The best fluffy vanilla sugar cookie buttercream frosting! With a blend of vanilla and almond extract, this recipe is perfect for spreading on soft cut out sugar cookies to make the ultimate buttery and creamy Valentine's, Christmas, or birthday cookies!
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When it comes to sugar cookies, I am particular about which types of frostings I pair with cut out sugar cookies depending on the different occasions. Between royal icing, easy sugar cookie icing, cream cheese frosting, and this sugar cookie buttercream - there's a time and a place for each.
And this creamy and buttery buttercream is perfect for when you want to make fancy-looking, bakery-style cookies without spending hours intricately icing cookies with royal icing. The trick to getting this buttercream nice and fluffy is starting with room temperature butter and using an electric mixer to whip.
Don't feel like frosting individual cookies? Make my Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars in a 9x13 pan instead!
Ingredients for Sugar Cookie Buttercream Frosting
- Butter, softened to room temperature
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract & Almond Extract
- Salt
- Food Coloring, if desired
How to Make Sugar Cookie Buttercream Frosting
Step 1: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the butter on high speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. (If you have a Kitchenaid mixer, use the paddle attachment on speed 4.)
It is important to start with softened, room-temperature butter for this recipe in order to get the creamy, fluffy texture. (See photo below for reference on what butter should look like after being whipped.)
Step 2: After the 3-4 minutes, keep the mixer on high speed and add in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Turn the mixer down to low speed and slowly add in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until it is all incorporated.
Once all powdered sugar is worked in, add food coloring then turn the mixer back up to high speed and beat for 2-3 minutes until it is light, creamy, and fluffy.
Tip: To achieve this light pink color, I dipped the tip of a toothpick in red food coloring then did 1 swipe through the frosting. For a more in-depth look at achieving a light, blush pink, check out my post on how to make light pink frosting.
Step 3: Use a offset spatula to generously spread frosting onto cooled cookies or place frosting in a large piping bag with a large star tip for more intricate decorating.
For a rosette shape, start in the center and swirl the piping tip around to the outside. For a more traditional swirl (like shown below), start from the outside and swirl the piping inward to create a peak.
Step 4: Immediately after frosting, top with sprinkles! You want to do this right after frosting, otherwise the frosting will start to develop a slight crust.
See FAQ section below for storing instructions.
Don't feel like frosting individual cookies? Make my Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars in a 9x13 pan instead!
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this buttercream frosting harden?
The frosting will develop a slight crust if left sitting out (or when refrigerated), but it won't completely harden. Which means you don't want to stack them if piping swirls. For my tips on how to stack non-piped cookies (like the photo below), see my guide on how to freeze sugar cookies.
Does this buttercream frosting need to be refrigerated?
Although the amount of sugar will stabilize the butter (meaning you could technically leave them at room temperature for 2-3 days), I recommend refrigerating these so that the frosting doesn't "melt" down and flatten out.
Can I freeze buttercream frosting?
If you have leftover frosting, you can freeze it in a plastic freezer bag for 2-3 months. Just make sure all the air is out of the bag. When ready to use, thaw the bag in the refrigerator and once it's soft, place frosting back in bowl and beat for 2-3 minutes.
Note that frosting may not become as fluffy as before, so this method is typically best when you just want to spread the frosting vs. pipe it. To freeze frosted cookies, see my guide on how to freeze sugar cookies.
What sugar cookie recipe should I pair this with?
I use this sugar cookie buttercream frosting to top my soft & thick cut out sugar cookies. This frosting recipe will make about 2 cups of frosting, enough to generously frost about (24) 2.5" sized round cookies.
What vanilla extract do you recommend?
Although I typically recommend a clear-colored extract when making white buttercream icing, you can also use a pure vanilla extract. My favorite brands are Nielsen Massey, Watkins, and Rodelle.
Sugar Cookie Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ - 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract *adjust to your taste preference (some brands are stronger than others); I like a prominent almond flavor but you can use less for a less strong flavor
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- Food Coloring
Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor 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
- In a large bowl, whip unsalted butter (1 cup; i.e. 2 sticks) for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy on high speed.
- Whip in vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), almond extract (*½ - 1 ½ teaspoons), and salt (¼ teaspoons).
