Buttercream Frosting for Cookies That Hardens

This delicious Sugar Cookie Buttercream Frosting is soft and fluffy, easy to make with a few simple ingredients, and actually hardens enough to stack! It spreads and pipes easily for beautiful frosted sugar cookies and cutout Christmas cookies. 

Try this easy sugar cookie frosting on these soft No Spread Cutout Cookies. 

Ready to level up your Christmas cookies? Try this easy, delicious buttercream icing recipe! This fluffy homemade frosting whips up quickly and is really easy to work with! Spread it with a knife or pipe it into intricate designs for gorgeous sugar cookies that look like they belong in a bakery case!

Unlike other buttercream frosting, which can be delicate, this cookie frosting actually dries firm enough to stack. It is not, however, hard as a rock. For 100% hard cookie icing, try this easy homemade Sugar Cookie Icing recipe or Royal Icing. 

For an easy sugar cookie recipe, try No Spread Cut Out Cookies. These soft sugar cookies are what you see in all the photos -- the perfect complement to this homemade sugar cookie frosting. 

🧈Ingredients

See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.

• Shortening. Vegetable shortening is one of the secrets to buttercream cookie frosting that actually hardens enough to stack.
• Unsalted butter. Softened butter more easily blends with the shortening to a smooth, creamy consistency. If the butter is too cold, it will just take longer to mix. 
• Pure vanilla extract. For perfectly white frosting, use clear vanilla extract.
• Heavy cream. Heavy cream, also called heavy whipping cream, gives this buttercream recipe a soft, luxurious texture.
• Gel food coloring. Gel food coloring adds intense color without extra liquid. 

🥛Substitutions or Variations

• You can substitute the shortening with an equal amount of butter for a softer frosting that doesn't harden as much.
• Substitute all or some of the vanilla extract for other flavors like almond extract or lemon extract. 
• Instead of heavy cream, you can also use milk, you'll just need a little less since it has a thinner consistency.
• Add a little salt to offset some of the sweetness.

🥣How to Make Buttercream Frosting for Cookies That Hardens

Step 1: Beat butter and shortening at medium-high speed until it is completely smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. 

Step 2: Gradually mix in half of the powdered sugar and cream on low speed. Mix in the remaining powdered sugar and 2-3 more tablespoons of cream until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. 

Step 3: If desired, divide the frosting into separate bowls and tint it with different colors using gel food coloring. 

Step 4: Spread the frosting on top of the cookie with a butter knife or offset spatula. 

Step 5: Or pipe the frosting with a piping bag or sandwich bag with the corner snipped off fitted with a piping tip. Immediately add sprinkles before the frosting firms. 

Step 6: Allow the frosted cookies several hours to set and harden. Once they are completely dried, the frosting will be firm enough to stack the cookies. 

👉Top Tip: If there are lumps in the butter and shortening mixture, just keep mixing until they're gone, even if it takes longer than 5 minutes.

🎁Storage

Store frosted buttercream sugar cookies at room temperature for one day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

To freeze, chill cookies until the frosting is very firm. Stack the cookies between layers of parchment paper and freeze in an airtight container. To thaw, unstack the cookies while still frozen and thaw them in a single layer. 

📅Make Ahead

Make buttercream frosting 1-2 days ahead of time and store covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Before using, let it sit at room temperature to soften. 

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