Sugar Cookie Frosting is the classic, fluffy frosting that makes homemade sugar cookies feel bakery-worthy. It spreads smoothly, pipes beautifully, and sets up just enough, so you can stack cookies without a huge mess.
Our sugar cookie frosting is our most requested frosting by far!! We add a hint of almond extract (our secret ingredient) that really takes it to the next level.
Add color, or top with holiday sprinkles to fit any occasion. Print it off, bookmark it, and heart it… you’ll want to have it within reach because this will be your go-to cookie sugar cookie icing from here on out!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Made from scratch. Not only is it budget-friendly, but you can control the quality of ingredients used.
- Personalize it. Experiment with different frosting flavors, colors, and decorations to cater your cookies to the occasion.
- Simple and easy. Using 5 ingredients, this frosting is whipped up in only 5 minutes.
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: Jimmy Sprinkles or another festive sprinkle.
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). *This can also be made in the stand mixer.
ENJOY! Spread on top of cookies with a knife or piping bag. Top the iced cookies with delicious Jimmy sprinkles, and enjoy!!
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
- 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.
- Confectioners’ sugar makes for silky frostings, but it can occasionally get clumps, which will ruin the texture. Sift the powdered sugar when adding it to the bowl, to ensure that the frosting is smooth.
- Depending on the event or holiday, we love to add food coloring the the frosting and of course sprinkles, jimmies or candies on top. NOTE: When adding food coloring, it’s important to remember that once added, ingredients cannot be subtracted. Start with a small amount of food coloring, mix up the frosting, and then add more if desired.
- We add milk to thin out the frosting or thicken it with powdered sugar to make it easier to apply with piping tips.
- 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.
Sugar Cookie Frosting Recipe
Video
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.
- Spread on top of cookies with a knife or piping bag. Top it with delicious Jimmy sprinkles, and enjoy!! 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!
This was a breeze to make and worked great on my Halloween cookies. I even started with refrigerated butter that I had to soften in the microwave and it was still good.
That’s great to know it still turned out perfectly even with softened butter. Sounds like your Halloween cookies were a hit!
Did not enjoy.
I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t your cup of tea. Thanks for trying it out though, and hopefully another one of our frosting recipes will be just what you’re looking for.
This made more of a paste that was not pipe-able or spreadable.
I don’t have almond extract. I only have vanilla. Any suggestions.
So fast and delicious! It worked!
Frosting was amazing! Made for the first time today. Just perfect – not too sweet. I too, always add a pinch of salt. This will be my go to recipe from now on. Thank you!
Can you add cream cheese to this, for that flavor of a cream cheese frosting.
Yes you could! Here is our cream cheese icing recipe that is really yummy on sugar cookies too: https://lilluna.com/cream-cheese-icing/
It gives directions on how to store the frosting but what about the cookies after they are frosted? Are they good to be left in a container on the counter? And if so for how long?
Yes they are! You can store the baked and frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’re best for 2-3 days but can often last for up to 5 days. You can freeze for up to 3 months. I just like to allow the frosting to set, and separate layers with wax or parchment paper before storing.
Can I do 1 full teaspoon of vanilla extract instead of 1/2 vanilla & 1/2 almond extract?
Family member is alergic to nuts. I have to use vanilla and not almond extract.
Yes you can!
Amazing flavor and consistency.
Perfection!
This is my go to sugar cookie frosting every time I do cut out sugar cookies. Best ever and turns out perfect every time! So delicious!
Finally, an icing recipe without corn syrup! We love this recipe. The icing is light and fluffy. I doubled the recipe to make sure I had enough but I had plenty and ended up freezing half. Thank you. This goes right into my Exceptional folder. You’ve never failed me!! 😉
Can this frosting be used on cupcakes, too?
Yes you could! This is my favorite frosting for cupcakes, but the other could work too. If it needs to be a bit thicker for cupcakes, just add a little more powdered sugar. https://lilluna.com/vanilla-buttercream-frosting/
Our favorite cookie frosting! The almond extract adds great flavor. It goes on cookies well, and is easily colored for more festive cookies! 🙂
Ya click on jump to recipe and at just clicks to mire yappin
When making the cookies what size round cookie cutter do you use ?? where to get them ??
