How to Make the BEST Brown Sugar Frosting (with a surprise ingredient!)
This is the BEST Brown Sugar Frosting, and with this recipe, you’ll never need another. It has one ingredient that may surprise you (keep reading!) and it’s the perfect amount for 2 dozen cupcakes! Enjoy it on Chocolate Cupcakes, Apple Cake, or just straight off the spoon! You need this in your life.
Originally posted October 2021, updated July 2025
Brown Sugar Frosting
This brown sugar buttercream frosting is the perfect complement to this Chocolate Chip Cake recipe. The combination tastes just like a chocolate chip cookie! It’s my favorite cake and possibly the most perfect recipe. I have had brides order their entire wedding cake in this combination after tasting it.
This perfect frosting tastes a little bit like cookie dough – it’s creamy and delicious and perfect for piping!
The SURPRISE Ingredient in Brown Sugar Buttercream
You might be surprised that one of the ingredients in this brown sugar frosting recipe is all-purpose flour, which I think really makes it a little bit extra special! The first time I heard the suggestion to put flour in buttercream was from The Pioneer Woman and this amazing frosting.
It sounded strange to me, but after trying it, I’m sold! I can’t tell you how or why it makes the frosting better – just that it does.
Variation:Maple Brown Sugar Frosting
This brown sugar version of frosting can also be easily changed into Maple Brown Sugar frosting, which will remind you of pancakes. Simply add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup to the mix. It really enhances the brown sugar flavor and it is amazing!
You won’t need as much milk for thinning if you do this, but the end result is addictive! I used it on these Chocolate Maple Bacon Cupcakes, and they were to die for!
Tools Needed
You really only need a handful of regular kitchen gadgets to make this simple brown sugar frosting.
- Bosch Mixer with Cookie Paddles or Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment* – don’t use a whisk attachment for this frosting or you’ll get too many air bubbles in your frosting!
- Rubber Spatula
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
*You can use an electric hand mixer and a large bowl instead of a stand mixer if that’s what you have 🙂
Ingredients
These simple ingredients come together to make the most wonderful frosting!
- Salted butter, softened to room temperature (you can use unsalted butter if that’s what you have – just add pinch of salt at the end)
- Packed brown sugar – I prefer light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar would work just as well.
- All-purpose flour
- Powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- Pure vanilla extract
- Whole milk or heavy cream (if you use heavy whipping cream, you may have to adjust the amount slightly since it’s thicker than milk)
- Pinch of salt (optional, but needed for sure if you use unsalted butter)
Find the complete recipe with ingredient measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Brown Sugar Frosting
This recipe for brown sugar frosting (sometimes called brown sugar icing) is really easy to follow!
- Cream the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 4–5 minutes on low to medium speed, scraping down the sides as needed.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar and flour to the brown sugar mixture, one cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
- Add the vanilla and mix on low.
- While still mixing on low speed, slowly add in the milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you get the right consistency. Continue mixing for 2-3 minutes, until you have smooth and fluffy buttercream.
- Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl one last time to ensure everything is fully combined and mix for a couple of minutes longer if needed.
- Use immediately or cover the bowl with plastic wrap until ready to use.
Note: This frosting recipe will yield approximately 4 to 4½ cups of frosting.
That’s enough frosting to:
- Cover a 9×13 sheet cake with a thick layer
- Frost 24 cupcakes with a generous swirl
- Fill and frost a two-layer 8-inch or 9-inch cake
This frosting is so good y’all. I mean really. Get out your spoon and dig in!!
Pro Tips
- This frosting is soft and fluffy making it easy to spread and smooth over cake. Its also stable enough to use piping bag fitted with decorating tips.
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container or freeze up to 1 month before using.
- I love the texture of the brown sugar crystals in the frosting (they remind me even more of chocolate chip cookies), but if you don’t, make it a day or two ahead of time, and the sugar will dissolve completely.
