How to Make Store Bought Frosting Better: a few simple ways to make any canned frosting taste like it’s made from scratch. Fluffy, silky, not too sweet, and so easy!

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I know what you might be thinking. If you’re adding stuff to store-bought frosting, why wouldn’t you just make homemade? Here are a few reasons why:

You have a can of frosting to use up.
You don’t have time to soften butter.
You don’t have all the ingredients to make homemade frosting!

Whatever the reason, I promise, with just a few ingredients, your can of frosting is sure to taste just as good as homemade buttercream.

How do i make store bought frosting taste better?

A few pantry staple mix-ins are sure to make that can of frosting taste like it’s homemade. No one will know it’s not. 😉

For Vanilla/Cream Cheese Frosting:

Stir in marshmallow cream. Adds a creamy, subtly sweet flavor that hides the artificial flavor of the canned frosting.
Use extracts. Vanilla extract provides depth of flavor to the frosting and again, helps to cover up the strong oily flavor many store-bought frostings have. Want to take it a step further? Try peppermint, almond, lemon, coconut, maple, rum extract, etc.
Add in salt. Store-bought frostings can be incredibly sweet, so adding in salt helps to cut the overly sugary flavor.

For Chocolate Frosting:

Use instant coffee. Adding instant coffee doesn’t make the frosting taste like coffee — it just enhances the flavor of the chocolate!
Add cocoa powder. Because we’re slightly diluting the chocolate flavor with the marshmallow creme, adding in additional cocoa powder helps to intensify the rich chocolate flavor.

How do you make store bought frosting fluffier?

Whipping the can of frosting with a hand mixer or stand mixer for a few minutes is going to make the frosting fluffy.

Ingredients

Only 3-5 extra ingredients necessary to take your frosting from “EH” to “OH YEAH”!

Frosting – use whatever flavor you have on hand. I’ve tested this with vanilla frosting and chocolate frosting, but cream cheese frosting would work as well.
Marshmallow Creme – aka marshmallow fluff tastes like a marshmallow, but is very smooth and airy, yet sticky. Marshmallow creme not only makes the frosting taste better, it also makes it incredibly silky!
Vanilla Extract – adds a sweet flavor and depth. Without it, the frosting will taste bland. Pure vanilla extract (vs imitation) is recommended for this recipe, because we’re trying to make the frosting taste less artificial. Pure vanilla is made with vanilla bean, water, and alcohol whereas imitation vanilla is made without vanilla beans.
Salt – brings out the flavor of all the ingredients while also cutting the sweetness from the canned frosting and marshmallow creme.
Instant Coffee – for chocolate frosting only! It’s important to use instant coffee, because the granules will dissolve as you’re whipping the frosting. Coffee makes the chocolate flavor really shine.
Cocoa Powder – for chocolate flavor only! Cocoa powder is an unsweetened chocolate product that adds a rich chocolate flavor.

Pro tip

I’ve seen some recipes use thawed cool whip or cream cheese to add additional flavor and fluffiness… but that defeats the purpose for me, because you’d have to wait for either of those ingredients to come to room temperature!

How to make

Scoop, whip, and spread! It doesn’t get easier than that!

Place frosting, marshmallow creme, vanilla extract, (instant coffee and cocoa powder if making chocolate frosting) and salt into a bowl.
Use a hand or stand mixer to beat the mixture until combined.
Use as desired and enjoy!

Pro tip

Using a hand or stand mixer allows the frosting to become fluffier!

How to use

Spread, sandwich, or dollop this frosting just as you would any other frosting!

Spread on cake. Try the vanilla frosting on my How to Make Box Cake Better recipe.
Slather on brownies. Looking for double the chocolate? The chocolate frosting would be delicious on my How to Make Box Brownies Better recipe.
Sandwich between cookies. My Cake Mix Cookies are screaming for some chocolate and vanilla frosting!

Pro tip

Spread over any cooled cake, cupcakes, and cookies, sandwich between graham crackers, or even use the frosting as a dip for fruit!

How to store

Leftover frosting will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 weeks or in the freezer for 2-3 months.

To enjoy again, thaw in the fridge, if frozen, then let it come to room temperature or until easily spreadable.

– Jennifer

How to Make Store Bought Frosting Better

How do i make store bought frosting taste better?

For Vanilla/Cream Cheese Frosting:

For Chocolate Frosting:

How do you make store bought frosting fluffier?

Ingredients

How to make

How to use

How to store