Brown Butter Frosting
A nutty, caramel-toned frosting built on browned butter that adds toasty depth to warm cinnamon rolls.
- Sweetness
- high
- Tanginess
- none
- Consistency
- spreadable
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Makes
- ~1.25 cups
The quick answer
Brown the butter until golden and nutty, cool it until it firms up slightly, then whip with powdered sugar, vanilla, cream, and a pinch of salt until smooth and spreadable.
Browning the butter is a five-minute step that changes everything. As the milk solids toast, they turn golden and smell like hazelnuts and warm toffee, and that deep nutty flavor carries straight into the frosting. Whipped with powdered sugar and a splash of cream, it stays smooth and spreadable with a caramel-adjacent richness no plain buttercream can touch. It's the frosting that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is — and the answer is just patience at the stove.
Not sure which icing to use? See the complete cinnamon roll icing guide — the simple base recipe, the sugar-to-liquid ratio, and how to choose between glaze, cream cheese, maple, and dairy-free.
Ingredients
- unsalted butter0.5 cup (113 g)
- powdered sugar1.5 cup (180 g)
- heavy cream2 tbsp (30 g)
- vanilla extract1 tsp
- fine saltpinch
Instructions
- 1Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling often, until it foams, then turns golden and smells nutty, about 5 to 7 minutes. Watch closely near the end so it doesn't burn.
- 2Pour the browned butter, including the toasted milk solids, into a bowl and chill until it firms to a soft, spreadable solid, about 30 minutes.
- 3Beat the cooled browned butter until creamy, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat on low until incorporated.
- 4Add the cream and whip on medium until light and spreadable, adding a splash more cream if it's too stiff.
- 5Spread over cinnamon rolls that are warm but not hot for a glossy, nutty finish.
Apply, adjust & store
- Best applied when
- rolls are warm but not hot so the frosting softens into a glossy layer without sliding off
- Storage
- Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature and re-whip before spreading, as browned butter firms up when chilled.
- Consistency adjustments
- For a pourable brown butter glaze, whisk in cream 1 teaspoon at a time until it ribbons off the spoon. For a stiffer, pipeable frosting, add powdered sugar 2 tablespoons at a time.
Food safety: this frosting contains dairy. Refrigerate leftover frosting, and refrigerate frosted rolls after a couple of hours at room temperature. Bring back to room temperature before serving.
Cinnamon rolls to pair
- Banana Bread Cinnamon RollsSoft cinnamon rolls that taste like banana bread — ripe mashed banana in the dough, a brown-sugar-walnut filling, and a tangy cream cheese frosting.
- Classic Homemade Cinnamon RollsSoft, fluffy, bakery-style cinnamon rolls from scratch with a gooey brown-sugar filling and cream cheese frosting.
- Maple Pecan Cinnamon RollsButtery cinnamon rolls packed with toasted pecans and finished with a glossy maple glaze for cozy, nutty sweetness.
- Apple Cinnamon RollsSoft cinnamon rolls stuffed with diced, cinnamon-spiced apples that bake down into little pockets of warm apple pie.
- Brioche Cinnamon RollsUltra-rich cinnamon rolls made from a buttery, high-egg brioche dough for an impossibly tender, feathery crumb.