This cinnamon roll icing is perfect for anyone who's not a fan of cream cheese frosting. You'll love the drizzly consistency and cozy vanilla flavor! Pair it with my delicious Quick 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls.
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Tips & Ingredient Notes
This is just an overview, click here to jump down to the full recipe card for the recipe amounts and condensed recipe instructions.
- Unsalted Butter: You'll need to use unsalted butter for this recipe. Let it soften on the countertop a bit before you start the frosting.
- Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioners' sugar!
- Vanilla extract: Real vanilla extract tastes best, but imitation works too.
- Milk: Just a splash to get the right consistency.
- Salt: The secret ingredient to balance all the sweetness.
- Cinnamon rolls: Of course, you'll also need cinnamon rolls for pairing with this cinnamon roll icing! Use my Quick 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls or your own favorite recipe.
PS. If you like cream cheese, my cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls is even tastier than this quick glaze!
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Icing Without Cream Cheese:
Print this recipe! Click here to jump down to full recipe card for the condensed, printable recipe.
- Let ¼ cup of butter sit at room temperature until it softens (or just pop it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds until slightly softened).
- Place the butter, 2 cups of powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and a ⅛ teaspoon of salt in a medium mixing bowl.
- Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat until the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 30 to 60 seconds.
- Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of milk, beating in a tablespoon at a time until the cinnamon roll icing reaches your desired consistency.
- Drizzle the icing onto semi-cooled cinnamon rolls, or use it however you like!
Ingredient Substitutions & Tips
Here are some variations to try:
- Make it without milk. You can make cinnamon roll icing with water, but it just won't be quite as creamy. You can also make cinnamon roll icing without milk by using non-dairy milk like oat or almond.
- Make it without butter. For cinnamon roll icing without butter, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons milk or cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Note that it will be thinner and more translucent on the rolls.
- Make it with cream cheese. Looking for a traditional cream cheese cinnamon roll icing recipe? You can click over to my easy cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls to find out how to make cinnamon roll icing with cream cheese. For a thinner cinnamon roll icing with cream cheese, add milk to the recipe.
- Make less. If you want a light glaze for cinnamon rolls, make half of the recipe below.
Storing: Store this icing in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Let it come to room temperature before you use it, then stir. You may need to add a bit of milk to reactivate it.
Freezing: You can freeze cinnamon roll icing for 2 to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Powdered sugar, a drizzle of honey, whipped cream, fresh berries, chocolate drizzle, or caramel sauce are all delicious toppings for cinnamon rolls if you don't want to use frosting.
Your cinnamon rolls should still be warm when you drizzle them with this simple cinnamon roll icing, but you should let them cool for at least 10-15 minutes to keep it from melting completely.
No. Cinnamon rolls are baked first, then the icing is added.
Cinnamon Roll Icing (without cream cheese!)
Ingredients
⭐️ Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor afterwards and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
- Add softened ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened , 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and a Pinch of salt to a medium-sized bowl.
- Use a hand or stand mixer to mix until combined (about 30-60 seconds). Add milk one tablespoon at a time (2-4 tablespoons milk total) until it's the consistency you desire.
- Pour over slightly cooled cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
My husband hates cream cheese. Made cinamon rolls for hia birthday and took them for him and his coworkers. They all loved it and are asking for the recipe.
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you so much for leaving a review, Karine!
This frosting paired perfectly with my cinnamon rolls! It came together easily and was delicious. I will use it again in the future!
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Heidi! I really appreciate it!
My go-to icing recipe. My husband, the pickiest person on the planet 😆, LOVES it! It’s so delicious. Thank you!!
I’m going to freeze the rest of it… hopefully it freezes well!
So glad to hear that! Thank you so much for leaving a review, Kay! I really appreciate it!
Hi and Merry Christmas from Northern Illinois. I make homemade cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast every year and usually cream cheese frosting. But alas, I failed to get cream cheese this year. So I googled a frosting recipe w/o it and this fit the bill. I added cinnamon and nutmeg to it for more flavor. It’s a delicious buttercream frosting that’s going to slap! Thanks.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Kendall! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe so much!
Delicious - I didn't have cream cheese so made this icing for my first ever batch of cinnamon rolls. Love it!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Meri! I really appreciate it!
I don't think I'm gullible but I appreciate you you do want to comment does help your small business but actually appreciate your recipe trying it now and I'll get back to you have a blessed day
This was so easy to make and delicious! Thank you
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Jennelee!
I made a half batch, cause my kiddo asked last minute for iced gingerbread cookies for school snack lol. The taste and consistency are perfect! Ty!!
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Ashley!
Made this for my homemade cinnamon rolls, everyone loved it!!! And SO EASY to make
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Nella! I really appreciate it!
Does this have to be refrigerated if you put them on the cinnamon rolls and don't finish them?
I wasn’t really sure how good this would be since the usual glaze I make is basically this recipe without butter but once I made it, the butter makes a COMPLETE difference! It’s an actual icing consistency and sooo good!! I will definitely be using this every time!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Cierra! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!