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BEST Buttercream Frosting for Cookies (that hardens!)

Looking for the best buttercream frosting cookies, but one that actually hardens, too? This is your recipe! This AMAZING buttercream icing recipe is PERFECT for decorating sugar cookies and cutout cookies, it tastes DELICIOUS, and it hardens to the touch!

How to decorate sugar cookies without fancy equipment

UPDATED FOR 2023: Because this recipe has become so popular over the last few years, I’ve made sure to update the post with even more details & FAQs to hopefully answer any and all of your questions!

The BEST Easy and Chewy Sugar Cookie Recipe

If you’re on the hunt for the absolute best sugar cookie frosting out there that tastes good, is easy to use, and actually hardens after you frost your cookies, I have some good news for you!

This. is. it.

>> The full recipe is at the bottom of the post before the comments begin, but you may want to read through the notes in this post before making it, just to ensure it turns out exactly the way you want it to! 🙂 <<

How to decorate sugar cookies without fancy equipment

What you’ll love about this buttercream recipe:

  • The ingredients are SIMPLE. You probably already have most of these on hand for baking. 
  • The icing holds up much better than traditional buttercream. Typical buttercream is VERY delicate; this recipe is much sturdier for storing and transporting – it’s the best buttercream icing for cookies.
  • It has great flavor and texture!
  • You really don’t need any fancy equipment to decorate gorgeous cookies with it– you can create beautiful Christmas cookies (or anytime cookies!) with just icing + sprinkles.
  • It’s the perfect compliment for any sugar cookie. Use your favorite sugar cookie recipes, or use one of mine: 1) a cut-out sugar cookie recipe that we LOVE and that finally doesn’t taste like bland, flour-y sugar cookies, or 2) soft and chewy sugar cookies that are OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD GOOD and don’t require chilling the dough! They’re super soft, super chewy, and probably the best sugar cookies you’ll ever eat. 😉

How to decorate sugar cookies without fancy equipment

What you need to know before making this recipe:

  • If you need a buttercream recipe that is sturdier – for both storing and transporting cookies – THIS is the recipe you want to use. It really is the best buttercream frosting recipe specifically for cookies. Follow my instructions and you’ll get icing that hardens up REALLY well for cookies you just want to spread with frosting & then decorate with sprinkles. The cookies are then super easy to stack & transport without the stress of smudging the frosting and the cookies all sticking to each other.
  • However, this is NOT royal icing. If you want this to be hard enough for intricate details that can be packaged with 0 smudging, you won’t find a buttercream that does that. There is no 100% smudge-proof buttercream frosting for sugar cookies (believe me, I’ve tried), but this gets pretty darn close, and definitely as close as you possibly can without it actually being the consistency of hard-as-nails royal icing. This is my go-to frosting EVERY time I want to decorate sugar cookies, whether it’s with a simple frosting & sprinkles or if I’m piping with detail. (If you think you might need something that 100% hardens, try my easy royal icing recipe – it’s very tasty and it’s easy to make!)
  • OTHER COOKIE ICING RECIPES: Because this icing is SO popular for various reasons and because so many people are trying to figure out cookie icing this time of year, I created this super helpful “comparison” post – The PERFECT Icing for Sugar Cookies – 4 ways – that gives you a super quick breakdown of 4 different sugar cookie icing recipes and helps you quickly decide which one would be better for you to use, depending on what you’re needing. 
  • FYI: I answer several FAQs at the bottom of the post, so if you’re wondering anything else about this recipe before you get started, go check those out!

How to decorate sugar cookies without fancy equipment

What makes this different from other buttercream frosting recipes:

Just so you know: this isn’t a fussy recipe. You don’t have to work magic and *pray* this recipe turns out. Follow the tips & you’ll have deliciously perfect homemade frosting!

  • This recipe uses COLD butter. Not room temperature butter. Not slightly cooler than room temp. Straight-outta-the-fridge-cold-butter. This seems *crazy,* I know, BUT, as long as you have a stand mixer (or a hand mixer with some patience on your end), you can do this. Cold butter really is a magic ingredient for these hardening up.
  • Food coloring matters – you want to use GEL, not liquid. It makes a *huge* difference in the texture of the frosting. This is the kind I use, particularly because I can get a good red out of it – I feel like other gels I’ve bought in the past have a way-too-pink red. (You should be able to easily find this on the baking aisle of the grocery store.)
  • It uses heavy cream, NOT milk. The heavy whipping cream helps to 1) Add creaminess to the icing (which is what we want!), and 2) Help it harden. It’s worth it to use the heavy cream!

How to decorate sugar cookies like a pro

Ingredients for this buttercream frosting recipe:

Basic ingredients are all you need! Nothing fancy around here, folks! (And believe me, when I share with you how to decorate these cookies, you’re going to find out how really un-fancy it is to decorate such gorgeous cookies!)

The BEST buttercream frosting for sugar cookies that hardens

The full recipe is at the bottom of the post, but I’ll talk you through the basic ingredients:

  • COLD, straight-out-of-the-fridge unsalted butter – you’ll need 1.5 sticks (12 tbsp), and you’ll cut each into cubes (maybe 5 cubes for the first stick, and about 2-3 for the half). This is going to help your mixer cream them more easily, especially since they’re going to be cold. 
  • Heavy whipping cream – to help bring some creaminess and softness to the icing for both decorating and eating. You’ll use just enough to get a great texture, but not too much to prevent hardening. Some buttercream recipes suggest using milk, but I’ve found that cream works better. I also think it helps prevent the buttercream from separating. (I’ve made this recipe a zillion times, and never once has the icing separated.)
  • Powdered sugar – also known as confectioners’ sugar; whisked a bit just to get rid of any clumps.
  • Vanilla extract – a good quality one! Some recipes might suggest using a clear vanilla extract, but I don’t think that’s necessary. As you can tell from the end product in these photos, I can get beautifully white icing without having to use a clear extract.
  • Pinch of salt – for a boost in flavor. Just a little helps a lot!
  • Gel food coloring – for decorating the cookies. I give you a lot more details about that towards the end of the post, but you really want to use gel food colors vs. liquid food colors with this frosting. 

How to make buttercream frosting that hardens:

Step 1: Cream the butter in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment

The BEST buttercream frosting for sugar cookies that hardens

Fridge cold unsalted butter. I’d say “ice cold butter,” but I don’t want you to use it from your freezer. Fridge is cold enough. 🙂

I know, it really does seem a little counter intuitive to not soften the butter, even just a little bit. But just close your eyes to intuition and just go with this, ok?!

