How to Make Cinnamon Roll Icing without Powdered Sugar

Let’s face it – cinnamon rolls just aren’t as good if they’re not topped with sweet and creamy icing. In fact, icing adds a sweet finishing touch to cinnamon rolls, Danishes, and many other baked goods too! In this post we’ll share with you how to make a delicious cinnamon roll icing even if you don’t have powdered sugar on hand.

Most cinnamon roll frosting recipes call for powdered sugar, also known as icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar. Powdered sugar is essentially granulated white sugar that’s been processed into a fine powder. But if you don’t have powdered sugar in your pantry and a trip to the grocery store is out of the question, there are many other ingredients you can use to create a sweet and delicious icing for your homemade baked treats.

What If I Don’t Have Powdered Sugar?

Even though the recipe you’re using lists powdered sugar as an ingredient, there are other ways to make light and creamy icing with ingredients you already have at home.

Ermine frosting (also known as roux frosting or boiled milk frosting) is a different kind of icing made with simple ingredients, and it doesn’t call for powdered or confectioner’s sugar.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Milk: Most milks will work for this recipe so choose the one you prefer. You can even use plant-based milk for a vegan, non-dairy frosting.
• Flour: Regular, all-purpose flour is fine for this recipe and you can also use cake flour or pastry flour.
• Sugar: Use brown sugar or granulated white sugar for this recipe. Just know that brown sugar will add a hint of color to your frosting.
• Butter: You will need softened, room temperature butter to make your icing.
• Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract will add the best flavor to your frosting but you can also use artificial vanilla flavoring.

How to Make Cinnamon Roll Icing Without Powdered Sugar

1. Place a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add milk, flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk continuously until the mixture starts to bubble and thickens. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture into a measuring cup or bowl to cool.

2. In the meantime, beat the softened butter in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy.

3. Then mix in the vanilla and cooled mixture.

4. Beat until light and fluffy.

Tips & Tricks

• Whisk the flour, milk, and sugar together, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
• Let the flour, milk, and sugar mixture cool completely before mixing it with the butter.
• Make sure to use room temperature butter.

Variations

• Cream Cheese Frosting without Powdered Sugar: Cream cheese frosting is absolutely delicious on carrot cake or red velvet cake. To make it, you’ll need to add softened cream cheese to your prepared vanilla frosting.
• Buttercream Frosting Without Powdered Sugar: Buttercream frosting is creamy and sweet without being overly sweet. If you don’t have powdered sugar on hand, you can still make a light and fluffy buttercream frosting using regular granulated sugar.
• Lemon Icing without Powdered Sugar: Lemon flavored frosting is delightful on pound cakes. Simply replace the amount of milk called for in the Ermine frosting recipe with fresh lemon juice.

How to Make Cinnamon Roll Icing without Powdered Sugar

Ingredients

• ½ cup milk
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• pinch salt
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Place a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add milk, flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk continuously until the mixture starts to bubble and thickens.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture into a measuring cup or bowl to cool.
• In the meantime, beat the softened butter in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy. Then mix in the vanilla. Note: a hand mixer or stand mixer is helpful here.
• With the mixer on low, beat into the cooled milk mixture until light and fluffy.