Easy Cinnamon Roll Icing Recipe
What cinnamon roll is complete without sweet, warm, decadent icing? The only correct answer here is no cinnamon roll. There are endless recipes out there that focus on making the cinnamon rolls themselves, but not quite as many that focus on the icing. Luckily, that's where Jaime Shelbert's easy cinnamon roll icing recipe comes into play. "This recipe is super quick and easy and can be added to an array of baked goods for a simple, tasty topping," she describes.
Of course, if you thought you were limited to just cinnamon rolls with this icing, you'd be mistaken. "This icing works well atop not only cinnamon rolls but also cookies, scones, muffins, pound cake, and sweet breads," Shelbert suggests. "You can also add a dash of your favorite flavoring extract such as coconut or almond." So, yes, this icing is made for cinnamon rolls, but it's also a general complement to an assortment of baked goods. Get creative with it. If you ever bake something and think, "Hm, this would be even better with some icing on top," don't hesitate to reference this easy recipe. Just make sure you avoid making these classic mistakes with homemade icing.
Gather the ingredients for easy cinnamon roll icing
To make this icing, you'll only need a few ingredients: confectioner's sugar (aka powdered sugar), milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt — but that last one hardly counts. "This is as easy as it gets," Shelbert says.
Mix the icing ingredients together
Into a small bowl or measuring cup, add in the confectioner's sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Whisk the mixture together with a fork until it's smooth and glossy, then add up to 1 tablespoon more milk as needed to reach that perfect consistency. "Any type of milk will work in this recipe, from cream to reduced fat milk or your favorite dairy-free milk," Shelbert says. So yes, this recipe can easily become vegan-friendly. Because everyone deserves icing.
Drizzle the icing over cinnamon rolls (or anything!)
Once the icing is at the right consistency, go ahead and drizzle it right onto a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls. Of course, keep in mind that you can use this icing for other baked goods, so don't let those scones or cookies go un-drizzled.
As a final note of advice, Shelbert explains that "this icing recipe is more of a glaze — not to be confused with frosting, which is thicker and more spreadable." So, you definitely don't want to attempt to frost a cake with this icing. But as for cinnamon rolls, it's a perfect combo every time.
Where else to use cinnamon roll icing
Easy Cinnamon Roll Icing Recipe
No cinnamon roll is complete without a sticky-sweet icing. But don't stop there: This stuff is absolutely delicious on all sorts of baked goods.
Ingredients
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, divided
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
Directions
- Add the confectioner's sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk, vanilla, and salt to a small mixing bowl.
- Mix with a whisk or fork until the icing is smooth and glossy, adding more milk as needed to reach desired consistency.
- Drizzle atop cinnamon rolls or other baked goods and serve.
Can I make cinnamon roll icing in advance?
Cinnamon rolls can be a bit of a time investment if you want them done right, so it makes sense to look for ways to break that work up. If you know you'll be making cinnamon rolls in the future, can you make the cinnamon roll icing in advance? Absolutely.
All you'll need to do is make the recipe like normal and then store it in an airtight container. If you plan on making the cinnamon rolls (or whatever other baked good you plan on making) the next day, you can actually leave the icing out on the counter, where it will keep for a couple of days. If you place that container in the fridge, it will stay good for a week. And if you freeze it, it should stay fresh for three months.
If you've decided to freeze or refrigerate it, make sure it thaws to room temperature before you try to spread it around. If it's still too cold, you're not likely to get that pleasant, glazed look we're going for.