Cookies and Cream Frosting is an American buttercream frosting made with Oreos or other sandwich cream cookies! It’s a delicious frosting for cakes and cupcakes, and it can be make in less than 15 minutes so try it on your favorite dessert today!
Cookies and Cream, or Oreo Frosting, is such an easy and classic buttercream frosting. It’s an American Buttercream, which means it’s suer easy to make. Similar to this vanilla buttercream or chocolate buttercream, it has that classic sweet and fluffy flavor and texture most of us grew up with on birthday cakes and cupcakes.
But, this recipe is bursting with Oreo cookie flavor. While Oreo cookies are the most common, don’t limit your self! I also made cookies and cream frosting with Lemon Oreos and Nutter Butters, which was delicious and added a unique spin on this classic Oreo frosting.
INGREDIENTS
- Oreos or other sandwich cookies: When people think of cookies and cream frosting they immediately think of classic Oreos. But, there are about a million different flavors of Oreo cookies and sandwich cookies in general and they all work in frosting. Get creative! Here are some fun ideas:
- 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:
- Pulse the cookies in a food processor or crush or chop finely with a knife.
- 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.
- 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 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!
TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature. You want the butter to be pretty soft so it easily incorporates the other ingredients.
- 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 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.
STORING Cookies and Cream 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 Frosting Recipes? Check these out!
- Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- Cookie Dough Frosting
- Cake Batter Frosting
- Mint Chocolate Chip Frosting
- Peanut Butter Frosting
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Cookies and Cream Frosting
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, Nutter Butters, or other sandwich cookies finely crushed
Instructions
- Pulse the cookies in a food processor or crush or chop finely with a knife.
- 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.
- Add the powdered sugar, pulsed cookies, 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 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 in addition to the vanilla. Mix another minute until incorporated.
Notes
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature and soft. You want the butter to be pretty soft so it easily incorporates the other ingredients.
- If using salted butter, cut the salt in the recipe to just a pinch rather than a full 1/4 tsp.
- Beat the butter for a good 3-4 minutes before adding the sugar and cookies 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 old, stiff, or hard, with lumps that don't break when you press them, put it through a sifter before adding it to the butter.
- If piping the frosting, it helps to use 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.
- This recipe makes about 2.5 to 3 cups of frosting and can easily be halved or doubled as needed.
- More Questions? Check out this American buttercream frosting recipe for more common American buttercream questions and answers such as how much a typical batch of frosting will cover, and how long frosted cakes and cupcakes can sit out.
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