How to Make Frosting without Powdered Sugar (No Icing Sugar, No Eggs)

4.72 from 21 votes

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Yep, you CAN make fluffy and silky smooth frosting without powdered sugar. This frosting made with regular sugar is not a sad substitute for the classic buttercream frosting. It’s actually an old-fashioned technique, called Ermine frosting or boiled milk frosting! It’s very stable and not TOO sweet – you can use it to frost any cakes and cupcakes. It can be piped, spread, and dyed easily!

With only 6 common ingredients: regular granulated sugar, butter, milk, flour, vanilla extract, and salt, it’s a game changer! Don’t worry, it’s creamy and smooth, not gritty at all.

Yep, you CAN make fluffy and silky smooth frosting without powdered sugar. This frosting made with regular sugar is not a sad substitute for the classic buttercream frosting. It’s actually an old-fashioned technique, called Ermine frosting or boiled milk frosting! It’s truly perfect and NOT too sweet - you can use it to frost any cakes and cupcakes. It can be piped, spread, and dyed easily!
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I ❤️ this icing without powdered sugar and have been making it for years! Reason: I’ve turned down many cakes or cupcakes just because the frosting is TOO sweet and makes my teeth hurt!

Note: If you are looking for a quick last-minute frosting, you can check out my 5-Minute Cream Cheese Frosting without Powder Sugar Recipe.

Frosting without powdered sugar recipe video

Frosting without Icing sugar – what to expect

  • The taste: It’s buttery, smooth, and sweet enough but not overly sweet as the classic American buttercream icing
  • The texture: This method is an old-fashioned way of making light, fluffy icing that’s used to frost red velvet cakes. It has a consistency lighter than buttercream and closer to whipped cream.
  • The look: Your frosting won’t have that bright white color, which comes from the powdered sugar, but I can share with you a quick trick to fix that later 🙂

This frosting made without powdered sugar is a preferred choice for many even when they have powdered sugar at home. It’s still VERY stable and EASY to pipe! It’s mind-blowing good! Tasting them, you may like it more than the classic American buttercream icing too.

This is THE frosting to make when:

  • you don’t have powdered sugar, also known as icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar; or
  • prefer a frosting that’s NOT overly-sweet

What ingredients do I need instead of powdered sugar

To make frosting without powdered sugar, all you need is 6 simple ingredients:

Frosting without Powdered sugar ingredients on the counter
The full recipe with measurements is at the bottom of the post. 
  • Sugar: Regular granulated white sugar works well. Don’t worry, your frosting won’t be gritty as the sugar will be completely dissolved in the milk mixture.
  • Flour: All-purpose flour works perfectly but you can also use cake flour or pastry flour.
  • Milk: I recommend using whole milk (3.25%) for the best result. You can also use plant-based milk for a vegan, non-dairy frosting.
  • Unsalted Butter: Make sure the butter is properly softened before making your frosting. In the meantime, the butter shouldn’t be too soft or melty.
  • Vanilla Extract: It adds the classic flavor to your frosting. You can use other flavors or omit this ingredient.

You can also add gel food coloring: stir it in when you’ve finished making the frosting.

How to make icing from scratch without powdered sugar

Heads up: making this frosting without powdered sugar is NOT like making the traditional icing. It’s not hard to make but it does take more time – here’s how it goes:

Start by making the roux. Add flour, sugar, and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk for 1 minute to combine. Add milk and whisk CONSTANTLY (lower the heat once the milk is hot) until the mixture reaches a pudding-like consistency.

Cover the roux with plastic wrap

Then cool down the roux. Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer it to a shallow bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow the mixture to cool down. Note that the mixture will be thicker once it’s cool.

Time-saving tip #1: When I made it this morning, I discovered that adding a few ice cubes on top of the plastic wrap really speeds up the cooling process. The roux is ready in less than 10 minutes!

Beat the softened butter

Next, beat the butter. Beat the softened butter in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy. Make sure your butter is at room temperature and soft enough for a spatula to cut through easily! 

