needed a quick and Easy Marshmallow Frosting.

I had remembered I saw one on Pinterest one day. It was from Just a Pinch. I usually modify all recipes, but this one was already nearly perfect—I just added a little vanilla. 🙂

It only required a small handful of ingredients, and the finished product was so tasty. It’s a really nice texture too—not too thin and “whipped”, but not too dense like some buttercream frostings. I’ve used it on multiple flavors of cupcakes already!!

beating marshmallow fluff and butter together with a hand mixer

Just 4 ingredients!

This recipe is so easy because it only uses 4 ingredients (and egg whites is NOT one of them!!):

  • butter (make sure it’s at room temperature)
  • marshmallow fluff
  • powdered sugar
  • vanilla extract (extract, not flavoring)

If you’re having a hard time finding the marshmallow fluff, check in the baking isle of your grocery store. The label might also say “jet puffed marshmallow creme”. This works the same! If you still don’t have any luck, Amazon is always on option. 😉

When you’re mixing the ingredients together, make sure the powdered sugar and butter are completely creamed together before adding anything else. There should be no visible clumps of powdered sugar.

Use a rubber spatula to scrape any stray clumps from the side of the bowl, and to mix in the fluff by hand (rather than using a beater/electric hand mixer).

Marshmallow fluff frosting on a spatula

Tips, tricks, and troubleshooting

How much this frosting will cover depends on how you use it. If you’re piping it on, or being really decorative, this recipe makes enough frosting to cover 12 cupcakes. If you are spreading it on with a knife, it will cover several more.

You can use it to frost a cake, however you might need to double the recipe for a 9×13 cake, or for a double layer 8 inch round cake.

I’ve had several readers ask if you can use a kitchen torch to brown this frosting (kind of like a toasted marshmallow). Although I have never tried, one reader said it does work if you use really high heat up close. If you’re too far away, the frosting will melt before it browns.

Make ahead and store? Because this recipe is more of a buttercream type frosting, and doesn’t have egg whites in it, you can easily make it in advance and store in the fridge for several days before using. As long as it is kept cool, it will stay in good condition.

You can even frost your cupcakes a day or two in advance, and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

If your frosting is too runny, you might need to add a bit more powdered sugar to stiffen it up. I wouldn’t add more than a couple tablespoons at a time, and then mix well to see how it affects the consistency.

Areas that are warm or humid might affect the consistency of your frosting as well. Put it in the fridge for a while to see if that does the trick.

marshmallow frosting on top of a cupcake

This recipe was soooo easy and was so yummy!! It’s definitely a new favorite, and I can’t wait to make it again.

For more delicious frosting recipes, check out:

4.95 from 593 votes

Marshmallow Frosting Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Homemade Marshmallow Frosting recipe – yum! Few ingredients including marshmallow fluff, butter, vanilla, & powdered sugar make this a hit!
Servings: 12
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Beat butter and powdered sugar until fluffy and well mixed.
  • Mix in fluff and vanilla by hand and mix well.
  • Add to piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 79kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 33mg, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 120IU, Calcium: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

So Easy & So Yummy

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4.95 from 593 votes (509 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




348 Comments

  1. Leoni says:

    Hi Kristyn, please supply your fluff recipe

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Hi! I typically just use the Jet Puffed marshmallow fluff that you can buy from the store. 🙂

  2. Keyan Barrino says:

    5 stars
    The frosting is delicious! I make it all the time with my s’mores cupcakes but I have a problem. The frosting is so quick to melt. How do I fix this problem?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      I’m so glad you enjoy the frosting! So, some things you can try are to add a bit more powdered sugar to stiffen it up. I wouldn’t add more than a couple tablespoons at a time, and then mix well to see how it affects the consistency. That might thicken it a bit and help it not melt as quickly. You can also put it in the fridge for a while to see if that does the trick.

  3. Kevin Reeves says:

    5 stars
    great! just what I was looking for ! thanks sooooo much

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the frosting!

  4. Isabelle says:

    4 stars
    I mixed the vanilla at the wrong place. Icing was very liquid. I sprinkled flaked coconut on top. It didn’t look too good but was a big hit with family. Lots of second helpings.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      I’m glad the family enjoyed the frosting!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try.

  5. Granma M says:

    3 stars
    This recipe melted in the Texas heat and covered 14 cupcakes ( piped). I used another can of commercial buttercream frosting with 1 tbsp of unflavored gelatin and it held up better to the heat. What do you add to this recipe so it wont melt ?
    The flavor was ok but not still too sweet for me.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      I’d say possibly add a bit more powdered sugar. You can also try to refrigerate before piping to help it set up a bit. Heat and humidity can definitely affect the consistency of a homemade buttercream.

  6. G.o.a.t says:

    4 stars
    Really good but very sweet and very little instructions which made it hard to tell if I was doing it right.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!

  7. Linda B says:

    Kristyn help! Our marshmallow frosting recipe came out very thin. How do we save it?

  8. kenneth says:

    can you use Imperial spread in place of butter

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      I haven’t ever tried using it but you certainly could. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out if you do swap out the butter.

    2. Jessica says:

      3 stars
      Not sure why, but my frosting held no shape. Cooled cupcakes completely yet frosting was so soft it just drooped off of them.

      1. Robin says:

        Will try this soon. Do you need to mix the fluff by hand or can it mix in the stand mixer?

      2. Lil'Luna Team says:

        I like to mix it in by hand. It keeps everything light and fluffy and prevents it from being over mixed.

  9. Theresa says:

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I’ve made it several times. I made it into a Delicious butter marshmallow for a by adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter.

    1. LilLunaTeam says:

      The addition of peanut butter to the marshmallow frosting sounds heavenly! I’ll have to try that out. Thanks for sharing what you did!

    2. Rebekah says:

      Does this hold up.in summer heat?

      1. Lil'Luna Team says:

        Because it is a buttercream based frosting, I’d say it will start getting melty if it sits out in the summer heat for very long. But you can make ahead of time and store the frosted cupcakes in the fridge (or even the freezer) and that may help it hold it’s shape for a bit longer if it is out in the heat. If the frosting is runny, you can try adding more powdered sugar a little at a time. And then again, refrigerating it might help too!

  10. Kelly says:

    Can this frosting be used in a cookie dipper? Or does it dry too stiff/crusted to scoop up with a sugar cookie?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      The frosting stays pretty soft but it thick (kind of like a buttercream consistency). So perhaps that would work? I haven’t ever tried using a cookie dipper before!