This easy sugar cookie icing is made with powdered sugar and a flavorful secret ingredient. So creamy delicious, my favorite recipe for cookie decorating.
This easy sugar cookie icing is a cookie icing recipe that's been with me since I was a little girl. While the main ingredients are butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and heavy whipping cream, it also uses a secret ingredient.
That secret ingredient is almond extract. I can't imagine making this icing without it.
In fact, I also use almond extract in my favorite buttercream frosting recipe and my chocolate buttercream frosting. Just the right amount gives icing a scrumptious flavor kick.
I can usually mix this cookie icing up in minutes; and when I'm using it with my mom's cut out sugar cookie recipe that we make every single Christmas, I'll sometimes add a little food color for cookie decorating purposes.
Though I have been known to skip the food coloring and go with sprinkles on white icing instead… Those tiny rainbow sprinkle dots that crunch in your teeth when you bite into the cookie? I love those!
I usually make these sugar cookies the way my mom taught me when I was younger. I've never been that patient with a decorating bag.
So I take the easy way out and use a butter knife to spread the cookie frosting on… Then spread sprinkles all over the cookie.
Just writing up this recipe is making me wish we still had a few of those soft sugar cookies left in the cookie jar. It's one of my favorite Christmas recipes!
I JUST WANT THE RECIPE! TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR EASY SUGAR COOKIE ICING!
If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the scrumptious sugar cookie icing recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.
TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE SUGAR COOKIE ICING
- First, soften the butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Add the heavy whipping cream to the mixture.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar to the mixture, mixing it in as you go.
- Once everything is mixed together, the icing should be smooth and creamy, free of any lumps. It's important to get the right consistency. You don't want the icing to be too thick (it won't spread well) or too thin (it'll run right off your cookies).
- At this point, you can add food color, if desired.
- Have fun decorating cookies together!
CAN I FREEZE COOKIE ICING?
Yes, you can. In fact, I usually do have leftover icing, and I'll stick it in the freezer for next time we need it.
It freezes just fine, as long as you cover it well so it doesn't get freezer burn.
HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE RECIPES THAT USE THIS COOKIE FROSTING:
- Chocolate Whoopie Pie Recipe
- Valentine Sugar Cookie Pops
- Campfire Cinnamon Rolls
- Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
- Heart Shaped Chocolate Whoopie Pies
- Easy Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls
- Twix Bar Mummy Halloween Brownies
- Frankenstein Halloween Brownies
KITCHEN TOOLS YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE SUGAR COOKIE FROSTING
Large Mixing Bowl – You'll need a large bowl to mix up your icing, and you'll use it for so much more.
Hand Mixer – A hand mixer comes in so handy for so many things, especially mixing up cookie icing.
Spatula – Because I'm never without my spatula.
Food Color – Allows you to make a few different colors, especially for Christmas cookies.
8 ounce Bowls – These would be perfect for separating your icing to make different colors.
Cookie Decorating Kit – Just in case you want to add more detail to your cookies.
EASY SUGAR COOKIE ICING RECIPE
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Easy Sugar Cookie Icing
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 6 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Soften the butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Add the heavy whipping cream to the mixture.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar to the mixture, mixing it in as you go.
- Once everything is mixed together, the icing should be smooth and creamy, free of any lumps.*
- At this point, you can add food coloring, if desired.
- Have fun decorating cookies together!
If I were to use this recipe for icing on campfire crescent rolls, could I make this ahead of time and refrigerate until use?
Yes, you could make it up to 7 days ahead of time. I would recommend letting it warm to room temperature before using to make it easier to spread.
Does this icing need to be refrigerated? With all the cream in it will it go bad if the cookies sit out?
Christina, I’ve never had to refrigerate mine. I store the iced cookies in between layers of parchment paper in a cookie tin on my kitchen counter. It works very well.
Does the sugar icing harden on the cookie? Thanks
Jini, it doesn’t completely harden, but it gets a crispy top to it.