I'll tell you how to choose the best homemade frosting for cookies. Get tips and recipes for your treats no matter what kind you are making.
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Do you make cookies at home? Well if the answer is yes, you're in the right place! I love cookies, and all the delicious icings and frostings that go with them.
What frosting is best for cookies?
I prefer confectioners' sugar buttercream for soft sugar cookies.
Cutout sugar cookies
For cutout sugar cookies that beg for fancy decoration, I use royal icing, because it gets hard and holds design well.
Sandwich cookies
For sandwich cookies you can use soft icings with various flavors for fun options. Chocolate ganache, cream cheese frosting and caramel icing are all great fillings for cookies. See below for more!
Specialty cookies
Specialty cookies love a shiny glaze, like my Pastel Black and White Cookies, or Brown Butter Frosting on Cashew Oatmeal Cookies. Everyone loves browned butter, with the nutty, caramelized taste.
Easy sugar cookie decorating ideas
Whether you're using an easy cookie frosting like fluffy buttercream, or another powdered sugar frosting for cookies, like cream cheese frosting, you can make fun decorations.
Pipe your frosting onto soft sugar cookie cutouts using pastry tips. I used open star tips #16, #19 #20 and #35 on these Christmas tree cookies. See the recipe post for more on how I made each design.
When to use royal icing:
For a great tasting sugar cookie frosting that hardens, I have two royal icing recipes, classic and lemon.
Royal icing creates clean lines and takes on color to create a vibrant look. It also works for detailed piping and decorating, when you want to make a gingerbread house or small designs.
Tangy lemon royal icing is a delicious frosting for gingerbread cookies. I love how it tastes with the mix of spices.
I use gel paste food coloring to tint royal icing. It creates deep color without adding too much liquid.
You can make simple royal icing designs like I did on these Spooky Spiral Cookies. And don't miss the darling Santa Faces I created for one of my Christmas cookies!
The best frosting for cookies depends on the flavor and kind of cookie.
Try homemade marshmallow as a frosting for cookies! I use my Peppermint Marshmallow to fill chocolate Christmas cookies. For Easter, fill the soft chocolate cookies with pastel pink, yellow and green marshmallow. (Leave out the mint extract.)
Speaking of sandwich cookies, the melt-in-your-mouth frosting that is always a go-to cake topper makes the best cookie filling. For soft, cake-like cookies like Whoopie Pies, I use my Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Candy cane sprinkles make them great for the holidays.
There isn't just one type of cookie, so you can imagine there are a whole lot of frostings too.
Try fluffy peanut butter frosting instead of browned butter icing on my cashew cookies. The two nut flavors compliment each other and create the perfect bite.
Create amazing and fun designs on sheet pan cookies too.
Get creative with your own combinations! Let me know in the comments below what your favorite frosting for cookies is. Or tag a picture of cookies you make on Instagram with the hashtag #TaraTeaspoon.
Recipe by Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in the food publishing business for over 20 years, creating recipes and food styling for magazines, books, television and advertising. Find out more about me!
Kelly Anthony says
This is a great post on cookie icing and also great to have on hand at all times.
Danielle says
Such a great finding (your post is). I've got so many great tips from it, that I can be absolutely sure now that my cookies will turn out perfect, every time!
Denise says
Oh this recipe I am sharing with my friend who loves to make decorative cookies like yours! They all look delicious, and this post is awesome!
Jacqui Debono says
These are all so gorgeous! I have never tried frosting a cookie (shocking!), now I know I have to try!
Nicole Washington says
You have no idea how helpful this is to me. I am not a pretty baker decorator but understanding the different frosting helps me be more comfortable
Leslie Kiszka says
I always know I can come to you for the best icing tips (get it??!). I especially love the little trees - so cute, and they look so much more difficult than they really are just by using the right piping technique!
Amy Dong says
I am one that definitely can use some help with creatively frosting my cookies. Yours look amazing and full of vibrant color. Fun for the holidays!
Jo says
Decorating cookies is one of the best fun activity to do with kids during the holidays. Your frosting sounds perfect. Can't wait to try it with my kids to decorate a few cookies this weekend. Those Christmas tree cookies are simply gorgeous!
Farrukh Aziz says
Though I am a frequent cookie baker but have never tried decorating it using frostings. This detailed post is making me to try them. Thank you very much for the lovely share!
Cheers!
Mary says
This is the most perfect collection of recipes and information! Wow! Thank you! I'll be keeping it handy!