Cinnabon Frosting can be made in your kitchen with this recipe. What could be better than rich and creamy Cinnabon icing? This cream cheese frosting doesn’t have to be used on homemade cinnamon rolls. Enjoy it on cupcakes and your favorite cake, or other homemade treats.
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Cinnabon frosting stands out
It is hard to beat cream cheese frosting, but Cinnabon’s frosting is irresistibly smooth and has a delightful creamy texture. The time they take to whip up their high-quality ingredients makes their frosting irresistible.
Sure Cinnabon may sell their signature frosting in frosting pints, but that requires leaving home to get a pint of frosting. You can make this from scratch in less time than it will take you to drive to the mall. We all know how long it takes to go to the mall during the holiday season.
Cinnabon cream cheese frosting
I think there are few things as wonderful in life as cream cheese frosting. Hands down, this is one of my favorite recipes. This cream cheese delight tastes wonderful and is the perfect topping on cakes, cupcakes, and so much more.
Even if you aren’t a super experienced cook, you can prepare this simple cream cheese frosting.
I know you will enjoy the amazing flavor of this buttery and creamy frosting.
What makes Cinnabon frosting so good?
Cinnabon icing has the perfect balance of creaminess and richness, with a subtle hint of citrus and aromatic vanilla extract. The cream cheese adds a slight tanginess, ensuring that the icing is not overly sweet.
That’s why when it comes to the famous Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, the frosting is one of the essential components that makes them so delicious. The buns would not be the same without it.
Some might think that the frosting itself contains cinnamon, but it doesn’t. When the icing is combined with the fluffy roll containing cinnamon and sugar, the flavors blend harmoniously because the icing enhances the cinnamony essence.
Use this recipe to replicate the original Cinnabon frosting so your homemade rolls come out as decadent as Cinnabon’s.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Some recipes for Cinnabon cinnamon roll icing don’t contain lemon juice, which I believe is one of the secrets to the frosting’s ideal taste. You don’t need much, but it makes all the difference. I know you will find this easy cream cheese frosting a new favorite of yours.
This recipe is as simple as it gets, but it’s all about using the correct ratios and mixing the frosting to the right consistency. Lucky for you, this is extremely easy to do since you just need to follow the steps below. You’ll have this silky frosting done in just 15 minutes.
Not to mention, if you’re looking to impress your friends and family, then this frosting recipe is perfect for you. With this recipe, you can create the best cinnamon buns you’ve ever made, thanks to the divine icing. Additionally, you can use the frosting in different ways to make other sweet treats that are equally impressive.
Cinnabon frosting recipe ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need for this easy cinnamon roll frosting recipe:
- Cream cheese
- Margarine – you can use butter if you prefer
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
Ingredient notes and substitutions
One of my favorite things about cooking at home is you can modify recipes to your own personal taste. Here are some ingredient substitutions:
- While Cinnabon may not use real butter, you can use it instead of margarine.
- If you want your frosting to remain perfectly white, use clear vanilla. It is often found where cake decorating supplies are sold.
How to make cream cheese frosting
- Allow margarine and cream cheese to reach room temperature. Place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Using an electric mixer’s paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and margarine until combined and smooth.
- Slowly add powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a spatula.
- Once all of the sugar is added, mix for an additional 12 minutes.
- When almost done, add lemon juice and vanilla extract to the mixture.
You can turn this into a cinnamon roll glaze by adding whole milk to thin it out. It’s great to drizzle or pour over cinnamon rolls.
Other ways you can use this frosting
Who says you can’t use this frosting for other baked goods? Try these ideas out!
- Brownies. Smother some of the frosting on brownies to give them an instant upgrade. Just make sure to wait until they are fully cool before doing so.
- Waffles. How about a cinnamon-roll-inspired waffle in the morning? Put some of this cream cheese icing onto your Belgian waffle, followed by a dusting of cinnamon sugar.
- Cookies. Decorate cookies with it. For this method, I suggest putting the frosting into a piping bag and drizzling the icing over the cookies for an elegant presentation. You can also use it as a filling for sandwich cookies.
