You are going to want to try The Best Mint Buttercream Frosting today! We’ve taken our amazing Buttercream Frosting recipe and infused it with just the right amount of Mint flavoring. Delicious!

Closeup on three chocolate cupcakes frosted with The Best Mint Frosting.

Mint is such a classic dessert flavor that our Buttercream Series was simply crying out for a Mint version.  And boy were we happy with how this Best Mint Buttercream Frosting turned out.  Light, fresh and creamy, this yummy homemade frosting tastes fantastic on a chocolate cupcake, a chocolate cookie, or a chocolate cake!

How to Make

Collage image showing how to cream the butter and the peppermint extract to make the perfect mint flavored frosting.

Step 1: Add the “slightly softened” butter (somewhere in between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature) to the mixing bowl along with the Peppermint Extract. Yes, we Peppermint Extract instead of Mint Extract to avoid any mistaking of this yummy frosting with toothpaste!
Step 2: Mix the butter and Peppermint Extract together until they are fully combined (about 2 minutes on medium speed.) You want the extract to fully meld with the butter to get the best-flavored frosting possible. Scrape the sides of the bowl down before moving on to the next step of the recipe.

Collage image showing how to add the powdered sugar to the butter mixture to make the perfect mint frosting.

Step 3: We use a food scale to measure the Powdered Sugar, to measure 1 pound of Powdered Sugar.  If you don’t have a food scale, the equivalent is 4 cups.  Do you need to sift the Powdered Sugar? We don’t normally do that but instead rely on our mixer to break up any lumps during the mixing process.
Step 4: Add the powdered sugar to the mixing bowl.  
Step 5: Start your mixer (or electric beater) on the lowest setting. (Two Sisters Tip: place a clean dishtowel around your mixer to keep the sugar from flying out.)  Keep on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated (about 30 seconds), remove the dishtowel, and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Step 7: Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and mix for 30-45 more seconds until the frosting starts to be light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick at this point, add a teaspoon of milk and mix again. Repeat this process until the frosting is the correct consistency.

How to Color Mint Green Icing

Collage image showing how to make Mint Green Icing.

Steps 7-8: You can leave the frosting white, but it doesn’t seem very Mint-y does it?  We added 1 regular-sized drop of yellow food coloring and 1 very small drop of blue to get this pretty mint green color. Add the food coloring and then mix until the color is thoroughly combined with the frosting.

Closeup on a glass bowl filling with Homemade Mint Icing and a white wood spatula.

Step 9: Yay! Now it is time to taste your frosting. You are trying to determine if the consistency is correct or if it needs a tiny bit more Peppermint Extract. Depending on how it tastes, you will take the next step.  If the frosting has the right taste but is too thick, add some milk and mix again to check to see if it is now the right consistency.  How much milk? That depends on the state of your frosting. A good rule of thumb is to add the milk a teaspoon at a time. You can check out our FAQ section below to see some other advice on making the perfect batch of frosting.

How to Serve

Closeup on a decorating bag filled with Mint Frosting sitting in front of a batch of unfrosted chocolate cupcakes.

How much frosting will you need?  That always depends on how thick or thin you apply the frosting or how much decorating you do but here are a couple of guidelines. Our recipe should make enough Mint Frosting to cover a 9″ x 13″ sheet cake or a two-layer 8″ cake.  If you are making cupcakes, you should be able to frost 24 cupcakes if you apply the frosting with a knife.  If you swirl on the frosting with a pastry bag you should be able to frost 15-18 cupcakes depending on the size of the swirl.

Expert Tips and FAQ’s

How do I store any leftover frosting?

Frosting stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator should be good for up to a week. If you carefully wrap the frosting in order to avoid freezer burn, the frosting should be fine in the freezer for 3-4 months.

Does the frosting need to be refrigerated?

No, the frosting does not need to be refrigerated. For example, brownies frosted with this Mint Icing would be fine left out on the counter for 2-3 days if the pan was tightly covered with aluminum foil. That said, we usually refrigerate our frosted desserts to keep the baked good from going stale even if the frosting would be fine. We think frosting tastes best at room temperature so we will then remove the item from the refrigerator a couple of hours before we will serve them.

What should I do if my frosting is too sweet?

Buttercream is a sweet frosting. One thing you can do if it seems too sweet for your palette is to add a pinch of salt to the frosting. But please note that a little salt goes a long way. We cannot stress enough that a pinch (10-15 granules of regular table salt) is all you usually need. Even 1/4 a teaspoon of salt would probably ruin the frosting. Add the salt and mix again and see if that has cut down on the sweetness level.

What should I do if my frosting turned out too thick?

Add another teaspoon of milk and mix again. Continue to add the milk, a teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is the consistency that you like it

What should I do if my frosting turned out too thin?

Temperature plays a big part in the consistency of frosting. A thin frosting could mean that the butter has gotten overworked and is too melted. The first thing to do is refrigerate the frosting for an hour and then check to see if the frosting has set back up again. If not, the next step is to add more powdered sugar or cornstarch. Start with either 1/2 cup of Powdered Sugar or 1 tablespoon of Cornstarch. Mix again and see if the consistency is better.

Is there a substitute for milk?

Yes. You can use Half n’ Half or Whipping Cream or even almond milk or another milk substitute.

IIf you are looking for dessert ideas, don’t miss these yummy recipes that would taste great frosted with our Mint Frosting: Homemade Brownies, Chocolate Mint Cookies or Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes.

Closeup of a chocolate cupcake frosted with The Best Mint Buttercream Frosting.

Other Mint-Flavored Frosting Recipes You Will Love

The Best Mint Buttercream Frosting

Yield 2 1/2 cups
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

You are going to want to try The Best Mint Buttercream Frosting today! We've taken our amazing Buttercream Frosting recipe and infused it with just the right amount of Mint flavoring. Delicious!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Butter, slightly softened (We use Salted Sweet Cream Butter)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
  • 1 pound Powdered Sugar (or 4 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon Milk
  • Food Coloring - Yellow and Blue

Instructions

  1. Add "slightly softened" butter (somewhere in between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature) to the mixing bowl along with the Peppermint Extract. 
  2. Mix the butter and Peppermint Extract together until they are fully combined (about 2 minutes on medium speed.)
  3. Scrape the sides of the bowl down before moving on to the next step of the recipe.
  4. Add 1 pound (or 4 cups) of powdered sugar to the mixing bowl.  
  5. Start your mixer (or electric beater) on the lowest setting. Keep on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated (about 30 seconds).
  6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  7. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and mix for 30-45 more seconds until the frosting starts to be light and fluffy. 
  8. Taste your frosting. You are trying to determine if the consistency is correct or if it needs a tiny bit more Peppermint Extract. If the frosting has the right taste but is too thick, add a teaspoon of milk and mix again to check to see if it is now the right consistency.  
  9. Color the frosting with 1 regular-sized drop of yellow food coloring and 1 very small drop of blue to get this pretty mint green color. (Optional)

Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!