This easy, 4-ingredient sour cream frosting is smooth and luscious with a sweet and tangy flavor. It’s perfect for decorating cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and dipping fresh fruit!
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A Simple Spreadable Frosting
This sour cream frosting recipe is tangier than a sweet buttercream frosting but lighter in consistency than a cream cheese frosting. If you are a fan of either of those two you’re going to love trying your hand at something just slightly different!
This creamy and velvety smooth frosting uses just 4 simple ingredients and it takes what is originally basically a buttercream frosting and turns it into something with a delicious tang. A not quite cream cheese, sour cream frosting! If you’ve always considered frosting something that should be sweet, I assure you, you’ll never look back. There is definitely still a sweet note, and of course, that lovely warming hint of vanilla, but the added tang is truly irresistible.
It’s very spreadable which is great for slathering carrot cake, cinnamon rolls, and chocolate cupcakes. As you can imagine it’s a versatile frosting that can be used interchangeably on many occasions wherever you might have found cream cheese or buttercream frostings, such as these soft sugar cookies or red velvet brownies. It’s genius!
Will I Taste the Sour Cream?
So, you know how in buttercream you taste the buttery aspect, without feeling like you’re actually eating butter? And in a cream cheese frosting, you can taste the thickness and the essence of the “cheese” without actually feeling like you’re eating a spoonful of cream cheese.
That’s what enjoying a sour cream frosting is like. You can definitely taste the essence of the sour cream. The tang, the smoothness, and the slight sour kick, but no, you will not taste it otherwise. It’s a humble addition that enhances a frosting in the best way.
Tips & Variations
- For chocolate sour cream frosting, add a Tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder. It’s a variation of both my chocolate frosting recipe and chocolate buttercream frosting.
- A drop of food coloring for added color would be a fun and festive way to decorate for a particular occasion.
- I use unsalted butter because I think the tang in the sour cream balances the sugar. If If you would prefer to use salted butter or add a pinch of salt to the frosting, you can.
- If you find your frosting is too thick, add in more sour cream a little bit at a time until desired consistency is where you want it.
- If you don’t have any sour cream on hand, but you happen to have some Greek yogurt (none of that Greek-style yogurt stuff), go ahead and give that a try!
- For a lemon frosting, swap the vanilla for a bit of lemon juice.
Ways to Use Sour Cream Frosting
There are so many ways to use it, especially because it can replace other types of frostings for a change! Below are some of my favorite ways to switch it up from time to time.
- Pumpkin bars
- Homemade Oreo cookies
- Easy vanilla cupcakes
- Oatmeal cream pies
- Pumpkin bundt cake
- Orange sweet rolls
- Rainbow cupcakes
Recipe FAQs
The best and easiest way to thicken frosting is by adding in more powdered sugar. Sifting the powdered sugar before adding it in will ensure the frosting won’t have any lumps. Add a little at a time until you have reached the desired thickness.
Powdered sugar is the best way, however, you can use corn starch to help with the frosting being too runny.
It is best to keep the sour cream frosting in the refrigerator as long as possible but leaving it out for about two hours will be the maximum amount of time.
Storing the Frosting
It is best if used right away. Any unused frosting should be kept in the fridge, and covered in an airtight container. It has dairy in it, so you will want to avoid leaving it out at room temperature for extended periods of time.
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Sour Cream Frosting
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Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter , softened
- ¼ cup sour cream , more if desired
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar , add more as needed
Optional: Pinch of salt, heavy cream or milk, food coloring
Instructions
- I n a medium bowl, se an electric or handheld mixer and beat the butter until smooth. Add in the sour cream and vanilla. Add up to 1/4 cup more sour cream for a softer frosting. Then add in half of the powdered sugar and mix until creamy.
- Add the remainder of the powdered sugar. Add a Tablespoon or two of heavy cream or milk if it becomes too thick. Add more powdered sugar as needed. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed. Add a couple drops of food coloring if desired.
- Spread the frosting on top of the cookies or cakes or store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 5 Ingredients Or Less, American, Desserts, Frosting, Gluten-Free, No-Bake, Nut-Free, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
This frosting is so good, thank you for sharing. I added a little less sugar, but this is my favorite frosting now, Thank you.
So happy to hear you loved the sour cream frosting Allison!
Is it ok to use in a piping bag?
If you’d like to pipe this recipe, I’d suggest adding an up to an additional 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
I was hoping to use making a key lime cake so would add some lime juice to it
just a bit concerned that the consistency might be a bit too soft or runny especially at room temperature for a 2 layer 9 inch cake…..or does adding more powdered sugar firm it up more ?
Adding more powdered sugar will help it be firmer, I would not leave it out at room temperature for a lengthy amount of time just to err on the side of caution. Enjoy!
thanks for this recipe! would you recommend bringing the sour cream to room temp? thank you!
That is fine to bring it slightly to room temperature, you will want to make sure your butter is just slightly softened which is most important, so there are not butter clumps.
Excellent and easy,
Thanks for the review!
Easy peasy and so goooood! Thank you!
So happy to hear, thanks for making!
This looks delicious! Will this crust? I would like to use on cookies. Just wondering if I will be able to package them. Thanks for the recipe!
It shouldn’t as much as a buttercream would but I would not leave it sitting outside of the fridge more than two hours for food safety reasons and you will want to keep it covered in the refrigerator.
It was great! I made 2 9inch cakes one vanilla one chocolate. I put half on the vanilla cake and added some cocoa to the rest of the frosting to make it chocolate to put on the chocolate cake. Everyone loved it. I added extra vanilla and used salted butter but I always do.
Sounds delicious, so glad you enjoyed the frosting!