I’ve made icing about a thousand times, but because I was so particular on this frosting being the perfect consistency for both flavor AND function (hardening up), I did quite a bit of reading about icing, trying to figure out why my buttercream frosting sometimes comes out a bit grainy, especially when I want to color it for decorating.

The BEST buttercream frosting for sugar cookies that hardens

I came across this blogger’s super helpful tips on buttercream frosting for cakes, and I was pretty intrigued about using cold butter. She talks about how using cold butter really helps with the consistency of the frosting, and specifically addressed my annoyance with grainy buttercream. So, I decided to employ this part of her method for the sugar cookie frosting, and it worked!

In this step, your COLD butter WILL get creamy, you just need to let your mixer do some of the legwork (armwork?) for ya. You’ll chop the butter up into chunks – about 8 cubes or so – and then whip it on a medium-high speed in your mixer with the paddle attachment for about 4 minutes. Basically, until it’s really creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl  + the paddle attachment with a spatula if you need to.

Step 2: Gradually mix in powdered sugar on LOW speed

The BEST buttercream frosting for sugar cookies that hardens

You’re going to slowly mix in your powdered sugar while your mixer is running on low speed. Occasionally scrape the bowl/attachment with a spatula, and just keep mixing together until the sugar looks like it’s completely mixed with the butter – probably about 2-3 minutes.

At this point, the frosting will be quite clumpy, but don’t worry! We’re going to address that in just a sec! This is what mine looks like after whipping them together for a few minutes:

The BEST buttercream frosting for sugar cookies that hardens

Step 3: Add in the cream 1 tablespoon at a time while continuing to run the mixer + add vanilla

The BEST buttercream frosting for sugar cookies that hardens

This is where the icing really starts to get, well, creamy! While you’re running the mixer on low speed, add in 1 tablespoon at a time of cream to the bowl. You really should only need 5 tablespoons of cream (if you’re making this exact recipe – this recipe makes enough frosting for about 24-30 cookies + you’ll likely have a little leftover), so don’t get carried away with adding too much!

Add the vanilla & pinch of salt after you add in the cream and continue to mix.

Some will suggest using a clear vanilla extract if you want crisp white frosting. I used my regular dark brown Mexican vanilla extract that I use for everything when I bake, and I really didn’t think it made that big of a dent in the white tint of the frosting. You can see in all of the photos of these cookies how the white turned out.

See, look how creamy it gets!

The BEST buttercream frosting for sugar cookies that hardens

Step 4: Add food coloring if desired!

How to decorate sugar cookies like a pro

If you’re not coloring the frosting, your job is basically done at this point other than adding the icing to the sugar cookies!

If you are coloring it, though, like I mentioned at the beginning, you’ll definitely want to use the gel food coloring – it’ll help maintain the creamy-and-not-grainy consistency of the buttercream, and it’ll help make sure it hardens up better than if you were to use liquid food coloring.

Important tips about the frosting: 

  1. Make sure you ice the cookies fairly soon after making the frosting. You don’t have to race the clock, but it doesn’t take long before it starts to develop a slight crust, and it’ll harden up enough over a couple of hours &  makes it really difficult to spread evenly over the cookies.
  2. You can make it ahead of time as long as you store it in an airtight container or baggies. I wouldn’t make it more than about 24 hours in advance, and I also would leave it at room temperature – refrigerating it will make it very hard to work with.

How to decorate cookies with buttercream frosting:

I’ve created a VERY comprehensive post – all about decorating sugar cookies with buttercream frosting and give you step-by-step tutorials – go here to learn everything you need to know about how to decorate sugar cookies with buttercream!

How to decorate sugar cookies without fancy equipment

Questions? I’ve got answers! Here are lots of tips for making this buttercream frosting:

What’s the best way to decorate cookies with buttercream?

I have a whole post that talks you through that! I walk you through four simple ways to create beautiful cookies with buttercream!

How long does it take for the buttercream to harden?

After spreading the buttercream on the cookie, you’ll notice it harden up quite a bit within a couple of hours. Before stacking them, though, I would give them overnight to harden, and then stack them on top of each other.

How stiff does the frosting get?

This frosting isn’t like royal icing – it won’t completely harden up like a rock – so you won’t want these to tumble around a bunch in a container if you’re transporting them somewhere. However, you can stack them (and for the cookies that you’re not necessarily decorating with a lot of detail, you can really stack those & not worry about them getting super smudged), just don’t be too rough with ’em. This batch you see in the photos took a 3-hour car ride with us to visit family, and they were completely fine stacked on top of each other in a covered Pyrex glass dish. (Note: I have not tested this myself, but I had a reader reach out to me and tell me that she packaged these up and mailed them, and the decorated cookies were just fine when they arrived at their destination, so that was exciting to hear!) 

What if I need my icing to harden 100%? 

Good news! I have two other recipes for you! Try this sugar cookie icing recipe & this easy royal icing recipe – they’re not buttercream, but the flavor on both of them is still very tasty, they’re easy to make, and they DO harden completely!

Can I make this frosting ahead of time? 

Yes, but you want to make sure you store it in air-tight baggies (if you’re going to color the frosting ahead of time and then divvy it up into baggies) or covered tightly with plastic wrap. It would probably be best to decorate cookies within about 24 hours of making it, though.

How do you store buttercream frosted cookies?

Once your cookies have been decorated & they’ve had time to dry, you can gently place them in an airtight container and leave them out at room temperature. They’ll still taste delicious for a few days! This buttercream does hold up to some stacking & transport, but I’d try to minimize friction – try to place them in such a way that they won’t move around too much in the container. 

How do you store buttercream icing?

In an airtight container, plastic baggies, or in piping bags that are secured with a rubber band. If you’re going to use it within a few days, just leave it out at room temperature. It’ll be much easier to work with at room temp!

Do I have to refrigerate the icing? 

Nope! You can leave it out for a few days – it’ll be just fine. If you have leftover icing and won’t be using it within that timeframe, you can refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to a week or so and it’ll still taste fresh. You’ll want to let it sit out for a few hours and bring it up to room temp before using it – it’ll be too stiff to manage when it’s cold. 

What is the best food coloring for buttercream icing?