- If you want to use this as filling on a wedding cake but don’t want the brown color of the frosting for the outside, it’s perfectly complemented by American buttercream or Cream Cheese Frosting
- If raw flour concerns you, spread on a cookie sheet and bake it at 350°F for 10 minutes before adding to the frosting.
Is it safe to eat raw flour in frosting?
Okay – this is controversial, so I’m gonna tell you my opinion, and if you’re worried, how to minimize the risk of food poisoning with raw flour.
First, I’ve made and eaten this frosting dozens of times and never had any issue with getting sick. I also eat raw cookie dough and eat sushi from a grocery store, so you know… I’m a risk-taking girl 😉
But I realize that doesn’t mean you can’t get sick from eating raw flour. And if you go back to the Pioneer Woman frosting, you’ll see that she does, in fact, cook the flour.
So, if this is a risk that concerns you, there are ways to “cook” the flour. It will change the flavor slightly, but not so much that it’ll ruin the recipe. First, you can spread your flour out on a cookie sheet and bake it at 350°F for 5 minutes. Let it completely cool, then proceed with the recipe as written. Another option is to microwave it. Place the raw flour in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it for up to one minute. Be careful with this option because overheating the flour can cause it to dry out and harden. If that happens, you can’t use it for baking.
Either of these methods should kill any bacteria that would lead to food poisoning.
Desserts that need Brown Sugar Frosting
I made this frosting to top some Chocolate Cupcakes. But it’s very similar to what I used on the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes, and this would work there too.
Or on an Apple Cake. Or even Carrot Cake. If you want to get real… consider maybe just eating it straight from a spoon?
Just me again? Nevermind.
But seriously, here’s a list of recipes that you could use the buttercream on:
- One Bowl Chocolate Cake
- Vanilla Coffee Cake with Creamy Coffee Buttercream Frosting
- Loaded Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Fresh Apple Spice Cake with Caramel and Pecans
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream
- OREO Maple Creme Cupcakes
- Chocolate Maple Bacon Cupcakes
- Banana Cake in Bundt Pan
- Semi-Homemade Caramel Cake
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Brown Sugar Frosting
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
Description
This creamy, delicious maple brown sugar buttercream tastes a little bit like cookie dough and a little bit like pancakes for breakfast… it’s perfection on chocolate cake, chocolate chip cake, or even apple or carrot cakes!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) of salted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup of light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups of powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, optional
- Up to 1/4 cup milk, as needed
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Cream the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 4–5 minutes on low to medium speed, scraping down the sides as needed.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar and flour to the brown sugar mixture, one cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
- Add the vanilla and mix on low.
- While still mixing on low speed, slowly add in the milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you get the right consistency. Continue mixing for 2-3 minutes, until you have smooth and fluffy buttercream.
- Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl one last time to ensure everything is fully combined and mix for a couple of minutes longer if needed.
- Use immediately or cover the bowl with plastic wrap until ready to use.
Notes
- This frosting is soft and fluffy making it easy to spread and smooth over cake. Its also stable enough to use piping bag fitted with decorating tips.
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container or freeze up to 1 month before using.
- I love the texture of the brown sugar crystals in the frosting (they remind me even more of chocolate chip cookies), but if you don’t, make it a day or two ahead of time, and the sugar will dissolve completely.
- If you want to use this as filling on a wedding cake but don’t want the brown color of the frosting for the outside, it’s perfectly complemented by American buttercream or Cream Cheese Frosting
- If raw flour concerns you, spread on a cookie sheet and bake it at 350°F for 10 minutes before adding to the frosting.
- Prep Time: 10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
bacon crumbled on top of maple buttercream do you think this would work well with bacon
Oh yes – I’m sharing that exact cupcake on Monday!
Hi,Rose! Prayers sent, lol! Just wanted to say you are a remarkable woman! I truly admire your work ethic, family focused and dedication to our Lord yet you are so humble. Thanks for all your sharing nd guidance! You are appreciated by all! Stay Blessed!
Thank you Sharan!
Sounds delicious.God bless you as you sing this Sunday.
Thank you!
This along with bacon will be a great garnish for warm croissants! I am just saying! Bravo!
