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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. Kathy says:

    I should have followed directions better I threw everything together and it’s a little stiff but tastes great was wondering if a little more butter or milk would thin it out a bit? Hmm was my fault tastes great though

  2. Danica Beckefeld says:

    5 stars
    The frosting turned out perfect! It was not runny at all like others have said. I think they might have used melted butter instead of room temperature. Using melted/liquid butter would of course make the frosting too wet and thus runny. You have to set a stick of butter out and let it get soft naturally. Once soft cut the butter into small pieces and then beat it with the powered sugar until thoroughly mixed. After that you add the fluff and vanilla and once that is all mixed you have your frosting. It’s really easy if a bit hard on your arms from all the hand mixing.

    1. Lawrence says:

      Will this toast like a marshmallow with a kitchen torch?

      1. Lil'Luna Team says:

        You could try!! I haven’t tried toasting it before, so if you do, you’ll have to let us know if it was a success!

      2. Nathan Lion says:

        Do you try toasting it with a torch? Did it work?

    2. Michelle says:

      I did not use melted butter! Room temp butter . Even added extra p sugar and still a thick liquid

  3. Janet Allard says:

    I don’t have fluff and can’t get to a store right now can I use melted marshmallows

  4. Jenn says:

    Okay, so I agree with others that it might be too thin to use ON TOP of cupcakes but luckily for me I was looking for a frosting to fill cupcakes with and this was PERFECT. The frosting is just runny enough to pipe into the cupcakes and just thick enough to stay neatly in place as opposed to leaking everywhere and seeping though the bottom of the cupcakes like my previous marshmallow cream filling. I don’t recommend as a frosting but as a FILLING it works beautifully and it’s delicious.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for the feedback and review! Glad to hear the frosting worked for your filling!

  5. misty says:

    How does this recipe have this many good reviews? It’s tasty but not stable at all. I even added more powdered sugar. It just slides right off my cupcakes.

  6. Kerri says:

    5 stars
    Holy sweet baby Jesus, this frosting is GOOD! And so easy! Thank you for this.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You’re welcome!!

    2. Steph says:

      Taste okay but it won’t stay on cupcake

  7. Amy says:

    Maybe powdered gelatin would help stabilize the frosting.

  8. Lia says:

    Can you add food coloring?

  9. Liz says:

    5 stars
    The icing is delicious. How to keep it firm and stop it from sliding off the cake?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      First, make sure the cake is completely cooled. Then you might need to add a bit more powdered sugar to stiffen up the frosting. 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. You can also put it in the fridge for a while to see if that does the trick.

    2. Jane says:

      I have a question, can the frosting be frozen and later thawed?

    3. Jacinta Peters says:

      this frosting is so good I even used it for my friends birthday!!!

      1. Bethany says:

        Same girl

    4. Sandy says:

      Can this frosting remain out of the refrigerator. I want to decorate cupcakes for tomorrow.

  10. Tina says:

    2 stars
    The frosting tasted great but it was runny even after adding more powdered sugar. If the cake had not been in a pan it would have run right off the cake. There’s no way it could be used on a layer cake or cupcakes.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for the feedback!

      1. Susan Lee says:

        Could you ever use this on sugar cookies? Can I assume a thin layer wouldn’t “set” or “harden” enough for stacking?
        Thank you

    2. Hazy Hartman says:

      If you got marshmallow fluff with any cornstarch in it and sampled a bite then mixed again your saliva mixed in can make it runny. I don’t remember for sure if it’s cornstarch but I think it is. I know there are some desserts that will get watery if you get saliva in it. I’m pretty sure pudding is one. Anyway, just a rambling thought.

      1. Alaina says:

        How would you get your saliva in the frosting if you sampled it? Place frosting on spoon , taste then toss spoon in sink. Do you stick your tongue in the bowl? Wow

      2. Janeen says:

        Omg that made me laugh outloud lol