Gel food coloring, NOT liquid. This makes a big difference. I’ve always just used Wilton because that’s what I have easy access to at my grocery store and at Hobby Lobby. This is the kind of gel food coloring I use.

What is the best butter for buttercream frosting?

I don’t know if there is one! (Just make sure you use butter, NOT margarine!) I actually compared butters for my recipe recently, and I didn’t notice a difference AT ALL! I tried a few different brands – my store brand butter, Kelly Gold, and another “nice” brand of butter, and after a blind taste test, we couldn’t tell the difference between cookies. 

(I do make sure to use unsalted, though, that way I can control the salt content!)

Can I use milk instead of cream? 

The heavy whipping cream really helps with that creaminess of the icing, and I think it helps tremendously with helping it to harden. Unless you’re in a pinch, I’d stick with heavy cream! (I’ve also heard of people making other buttercream frosting and having it separate – this hasn’t ever happened to me, but I ALWAYS use cream when I make this particular recipe.)

How long will the icing taste good on the cookie?

I made these to share on here & then saved them for a family weekend a few days later. Even on days 5 & 6 after making them, the cookies + the icing still tasted great!

Can I use this recipe for cakes?

I wouldn’t. This really is the best buttercream icing for cookies, but not for cakes – I think it’s too stiff to use on cakes. 

Can you flood this icing?

Nope, you’ll need to spread the bottom layer with a butter knife or spreader, and then for the finer decorating, you’ll need to pipe it using my easy sugar cookie decorating method. (Honestly, this is a really fun way to decorate cookies!)

How many cookies will this frost?

About 24-30 cookies. If you’re just spreading the frosting & not piping, you can probably get it to stretch to all 30 cookies. If you’re piping, since you’ll need to divvy up the frosting to make different colors, I’d count on about 24 cookies.

Does the frosting harden up enough to package up frosted sugar cookies and send them in the mail?

Short answer: YES! Longer answer: you would probably want to stick with mailing ones that aren’t finely decorated, but rather the ones that are simply frosted with a layer of icing + sprinkles. I wrote a whole post on how to mail frosted sugar cookies – go check it out for a lot more details on how to do this and ensure your cookies arrive fresh & in-tact!

Can you freeze cookies decorated with buttercream frosting?

Short answer: maybe. If your cookies just have a layer of buttercream + maybe sprinkles (i.e. if they don’t intricate details with icing), you CAN freeze them, but they won’t look or taste as fresh coming out of the freezer. I’d stay away from trying to freeze cookies intricately decorated with buttercream. 

If you really want to be able to freeze decorated cookies, try using my easy royal icing – it freezes and thaws really well! The cookies come out of the freezer looking just as pretty as they did when they went in. 😉

Can you add the buttercream frosting to squeeze bottles?

You can, but because this icing is fairly thick, I think you’re going to have a harder time with squeeze bottles than you will with piping bags.

What should I do with leftover buttercream frosting?

Store it in an airtight container. If you’re going to use it up within a few days, leave it out at room temperature. If not, store it in the fridge and it’ll still taste great for about a week/week and a half. If you’re not going to ice any more cookies with it, use it as a fun snack with pretzels or on saltines. 😉 My husband grew up with this kind of snack at his grandma’s house, and his family still loves to do that! 🙂 

Whew. Any other questions I can answer for ya?!

The BEST Easy and Chewy Sugar Cookie Recipe

Now that you’ve made your frosting, are you ready to decorate?! Learn how to decorate these gorgeous sugar cookies without any special culinary experience or fancy-schmancy tools.

As impressive as these cookies turn out, I might even “un-impress” you with how un-fancy and easy this process is!

How to decorate sugar cookies like a pro

This really is a great recipe! I hope you enjoy making it & sharing it with your friends & fam!

Other icing & sugar cookie recipes you might like:

  • Soft & chewy sugar cookie recipe – for soft, round, super chewy sugar cookies! (These are our FAVE.)
  • No-Chill Pumpkin Spice Cut-Out Cookies – for a fun, seasonal alternative to regular sugar cookies. These are SUPER soft, very flavorful, and soooo tasty! 
  • Delicious cut-out sugar cookies – if you want traditional, shaped sugar cookies that TASTE GOOD!
  • Easy sugar cookie icing that hardens – this is more of a glaze-like frosting that comes together really easily. You won’t be able to decorate with as much detail, but it is a really tasty recipe, it’s not fussy to make, and it will completely harden if that’s what you’re needing! 
  • Easy royal icing recipe – a super fun icing recipe to use for decorating and tastes WAY BETTER than traditional royal icing recipes. Royal icing is notorious for having a bland flavor and chalky texture, so I set out to see if I could develop a recipe that tasted much better. I really think this one is it! It’s a great alternative to buttercream frosting if you’re needing something that hardens 100%!

And, if you want access to this recipe + some other Christmas favorites AND some great holiday baking tips, make sure you snag your free Holiday Baking Cheat Sheets! Just fill out the form below and they’ll get sent straight to your inbox! 🙂

How to decorate sugar cookies without fancy equipment

The BEST Buttercream Frosting for Sugar Cookies (that hardens!)

Looking for the best tasting buttercream frosting for sugar cookies, but one that actually hardens, too? This is your recipe! This AMAZING buttercream icing recipe, made without corn syrup, is PERFECT for decorating sugar cookies and cutout cookies, and it tastes DELICIOUS!
4.54 from 526 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Recipes
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 24 Enough frosting for about 24-30 sugar cookies
Author: TheAmericanPatriette

Ingredients

  • 12 tbsp COLD unsalted butter chopped into about 8 pieces
  • 5 c powered sugar
  • 5 tbsp heavy cream
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Gel food coloring

Instructions

  • In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, whip the butter on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes until really creamy.
  • While mixing on low, gradually mix in powdered sugar, occasionally scraping the bowl. Mix together for about 2-3 minutes. The frosting will be quite clumpy – don’t worry! We'll make it creamy in just a sec!
  • While continuing to mix, add in the cream 1 tbsp at a time. You really should only need 5 tbsp of cream – just continue to mix together and the frosting WILL get creamy! Mix in the vanilla & salt - continue to beat for another few seconds to ensure the vanilla and salt are fully mixed in.
  • Color frosting as desired with gel food coloring. Spread frosting on sugar cookies soon after making the frosting – it will start to harden after an hour or two.