- Cakes and cupcakes. This frosting tastes phenomenal with cake. Try it with vanilla, lemon, strawberry, carrot cake, or even pound cakes. Rather than trying to coat the entire outside of a cake, you can slather it on top as a finishing touch. For cupcakes, it can create a simple coating that you can dress up with garnishes like chocolate shavings, fresh fruit, or cinnamon sugar.
- Dip. Serve it with fruit and graham crackers, for a deliciously creamy dip.
How to store this cream cheese frosting
When stored correctly, this frosting lasts for about seven days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container, and three months in the freezer. If frozen, thaw it in the fridge overnight before using it.
How long does it last?
When stored correctly, this frosting lasts for about seven days in the fridge and three months in the freezer. If frozen, thaw it in the fridge overnight before using it.
Need more frosting ideas? Check out these frosting recipes
Love cinnamon rolls? Try these recipes
- Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnabon Twists
- Domino’s Cinnamon Twists
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Cakes with cream cheese frosting
Be sure to check out more of my featured favorites and restaurant bread recipes.
Cinnabon Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 pound margarine or butter at room temperature
- 2 pounds powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Beat the cream cheese and margarine in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a spatula. Once all the sugar has been added, mix for at least 12 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice and vanilla and briefly mix to incorporate.
Staci59
Beat for 12 minutes??? Are you sure?
Stephanie
The idea is to get the air into the frosting.
Courtney
How can I see your videos from when you kinda of first started?
Stephanie
Sure, there are a bunch of videos all on YouTube. The music is bad, but this video is from 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARSIe0LmPrs
SJ
What are the exact measurements? It says 1 pound of this or two pounds of that. I know that can’t be right?
Stephanie
Those are the exact measurements, this makes a lot of frosting.
Susu Caty
How many dozens does this frosting makes and don’t you thinks 4 sticks of margarine is too much
kitchen love
Hi was wondering if this can stat at room temperature like the original?
Stephanie @CopyKat.com
You could stabilize it by adding about 1/3 cup of vegetable shortening to the recipe if desired.
fran
Oh how we love our cinnamon buns sunday mornings. I even have some on the counter for christmas morning. We always make the icing without margarine. Just 1 block of cream cheese (8 oz) 4 cups of icing sugar and 1 tsp. Of vanilla and. Whip it up for a few minutes. Yyum
Sharen
it would much easier of you could put the measures not pounds and the serving shows 1…how much frosting does this make in cups and can it be frozen for later use
Bren
Well the measurements are super easy which is why she wrote it in pounds as there is no need to measure or weigh those ingredients. One pound of butter is one full (16 ounce) box of 4 regular sticks. One pound of cream cheese is two 8 ounce packages (ya know because 16 oz=one pound) and two pounds of icing sugar/confectionery sugar is one regular size bag…. Most people that have ever baked anything know this….
Can’t wait to try. And I think the butter am ount is spot on….if anyone has ever made a pure butter butter cream (without shortening that is), they would know this is a normal amount to even a touch shy (which us what the cream cheese will pick up on). Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Jody
Why is it that someone always has to put people down.really is disturbing to see so many people being mean and petty . come on grow up.
Avery
Jody, you are kind of in the wrong, he was just educating the person who didn’t know. He even did it in a professional way, sorry you had to take offense.
Sandra Sargent
I couldn’t agree more Jody.
Sad world we live in!????
Belynda Martin-smith
Jody, Bren was very polite in explaining the amount of ingredients in this recipe.
Dawn B
Well said????
Sarah B
The Kitchen Aid stand mixer is a gift from the gods for this recipe!
Ron Morisseau
This is enough for 25 years
stephaniemanley
You can always cut the recipe in half.
Stephanie
You can cut the recipe in half, it also stores well in the fridge.
Bren
Or its the perfect amount to bakery pipe (with your 1M tip!) 2 dozen carrot cupcakes and have a small amount left over for some cinnamon buns…..
I truly believe that cupcakes are just an edible spoon for frosting….
