Did you know that you don’t have to compromise taste when icing your sugar cookies? This sugar cookie icing is actually a buttercream frosting goes on smoothly and hardens just like royal icing.
Learn how to ice sugar cookies, with our yummy buttercream icing, the easy way! It’s made with just a few ingredients in five minutes!
We once had lunch at a bakery and Adalyn begged for a decorated sugar cookie and I obliged. After eating her lunch, she took one bite and said “mom, this isn’t very good.” I couldn’t argue.
Royal icing is often hard and flavorless with a hint of tart citrus. It’s like fondant on cake. It’s beautiful, but the taste and texture lack flavor.
That’s why I always use buttercream to ice sugar cookies! It’s the perfect complement to a great sugar cookie. It’s delightfully sweet, soft in texture and just as beautiful!
This sugar cookie icing is a delicious go-to for sugar cookies and is so quick and easy, too! I’ve been making sugar cookies for years… don’t skip these popular Cinnamon Sugar Cookies, Pumpkin Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Sugar Cookies, and my World Famous Salted Caramel Sugar Cookies!
This classic sugar cookie icing goes hand in hand with my classic, traditional sugar cookie recipe. It’s an important cookie to have in your baking line-up and one you shouldn’t skip!
I always choose taste over aesthetics, but I don’t feel that using buttercream is much of a compromise at all! I will warn you, it’s difficult to stop at just one cookie!
Sugar Cookie Icing
You need just four ingredients for this sugar cookie frosting!
I’m also sharing my best secret to help you learn how to frost your sugar cookies with ease. It’s a life-changing technique, I promise!
Why You’ll Love It
- So Easy – With just four ingredients.
- A Year Round Treat – Perfect for the holidays or any time of year.
- Perfect for Gifting – Hardens for stacking.
Don’t skip my complete collection of 25 easy frosting recipes – there’s something for every occasion!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference – but it must be room temperature. I often use salted because I like to balance out all the sweet with a little salt. Learn how to soften butter quickly!
- Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar! It sweetens it to perfection while achieving a luxurious consistency!
- Heavy Cream – Heavy cream is preferable, but any milk will do from skim to Vitamin D or half and half.
- Vanilla – Clear vanilla is best if you’re making white iced cookies, but you can make your own homemade Vanilla Extract as well.
How to Make
- Beat room temperature butter until smooth.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, followed by cream and vanilla.
How To Frost Sugar Cookies the EASY WAY
You can watch the video in this post for the easy tutorial to use buttercream sugar cookie icing without the fuss and stress.
You can simply pour this sugar cookie icing over your cookies and smooth it out as necessary, OR try the following technique:
- Add sugar cookie icing to a shallow bowl and warm it until smooth (about 30 seconds in the microwave).
- Keeping fingers on the edge of the cookie, dip it and allow it to drip.
- Place the cookie on wax or parchment paper to dry
- If you’re adding sprinkles, add them immediately.
Note: You may need to warm the icing a time or two throughout the dipping process, depending on how many cookies you have to ice. It typically takes about 20 minutes to ice 6 dozen sugar cookies! It’s quick, pretty, and most importantly, delicious!
Tips
- Let your cookies cool to room temperature before icing them.
- You may need to warm the icing a time or two throughout the dipping process, depending on how many cookies you have to ice.
- Place the frosted cookies on parchment paper.
- Add sprinkles immediately. The icing will set quickly.
Don’t miss my tips for easy cutout sugar cookies!
Frequently Asked Questions
In short: NO! While it can be used on the same cookies and with the same methods, this sugar cookie icing won’t dry quite as hard as royal icing. This sugar cookie frosting recipe needs more time to set up, but it should be ready to stack within an hour.
It depends what you’re after! If you want artful, elegant cookies, go for royal icing. If you want flavorful, delicious and soft cookies, choose this incredible buttercream sugar cookie icing!
Serving Suggestions
- I like to use white icing for my cookies and then decorate them with sprinkles for a hit of color.
- You can of course also color your buttercream with food coloring for more vibrant cookies.
- I find the kids love decorating these too, so they’re a great way to get them into the kitchen.
- These sugar cookies with buttercream icing are also great for gifting – I package mine in cellophane bags with a pretty little label. While they icing isn’t as hard as royal icing, it sets well enough to stack.
How to Store
- Room Temperature – If you’re using this buttercream sugar cookie icing on frosted cookies, store them in an airtight container for up to three days.
- Refrigerate – You can refrigerate your buttercream sugar cookie frosting recipe for up to one week in an airtight container. Simply bring it to room temperature before using.
- Freezer – Freeze buttercream frosting for three months in an airtight container. Before using, move it to the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before using.
I hope you enjoyed my tips for the best sugar cookie icing recipe ever, but now it’s time to just enjoy one, so go ahead, they’re easy!
More Frosting Inspiration
Sugar Cookie icing
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened, room temperature, salted or unsalted
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract 1 teaspoon if using traditional vanilla
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream substitute half and half or milk
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, whip butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar. Add vanilla and heavy cream and mix until smooth.
- Allow cookies to cool 10 minutes and ice while warm, or allow them to cool and melt your icing in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Using a measuring cup, pour icing on each cookie individually and using a cake spatula, smooth your icing before moving onto the next cookie or dip cookies in a bowl of warm icing.
- Place the frosted cookies on parchment paper. Immediately add sprinkles if desired.
Julie’s Tips
Tips to Ice with Sugar Cookie Icing
- Let your cookies cool to room temperature before icing them.
- Warm the icing and dip your cookies.
- Place the frosted cookies on parchment paper.
- Add the sprinkles immediately to the icing.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
I wanted an icing or frosting for Christmas cookies that wouldn’t be a drippy mess for my 4 year old to decorate with. This was perfect. I added a touch of Almond extract with my 1 tsp of traditional vanilla extract. I was able to tint the frosting with gel food coloring and we spread it with forks/spoons on cooled cookies. I skipped the step to warm the frosting and definitely could not have dipped it but it was perfect for our needs.
I was thinking of trying this recipe for my holiday cookies. Do they all have to be eaten once decorated within 3 days? That doesn’t seem doable for holiday treats. But I like the idea over the royal icing if it tastes better.
It’s best fresh, but up to you.
I am having family over for sugar cookie decorating before the holidays. How far in advance should I make the frosting? How long does it hold up in the piping bags?
How fun! It holds up incredibly well. Refrigerate and then bring to room temperature to use.
Ann,
Can you use edible ink pens to decorate cookies once icing has set?
I haven’t tested it. If you do, let me know!
This is a game changer for me. I have struggled with finding a substantial glaze I can use for cakes and muffins. Finally! THIS is it! The flavor is fantastic, the consistency is perfect and the hardening isn’t tooth breaking. This portion from these exact measurements was enough for three recipes. I stored it in the refrigerator since the three items were made days apart. The results were outstanding. It was perfect for a chocolate chip Bundt cake drizzle, a chocolate loaf cake topped with icing and a drizzle on 2 dozen butterscotch muffins. Next up I am experimenting with adding lemon for a lemon glaze on a lemon loaf cake. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Thank you! You made my day! I have the perfect Lemon Glaze – I hope you’ll give it a try!