The Best Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
Sweet, creamy, and buttery with just the right amount of peppermint flavoring – this The Best Peppermint Buttercream Frosting tastes just like a butter mint candy!
Our latest flavor of Buttercream frosting is a gigantic hit … it definitely deserves the title The Best Peppermint Buttercream Frosting. We think it tastes just like a butter mint candy – sweet, creamy, and buttery with just the right amount of peppermint flavoring. This one is a keeper!
How to Make
Step 1: Add the butter and the peppermint extract to a mixing bowl. The butter needs to be what we call, slightly softened which is somewhere between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature. Mix the butter and the peppermint extract together on medium speed until thoroughly combined (about 2 minutes.) The goal is to get the peppermint flavor to meld with the butter to enhance the flavor of the frosting.
Step 2: Use a spatula to scrape the butter and vanilla mixture down from the sides of the bowl.
Step 3: We use a food scale to measure 1 Pound of Powdered Sugar. If you don’t have a food scale, measure 4 cups instead. We normally do not sift the powdered sugar and instead rely on the mixer to do that work for us.
Step 4: Add the powdered sugar to the butter/peppermint mixture in the mixing bowl.
Step 5: Here is a Two Sisters Tip – cover the mixer with a towel during this part of the mixing process to keep the powdered sugar from flying out of the mixer.
Step 6: Start your mixer (or electric beater) on the lowest setting and keep it on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated (about 30 seconds). Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then increase the speed to medium-high and mix for another 30-45 seconds until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Step 7: This is the fun part of the recipe where you get to taste your frosting. You are trying to determine if the consistency is correct or if it needs some milk or maybe a little more peppermint extract. If it tastes great, test the consistency. Too thick? Add 1 teaspoon of milk and mix again to check to see if it is now the right consistency. The amount of milk to use depends on the state of your frosting and sometimes the time of year (if it is a hot humid day, you might not need to add any milk.) A good rule of thumb is to add the milk a teaspoon at a time. You can check out our FAQ section below to see some other advice on making the perfect batch of frosting.
How to Serve
How much frosting will you need? That always depends on how thick or thin you apply the frosting or how much decorating you do but here are a couple of guidelines. Our recipe should make enough icing to cover a 9″ x 13″ sheet cake or a two-layer 8″ cake. If you are making cupcakes, you should be able to frost 24 cupcakes if you apply the frosting with a knife. If you swirl on the frosting with a pastry bag and a decorating tip you should be able to frost 15-18 cupcakes depending on the size of the swirl.
Expert Tips and FAQ’s
No, the frosting does not need to be refrigerated. For example, brownies frosted with this Peppermint Frosting would be fine left out on the counter for 2-3 days if the pan was tightly covered with aluminum foil. That said, we usually refrigerate our frosted desserts to keep the baked good from going stale even if the frosting would be fine. We think frosting tastes best at room temperature so we will then remove the item from the refrigerator a couple of hours before we will serve them.
Frosting stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator should be good for up to a week. If you carefully wrap the frosting in order to avoid freezer burn, the frosting should be fine in the freezer for 3-4 mon
Buttercream is a sweet frosting. One thing you can do if it seems too sweet for your palette is to add a pinch of salt to the frosting. But please note that a little salt goes a long way. We cannot stress enough that a pinch (10-15 granules of regular table salt) is all you usually need. Even 1/4 a teaspoon of salt would probably ruin the frosting. Add the salt and mix again and see if that has cut down on the sweetness level.
Add another teaspoon of milk and mix again. Continue to add the milk, a teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is the consistency that you like it
Temperature plays a big part in the consistency of frosting. A thin frosting could mean that the butter has gotten overworked and is too melted. The first thing to do is refrigerate the frosting for an hour and then check to see if the frosting has set back up again. If not, the next step is to add more powdered sugar or cornstarch. Start with either 1/2 cup of Powdered Sugar or 1 tablespoon of Cornstarch. Mix again and see if the consistency is better.
Yes. You can use Half n’ Half or Whipping Cream or even almond milk or another milk substitute.
Other Frosting Recipes You Will Love
Step-by-Step Video Tutorial
The Best Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
Sweet, creamy, buttery with just the right amount of peppermint flavoring - this The Best Peppermint Buttercream Frosting is just like a butter mint candy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter, slightly softened (We use Salted Sweet Cream Butter)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Peppermint Extract
- 1 pound Powdered Sugar (or 4 cups)
- 1-2 tablespoons Milk (if needed)
Instructions
- Add the butter and the peppermint extract to a mixing bowl. The butter needs to be what we call, slightly softened which is somewhere between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature.
- Mix the butter and the peppermint extract together on medium speed until thoroughly combined (about 2 minutes.)
- Use a spatula to scrape the butter and vanilla mixture down from the sides of the bowl.
- Measure 1 Pound of Powdered Sugar on a food scale. If you don’t have a food scale, measure 4 cups instead.
- Add the powdered sugar to the butter/peppermint mixture in the mixing bowl.
- Start your mixer (or electric beater) on the lowest setting and keep it on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated (about 30 seconds). Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then increase the speed to medium-high and mix for another 30-45 seconds until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Taste your frosting. You are trying to determine if the consistency is correct or if it needs some milk or maybe a little more peppermint extract. If it tastes great, test the consistency. Too thick? Add 1 teaspoon of milk and mix again to check to see if it is now the right consistency. The amount of milk to use depends on the state of your frosting and sometimes the time of year (if it is a hot humid day, you might not need to add any milk.) A good rule of thumb is to add the milk a teaspoon at a time. You can check out our FAQ section below to see some other advice on making the perfect batch of frosting.
Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!
