Sugar Cookie Frosting is our go-to frosting for Homemade Sugar Cookies. It is fluffy, easy to spread or pipe, and sets slightly on top so cookies are easier to store, while still staying soft instead of drying hard like Royal Icing.
This is our most requested frosting by far, and we have been making it for years. The secret is a little almond extract, which gives it that classic bakery-style flavor we love and makes it especially good on sugar cookies.
It is also easy to customize for holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. Add food coloring, sprinkles, jimmies, or candies to match the celebration, and you have an easy homemade frosting you will use again and again.
Why You’ll Love It + Why It Works:
- Ready in 5 Minutes. This easy frosting comes together quickly with just 5 simple ingredients.
- Easy to Customize. Change the color, flavor, and sprinkles to match any holiday or celebration.
- Smooth + Fluffy. Softened butter and powdered sugar create a creamy frosting that spreads easily and works well for piping.
- Bakery-Style Flavor. A little almond extract gives the frosting the signature flavor our family loves on sugar cookies.
Sugar Cookie Frosting Ingredients
- ⅓ cup butter softened: Creates a rich, creamy base and helps the frosting whip up smooth. We use unsalted, but salted may be used. It won’t make the frosting salty, it will just amplify some of the flavors and slightly reduce the sweetness. See How to Soften Butter Quickly for tips.
- 4½ cups powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting, giving it that classic fluffy texture. Sift the powdered sugar when adding it to the bowl, to ensure the frosting is smooth.
- ¼ – 1/2 cup milk, plus more as needed: Thins the frosting to the perfect spreading or piping consistency. We use whole or 2% milk, but a lower-fat milk can be used. Add more milk to thin it, or add more powdered sugar to thicken it.
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract: Adds warm flavor that makes the frosting taste homemade and classic.
- ½ teaspoon almond extract: Adds that signature bakery-style flavor that takes sugar cookies up a notch. Or try mint extract, strawberry extract, orange extract, peppermint extract, or lemon extract. You can also substitute for more vanilla if you do not love almond extract.
- Optional food coloring: Makes it fun for holidays and themed cookies, totally optional. Start with a small amount of food coloring, mix the frosting, and add more if desired. We recommend gel food coloring as it is less likely to affect the texture than liquid food coloring
- Optional topping: Jimmies or festive sprinkles.
How to Make Sugar Cookie Frosting
COMBINE. In a large bowl, mix softened butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract with a hand mixer. Add more milk until it’s the desired consistency. Add food coloring (optional).
For spreading, the frosting should be soft and smooth but still hold its shape. For piping, it should be thick enough to hold a line without running.
ENJOY! Spread on top of cooled cookies with a knife or piping bag. Add sprinkles right after frosting so they stick before the surface begins to set.
This recipe makes about 3 cups of frosting.
Add this frosting to these favorite cookie recipes:
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Sugar Cookies
- Sugar Cookie Bars
- No-roll Sugar Cookies
- The Best Sugar Cookies
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Soften the Butter. Use butter that is soft enough to blend easily but not melted, so the frosting stays smooth and creamy without lumps.
- Sift the Powdered Sugar. Sifting helps remove clumps and gives the frosting a smoother texture for spreading or piping.
- Adjust the Consistency Slowly. Start with the smaller amount of milk, then add a little at a time. Add more milk to thin the frosting or more powdered sugar to thicken it.
- Make It Right for Decorating. Keep the frosting slightly thicker for spreading and add a little more milk for piping so it flows smoothly but still holds its shape.
- Add Color Before More Milk. Gel food coloring works best because it adds color without thinning the frosting. If using liquid food coloring, add it before all of the milk, then adjust the consistency as needed.
- Keep It Bright White. For the whitest frosting, use clear vanilla extract instead of regular vanilla. The almond extract can stay the same unless it adds noticeable color.
- Do Not Overmix. Beat the frosting just until smooth and fluffy. Mixing too long can add too much air and make it harder to spread or pipe neatly.
- Decorate Right Away. Add sprinkles, jimmies, or candies right after frosting the cookies so they stick before the surface begins to set.
Sugar Cookie Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ – ½ cup milk, plus more as needed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- food coloring
Instructions
- Mix softened butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract with a hand mixer.
- Add more milk until it’s the desired consistency (for spreading, keep it a little thicker; for piping, add more milk to make it thinner). Add food coloring, if desired. For spreading, the frosting should be soft and smooth but still hold its shape. For piping, it should be thick enough to hold a line without running.
- Spread on top of cooled cookies with a knife or piping bag. Add sprinkles right after frosting so they stick before the surface begins to set. This recipe makes about 3 cups of frosting.
Notes
- Make sure the butter is truly softened, it blends smoother and prevents lumps.
- Start with the smaller amount of milk, then add a tiny splash at a time until it is the consistency you want.
- For spreading, keep it slightly thicker, for piping, add a touch more milk so it flows smoothly.
- If the frosting gets too thin, add a little more powdered sugar to thicken it back up.
- Use quality extracts, and don’t overdo it. Too much extract can give the icing an artificial or overpowering taste.
Nutrition
Recipe FAQ
This is great for making ahead. Store frosting in an airtight container or in a bowl with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Let the frosting come up to room temperature before using it.
Freeze the frosting in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature before using, and blend with a hand mixer if it isn’t the right consistency.
Sugar cookie frosting doesn’t get hard like royal icing and can get smashed if not stored properly. Be sure that the frosting has set before storing. Use parchment or wax paper to separate layers of cookies. Do not stack too high; otherwise, the weight will smash the frosting.
>> Royal Icing is made using meringue powder and confectioners sugar. Adjust this icing so that it “floods” or holds a shape. It can be used to create pictures and intricate designs on the top of the cookies. It dries smooth and hard.
>> Sugar Cookie Icing has a confectioners sugar base that is thinned out with liquid, usually milk. It is thinner than frosting and is often simply spread on the cookie using a butter knife. Adjust the thickness of the icing with more powdered sugar to be applied with piping tips.
>> Cake Frosting uses a creamy base and then adds confectioners sugar to sweeten it up. It is thicker and can hold its shape when using a piping tip or spread on using a butter knife.
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This recipe was originally published July 2020.
Do these cookies need to be stored in the refrigerator?
This recipe does not contain cream cheese so the frosted sugar cookies can be stored at room temperature for a few days. Just keep them in an airtight container so they stay soft and fresh!
Hi
I am in South Africa and our cup measurements differ. Can I have the metric measurements?
Thank you
Steph
Great question! Here are the conversions:
⅓ cup unsalted butter = about 75 grams
4½ cups powdered sugar = about 540 grams
¼ to ½ cup milk = about 60 to 120 grams
½ teaspoon vanilla extract = about 2 grams
½ teaspoon almond extract = about 2 grams
Food coloring = varies depending on how much you use
Very nice
It’s a favorite of mine. I’m glad you liked it too!
Does this frosting harden enough to stack in containeror does the frosting stay wet to the touch?
They will set up and can be stacked with parchment or wax paper in between. I would just avoid stacking more than 2 to 3 layers so the weight does not squish the cookies on the bottom. If you want a frosting that hardens, you could try our royal icing recipe.
review
Perfect and delicious! I do love almond though so I am biased, lol. The consistency is great for spreading and for the sprinkles to adhere to the cookies. Thank you!
I’m happy to hear you loved the flavor and that the consistency worked perfectly for spreading and sprinkles. Thanks for sharing!
I do have one question. What kind of scope and size do you use? Mine all break while using and the size is never right.
I absolutely think the almond extract made the frosting DELICIOUS!! Good , quick & delicious!
I think it does and am happy to hear you agree!