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Simple to make and filled with that dark, silky, sweet maple flavour, this maple frosting recipe will surely become your new standard frosting!
For more great frosting recipes, why not learn to make The Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe Ever? Or make The BEST Cream Cheese Icing instead?

Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This is a simple yet versatile recipe that can be used in any recipe that needs a frosting or glaze.
- Total Time: This quick frosting will take you approximately 10 minutes.
- Variations: Want a bit of a tang? Replace half the butter with cream cheese to add a bit of richness that would be perfect for a carrot cake or banana bread. You can also elevate this frosting by adding 1-2 teaspoons of bourbon to enhance the smoky notes of the maple, and it pairs well with a chocolate cake.
- Tools for This Recipe: You will need a medium saucepan for melting and combining ingredients, and a mixing bowl for combining and bringing the frosting together.

What You’ll Need For Ingredients
Maple Flavoring or Syrup: Maple flavoring is needed to give these the maple taste, but if you don’t have any available, you can use good-quality maple syrup.

How To Make Maple Frosting
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.




- Melt butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly to bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for approximately 4-5 minutes, until the brown sugar has dissolved well.
- Take the syrup mixture off the heat and let it cool to room temperature. NOTE: Do not cool in the fridge, as the butter will solidify, and the icing will end up lumpy.
- Pour the cooled syrup into a mixing bowl and slowly beat the powdered sugar, cream, and maple flavouring until smooth and fluffy. Note: If the icing is too runny, add more powdered sugar a tablespoon until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Use immediately to frost cookies, cupcakes, or a cake.


Storage Instructions
Storing it in the fridge is the best way to preserve your frosting, the secret trick is to cover the surface of the frosting in the bowl with plastic wrap.
To use the frosting you have been keeping in the fridge, let it warm to room temperature; otherwise, you won’t be able to spread it onto whatever you want to use it on.
More Delicious Frostings, Icings & Puddings Recipes
- Easy Tapioca Pudding: An easy, rich and creamy tapioca pudding that uses instant tapioca to make a quick and delicious dessert.
- Easy Salted Caramel Sauce: This caramel sauce tastes like you slaved over it for hours, yet it’s incredibly easy to make in just a few minutes.
- Powdered Sugar Glaze: The Best powdered sugar glaze that drizzles perfectly for a crackly icing that’s excellent for cakes, muffins and more!
There you have it, a simple, versatile frosting that will quickly become a favourite.
Give it a try and let me know how it turns out in the comments below. I love hearing about your baking adventures.
Happy Baking!
Karlynn

Maple Frosting
Ingredients
- ½ Cup salted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar, (packed)
- ⅕ cup real maple syrup
- 2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cream, (Add more if needed)
- ½ teaspoon maple flavoring, (optional)
Instructions
- Over medium heat In a saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar and maple syrup. Stirring constantly bring it up to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer it for about 4-5 minutes, until the brown sugar has dissolved well.
- Take the syrup mixture off of the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Do not cool in the fridge as the butter will solidify and the icing will be lumpy.
- Take the cooled syrup and pour it into a mixing bowl.
- Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, cream and maple flavoring. Beat it until smooth and fluffy. If the icing is a bit too runny, add more icing sugar a tablespoon at a time until you get the consistency you need.
- Use immediately to frost cookies, cupcakes or a cake!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.











Natalie says
Question, in your recipe card it says salted butter but in the paragraphs above the recipe card, it says unsalted butter! I just wanted to confirm to use unsalted butter
Karlynn Johnston says
Salted! Always use salted butter for frostings. That’s a typo, thanks for pointing it out, I will fix it!
Natalie says
I’m so glad I waited for your response! I’m about to make this recipe for my maple vanilla cupcakes! Appreciate you