Add cooled roux gradually

Then add cooled roux and beat. Add the cooled roux gradually, about 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Beat until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract, and give it a quick mix. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides from time to time.

You can add food coloring or other flavors to this frosting such as chocolate, lemon, peppermint, and almond.

Yep, you CAN make fluffy and silky smooth frosting without powdered sugar. This frosting made with regular sugar is not a sad substitute for the classic buttercream frosting. It’s actually an old-fashioned technique, called Ermine frosting or boiled milk frosting! It’s truly perfect and NOT too sweet - you can use it to frost any cakes and cupcakes. It can be piped, spread, and dyed easily!

How to Soften Butter in Less than 1 Minute

It takes 2-3 hours to soften the butter PROPERLY on the kitchen counter. If you forget to take it out ahead of time, here is a quick trick:

Time-saving tip #2: Cut your butter into smaller pieces and microwave them on a flat plate at 50% power at 5-second intervals. Check after every 5 seconds until they are nice and soft. It usually takes less than 30 seconds in total.

Troubleshooting runny frosting

If you find your frosting runny, here are a few reasons:

  • The roux (flour mixture) is not thick enough. Be patient and let the mixture reach a pudding-like consistency. Warning: ⚠️ Don’t crank up the heat, or you can burn your roux.
  • The roux is not cooled down completely. You’ll need to let it cool down to room temperature completely. Use your finger to test before adding it to the butter.
  • The butter is too soft and melty.

How to fix broken frosting that curdles or splits

When the roux is hotter than butter, your frosting will likely curdle or split. To prevent this from happening, let your roux cool down completely, AND add the roux to butter gradually, 1-2 tablespoons at a time. In case you notice that your frosting starts to curdle or split, don’t fret…

Here is an easy trick to fix it: Pop your bowl into the microwave, and microwave for 5 seconds, give it a quick mix. Repeat this until your frosting is nicely blended and smooth. Don’t microwave for more than 5 seconds at a time, or your frosting will melt quickly.

Yep, you CAN make fluffy and silky smooth frosting without powdered sugar. This frosting made with regular sugar is not a sad substitute for the classic buttercream frosting. It’s actually an old-fashioned technique, called Ermine frosting or boiled milk frosting! It’s truly perfect and NOT too sweet - you can use it to frost any cakes and cupcakes. It can be piped, spread, and dyed easily!

Ways to use this frosting

Use this frosting for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and other baked goods. I especially love it on carrot cakes, vanilla cakes, and birthday cakes. It tastes amazing on my apple pie cupcakes, strawberry biscuits, and cinnamon rolls, too!

Make sure to let your baked goodies cool down before you decorate them with this frosting, otherwise, the frosting will melt!

Note: This frosting is not as white as the traditional buttercream frosting. A simple trick to make it whiter is to add a bit of purple gel coloring. To help you see the difference between this frosting made without powdered sugar and the traditional buttercream, I made both of them this morning. Below is the photo:

Comparison of frosting made with and without powdered sugar
Left is the frosting without powdered sugar; Right is the traditional buttercream icing with powdered sugar

Storage

You can leave this frosting at room temperature for up to 6 hours. After that, you’ll need to store it in the refrigerator. 

  • Make ahead – You can make this frosting 5-7 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to use it,  let it sit at room temperature and briefly re-whip it and it’ll be as good as freshly made frosting!
  • Freeze – You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Just make sure to thaw it in the refrigerator properly before using it.

More Ways to Make Frosting without Powdered Sugar

If you tried this recipe, let me know how your frosting turns out in the comments below!

