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We have perfected this The Best Cookie Dough Frosting recipe and think we have come up with the best version that we have ever tasted.

Closeup on three cupcakes frosted with The Best Cookie Dough Frosting sitting next to a ramekin filled with Mini Chocolate Chips.

My daughter loves cookie dough anything. Cookie dough ice cream, cookie dough frozen yogurt, and if I would let her … real raw cookie dough. She went to a birthday party where the cupcakes had cookie dough frosting on them and now that’s all she talks about. While I love real cookie dough (don’t judge, we were raised in an era where raw eggs were okay to eat) this wouldn’t be my first frosting choice. But since I am a good mom, our search for a yummy recipe began. The first recipe we tried was WAY too sweet, the second had cream cheese in it so the taste was off-putting to us, and the third one was basically cookie dough without eggs. (I know…we sound like Goldilocks,) so we put our heads together and came up with our own recipe and it was just right!! There is no getting around the fact that this The Best Cookie Dough Frosting is very sweet. But if you want Cookie Dough Frosting on your cupcake or cake then we are guessing that “sweet’ is your thing.  What we like about our version of this frosting recipe is that it still has a buttercream frosting taste plus a bit of the brown sugar/flour taste of chocolate chip cookie dough.  (P.S. My daughter LOVED it. And we all lived happily ever after.)

How to Make

Collage image showing how to cream the butter, sugar and vanilla to make the Cookie Dough Buttercream Frosting.

Step 1: Add slightly softened butter (somewhere between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature), brown sugar, and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl.  Cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes.)
Step 2:  Add the vanilla extract and continue to mix for another minute.

Collage image showing how to add the heat treated flour to the cookie dough frosting.

Step 3: Before adding the flour to the frosting we recommend that you heat treat it first to kill any germs.  Spread the raw flour on a cookie sheet and heat it in a 200-degree oven for 15 minutes.  Let it cool before you use it in your frosting.
Step 4: Add the flour and the salt to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined.

Collage image showing how to add the milk an the mini chocolate chips to the Cookie Dough Frosting.

Step 5:  Let’s talk about consistency.  The more milk you add at this point, the more you will dilute the “cookie dough” flavor. But if you are going to frost the side and the top of a layered cake, you will need to add more milk to thin out the frosting so that it is spreadable. However, if you are planning to use this frosting as a filling layer in a cake or to top cupcakes, you might not need to add very much milk at this point. Start with a teaspoon, mix the frosting and check the consistency again.  
Step 6: Add Mini Chocolate Chips to taste.  The more chocolate chips you add the harder it will be to frost. So if you are going to use the frosting on a layered cake, we recommend only adding 1/2 cup.  But you can add up to 3/4 cups if you are going to use the frosting as a filling layer or on the top of brownies or a cupcake.
Step 7: Fold in the chocolate chips with a spoon.

How to Serve

A glass bowl filled with Cookie Dough Frosting sitting next to a batch of unfrosted chocolate cupcakes.

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 Cookie Dough Icing to cover a 9″ x 13″ sheet cake or to be the filling layer for a two-layer 8″ cake.  If you are going to frost a whole layer cake, you will need two batches of frosting.  If you are making cupcakes, you should be able to frost approximately 16 cupcakes. 

Expert Tips and FAQ’s

How do I store any leftover frosting?

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 months.

Does the frosting need to be refrigerated?

No, the frosting does not need to be refrigerated. For example, brownies frosted with this Cookie Dough Icing 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.

What should I do if my frosting is too sweet?

This is definitely a sweet frosting which is why we have included the salt in the recipe. If you think it is still too sweet, you can add another pinch of salt to the frosting. But please note that a little salt goes a long way. We cannot stress enough that too much salt will ruin the frosting. Add a pinch of salt and mix again and see if that has cut down on the sweetness level.

What should I do if my frosting turned out too thick?

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

Is there a substitute for milk?

Yes. You can use Half n’ Half or Whipping Cream or even almond milk or another milk substitute.

Closeup on a chocolate cupcake topped with a dollop of The Best Cookie Dough Frosting.

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The Best Cookie Dough FrostingPrint

The Best Cookie Dough Frosting

Yield 2 1/2 cups
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

We have perfected this The Best Cookie Dough Frosting recipe and think we have come up with the best version that we have ever tasted.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Butter, slightly softened (We use Sweet Cream Salted Butter)
  • 3/4 cup Brown Sugar (packed)
  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 tablespoons - 1/4 cup Milk (for desired consistency)
  • 1/2 - 3/4 cup of Mini Chocolate Chips (depending on how chippy you want it)

Instructions

  1. Add slightly softened butter (somewhere between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature), brown sugar, and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl. 
  2. Cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes.)
  3. Add the vanilla extract and continue to mix for another minute.
  4. Before adding the flour to the frosting we recommend that you heat treat it first to kill any germs.  Spread the raw flour on a cookie sheet and heat it in a 200-degree oven for 15 minutes.  Let it cool before you use it in your frosting.
  5. Add the flour and the salt to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined.
  6. Let's talk about consistency.  The more milk you add at this point, the more you will dilute the "cookie dough" flavor. But if you are going to frost the side and the top of a layered cake, you will need to add more milk to thin out the frosting so that it is spreadable. However, if you are planning to use this frosting as a filling layer in a cake or to top cupcakes, you might not need to add very much milk at this point. Start with a teaspoon, mix the frosting and check the consistency again.  
  7. Add Mini Chocolate Chips to taste.  The more chocolate chips you add the harder it will be to frost. So if you are going to use the frosting on a layered cake, we recommend only adding 1/2 cup.  But you can add up to 3/4 cups if you are going to use the frosting as a filling layer or on the top of brownies or a cupcake.
  8. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spoon.

Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!

© Two Sisters Crafting
Cuisine: American / Category: Frosting