Notes

See the post for more details and step-by-step visuals & explanations!

191 Comments

  1. I tried a thing. I needed to make dairy-free icing for cookies so I followed this recipe but used plant based butter and cream. It worked unbelievably well! I used Country Crock sticks (olive oil based ones) and their new Country Crock Plant Cream. I found it at Walmart and crossed my fingers. It made beautiful icing and it tasted good!

  2. 5 stars
    This frosting was perfect. I used a scoop to put a dollop on each cookie. I put a few sprinkles, about a half dollar size, on the underside of a sheet pan lined with parchment. Turned the cookie upside-down onto the sprinkles and pressed lightly until the frosting spread out to the edge. Refrigerated for about a half hour then peeled them perfectly off the parchment! Let them sit out for a few hours to harden, then froze them. This frosting was exactly what I was looking for this purpose. Thank you!!

    1. I saw a TikTok of a lady using an immursion blender on her icing and the color went from colored to BOLD!!! I’m looking for on marketplace just for that purpose. I’m thinking black would be perfect for this and you don’t have to use nearly as much food coloring. I can’t wait to try it!!

  3. Our family has been making buttercream frosting for our sugar cookies for at least 60 years. We have tried a lot of variations trying to get something that would harden a bit more, but have never liked the flavor. Your recipe is perfect! All the generations agree that we have found exactly what we were looking for – thank you for all of the effort you gave this recipe!

        1. You can literally just trim down the recipe in half and make it exactly the same way. Just halve all of the ingredients and you’ll be good to go. I’ve done this a few times and it worked out just fine. 😉

  4. Hello! Thank you for sharing this recipe. Do you have a version for a chocolate buttercream for cookies similar to this one?

  5. This is now our traditional Christmas cutout cookie icing. It is delicious, and perfect! Santa now really looks forward to Christmas Eve cookies at our house most of all! Here is our favorite cookie recipe, in case you’re interested (it’s not mine) https://dekoekenbakkers.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-perfect-cookie.html

    Next year we plan to try using it on a gingerbread house also. I think it’ll work great to hold everything together.

    If you’re trying to decide what icing recipe to use, do yourself a favor and go ahead and try this one. If you’ve got a better recipe, let us all know; it would have to be insanely good!

  6. Thank you for this recipe. I have been using buttercream forever on my Christmas cookies. I’ve always used the “dump and sprinkle” method. But sometimes I get an icing that separates and I have to throw it out. This one was perfect!

  7. Hello! How long do I have with the frosting colors before they start to harden? For instance, if I mixed all of my base colors, but the base on the cookies, and then go back and create additional colors and bag them in baggies, how long will the baggies last? Should I keep them on the counter? Thank you!!

    1. Once the icing is in baggies, you’re good! It won’t harden up in the baggies (assuming they’re sealed). If you separate out the icing into bowls, color it, and then leave the icing out uncovered, the icing will start to form a crust on it (any buttercream will do this, not just this version), but if it’s not exposed to air, the hardening will be a much slower process. So you’re good to go with mixing colors, putting in baggies, and then waiting to decorate!

  8. I accidentally used salted butter and added the salt and it was so gross. My heavy cream was also bad so I substituted regular milk and the consistency and hardening was actually still great. Definitely going to try this recipe again but never adding salt again either with salted or unsalted butter.

    1. Yeah, one stick of salted butter contains an average of 1 tsp of salt, which is a LOT of salt for this icing (or any baked good). With 12 tbsp of salted butter, that probably comes out to about 1.5 tsp of salt; a pinch of salt is probably less than 1/8 a teaspoon. That’s definitely why I suggest using unsalted butter! I’ve made this recipe dozens and dozens of times, both with and without salt to test flavors, and I find that it’s definitely better with a pinch – but just a pinch! – of salt. That applies to pretty much every baked good I make – just a little bit of salt goes a long way to enhancing flavor! I think you’ll be really happy with it if you make it again with just unsalted butter and adding in just a pinch of salt! 🙂

  9. I used this frosting last year for my Christmas cookies and realized I never left a review, but it was soooo good! We are using it again this year! I was able to package cookies in cellophane bags as gifts without damaging the designs and the taste is phenomenal. I will never use another recipe! Thank you Mauri!

  10. Can you explain why this frosting doesn’t spoil when left out to dry? With heavy cream/dairy products, I’d imagine it would go bad and am curious as to why it’s safe to leave out. Thanks!!

    1. I’m really not sure, but I’ve been making buttercream frosting for probably 15 years, and once it’s on the cookie, I never have to refrigerate the cookies to keep the buttercream from turning. Now, if you’ve got leftover buttercream frosting from your cookies and you’re not planning to use it within a few days, you’ll want to refrigerate it in an airtight container at some point, but I don’t know how common it is that someone would make buttercream that far ahead of time. (I wouldn’t recommend it – it’s still good after a few days, but it’s better fresh.) So, if you’re planning to keep leftover icing (or make it ahead of time), then I’d recommend refrigerating it after a couple of days, but it stays just fine at room temperature before that.

  11. So glad I found this recipe!! I normally do Royal icing, but my kids want to decorate too and Royal icing isn’t easy for kids to work with. This frosting is soooo good and easy to make. And it hardens nicely too.

  12. Trying like heck to find recipe for buttercream icing that hardens for cookies I’ve read it 3 times I can’t find recipe lol I found ingredients no measurements but 2 sticks of cold butter ….. can ya help

      1. how did you use this for making the trees and lettering on the cookies? we would love to be able to do that with ours

        1. I think the key to get the detail is by using sandwich baggies vs. piping bags with icing tips. For this kind of icing, since it’s pretty thick and isn’t runny like royal icing, you can get more detail out of it when you use the sandwich baggies and don’t put a ton of icing in there at a time. For the details, you don’t really need a bunch of icing in there anyway. But I do think the key is probably the sandwich bag, one, because it’s more flexible than a piping bag, but two, because it’s thinner plastic, your hand warms the icing up more and makes it more malleable to work with for those tiny details. You can check out this post and see pics of me decorating using sandwich bags: https://theamericanpatriette.com/how-to-decorate-sugar-cookies-like-a-pro/

  13. I have a daughter who is lactose intolerant. Have you ever used cashew cream as a replacement for heavy cream or made your own with lactose free milk?

