Easy Sugar Cookie Frosting (Printable)
A creamy vanilla frosting that sets beautifully, ideal for decorating cookies with colors and flavors.
# What You'll Need:
→ Base Frosting
01 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
02 - 2-3 tablespoons whole or 2% milk
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
04 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
05 - Pinch of salt
→ Optional Add-ins
06 - Food coloring (gel or liquid), as desired
07 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract for flavor variation
# How-To Steps:
01 - In a medium mixing bowl, beat powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined and mixture appears crumbly.
02 - Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition, until smooth and spreadable. Use less milk for piping consistency, more milk for a thinner glaze.
03 - Stir in almond extract if using, then add food coloring drop by drop until evenly distributed and desired color intensity is reached.
04 - Apply frosting immediately to cooled sugar cookies. Let cookies sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour to allow frosting to set completely.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- You probably have everything in your pantry right now
- It dries perfectly smooth so stacked cookies wont stick together
- The consistency is foolproof for beginners but impressive enough for cookie decorators
02 -
- Humidity makes this frosting soften—avoid decorating on rainy days if you need sharp edges
- Gel food coloring intensifies color without thinning the consistency like liquid does
03 -
- Warm your mixing bowl with hot water then dry it before starting—this helps ingredients blend faster
- Add food coloring before the final milk adjustment so you can thin the frosting if needed