Cookie Decorating Buttercream

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 2.5 cups (at least 24-30 cookies)

Just like classic vanilla buttercream frosting you love on cakes and cupcakes, this 5-ingredient cookie decorating buttercream is deliciously creamy and sweet. It’s perfect for cookie decorating beginners, and soft-sets on the cookies after a few hours. You can pipe designs onto cut-out cookies, like sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies, or simply spread it on with a knife and top with sprinkles! See video tutorial in the recipe for inspiration.

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 batch sugar cookies, baked & cooled completely

Buttercream

• 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar
• 2 Tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• optional: gel food coloring, for tinting

Instructions

1. Have your cookies baked and cooled completely. You can use this recipe, or your favorite recipe for cookies. 
2. Make the buttercream: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes. Taste. To thicken the buttercream, beat in more confectioners’ sugar. To thin out the buttercream, beat in more heavy cream. To help offset more sweetness, beat in an extra pinch of salt.
3. Color the icing: If you’d like to tint the frosting, divide it into separate bowls for each color, or tint the entire batch one color. A little gel food coloring goes a long way, so use a toothpick to dot the gel into the icing. Stir it in, and then add more to deepen the color if desired. 
4. Use piping tips or knife/icing spatula: You can use a knife or icing spatula to frost the cookies. Or, if using piping tips, fit a piping/pastry bag with a piping tip (and use a coupler if you plan to switch frosting colors and/or piping tips). Spoon the buttercream into the bag, making sure to leave a few inches of space at the top of the bag. Twist the end of the bag or use a clip to seal it shut. You can pipe zig-zags, swirls, lines, dots, or whatever your heart desires! See video tutorial below for some inspiration.
5. Cover and store decorated cookies at room temperature for 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Frosting “soft-sets” on the cookies after a few hours, meaning it will slightly dry on top.

Notes

1. Freezing Instructions: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then beat the frosting on medium speed for a few seconds so it’s creamy again. After thawing or refrigerating, beating in a splash of heavy cream or milk will help thin the frosting out again, if needed. You can freeze cookies frosted with this buttercream for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
2. Special Tools  (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Silicone Spatula | Gel Food Coloring | Disposable or Reusable Piping Bags | Couplers | Wilton 55-Piece Piping Tips Set | Bag Clips | Small Icing Spatula | White Sprinkles | Coarse Sugar Sprinkles
3. Quantity: Depending how much frosting you put on each cookie, this buttercream is enough for at least 24 to 30 cookies.
4. Confectioners’ Sugar: If your confectioners’ sugar is particularly lumpy, I recommend sifting it before measuring and using.
5. Heavy Cream: You can use half-and-half or whole milk instead if needed. The lower the fat, the less creamy your buttercream will be. Whichever you use, make sure it’s at room temperature. Otherwise your frosting could separate or appear grainy.
6. Does This Buttercream Crust? It doesn’t fully crust, but it does “soft set,” which means it sets enough to be dry on top. You’ll still have to be a bit careful stacking the decorated cookies. To make a crusting buttercream, replace half of the butter (1/2 cup/8 Tbsp/113g) with shortening.
7. Can I Flavor the Buttercream with Other Extracts? Yes, absolutely! Reduce the vanilla extract to just 1/2 teaspoon, and then you can use another extract such as peppermint, coconut, lemon, maple, or almond. I would start with only 1/2 teaspoon of any of these, taste, and then beat in more if desired.