    1. Gosh, I sure haven’t! But, with the wealth of amazing food bloggers out there, I’m sure there’s someone who has developed a delicious alternative with non-dairy ingredients!

  14. Anyone have luck piping with Wilton 1, 3, or 5 tips??? I feel like I definitely have a soft consistency but piping it is nearly impossible and my hand is about to fall off. I’m trying to do the sweater-look which I’ve done successfully with royal icing. Any tips? Thanks!

    1. Yes, this icing consistency is different than royal icing. It’s not going to be as thin or liquidy as royal icing is, so it’s not going to pipe the exact same way. I had no problems piping all of the detail you see in the photos, but there are some piping methods that probably won’t work as well with this icing because it’s thicker.

  15. Thank you so much for this. I make cookies every Christmas and ship them across country to my son and grandson. I don’t like the taste of royal icing, so never shipped them sugar cookies until last Christmas after reading your post. I piped some fairly intricate designs with various tips and this icing held up so well going across country!!! And it tastes fabulous! My grandson was so excited to have sugar cookies and since his birthday is in December, they got there the day before his birthday, so he said he had them at his party and all his friends loved them! Your icing made me and a little boy very happy! Thank you, thank you!

  16. the joy cookie pictured here, did that set well? thats something similar to what I want but I need to put them in bags

    1. Hi Ashlynn,

      For the ones that are decorated with more detail, I wouldn’t recommend packaging them up to put them in bags unless you’ll be able to transport the bags pretty gingerly. They harden up well enough to withstand some friction, but no icing with any grease/fat/cream in it will withstand a ton of friction if the decorations are pretty detailed (and have height to them). This recipe hardens up better than any other buttercream I’ve tried, and they do transport pretty well, but I’m not sure how well ones would hold up in bags if they’ve got intricate details on them, you know?

      HOWEVER, I am literally working on a recipe post right now for an absolutely delicious royal icing that gets pretty close to the deliciousness of buttercream! Because this buttercream recipe is so popular (because people are wanting a buttercream taste but with a harder set) but people still need something that 100% sets, I decided to see if I could figure out a royal icing recipe that tastes a lot more like buttercream and doesn’t taste so…chalky/candy-like/bland like most royal icings taste. I tested a zillion different recipes, and I finally nailed down my favorite one. I should have the recipe post up by tomorrow or Saturday at the latest, so check back and you may want to use that one!! 🙂

  17. Great recipe! I have a super small kitchen. Found that lids from copy paper boxes (pays to work in an office 😃) work great when decorating cookies. Line with wax paper and place cookies in there to dry. You can criss-cross stack them and allow to dry and then package them up to store or give away.

      1. the weirdest thing happened to me when making this recipe. it was perfect until I added food coloring and then it caused my icing to separate. I’ve been baking for over 20 years and this has never happen to me. I used gel and powder and they both caused the butter to separate. what happened???

        1. Oh that is so odd! I have no idea! I’ve made this recipe dozens & dozens of times, and that’s never happened to me. I just did a quick search to see if there’s another common factor for buttercream separating after adding food coloring, but everything that came up said not to use liquid food coloring, but you didn’t. I’m so sorry that happened! I wish I could hang out with you in your kitchen and help you troubleshoot!

  18. Could you bag this icing and close up to be a part of a diy cookie decorating box for customers? If so how far in advance could you make and bag icing to keep fresh? Thanks!

    1. Oh good question! This frosting lasts a long time as long as it’s packaged well. Depending on the colors you use, you could probably make it up to a week ahead of time and I think it’d probably be fine (as long as you bag it up soon after you make it). If the colors you use are really strong (i.e. a dark red, a dark green, brown, etc.), I would be slightly concerned about the colors separating in the icing a bit after several days. But yes, I’ve definitely made this and then kept the icing in baggies in an airtight container for several days at a time, and the icing was still fine a while later!

        1. Good question! It’ll be fine on the counter for a few days. I might consider waiting to add the food coloring until you’re ready to use it, just to prevent any color separation, but even then, I think it would probably be fine.

    1. I’m sure it would! I don’t know how stable the roses will be, so I probably wouldn’t stack them. Although, if they’re light enough, it may not be that big of a deal!

  19. I have used a flooding icing for years and this year decided to try your buttercream. It was incredibly delicious and dried perfectly! This is my new favorite! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!

    1. Yay, Kelley!! I’m so thrilled! I’m honored I get to be part of your Christmas tradition now!! 🙂

  20. Thanks so much for this recipe. Do you think this would be appropriate to pipe icing onto cupcakes. I am keen on a crusted buttercream so I thought I would give this a go. What do you think?

    1. You can, but if you’re piping onto cupcakes, I’d add quite a bit more heavy cream to the recipe (at least a few more tablespoons, if not even more) to thin out the icing and make it even creamier for cupcakes. I actually just made a buttercream for cupcakes the other day, but I make that buttercream a bit differently since 1) I’m wanting to pipe quite a bit more icing on the cupcake than I am on the cookie, and 2) I’m not concerned about the buttercream hardening on the cupcake like I am on the cookie. The buttercreams end up tasting the same since the ingredients are the same, but the method of making it is a bit different for cupcakes…and, again, since I’m not worried about the buttercream hardening on them, I don’t have to be as particular with the recipe!

  21. Maybe I missed something but I couldn’t find an exact measurements of ingredients. etc. cubes of butter?
    Could you give me those? Or could I use any buttercream recipe but make sure the butter is cold?

  22. Thank you for this most perfect recipe! I used it on my sugar cookies oh, and they stayed perfect in the gift tins that I gave to all my neighbors. Best of all, they were still soft enough to eat! This will be my recipe from now on!

    1. Carol! This makes my day! Thank you soooo much for sharing! I’m so thrilled it worked so perfectly for you! 🙂

    1. Yes, I think you’ll be fine with doubling it! Just make sure to follow the instructions and pay attention to the consistency of the butter before you start adding the other ingredients, but I think doubling it will be just fine!

      1. Can I make ahead of time and put into baggies for my sons class at school? They’re decorating sugar cookies and I’m making frosting and thought I’d use ziploc sandwich bags. Will it harden in the bag? Should I refrigerate if I make it the night before?