Jen
“I truly believe that cupcakes are just an edible spoon for frosting….”
So refreshing to know there are people in this world that know the truth, like me!
Maria
Did the butter work out the same?
stephaniemanley
Butter works out well for this recipe.
jerry
margarine is actually alot more unhealthy for you then butter because it uses hydrogenated oils which means trans fats and butter doesnt have trans fats so i would stick with butter plus it taste better.
Cerulean
Uh oh. All of that information is wildly inaccurate. Trans fats and hydrogenated oils should never enter the body at any cost, so skip the margarine.
Klowe
Re-read what Jerry said, he’s 100% correct.
Emelie
It was just like a cinnabon
Lyndi
Why not butter instead of margarine?
Stephanie
I believe they use margarine, butter would taste better.
stephaniemanley
I believe they use margarine, and not butter.
Bea
FYI: Stephanie you’re right they do use margarine and not butter. So if anyone really wants the original then they definitely use margerine. I know, it’s not what people like to hear but they sure eat an awful lot of them to complain about the taste..Lol.
Amanda
This would make the perfect amount for The Pioneer woman cinnamon rolls that I am making tomorrow!
Kaitlin
This is exactly what I use this recipe for! Pioneer woman’s cinnamon rolls are the absolute best, and the freeze really well. I thaw a few overnight on the counter and whip up the icing in the morning. Winner!
Maia
I quartered this recipe and it worked out just fine! Consistency is nice and light, very fluffy, and not as heavy as the Cinnabon one, though it may become heavier after it’s been sitting in the fridge. The quartered recipe was more than enough for 1 dz whopper sized cinnamon buns! Thanks
sarah
Having worked at Cinnabon for 6 years this recipe is very close although hugely scalled down from what we made at the bakery, Im gonna try it at home to see how it tastes. I dont see why it should be exactly the same though.
Stephanie
Let us know if you think the recipe is close!
Lauri Foss
too much lemon in this.
Prettynpink620
whats the real recipe? I am dying to know!!! Prettynpink620@gmail.com
stephaniemanley
I don’t think this is their real recipe. It is my version of it.
Irma
Please give us the recipe! 🙂 info@mikesautoart.com
minivanz
frosting is amazing however entirely too much maybe this recipe is for a huge batch for the day at Cinnabon!!!
sammy
amazing! this made a lot but it tastes yummy!
Tom
Without a doubt as good, if not better than the original.
hew
hey mike, i made a dozen rolls (using 4 cups of flour) in a 15 x 9 pan and plan on using butter instead of margarine; and to cut this recipe in half. Tis my best educated guess anyhow.
mike
is this correct?? 2 lbs powdered sugar?
how much does this make? Enough for how many rolls
Jessica
I cut the recipe in half and had enough for 3 dozen fairly large rolls
Bren
I’m not sure how many rolls this would frost. But it would cover 3-4 dozen cupcakes with a bakery pipe (a 1M tip). The only thing ‘extra’ from my normal cupcake butter cream frosting is the cream cheese and swap the lemon for heavy whipping cream. If it needs to stand against warm weather, I toss a 1/4 to a 1/3 cup crisco in with it to stabilize it). That is considered a ‘double batch’. I never make a single batch (really who does that? Who wants to measure or eyeball 1 pound of sugar when you can just dump the whole bag.) Extras? Freeze it. That in the fridge and whip again to use. You’re welcome…
Stephanie
This makes a lot, but I should test this out. I love your idea of stabilizing this with a little Crisco. You sound like a real pastry chef, I appreciate you dropping by and sharing your knowledge.
Robin
This is the recipe you want for the icing! It is just like the REAL DEAL!
soosun
I made this and cut the amounts in half…powdered sugar and butter are marked in lbs so easy to measure. I forgot to whip it for 12 minutes, just did it till it looked fluffy and it looks great on my pan of carrot cake cookie bars. Also had no lemon juice so just did the vanilla only and it worked out great. Hubby is celiac so when I make the bars with rice flour and xanthum gum to replace flour and frost with this icing he is in heaven and the whole pan is for him only! hahaha