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You are here: Home / Recipes / Sweets & Dessert / Sugar Cookie Frosting Recipe

July 10, 2018 By Kristine

Sugar Cookie Frosting Recipe

Filed Under: Christmas, Sweets & Dessert | Updated: December 19, 2019 | 32 Comments

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Sugar cookie frosting in a bowl with a hand mixer
Sugar cookie frosting in a bowl with a hand mixer

When it comes to baking a really good sugar cookie, the cookie is only half the battle! You need the perfect sugar cookie frosting recipe to go on top!

The best sugar cookie frosting recipe! Sweet and flavorful, perfect for topping sugar cookies!Sugar cookies have always been a favorite of mine, but the frosting…well, that’s something that I can sometimes do without. A lot of the time, it’s just too sweet, isn’t it? I call it ‘icky’ sweet and it makes my belly hurt.

Since I’ve been doing this whole Christmas in July thing, it seemed like the perfect time to bake a few new sugar cookie recipes. And that got me thinking…a sugar cookie isn’t as good without the frosting, but the frosting can make or break the deal (and my belly), so I knew I had to come up with a really good sugar cookie frosting recipe, one that was tasty and balanced.

The best sugar cookie frosting recipe! Sweet and flavorful, perfect for topping sugar cookies!After making several (and I do mean several) batches of frosting, I’ve nailed it! I’ve finally found the best sugar cookie frosting recipe! And you’ll love it, it’s super-duper easy to make and it conveinently makes just enough to frost about two dozen cookies, which is the same amount that most of my recipes make!

To whip this frosting up (quite literally), you just cream the butter and powdered sugar together until they’re crumbly, add the extracts and the milk (slowly) and continue mixing until it’s light and fluffy. Boom done!

Add some food coloring if you want to, or just leave it white and add pretty sprinkles, but either way, it’s the perfectly sweet topping for sugar cookies!

The best sugar cookie frosting recipe! Sweet and flavorful, perfect for topping sugar cookies!

Things that make this the best sugar cookie frosting recipe:

  • It’s the perfect amount to frost two dozen cookies without having tons left over for eating.
  • With both vanilla and almond extracts in the recipe, the flavor of the frosting is well-balanced. It’s flavorful, but not ‘icky’ sweet. Neither the vanilla or the almond are overpowering.
  • Adding a little sea salt helps round out the flavor of the frosting, giving it that sweet and savory component that’s truly irresistible.
  • You can make this frosting thick or thin, depending on your preference.

So there you go my baking friends, a real winner in the sugar cookie frosting recipe department! I challenge you to give this recipe a try with your next batch of sugar cookies, it’s so good I’m pretty sure you’ll never want to make any other one!

The best sugar cookie frosting recipe! Sweet and flavorful, perfect for topping sugar cookies!

Sugar Cookie Frosting Recipe

This is the best sugar cookie frosting recipe. Smooth and sweet, perfect for topping those sugar cookies!
4.54 from 47 votes
Print
Course: Sweets & Dessert
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 114kcal
Author: Kristine
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 cup milk
Instructions
  • In a medium bowl with the use of a hand mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar until crumbly.
  • Add extracts, sea salt, and 2 TBS of the milk and mix on low to medium speed until light and fluffy.
  • Continue to mix on medium to high for 2-3 minutes. Add remaining milk, 1 TBS at a time, as needed to achieved desired thickness.
  • Add a few drops of food coloring to color frosting if desired. 
Notes
*Frosting may be separated to create several different colors from one batch.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.1g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 3.9g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 4mg | Sugar: 19.7g
Did you make this recipe? We want to see!Mention @kristineinbetween or tag #kinbetween!

These traditional cut out sugar cookies are the best recipe I’ve found! They go just perfectly with this buttercream frosting!

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Hi there, I’m Kristine! Cookie baker, picture taker, sharer of all my passions. I retired from Medical Transcription after 20 years to run this blog full-time. I live in Arizona with my husband and our two grown girls. Learn More…

Reader Interactions

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Kind Words...

  1. Ashley - Forking Up

    July 13, 2018 at 9:11 am

    Oh mannn I love a good sugar cookie with a thick layer of icing. Reminds me of Christmas cookies with my mom!

    Reply
    • Kristine

      July 13, 2018 at 9:19 am

      Heck yes, Ashley! Christmas cookies, and the frosting, are the best thing ever! ?

      Reply
  2. Jacqueline Debono

    July 13, 2018 at 9:59 am

    Yum this cooking frosting looks great. I’d love to dip a spoon in that bowl! Need to give this a try!

    Reply
    • Kristine

      July 13, 2018 at 10:39 am

      Thank you so much Jacqueline! Me too, I could seriously eat it by the spoonful! Hope you love it. Happy baking!

      Reply
  3. Danielle

    July 13, 2018 at 10:26 am

    Yumm! Now I’m craving sugar cookies!