        1. You sure can! However, I’m actually thinking I’d recommend my brand new buttercream frosting for that purpose – I just posted it 2 days ago! Exact same ingredients, but the ratios are different and the process of making it is different (it’s even simpler), and I think that icing would be easier for kiddos to work with because it’s not quite as stiff as this one. Since they’re using it to decorate cookies in class, they’ll likely be eating them in class and thus don’t need the icing to harden up (which would take a few hours anyway) for transport or stacking. So, if you just want a really FANTASTIC-tasting icing and the “harding factor” isn’t an issue, I’d really recommend this recipe instead: https://theamericanpatriette.com/easy-buttercream-frosting-for-cookies/

          And yes, you can definitely make it the day before and it’ll be fine in the baggies!

          I will also say this, and maybe I should also just include this in the post because I know a lot of people are using this icing for the same reason: I would have icing available in little bowls for them to use to spread on the cookies with plastic butter knives (vs. having them pipe the entire cookie with the sandwich bag), and then have smaller amounts of icing in sandwich bags for them to decorate with detail. One, if you put a lot of icing in the sandwich bag (which you don’t need to do if you’re only using them for the detail work), it puts pressure on the sandwich bag and it’s more likely to bust. But also, it’s just a lot easier, for this icing, to spread it on with a knife for the base color, and then use the sandwich bags for the detail work.

          That all being said, this icing will be fine, but I think I’d more highly recommend that other buttercream since it’s softer to work with and thus easier for little hands!

    1. I’m sure you can! I just always use unsalted butter in everything I make so I can have more control over the salt content, but I’m sure it’d work just fine with salted butter. Since I always use unsalted, I don’t know how salty butter can taste, but if you’ve used it in other baked goods and the salt content wasn’t overpowering, I’m sure it’d be fine in this. I hope you have fun making this! 🙂

    1. I’ve never tried, but with as much as I’ve worked with cream cheese before, I doubt that cream cheese will enable any kind of hardening. But, I should experiment with that sometime!

  23. I don’t have a paddle attachment-do you thing the whisk attachment would change the texture too much? Thanks for all the wonderful recipes and tips!

    1. You’re so welcome! If your whisk attachment is really strong, then yes, I bet it would work! My paddle attachment is so much stronger than my whisk attachment (it can just handle thicker batter/dough/ingredients than my whisk can), so I don’t know how well my whisk would do, but if yours is really sturdy, I think it would probably be fine!

    1. It depends on how detailed your decorating is. If you do a bunch of piping where there are a lot of raised edges, then you can probably expect a little bit of smudging. But, if you’re just wanting to spread frosting and then add sprinkles, then the smudging will be minimal!

  24. For flooding you can try adding meringue powder. I did find a buttercream recipe for flooding that used meringue powder, the problem with that recipe is they used shortening and no butter.. How can anyone call it buttercream frosting if it doesn’t contain butter, or even butter flavoring?

  25. Hi! I like to make cookies early and then freeze to make Christmas plates to share later. Have you tried freezing cookies decorated with this frosting? Did the frosting taste ok after thawing?

    1. I haven’t tried freezing them after decorating them. I should try that, because I’ve had a few people ask that question! My hunch says that the colors in the frosting will bleed after freezing & thawing because of the condensation, but, I should give it a try and see what happens!

      1. I HAVE MADE FROSTED SUGAR COOKIES AT CHRISTMAS FOR OVER 30 YEARS. I MAKE IN ADVANCE AND FREEZE, I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THE FOOD COLORING.

        1. Good to know! I actually just tried freezing them the other day – they turned out mostly fine (the ones that I frosted with red had a little bit of unevenness in their coloring), but they didn’t look quite as fresh. I determined you could probably get away with freezing them, but that wouldn’t be a go-to for me.

    1. Yes, they’re the same! 🙂 I actually just learned that over the summer. All my life I’ve thought they were two different things, but nope, they’re the same!

    1. No, this icing is really stiff, so you won’t be able to do any flooding! One of the trade-offs for using buttercream – you get GREAT flavor, but you don’t get the same liquid texture as you would with royal frosting.

  26. Can you thin this recipe with whipping cream to make it pourable? Also, can you freeze the cookies? I make regular buttercream and thin with whipping cream to make it where I can flood the cookie, but with some colors, like black it doesn’t get quite hard enough. I freeze mine and they do great. Just wondered if it would work with this recipe. I don’t have a paddle attachment to my stand mixer. Will regular beaters work just as well?
    Thank you for sharing!

    1. I don’t know that it’ll get hard enough. I spent a ton of time tweaking this recipe, and this is where I finally landed for texture, flavor, AND the ability for it to harden.

      And yes, you can use a hand mixer, you’re just going to be at it for a while!

  27. Do you use the same icing to pipe onto the cookies ? Want to decorate with wedding couples’ monogram in heart cutouts with base white buttercream and don’t want it to smear. I want them to look nice for my best friends wedding and not ruin in transport.

  28. Do you think I could use 1/2 and 1/2 instead of heavy cream? I always have heavy cream in my freezer but in this recipe I am thinking when it thaws it won’t be thick enough but I also always have 1/2 and 1/2 in my fridge. Thoughts?

    1. As far as taste and consistency go, I’m sure it would be totally fine, I just don’t know if you’d get the same hardening. I tested this recipe A LOT to make sure I could actually get the frosting to harden, and this was the best version I came up with for flavor + consistency + hardening. So, if the hardening isn’t a big deal, I definitely think you could pass with the half & half!

      1. Hi I just had a question about my food colors. I have ChefMaster liqua-gel food colors. Can I use that to dye my frosting?
        Thank you so much for your help! I’m making this recently later on today!❤☘?

        1. I’ve never used ChefMaster, but if they’re gel food colorings, I’m sure they’ll be fine! 🙂

  29. Would I be able to use a standard blender or an immersion blender to make this? I do not have a hand or standup mixer. Thank you!

    1. Gosh, I don’t think so, because a standard blender (unless you have a crazy powerful one) isn’t going to whip that butter the way it needs to be whipped in order to get it to the perfect consistency. BUT, I’m ALL for trying things before saying “absolutely not!”, so it’s worth a try!!

      1. Going to try this wonderful recipe this weekend. Question do you think it will sour leaving the cookies out in containers for a day or two before sharing? I worry the whipping cream will go bad in the frosting.

        1. Good question – nope! You can definitely leave these cookies with the frosting out. The cookies will go “bad” long before the frosting does. The cookies will be the tastiest within 2-3 days of making them (as in, they’ll maintain some moisture and will stay chewy), but the frosting on the cookies could stay out for days and it’ll be just fine.

