This homemade Sour Cream Frosting is the perfect finishing touch for your favorite cookies, cakes, and more! So easy to make, and so light, fluffy, and delicious ... you won't be able to resist this delightful icing!
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Are you looking for an easy alternative to buttercream or cream cheese frosting? Then you have to try this delicious Sour Cream Frosting recipe!
I created this yummy frosting to go with my popular Sour Cream Cut Out Cookies recipe, and it's become a favorite around here ever since. This unique icing's light texture and tasty flavor make it perfect for everything from cakes to cookies!
You are going to LOVE this mouthwatering frosting! The recipe uses simple ingredients, it's easy to make, and the frosting is so light and fluffy. It literally melts in your mouth, and the subtle tang complements the cookies, cupcakes, and other treats so well!
Ready to start frosting? Then keep reading for all the details!
Ingredients
This Sour Cream Icing is made with basic, easy to find ingredients! Here's what you'll need:
- Sour Cream - For best results, use full fat sour cream for this recipe (I like Daisy brand). The sour cream lightens up the frosting and give it a mild tangy flavor that's so delicious.
- Butter - Unsalted butter adds richness to the frosting and helps temper the sweetness.
- Sugar - You'll use powdered sugar to sweeten the frosting and to give it structure.
- Vanilla - A little vanilla extract adds a wonderful flavor.
- Salt - A little salt is the perfect counterpoint to all the sweetness. I recommend using kosher salt.
- Optional - You can make this frosting any color you'd like with the addition of a little food coloring. I recommend using gel food coloring for the best colors. This icing also works great paired with colorful sprinkles. I used a combination of clear, red, and green sparkling sugar, red and white nonpareils, red hearts, and rainbow sprinkles to decorate the cookies in the photos.
You'll Also Need
You'll need a stand mixer (or a hand mixer) to prepare the frosting, along with measuring cups and spoons. I used this small silicone spatula (part of a set) to frost the cookies and cupcakes. For the cookies in the photos, I used this Christmas cookie cutter set, as well as this shamrock cutter.
How to Make Sour Cream Frosting
This light, fluffy frosting couldn't be easier to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Cream butter. Using a stand mixer (or a hand mixer), mix the butter until smooth. Tip: Make sure to start with room temperature butter.
- Mix in sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Next, you'll add in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt, mixing until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar. Mix in powdered sugar until the frosting smooth. If you'd like to color the icing, add the food coloring now. Tip: If your frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar (a little at a time) until it reaches your desired consistency. If frosting is too thick, you can add additional sour cream or milk (a teaspoon at a time) to thin it out.
- Frost your treats. Spread the frosting over your baked goods with a butter knife or small offset spatula. Add sprinkles, if desired.
And that's all there is to it! You are going to love this delicious Sour Cream Frosting. It's so versatile, too ... perfect for everything from cookies to cupcakes and more!
Tips + Tricks
This recipe is practically foolproof, but here are some easy tips for the best results:
- Use room temperature butter. If you try to mix cold butter, it won't blend properly with the other ingredients.
- Choose full fat sour cream. Light sour cream won't be as tasty in this recipe, and it may also throw off the texture.
- Sift lumpy powdered sugar. It's typically okay to use powdered sugar straight from bag. However, if your powdered sugar is lumpy, you'll want to sift it into the mixing bowl using a fine mesh strainer. This will remove any lumps and will ensure a smoother frosting.
- Avoid over-mixing. Blend your ingredients together just until the frosting is smooth. There's no need to keep mixing once everything is combined, and doing so could break your frosting.
- Refrigerate your desserts. Because this recipe contains dairy, your desserts will need to be refrigerated to stay fresh. You can leave them out for a couple hours, but make sure to refrigerate them when storing leftovers.
- Make the frosting thicker or thinner. If your frosting turns out too thick, add a little milk or sour cream (one teaspoon at a time) until you get the right consistency. If it's too thin, add a little extra powdered sugar.
Variations
Feel like experimenting? Here are a few ideas for changing up the basic frosting recipe:
- Colored - Change with color of the frosting with food coloring. This Wilton gel food coloring is my favorite. A little goes a long way (add it with a toothpick), and it won't add tons of extra moisture, which can affect the consistency.
- Cinnamon + Other Spices - Add a half teaspoon of ground cinnamon or other warm spices, such as nutmeg, cardamom, pumpkin spice, or chai spice.
- Citrus - Add a citrus flavor ... it pairs great with the tangy sour cream! There are a few ways to do this: mixing in one teaspoon of lemon, lime, or orange zest (use a microplane zester for the finest texture); replace with vanilla extract with a citrus extract; or you may use one tablespoon of juice. Just keep in mind that you may need a little extra powdered sugar to offset any juice you add.
- Other Extracts - Swap out the vanilla extract with other flavorings, such as peppermint extract, almond extract, coconut extract, or maple extract.
- Chocolate - For a tasty chocolate flavor, mix in ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder along with the powdered sugar.
- Coffee - Mix one tablespoon instant espresso powder with one teaspoon cold water in a small bowl until totally dissolved. Then add just enough to flavor your frosting (you may not need it all). Tip: Do not add hot coffee to your frosting ... it will melt!
- Strawberry - Pulverize about ½ cup freeze dried strawberries in a food processor until powdery. Sift out any large chunks, then add to the frosting along with the powdered sugar.
How to Use
There are so many delicious ways to use this frosting with sour cream! Here are a few ideas:
- Cookies - This recipe is super tasty on cookies, and I used it for these Sour Cream Cookies and these Shamrock Cookies. It would work well on any frosted cookie!
- Cake - This frosting is delicious on cakes, too. You could even use it to frost these adorable mini cakes!
- Cupcakes - Spread it over your favorite cupcakes. Try it on these cute Bunny Cupcakes!
- Cake Pops - Use it to make homemade cake pops.
- Cinnamon Rolls - Spread it over cinnamon rolls for a sweet treat (make sure to cool them a bit first, so it doesn't melt). It would be delish on this Cinnamon Roll King Cake, too!
- Brownies + Bars - Spread this creamy frosting over your favorite bars and brownies.
Storage
Store any leftover frosting in an airtight container for up to seven days. Let it warm slightly at room temperature, then stir well before using.
Related Recipes
Looking for more frosted treats? You'll love these recipes, too:
- Cream Cheese Frosting (No Butter)
- Cookie Icing (an easy alternative to royal icing)
- Lemon Lavender Cookies
- Fruit Pizza Cookies
- Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies
- Almond Kringle
- St. Patrick's Day Mini Cakes
- Mini Funfetti Cakes
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, you should refrigerate a cake with sour cream frosting, as well as anything else you use the frosting on (cupcakes, cookies, etc.). Because the frosting is made with dairy, it needs to be refrigerated to stay fresh and keep from spoiling.
This frosting doesn't taste like you're eating a spoonful of sour cream. The sour cream does give the frosting a wonderful tangy flavor though that's so delicious.
To thicken sour cream frosting, just add more powdered sugar.
To thin sour cream frosting, add a little extra sour cream or a few drops of milk.
Because sour cream requires refrigeration, you should follow the USDA's two hour rule, and refrigerate the frosting after it's been out for two hours.
Sour Cream Frosting
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream (full fat)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Equipment
- Stand Mixer (or Hand Mixer)
Instructions
- Using stand mixer (or hand mixer), mix butter until smooth.
- Mix in sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Add powdered sugar. Mix until smooth, adding more powdered sugar if needed.
- Use frosting immediately or chill until ready to use. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