- On medium/low speed begin adding in powdered sugar (3 cups) half cup at a time until all is incorporated.
- Mix at high speed for 2-3 minutes until nice and creamy.
- Spread on top of cookies or place frosting in a large piping bag with a large star tip to achieve a more intricate design. To pipe the swirl, start from the inside and swirl to the outside.
- Makes 2 cups of frosting, which is enough to generously frost about (24) 2.5" circle cookies.
Last Step! Please 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.
Notes
Nutrition
This sugar cookie buttercream frosting is perfect for Valentine's Day cookies! For these adorable bite-sized heart cookies, I used Sugarbelle's Multi Heart Cutter and spread on pink buttercream.
Dye the buttercream frosting any color and top with sprinkles for perfect Christmas, halloween, baby shower, or birthday cookies!
callie says
loved it so much
Cindi says
This is an easy recipe, but turned out so well! It has great flavor, and was very light and fluffy. I've added it to my recipe folder and will definitely be making it again.
Melissa says
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Cindi! I really appreciate it!
MaryEllen says
Made this recipe but omitted the almond extract and added 1/2 teaspoon more of the vanilla extract. I like almond extract but I wasn’t sure if my teenager would so that is why I omitted from this recipe. The icing was so good and reminded me of the frosting my mom would make when I was a kid.
Melissa says
So glad to hear you loved this recipe, Mary Ellen! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
bmore says
creamy creamy creamy and the perfect amount of sweetness and flavor. Made it exactly like the recipe. Next time I think I will try pumpkin or cinnamon flavoring.
Melissa says
Yumm, pumpkin or cinnamon flavoring sounds like it could be great to try with this recipe! Thank you for leaving a review, I really appreciate it!
Gina says
I made buttercream frosting for sugar cookies with my mom years and years ago, but after her passing some of her most cherished recipes were lost. This recipe reminds me of the recipe we used.
Melissa says
So happy to hear this could at least be somewhat of a resemblance to your mom's recipe :) Thank you so much for leaving a review, Gina!
Chloe Allen says
I like it but it is so sweet
Holly says
I made this to frost brown butter cookies and the result was delicious! I flavored mine with Tawny Port instead of the extracts but I will try the extracts in the future. This recipe is easy and makes a buttercream that has a great consistency. I piped mine and it worked very well. I imagine it would also be easy to spread on cookies.
Melissa says
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Holly! Thank you so much for leaving a review, I really appreciate it!
Scarlet says
I cut the recipe in half twice and it was just right for a dozen heart shaped sugar cookies.
Rachel S. says
We love this buttercream frosting recipe; it is really divine. The almond extract gives it that something special. Thanks for this recipe!
Melissa says
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Rachel! So glad to hear you enjoy it so much!
Ashley Sanders says
Love this recipe. Can it be stored for later? I had a good bit left over
Melissa says
Yes, you can refrigerate or freeze! When ready to use again, just thaw it and then rewhip it! You’ll probably just need to add a slash of milk to help it incorporate again.
Gwen Harman says
Delicious frosting! I love the almond flavouring. It's a keeper for my recipe file!
Melissa says
Glad to hear you love this frosting recipe, Gwen! Thank you so much for leaving a review!
PegECakes says
Question: Is there a reason to add the extracts and salt before the powdered sugar? Thanks.
Melissa says
Hi! I like to add the extracts first so that the flavors can absorb into the butter (kind of like how butter will absorb fridge flavors, they’ll hold the extracts too). For the salt, I like to add that first to give the butter a bit of a grip so that it beats a little easier with a stand mixer. Neither are must-do’s but little tricks I’ve learned over the years!
James Wilson says
My first time making frosting, it turned out great! Better than store bought
Melissa says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, James! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Becky Hartwick says
I just made this for the first time. Very light and fluffy and delicious. Will make this my go to recipe!!
Niki Kay says
The cookies are amazing! Unfortunately, the buttercream was too thick to pipe. It was YUMMY though... if someone would have eaten it with a spoon, or used it to dunk the cookies in. Maybe. :)
Melissa says
Hey Niki! For future, you can always add in a little milk to thin it out! Even a few teaspoons can really help thin it out!
Madison Marie Schweitzer says
delicious frosting! i bought some sugar cookies from the store and this made them taste soooo good! ❤️