Name: Oreo Buttercream Frosting
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter (softened, see notes for salted butter); 1 pound powdered sugar (about 3.5-4 cups); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 tsp salt; 2 tablespoons whipping cream or milk (up to 1/4 cup, optional); 10-12 Oreos or other sandwich cookies (finely crushed)

Oreo Buttercream Frosting, also knows as Cookies and Cream Frosting, is an American buttercream frosting made with Oreos or other sandwich cream cookies!

Oreo frosting is such an easy and classic buttercream frosting. As an American buttercream, it can be made in less than 15 minutes with only 6 ingredients.

Similar to this vanilla buttercream frosting, or chocolate buttercream frosting, it has that classic sweet flavor, and light and fluffy texture most of us grew up with on homemade birthday cakes and cupcakes. But, this version adds crushed Oreo cookies to give it that classic Oreo dessert flavor, and its tastes similar to Oreo fluff or a thick and delicious Oreo milkshake.

INGREDIENTS

Oreos or other sandwich cookies: The finer the Oreo cookies are crushed the smoother, more gray in color, and more pipeable the frosting will be. You can also use other types of Oreos and sandwich cookies.
Butter: Either salted or unsalted butter is fine in this recipe. If you use unsalted, you can add a pinch of salt to help cut the sweetness.
Milk/Cream: Both heavy whipping cream or milk work fine. This thins out the frosting to your desired consistency.

How to Make

Traditional American buttercream frosting is one of the easiest frostings to make and there are only a few simple steps for this cookies and cream version.

Step 1: Chop Cookies

Pulse the cookies in a food processor or crush or chop finely with a knife. The finer the cookies are chopped, the smoother, greyer, and more pipeable your Oreo frosting will be.

Step 2: Whip Butter

Add the softened butter to the bowl of a standing mixer or large bowl with a hand held mixer. Mix on medium to medium high for 3-4 minutes, until the butter is very pale and yellow.

Step 3: Add remaining ingredients

Add the powdered sugar and mix on low for 30-60 seconds. Mixing on low makes sure the powdered sugar doesn't spill out and get everywhere.

Once the frosting comes together and looks crumbly, turn up the speed and mix on medium high for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add the crushed cookies and mix another minute. At this point you can gauge the consistency. If you want it thinner you can add a tablespoon or two of milk or cream. Mix another minute until incorporated. That's it! Add to your favorite dessert and enjoy!

Tips for Making this Recipe

Beat the butter for a good 3-4 minutes before adding the sugar and again after adding the sugar. Mixing the frosting for so long makes for a very light and fluffy buttercream.
If your powdered sugar is very stiff or hard, you might need to put it through a sifter so there are no lumps in your frosting. I don't normally need to do this but it is something to be aware of if your powdered sugar is old and has visible lumps that don't break up when you press them.
Test the consistency. If the frosting is too thick you can add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream or milk. If it's too thin, you can add a few more tablespoons of powdered sugar.
If piping the frosting, it helps to use a food processor to crush the cookies or be sure to chop/crush them into very small pieces or else they can clog the piping tips. The finer the cookies are chopped, the smoother, and more pipeable your frosting will be.
This recipe can easily be halved or doubled for a small batch or for decorating a large cake or double batch of cupcakes.

Flavor Variations

When people think of cookies and cream frosting they immediately think of Oreos. But, why limit yourself to classic Oreos? There are so many different flavors of Oreo cookies and sandwich cookies in general and they all work in frosting. Get creative! Here are some fun ideas:

You can even add other types of cookies like Animal Cookies or Thin Mints for alternative cookies and cream frosting flavors.

And, did you know it's super easy to make Oreo frosting for other types of buttercream, not just American? You can make Oreo versions of:

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Sweetened Condensed Milk Buttercream (aka Russian Buttercream)
Ermine Frosting
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting (both regular and Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting)

All you need to do is mix in the crushed Oreos to the finished frosting recipe and viola, you have Oreo versions of your favorite type of frosting.

When to Use

This cookies and cream buttercream is a great Oreo filling for cakes and cupcakes. I personally prefer it with this easy devil’s food cake recipe, or this yellow cupcake recipe, but it really goes with almost any flavor, including vanilla cake and red velvet.

It's also a delicious filling for macarons and topping for brownies (like this red velvet brownie recipe).

Storing Oreo frosting

Like most buttercream frostings, this recipe keeps in the fridge and freezer very well. This frosting recipe will last up to a week in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. Make sure it is very tightly covered in an airtight container in the fridge and in a freezer bag for the freezer so the butter does not take on flavors from your fridge or freezer.

If frozen, let defrost in the fridge. Then, remove the frosting from the fridge and let it soften and remix.

Looking for More Fun Frosting Recipes? Check these out!

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