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.
❤️You're Going to Love These
- Simple recipe with basic ingredients -- you might already have everything you need.
- Perfect sugar cookie frosting for beautiful homemade decorated cookies -- it's easy to work with; you can either spread or pipe it on.
- The best buttercream frosting recipe for decorated sugar cookies -- as it dries, it hardens enough to stack the cookies without smudging or smooshing down the 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.
☑️Tips
- Add more cream or milk as necessary if the frosting is too thick or more powdered sugar if it is too thin.
- If you add too much food coloring, the frosting may become runny. Add more powdered sugar.
- The frosting may develop a slight crust as you're frosting the cookies. Just stir it again until smooth.
🎁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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📖 Recipe
Buttercream Frosting for Cookies (That Hardens!)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup shortening
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4-6 tablespoons heavy cream or 3-5 tablespoons milk
- gel food coloring
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and shortening until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. Mix in vanilla.
- Gradually mix in the powdered sugar and heavy cream. Start with 2 cups powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons heavy cream; mix. Add 2 more cups powdered sugar and 2-3 more tablespoons heavy cream. Mix until light and fluffy.
- If desired, divide the frosting between bowls and stir in gel food coloring. Spread or pipe the frosting onto cooled cookies.
- Let the cookies sit at room temperature for several hours until the frosting is set and hardened. Store the cookies at room temperature or in the refrigerator. The frosting will dry firm enough to store the cookies stacked.
Notes
- If lumps are in the butter and shortening mixture, keep mixing until they're gone, even if it takes longer than 5 minutes.
- Add more cream or milk as necessary if the frosting is too thick or more powdered sugar if it is too thin.
- If you add too much food coloring, the frosting may become runny. Add more powdered sugar.
- The frosting may develop a slight crust as you're frosting the cookies. Just stir it again until smooth.
Billie says
It says 1/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 stick what do you mean by this
Cara says
Hi, that was meant to clarify that 1/4 cup of butter is 1/2 stick.
Heaven says
So instead of 1/4 cup of shortening I can add 1/4 cup more of butter? So it would be 1/2 cup of butter.
Cara says
Yes, that is correct, you can use all butter. The frosting won't set up quite as firmly, but will have more butter flavor.
Claire says
Could I use cream cheese instead of shortening? will it still harden?
Cara says
I emailed my responses directly, and am sharing here for others who may have the same question:
Hi, Claire, Thanks for your question! I haven't tried that substitution in this recipe, so I'm testing something right now. In case you'd like to play along, lol, I used 1/4 cup each butter and cream cheese, then skipped the cream and used 2 cups powdered sugar. So far, so good. I'll need to let it set on some cookies overnight to see if it hardens. I'll report back tomorrow :). Thanks! Cara
(2 1/2 hrs. later)
Hi, I can already tell that this works, but next time I would add a little cream or milk because it is very thick and a little bit dry. Good luck and happy baking 😊!
Barbara Hume says
Hello! What is the ingredient or measurement that “hardens enough to stack”? I’ve made many batches of BC for both cakes and cookies, but never hardens. I had understood Royal Icing to harden (which I’ve never made). Thanks!
Cara says
Hi, Barbara, great questions! The shortening stabilizes the frosting and the powdered sugar helps it firm up. Hope that helps! Cara
Barbara Hume says
Hello again! Is this SIFTED 10x? And - do you sift 10x for ANYTHING? I’ve understood to ALWAYS sift it - but that is a pain. Thanks!
Cara says
Hi, again :). No, I didn't sift it at all. I might if it was particularly clumpy. I agree, 10x sounds like a pain!!
Julia says
Barbara,
10x refers to the powdered sugar. Domino powdered sugar has 10X on the package, or at least used to in years past.
Julia says
I used this recipe exactly as written, and it is amazing! It was perfect on the cookies. I got tons of compliments on the flavor, texture, everything. This is my favorite! I saved it and won’t use anything else.
Cara says
Thank you for the nice note! I'm so glad you enjoyed it :). Cara
Felicia says
Can this be made with plant butter and almond or oat milk and plant based food coloring? My Grandson is allergic to cows milk and artificial food dyes.
Cara says
Hi, Felicia, I haven't tried it, though from what I've read, I understand that it can. For butter, it is recommended to use stick-style plant butters for firmer, more stable frosting. As for the milk, any will work, you just may need to play with the amount. For food coloring, it is recommended to use gel or powder so you don't add more liquid. I'd love to hear if you try it and how it goes! Good luck! Cara
Tatiana says
Hi, im planning to use this icing recipe for 100 cookies. How much cups of this icing would you say I need? I also decided to switch the shortening to cream cheese instead.
Cara says
Hi, Tatiana! Of course, it all depends on the size of the cookies, but I would plan on about 2 T of frosting per cookie. So ... 200 T is 12.5 cups. Also, I hope you read my notes in one of the comments about using cream cheese -- I used quite a bit less powdered sugar during that experiment, which yielded less frosting than the original recipe. You'll also need to play with the right amount of cream to add. Happy baking! 🙂 Cara
Patricia Catuzza says
Can this frosting be frozen once on the cookies ?
Cara says
Hi, Patricia! Yes, it can. Here are the freezing instructions from the post: 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.