That Maple Brown Sugar piece is the truth. I’m such a succer for good dessert. This is sooooo tempting. Are you on Pinterest so I can follow you?
Yes – http://pinterest.com/rosebakes. Thank you!
This looks perfect for fall. Pinning thanks for the recipe.
Oh…my…I made this yesterday and there are not enough superlatives to describe it, lol! This a TREASURE, utterly delicious on even a plain jane vanilla cake and it is fantastic eaten right off the spoon, too. I. Love.This.
Thank you Nora!! Your review is fantastic!
Is the flour a thickener or for consistency? It sounds amazing! I have spice cake in the oven as I type and was looking for something new. Thank you!
I’m gonna be really honest here and tell you I’m not sure what the flour does other than step it up a notch. It just tastes better with the flour!! Haha!
Hi just curious is it safe to eat flour that hasn’t been cooked? I’m just concerned as that’s usually a no-no. Thanks for your help! Ash
I do not worry at all, ever, about eating raw flour. However, if it concerns you, bake it at 350°F for 10 minutes before adding to the frosting.
I’m making a butter pecan banana cake. It recommended plain vanilla store bought frosting, Eww. So I saw your Maple brown sugar butter cream recipe! Doesn’t that sound way better?!!!! Cant wait to try it 🙂
Thanks,
Roxanna
That does sound AMAZING!!
So yummy!! I made it on a dark chocolate cake a winner!!! Putting on my carrot cake for Easter, delicious!!
Could the flour be substituted with cornstarch? I prefer not to eat raw flour since there is a high risk of bacteria. The following link explains about why not to eat raw flour. https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/types/flour/index.html
I don’t think cornstarch would be a good substitute for this recipe. But you could pasteurize the flour if you’re worried about using it : https://www.howtocakethat.com/how-to-pasteurize-flour.html
I made this maple buttercream tonight, and mine turned out grainy/gritty due to the brown sugar. It has a great taste though! Has anyone else experienced this? Any tips? Is that just the nature of this buttercream?
Yes, that’s how it’s supposed to be.
wonderful! Thank you!!
this was insanely delicious on top of your durable moist chocolate cake! Thank you!
Awww, so happy to hear it Kim!
It is so good!!! But please you have to try the “banana addition.” I was looking for something with a smidge of banana to frost a layered banana cake. This would have done a fine job. It’s delicious as is, but I had already made another frosting recipe as well to see which I liked best for the banana cake. On its own, not a frosting choice, BUT!!!!! Wow! I mixed the two and …..BREAK OUT THE STRETCHY PANTS! So instead of 1-2 TBS of milk in this awesome Maple Brown Sugar Buttercream for texture add “ banana mix.” This consists of mixing 2C of powdered sugar, 1 banana, 2Tbs of softened salted butter, and a tsp of vanilla. I put the new concoction in the fridge last night so I could frost the cakes today and UNBELIEVABLE ..it tastes like homage banana ice cream. You guys this is serious. It’s ridiculously delicious. Looking forward to trying it on my banana cake and on my spoon, fork, knife, shovel or anything else I can shove it in my mouth with.
Oooh Lee, I’m gonna have to take your word for it. I am NOT a banana fan 😉
Sorry…I meant homemade. However it is quite the hommage to home made ice cream!
any way to leave out the powdered sugar?
Look up French buttercream. This recipe is American BC which uses a lot of powdered sugar–too gritty in texture.
Has anyone tried this with omitting the flour or using a gluten free flour instead? I have celiac, so was just curious. Thank you.
Can heavy cream be used instead of milk? I would like to make this today and don’t have milk. This sounds so yummy.
Yes, that’ll be great, too!
This sounds wonderful!. I have a friend who is lactose intolerant. Can I use high ratio shortening instead of the butter?
I think so- you will miss some of the buttery flavor so you may want to add some butter flavoring, but otherwise, the consistency should be close!
I’ve never tried brown sugar frosting before. This sounds so delicious! Wonderful guide and recipe ^_^