You are going to love this easy caramel icing recipe that is made with only six ingredients. It’s perfect for cookies, cakes, caramel rolls and more!
This is a delightfully light and fluffy caramel icing to have in your back pocket. It’s thicker than a glaze, but thinner than my more traditional caramel buttercream.
We’re showing you how to make it and sharing delightful ideas of where to use it. Caramel icing just makes everything better!
This caramel icing recipe is so easy – just combine ingredients and whip until smooth. No fuss, no heat, just incredible icing in a minute or two! In fact, it’s so easy you’ll ask yourself why you’ve ever purchased store bought icing.
There’s just no comparison! You can even use this recipe to dress up store bought goodies. Perfect for your sugar cookies, cinnamon rolls, brownies and so much more!
Most caramel icing recipes will require you to heat sugar with butter to make a caramel, but you can still get the yummy caramel flavor without heating… and bonus! This one is made all in one bowl!
Brown sugar contains molasses which has a deep caramel flavor to it, and this recipe tastes better than those that require the extra step of heating. Save yourself some time and some dishes!
Whatever you call it – caramel icing, caramel frosting or caramel buttercream – you’ll call it delicious. Just one bite and you’ll be hooked!
Why You’ll Love this Caramel Icing
- Only Six Ingredients
- No Heating Necessary (as required by other recipes)
- Deep, Rich Buttery Flavor
- So Easy to Make
- Not Too Thin
- Not Too Thick
- Perfectly In Between!
Don’t forget to pin and save this recipe for later.
Caramel Icing Ingredients
- Butter – It’s best to use unsalted butter in this recipe, but if you use salted, reduce the amount of added salt used.
- Brown Sugar – Use brown sugar rather than white in this recipe. Brown sugar contains molasses which helps to create that beautiful caramel flavor. Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work – but dark has even more molasses for that caramelized flavor.
- Salt – The salt brings out the sweetness and caramel flavor in this icing. Reduce the amount slightly if you are using salted butter.
- Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioners sugar. This sugar is very fine and combines well to create a fluffy and light icing. Learn how to make powdered sugar here, if you’re ever in a pinch!
- Milk – I use 2% milk in this recipe and it makes the frosting perfectly creamy, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Vanilla – Use pure rather than imitation vanilla extract if you can. It’s really easy to make your own vanilla extract!
Variations
- Use Whole Milk or even Heavy Whipping Cream in place of the 2% milk in this recipe for even more decadence.
- Make a salted caramel icing by using salted butter, and adding a few twists of flaky sea salt. Or, make this Salted Caramel Frosting instead!
- Replace the vanilla extract with almond extract for a different spin.
How to Make Caramel Icing
- Whip room temperature butter until smooth.
- Add brown sugar, salt, powdered sugar milk and vanilla. Whip until smooth and sugar is dissolved.
Tips
- Soften your butter before making the icing, it will combine much easier. Softened, room temperature butter is required for frosting recipes – learn how to soften butter quickly!
- If you use salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt in the recipe or omit altogether.
- Use frosting at room temperature. If you have made it ahead of time, take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before using it.
- It’s quickest and easiest to make caramel icing with a stand mixer, but you can mix it by hand, just ensure that everything is well combined.
Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!
Serving Suggestions
You can slather it onto cookies or warm it to pour over a bundt cake. You can also pipe it onto cupcakes! The options are endless, and the flavor is memorable!
It’s sweet, creamy and incredibly addicting. The rich buttercream is a compliment for so many desserts!
Frequently Asked Questions
In general, icing is thinner than a traditional frosting. However, it’s not quite as thin as a glaze – it’s the perfect spot right in the middle!
Not this icing recipe! This one is just six ingredients and it’s so easy to make – you’ll have a hard time resisting putting it on everything!
Make Ahead
You can make this caramel icing a day ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge.
Before you use it, take it out of the fridge for a couple of hours and let it room to room temperature. Quickly re-fluff it in your mixer or with a hand whisk and use as you normally would.
How to Store
- Room Temperature – Buttercream caramel icing can be left out at room temperature for up to two days.
- Refrigerator – This buttercream frosting will keep covered in the fridge for up to 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Freezer – Freeze this caramel icing for up to three months in an airtight storage container. To use after freezing, let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Bring it back to room temperature and make it creamy by re-whipping it with your whip attachment on your stand mixer.
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More Frosting Inspiration
Caramel Icing
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened, room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed, light or dark brown
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whip room temperature butter until smooth.
- Add brown sugar, salt, powdered sugar milk and vanilla. Whip until smooth and sugar has dissolved.
Julie’s Tips
- Soften your butter before making the icing, it will combine much easier. Softened, room temperature butter is required for frosting recipes – learn how to soften butter quickly!
- If you use salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt in the recipe or omit altogether.
- Use frosting at room temperature. If you have made it ahead of time, take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before using it.
- It’s quickest and easiest to make caramel icing with a stand mixer, but you can mix it by hand, just ensure that everything is well combined.
Storage Notes
Buttercream caramel icing can be left out at room temperature for up to two days. This buttercream frosting will keep covered in the fridge for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. Freeze this caramel icing for up to three months in an airtight storage container. To use after freezing, let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Bring it back to room temperature and make it creamy by re-whipping it with your whip attachment on your stand mixer.Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
loved the recipe. if I put it on top of a cake, can it be stored longer?
So glad you enjoyed it! Yes, it will be great!
I was excited to try this uncooked Caramel frosting recipe but……The flavor was great the texture was grainy. I mixed the frosting for a very long time but it remained grainy. I suspect it is the brown sugar. I will go back to the cooked version. Any suggestions?
Oh gosh… I have no idea what I did wrong, but I was so looking forward to an easy/simple frosting. I could not get my frosting smooth. It was so grainy/gritty. My butter was room temp. I creamed it beforehand. Any ideas? Thanks!
It just needed to whip with the sugar longer to dissolve.
Looks amazingly yummy!!! Will be making it for sure!!! Thanks for sharing!!!?
My mother in law used to bake my husband his favorite cake for his birthday. It was a yellow cake with a lemon filling, iced in caramel icing. I rock at cooking the lemon filling, totally fail at the cooked caramel icing. I mean, it comes out like cement! Thank you for an alternative! Can’t wait to make his cake now!
What a fun combo! I can’t wait to hear what you think! I’ve been caught eating it with a spoon.