  30. Used your recipe this year after a quick search for “buttercream frosting that hardens”. Worked great. The frosting was exactly what I was looking for. Not hard like a rock, just hard enough that they don’t get ruined when storing them, carefully. Buttercream ALWAYS taste better. I’ve bookmarked this so I can go back to it again and again.

  31. Amazing recipe for cookie icing when you’re short on time! 9months pregnant with a toddler and actually forgot to take the butter out of the freezer so it was quite literally, ice cold butter. Turned out wonderfully!

  32. Made exactly and it was delish! I went searching for a nice tasting frosting after doing standard icing on gingerbread cookies and Hating the flavor. This recipe is perfectly yummy! It was pretty yellow due to my butter, but I didn’t care, didn’t even color it. Super tasty and that’s enough for us! That’s why sprinkles exist. 🙂

  33. Hi – I would like to make cookies and frost with your buttercream recipe and give them out as gifts for the holidays. Do I tell the recipients that they should eat the cookies within a few days? How long do I have before the buttercream isn’t fresh anymore? Thanks!

        1. Yay! I am so thrilled you enjoyed it! I made it earlier this week to decorate some cookies…every time I make it, I’m just so excited it actually hardens AND tastes good!

    1. Hmm…I have no idea! I’ve never used sour cream in a frosting recipe, nor have I ever seen any other recipes with sour cream in them. I’m curious though!

  34. Hi, I plan to make sugar cookies Christmas Eve – I know you mentioned no refrigeration is required. I just wanted to confirm, if I make the icing and the cookies on Christmas Eve, is it OK to leave them both out on the counter for a few days? If so, how do you store them out on the counter? In a ziploc container? or ziploc bags? After how many days should they not be eaten (I get so nervous about the heavy whipping cream) newbie questions. sorry! Thank you so much!

    1. Good questions! I think you’d be fine with the frosting and with the cookies out for a couple of days, but I wouldn’t leave them out for much longer than that – the cookies will start to get hard. I love really chewy sugar cookies! I know I said in the post that I took the ones I specifically made in that post to a family gathering and they were still good after a few days, but I think they’ll start to lose their quality quickly after that! And yes, just in a plastic container on the counter! 🙂

    1. I haven’t tried that yet since I only make this frosting for sugar cookies, and I only ice sugar cookies with regular buttercream. But, you could try adding in cocoa to the recipe and then add in a tiny bit of extra cream (just a tad at a time as you mix) to compensate for the cocoa addition. Or, you could try swapping out 1/4 c of powdered sugar with 1/4 c of cocoa and see how that goes!

  35. I can’t wait to try this tomorrow… but I have searched the page and read it twice… I am however, tired so maybe I missed it?

    Salted or Unsalted butter?

    🙂
    MaryKate

    1. Good question! I just went back through the post and realized I never mentioned that! Use unsalted, and then if you want to add in a pinch of salt toward the end for flavor enhancement, you can do that. I ALWAYS use unsalted butter in my kitchen, so I rarely think to clarify when I’m writing a recipe! Thanks for bringing it to my attention – I just edited the recipe to add it. 🙂

  36. I had to scroll through your whole, long message to find out how much of each ingredient to use. It would be good to up it up front.
    Thanks

    1. I want to keep the specifics at the bottom because I really want people to read the post – a lot of people are like me (not a rule-follower in the kitchen…I don’t like rules!) and won’t realize they need to follow the steps exactly in order for the frosting to turn out the way they want it. 🙂 So, I keep the ingredients at the end so the steps don’t get glazed over. They’re crucial if you want the right consistency.

        1. It is thick, but it might work! I haven’t tried it…I always just stick with my ‘ole Ziplock baggie routine!

  37. Made this frosting for some of my Christmas cookie wreaths this year–they came out beautiful! Piping it was very easy and so fun to do, and the taste was wonderful! Great recipe! Just one question…I have some leftover frosting, and was wondering if I needed to refrigerate it, and if so, how long will it keep?

    1. Good question! First, you’ll want to make sure to store it in an air-tight container so it doesn’t dry out. Second, if you’re going to use it within a few days, no need to refrigerate it, but if you think you’ll come back to it within a week or so, then I’d go ahead and store it in the fridge. Then, before you use it, make sure to remove it from the fridge at least an hour or two before you try to spread it/pipe it. It’ll be VERY hard in the refrigerator, so it’ll need to come back to room temp to be malleable again.

    2. Hi, i just found this revipe while searchimg for a buttercream recipe for sugar cookies..2 questioms – a) is this BC stiff to pipe flowers? b) has anyone tried to heat seal each cookie without ruining the decorated cookie. I am a newbie in cookie decoration so would be great if you can share tips. I am not a big fan of RI. Thank you

      1. It’s definitely stiff enough to pipe flowers or other details, but I wouldn’t heat seal any cookie made with buttercream. Royal icing is the only icing I know of that hardens well enough for that kind of sealing.

  38. I used this recipe for my Thanksgiving cookies and it worked so well! Thank you for sharing and being very, very detailed!
    Wondering if you have ever frozen any cookies decorated with this buttercream? If so, did it work out? Any tips? Thanks!

    1. No, but I definitely need to try that because I’m sure multiple people would like to know the answer to that! My guess is that, when they thaw, the colored frosting isn’t going to look very good because of the condensation. I think it’ll make the colors bleed. BUT, I should definitely try it to see exactly what happens!

      1. I froze decorated cookies with this recipe, and didn’t have any issues. I froze in a container, so when I pulled out of freezer, opened the container for a couple of hours and thawed at room temperature. Colors stayed true, had white and red, and no running of colors. Buttercream stayed hard and transported well.

        1. Great! Thank you so much for the info! Super helpful for anyone wanting to know if that process works!!

  39. After mixing, can this me added to a pastry bag and piped onto cookies instead of spread on or using a plastic baggy?

    1. Of course! I just always have baggies on hand and don’t always have actual piping bags, so I just turn to the cheap options. 🙂

  40. I’m super excited to try this recipe!! When you say to leave the cookies out overnight, do you cover them at all? Or just let the cookies sit on the counter? I’m worried about them going stale! Thanks!

  41. I started looking for a buttercream recipe that would harden, and came across your amazing recipe! Can’t wait to try it today! Can you post the link to the second half, where you show how you decorated the cookies?? THANK YOU!