    Reply
    • Kristine

      July 13, 2018 at 10:39 am

      Well you’d better whip some up, Danielle! LOL, nothing like a little holiday baking in July! ?

      Reply
  4. Kelly Anthony

    July 13, 2018 at 10:59 am

    I completely agree! The cookie is only half the battle 😉 This frosting looks beautiful!

    Reply
    • Kristine

      July 13, 2018 at 11:02 am

      You’re my kind of people, Kelly! Thank you so much! ?

      Reply
  5. Pam Greer

    July 13, 2018 at 1:21 pm

    I love when sugar cookies are frosted. You are right some frostings just aren’t that good. I can’t wait to try yours, it sounds easy and delicious!

    Reply
    • Kristine

      July 13, 2018 at 3:41 pm

      Thanks so much, Pam! I hope you like it – it’s definitely been tested a few times! ☺️

      Reply
  6. Britt | Sweet Tea and Thyme

    July 13, 2018 at 1:21 pm

    Welp, now I have to make frosting because I promised my hubby sugar cookies and this looks too good not to make with them!

    Reply
    • Kristine

      July 13, 2018 at 3:42 pm

      Haha, I would agree to that! Sugar cookies NEED frosting! Thank you so much!

      Reply
  7. Jenni LeBaron

    July 13, 2018 at 1:56 pm

    I love having a great simple staple like this at my fingertips. This looks like a winner!

    Reply
    • Kristine

      July 13, 2018 at 3:43 pm

      Thanks Jenni, it’s definite a go-to recipe. Hope you love it!

      Reply
  8. georgie

    July 13, 2018 at 6:04 pm

    Sugar cookies are the best and this frosting looks amazing!!! A great recipe to have on-hand for the future, thanks!

    Reply
    • Kristine

      July 13, 2018 at 6:07 pm

      Thank you so much, Georgie!

      Reply
  9. Claudia Lamascolo

    July 13, 2018 at 6:25 pm

    You had me at sugar cookie frosting! I want to lick the screen, it looks so good. I’ll be making this to frost all kinds of things!

    Reply
    • Kristine

      July 13, 2018 at 6:49 pm

      Haha Claudia – I can totally relate! I have some in the fridge right now that I want to eat! Thank you so much! ☺️

      Reply
  10. Kim

    January 24, 2019 at 2:52 pm

    It’s so sweet
    Is there a way to not that sweet.?

    Reply
    • Kristine

      January 24, 2019 at 3:26 pm

      Hi Kim! Well…buttercream is basically all sugar, haha, so I’m not sure how you could make it less sweet. You could try adding more salt to balance the sweetness, or more vanilla (or almond extract if you prefer) to add more flavor to help cut the sweetness, or maybe use a lot more butter, but I’ve never tried increasing the butter. Happy baking!

      Reply
  11. Kristan

    March 11, 2019 at 1:04 pm

    Does this frosting harden enough to stack? My mom is getting married this Saturday and she wants me to make cookies. I’m a bit nervous I just need a good frosting. Any tips would be great

    Reply
  12. Ellen

    December 15, 2019 at 5:51 pm

    I just made the frosting recipe! It’s an easy recipe that tastes Scrumptious!! I actually made it to ice a cake!!! I can’t wait to serve it!! I Licked the beaters & honestly wish I left a little more on the beaters!! Thanks for this Fabulous Gem of a recipe!!

    Reply
    • Kristine

      December 16, 2019 at 1:44 pm

      Hi Ellen! Thank you so much, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s my go-to, always! Happy holidays!

      Reply
  13. Bethany

    December 24, 2019 at 8:32 pm

    Do the cookies need to be refrigerated after frosted with this recipe?

    Reply
    • Kristine

      December 24, 2019 at 9:22 pm

      Nope! You don’t have to refrigerate the cookies, the frosting will set up.

      Reply
  14. Natalie

    December 8, 2020 at 4:58 am

    Does the frosting need to be refrigerated? I have about half left in a sealed container in my pantry.

    Reply
    • Kristine

      December 14, 2020 at 5:21 pm

      Hi Natalie! I usually store it in the fridge.

      Reply
  15. Patty B.

    December 14, 2020 at 5:02 pm

    I just made this wonderful frosting but not planning on frosting my sugar cookies til Saturday. Should I freeze the frosting or just refridge til Saturday?

    Reply
    • Kristine

      December 14, 2020 at 5:19 pm

      Hi Patty! It’ll keep fine in the refrigerator until then. Just make sure to let it come to room temperature before you frost the cookies. Happy holidays!

      Reply
  16. Jen

    December 15, 2020 at 10:22 am

    Do you think it would be ok to use dairy free milk for this?

    Reply
  17. Lynsey

    January 25, 2021 at 7:13 pm

    How long will the frosting be good for if I put it in icing bags for sugar cookie kits?

    Reply

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