I made these cookies with my 7 year old son last night and oh my goodness! They are so dang good! The texture is so soft and fluffy and they taste amazing. I saw in some previous comments that the dough was really sticky. Mine was sticky too. I sprinkled some flour on the parchment paper I was going to roll the dough on, sprinkled some more on top of the dough and rubbed flour on my rolling pin. It worked like a charm and they came out perfect! Thank you for this delicious recipe.
This frosting is SO GOOD and FLAVORFUL! It is now permanently attached to my sugar cookie recipe 🤗
I’m confused about the recipe. You talk about three different kinds of frosting (which I understand). However, is this particular recipe one that you pipe on or is it one that if thinned, has the properties of royal and will harden? Or harden enough that you can stack them?? Please advise. 🙂
I’m looking for a recipe that will allow you to fill in with a piping bag, but not be as hard and bland as royal icing.
Great question! I’d say let the cookies cool and allow time for the frosting to set. It can be piped or spread, and it doesn’t get hard like royal icing. So it can get smashed if not stacked/stored properly. You can freeze the cookies and then stack just fine.
So good. We won’t be able to add almond next time due to nut free school policy. Do you think this would taste just as yummy?
For sure!! You definitely don’t have to add it. Hope they are a hit!
Loved this recipe for cookie frosting. Turned out delicious.
Thank you
I have never made homemade frosting before. I just walked my 12 year old through the recipe to make a double batch. This recipe is incredibly easy to make and it’s delicious! The only adustments we made were due to my years experience of cooking and baking. My dad was a gourmet chef and baker for almost 30 years, my brother is a chef, and my grandmother was a baker and confectioner. I had my 12 year old sift each cup to cup and a half of powdered sugar and I had them add a little bit of salt to each batch of icing since we used unsalted butter. I am SOOOO impressed with this frosting and I will be using it again and again! Thank you so much for such an AMAZING frosting recipe!
This is my first time making frosting as well. I have 75 round cookies to frost. Will this recipe be enough, or should I double it?
It kind of depends on how thick you like your frosting and the size of your cookies. This recipe makes about 5 cups of frosting. If you used about a tablespoon per cookie, that would give you 75-80 cookies. So, if the cookies are large or you like lots of frosting, you may want to make a batch and a half or even double it.
I was just wondering approximately how many cookies I would be able to frost with one batch of this frosting. Thank you in advance! I am excited to try this recipe.
I added a little cream cheese and it tasted perfect!
Hello, what kind of food coloring is used? is it like Americolor gel paste or just regular McCormick food color? Thank you!
You could use either one!
Great frosting
LOVE this recipe. Used it for Halloween cut out cookies. Doesn’t taste too sweet and is the perfect consistency. Gentle stiffens to hold our toppings (sprinkles) after a few minutes then handles great in an airtight container. Also stores very well for the next day. Made with oat milk and had no problems with consistency or taste. Highly recommend and will be saving to use again!
Thanks for sharing what you did! I’m so glad you enjoyed the frosting recipe!
So many compliments on this frosting. What a hit!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that!
I will definitely be using this icing for sugar cookies from now on. It’s much easier to decorate them and you can do it anytime. The icing is delicious, but I will leave out the almond extract as I think it overpowers the other flavors.
Finally got around to making our annual Christmas cutout cookies- this recipe is our favorite! The almond extract in both the cookie and the frosting make them sooo yummy! 😋
Easy but super sweet. An extra 1/2 tsp of milk makes it much easier to spread. Thanks for sharing!
Recipe my mother-in-law taught me. We don’t use almond though. Sometimes peppermint. But I love it plain! Making it today actually with my grandson
Ooh I bet the peppermint is yummy too! So glad you enjoy the frosting recipe.
How long can this frosting stay good for?
You can store the buttercream frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to bring the frosting to room temperature before using it to spread. Also, you can revive the texture a bit by whipping it up with a hand mixer. Once you have frosted the cookies you can store them, covered, at room temperature for 2-3 days.