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Yep, you CAN make fluffy and silky smooth frosting without powdered sugar. This frosting made with regular sugar is not a sad substitute for the classic buttercream frosting. It’s actually an old-fashioned technique, called Ermine frosting or boiled milk frosting! It’s truly perfect and NOT too sweet - you can use it to frost any cakes and cupcakes. It can be piped, spread, and dyed easily!
4.72 from 21 votes

Best Frosting without Powdered Sugar

By: Izzy
This frosting made without powdered sugar is even BETTER than the traditional buttercream icing as it’s not overly sweet. I used an old-fashioned technique, called Ermine frosting to make this recipe, and it’s so perfect – you can pipe and spread it easily onto cakes and cupcakes. It’s stable for days!
This recipe makes about 3 cups of frosting, enough for 12 cupcakes or two 8-inch round cakes.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Cooling Time: 10 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk*
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter**, room temperature, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk for about 1 minute to combine.
  • Add milk and whisk. Once the mixture is hot, lower the heat to medium-low. Whisk until the roux has thickened and reaches a pudding or custard-like consistency. It will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure to whisk constantly to prevent the mixture from burning. (DON'T crank up the heat!)
  • Remove the roux from the heat and transfer it to a shallow bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap. Push the wrap to touch the surface of the mixture to prevent the skin from forming on the surface. Allow the mixture to cool down COMPLETELY. It will take about 1 hour, but here’s a simple trick: add a few ice cubes on top of the plastic, and your roux should be cool enough within 10 minutes.
  • Soften up the butter quickly. Cut your butter into ¼-inch slices and place them on a flat plate in one single layer. Microwave them at 50% power at 5-second intervals. Check after every 5 seconds until they are nice and soft. It usually takes less than 30 seconds in total. To check whether the butter is ready: if a spatula can cut through the butter easily, your butter is ready.
  • Beat the softened butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth and creamy. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
  • Add the cooled roux GRADUALLY the the butter, about 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Beat until light and fluffy.
  • Mix in the vanilla extract, and give it a quick mix. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides from time to time.
  • Frost immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

  • ** Whole milk (3.25%) or heavy cream works best for this recipe. You can substitute non-dairy milk but your frosting won’t be as fluffy.
  • **If you plan ahead of time, you can let your butter sit on the kitchen counter for 2-3 hours to bring it to room temperature naturally.
  • You can use food coloring after the frosting is ready. Just add a few drops and mix until you achieve your desired color.
  • This frosting is much less sweet than your regular buttercream frosting.
  • Frosting will melt and spoil if kept at room temperature for too long. To store frosting, put it in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag in the fridge for about one week. When you are ready to use it again, remove it from the fridge and let it sit for 30-60 minutes at room temperature. Briefly re-whip it before use.
  • Cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar is another popular method. You can find the recipe here

Nutrition

Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Net Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 506IU | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.

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About Izzy

I'm Izzy, a food lover and photographer. Here you’ll find a collection of simple recipes that are perfect for busy people. My blog aims to help you make and enjoy delicious and healthy food at home.

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Recipe Rating




57 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Im moving so I did not want to buy granulated sugar. This recipe was so simple and easy. I froze the sugar milk and flour mixture for 20 minutes because I was rushing, and I microwaved the butter to get it to be softened. Even with these shortcuts this was the best frosting I’ve ever made. My friend kept commenting on how good it was as well and asked me to share the recipe

  2. 4 stars
    Hello! I have done this recipe a few times and ive done chocolate both times. i did 2 and a half table spoons of coco powder along with the called for vanilla.

  3. 5 stars
    Absolutely love this icing! I put the milk mixture into the freezer for 20 minutes and again while mixing up the butter. I used a whisk for everything because my electric hand mixer previously burned up. This is my second time making this recipe. I made a chocolate variation the first time. I added roughly 1-1/2 tablespoons of cacao powder and that worked beautifully. This time I added pumpkin spice. Super hit both times. I’ll definitely make this many more times to come. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!

  4. 5 stars
    This was soooo delicious, and very easy! It took a little longer for the roux to cool (I ended up leaving it in the fridge overnight and doing the rest in the morning) but it is so good, and definitely not too sweet! Also, the instructions were very helpful and spot on. Definitely recommend this recipe!