  42. I would like to make lemon or peppermint frosting for sugar cookies. Can this frosting be flavored with other extracts? Would is just be a matter of omitting the vanilla extract and adding an equal amount of lemon or peppermint extract?

  43. Happy I found your recipe. I am an amateur baker, have always loved baking and watching baking shows, but have always been too intimidated to really experiment. Since covid hit I’ve dabbled in baking as entertainment lol. I’ve gotten really good at muffins and crisps but cookies still intimidate me. Last Xmas I tried to do cookies with a royal icing and it was terrible. I should’ve been on Nailed it lol I had icing everywhere. BUT I still want to give it another go so will definitely use your recipe and will share my results. With everything being in chaos this year, think Xmas cookies are nice comforting idea.

  44. So i can make the frosting the day before and put in zip lock baggie and leave kn counter all nite for frosting next day?? Or make on day off ? I have requested from friend she want me make her pre baked cookie and put frosting in bag for her and grandon to volor together so tbat why i ask ?

    1. Fun! So, when I make the frosting, I always frost right away, but as long as you transfer the frosting into a baggie soon after making it, you should be fine – it shouldn’t harden in the baggie. At least, it’ll take a long time for it to harden. I’m going to be putting together cookie decorating kits for some friends, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I anticipate the frosting will be just fine in the air-tight baggies for at least a few days.

    1. I always use stick butter, and the sticks are labeled with tablespoon measurements on the paper to make it easy! 🙂 It’s 3/4 c butter, but it’d be hard to measure it that way since the butter has to be ice cold in order for this recipe to work.

  45. Can the sugar be reduced some? The group I’m baking for aren’t used to their cookies being overly sweet but I still wanted to make them sugar cookies for the holiday and wanted to avoid royal icing. I was excited to find your buttercream recipe 🙂

    1. You can sure try it! I messed with this recipe SO MANY TIMES before I nailed this one down, so as far as flavor goes, I’m sure reducing the sugar wouldn’t be an issue at all, but if you want them to harden up, I’m not too sure. But, if you reduce the sugar, you might want to reduce the whipping cream as well – that might help! 🙂

        1. Yay! Great!! I will have to give that a try, too, especially for those who would like them to be a little less sweet. Thank you!

    1. I wouldn’t recommend it! You can tweak the recipe for cakes, but it doesn’t spread really nicely on them since this particular icing is a little stiffer (so that it’ll harden up compared to other buttercream frosting recipes). If you want to make it for cakes, I would use room temp butter, not ice-cold, and perhaps add a little more whipping cream. It won’t harden up in the same way this exact recipe does, but that’s not as necessary for cakes anyway!

  46. What do you use for your piping? Thinking of investing especially since I now have this recipe—why not pipe decorate cutout cookies every year?!

  47. I am a cottage baker, and the state I live in has a ban on cream being used in frosting. Is there anything I can substitute with?

  48. I am so happy that I found your page! I make sugar cookies and use Royal icing because it hardens. I’m so happy for thus recipe, because I too, live buttercream much better!

    1. ME TOO! I’m so glad! I really hope you love this recipe! Another reader emailed me the other day and told me she decorated several batches of cookies with this icing and then MAILED THEM and she said they all turned out fine at their destination! I can’t believe it! Now I want to try mailing them, too!

  49. I like to make a lot of sugar cookies and freeze them once they are frosted. Does this frosting freeze well?

    1. Kelly, I’ve never frozen frosting before, so I have no idea! My hunch is, probably not, BUT…maybe??

  50. I just made this recipe last night and I was done in 20 minutes! I cut the recipe in half and it was enough to pipe rosettes on 18 circular sugar cookies, 2.5 inch diameter. This frosting pipes the sharpest, most beautiful lines. I stacked the rosette cookies on top of each other after drying overnight and none of the sharp peaks flattened! If I could post pictures to show you guys how amazing this recipe is, I would. I’m going to try this again but cut back the sugar by 1/2 cup or so. The recipe is delicious and my boyfriend loved it, but I don’t have a sweet tooth so I want to see how I can play with the sugar and still have the frosting harden.

  51. I don’t have a stand mixer. Do you think this would work with a hand mixer/beaters if I’m patient enough?
    Thanks.

    1. Definitely a hand mixer! I wouldn’t do this by hand – I don’t think you’d be able to whip it easily enough or whip enough air into it by hand. But for sure you could use a hand mixer, you’d just have to be patient with it. 🙂

  52. I’m tickled PINK to find your site and this wonderful, easy sounding recipe for real buttercream decorative icing! I want to make some shamrock shaped cut out sugar cookies for St. Patrick’s Day, with white icing and green sprinkles because I somehow ended up with a huge bottle of green sprinkles. Can’t wait to make your cookies with this fabulous icing. Thanks for all the research you did to come up with this neat recipe. I’ll let you know how the cookies turn out. Thank you!

    1. Yay, Karen! You’re going to love it! Every time I make these now, I’m still surprised by just how darn good they are!!

    1. Sandra – good question! The whole purpose of this particular buttercream frosting is that it hardens better than any other buttercream I’ve tried before, AND, it still tastes good (I just don’t love royal icing). I don’t ever do any flooding on my sugar cookies, just because I prefer this method because of the taste and the texture of the buttercream. So, you can certainly try it, BUT, if you change up the recipe, even if you get the icing to flood, I seriously doubt it’ll harden, just because this is what I’ve experimented with and researched so much, and this is the “happy medium” where I’m able to finally have a frosting recipe that has amazing flavor and texture, while also hardening up a bit so I don’t have to be so gentle when transporting or storing the cookies.

  53. Do I have to wait in between each color if I put more detail on the top? Will the colors bleed if I add them while they’re wet?

  54. This frosting tastes wonderful! Unfortunately when I tried to color it, it took on an appearance with tiny white speckles. I did everything as the recipe said and only had the frosting made for 20 minutes before coloring it. What could have gone wrong?

      1. I also had this problem, and I used the gel type color. Particularly on the black. After 5 minutes the black became darker, and the spots went away. Otherwise, this will be my go to cookie frosting from now on. Performed exactly as you described and the flavor was even better!

        1. I’m so glad to know that everything went well and that it tasted good, too! ALWAYS the goal! The color does darken over a few hours (and for sure by the next day) – I love that the colors in the frosting only get more vibrant!

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