In a different comment you said that they could be stored on the counter for up to 5 days. 🥴🫤
They’re best for 2-3 days, but can often last for up to 5.
OMG IMA MAKE SOME YUMMY COOKIES😁😁
Yay! Hope you enjoy the frosting and the cookies!
How much merengue to add for creative designs? I’m making gingerbread men and Christmas trees.
I halved this recipe and added a little bit more of everything but the milk and it turned out AMAZING!!! I’ve never had frosting taste this good and I think it’s all thanks to the almond extract. But this recipe is sooooo good and thank you so much for sharing!!!
You are so welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Do u need to use the almond extract or can i double the vanilla
You certainly don’t have to use the almond. You can use whatever flavoring you prefer — vanilla, lemon, etc.
You definitely need more than 1/4 c milk fir 4.5 c of powdered sugar.
Otherwise simply yummy. Best powder sugar frosting I’ve ever made.
Best cookie frosting, delicious
Awe, thank you! So glad you like it as much as we do!
Can you use any kind of milk? I plan on using this recipe tomorrow for valentines cookies,
I think any would work 🙂
This frosting is AMAZING
It’s my favorite! Glad you like it! Thank you!
Does the frosting ‘set up?’
Any way to replace the milk?
I haven’t left it out before. It does need some liquid. I would google what good milk substitutions would be. Maybe some water, but it might not be as creamy.
This is the first recipe that has given me nice and fluffy frosting. It is usually oily and grainy. The recipe mentioned how soft the butter should be and that made all the difference. It was perfect for frosting our Christmas sugar cookies!
Awe, that makes me so happy!! I appreciate you letting me know!
These are great. Not too sweet with frosting and hold up to grandkids decorating! 🙂
Yummy!!
This is the best sugar cookie recipe I’ve ever found!!!
This cookies were so easy to make and delicious. The frosting is amazing and we had so much fun decorating the cookies. Thanks lil Luna for all your fabulous recipes.
If I want to leave out the almond extract, would you recommend subbing it with more vanilla extract, or just omitting it? Thanks!
I would probably just omit it. Enjoy!!
Delicious! The almond and vanilla add the perfect flavor.
I agree! Thank you!
Would this frosting be good to use for making pillsbury sugar cookie sandwiches?
I personally haven’t tried, but I am sure it would! We love this frosting!
I followed the recipe but it definitely didn’t make 5 cups. Did I do something wrong?
No, I am sure you didn’t. Sometimes, I don’t get 5 cups out of it 🙂
Can you make this frosting the night before??
You sure can! Just place it in the refrigerator the night before and then take it out the next day a few minutes before you are wanting to use it.
So I will be making this through out December, and was wondering on advice for adding cacao powder and peppermint extract.
Hmm..I haven’t tried adding the powder. Worth a try 🙂 The peppermint extract is a great addition!
your frosting is so good and I know that because I am 8 years old!
Well, I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know what you thought!
Very good frosting recipe. Complements sugar cookies very well, will be my go-to frosting recipe!
Yay!! Thank you so much for saying that!
This reCipe looks perfect! Does the frosting harden? Or do i have to use the Shortening to get it to harden?
It doesn’t get hard. I haven’t tried adding shortening. It is super good though 🙂
I love the almond FLAVORING in this. It pairs perfectly with your sugar cookie recipe that uses almond as well.
Truly one of the best frosting for your cookies. Simple and yummy!
We use this frosting all the time for cookies! We love the hint of almond!
Yummy! This tastes just like my favorite cookie-store frosting. Can’t get enough of it!
This recipe is amazing and tasty! I made cookies with my kids recently and this frosting came in handy. It made the cookies so much better! I can’t wait to make this again!
Thank you for such an easy frosting recipe to work with. I usually buy frosting to use because I could never get it right, until now! This was perfect!
Powdered sugar is always sweet! To tone it down, add a dash of salt or two or as many as needed to get the desired taste. Start by adding a splash of milk & a hand mixer to revive frosting. Recipe adjustments can be made by simply experimenting. Its a common practice in high altitudes – weather conditions can affect a recipe.