Creamy, fluffy sugar cookie frosting that’s perfect for spreading in a thick layer or piping. Ideal for cut-out cookies, gingerbread, Lofthouse-style cookies, or enjoying by the spoonful! 
When decorating sugar cookies, you generally choose between two types of icing:
- Royal icing
- Buttercream-style frosting
Royal icing dries hard and glossy, making it great for detailed designs, but it’s very sweet and forms a firm shell. If you prefer soft, creamy frosting applied in a thick layer, this sugar cookie frosting is the better option.
Ingredients for Sugar Cookie Frosting
You’ll need:
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 oz brick-style cream cheese, softened
- 3 1/2 – 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional but recommended)
- Optional gel food coloring
The cream cheese helps cut the sweetness so the frosting isn’t overwhelmingly sugary. This is not a tangy cream cheese frosting — the cream cheese simply rounds out the flavor. Vanilla and a touch of almond extract add depth. Add more powdered sugar to thicken and sweeten, or a splash of milk if it becomes too stiff.
This frosting is slightly thinner than a typical cupcake buttercream since you won’t need to pile it high on each cookie.
Tips for Making Frosting
- Use softened, not melted, butter and cream cheese. If they’re too warm the frosting will be thin and won’t set properly.
- Mix only until the powdered sugar is incorporated. Overmixing can cause the frosting to separate.
- Sift powdered sugar before mixing to avoid lumps.
- Gel food coloring gives vibrant color without adding extra liquid.
- To keep frosting bright white, omit vanilla extract or replace the cream cheese with vegetable shortening.
This frosting is creamy, sets nicely, and works well spread thickly or piped for simple decorations. Try it on:
- Chewy drop-style sugar cookies
- Cut-out sugar cookies
- Gingerbread cookies
Sugar Cookie Frosting
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 3 1/2 – 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth.
- Add the cream cheese and beat until fully combined.
- Stir in vanilla and almond extracts.
- With the mixer on low, add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, then continue adding the remaining sugar in 1/2 cup increments until you reach the desired sweetness and consistency.
- If using food coloring, mix it in now (gel coloring is best to avoid thinning the frosting).
- Spread or pipe onto cooled sugar cookies. Note: this frosting is best for simple piping or spreading and isn’t suitable for very intricate royal-icing-style details.
Notes
The number of cookies you can frost depends on cookie size and how thickly you apply the frosting.
Nutrition (approx. per serving)
Calories: 209 kcal · Carbohydrates: 40 g · Protein: 1 g · Fat: 6 g · Sugar: 39 g