5 Minute Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting
This Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting recipe is so fluffy and super easy to make, it only takes 5 minutes! It is made with marshmallow fluff and is the perfect for topping cupcakes, frosting cakes, or using on your favorite desserts. It’s sweet and creamy and delicious any time of year!
My marshmallow buttercream frosting is made with just a few simple ingredients like marshmallow fluff, butter, and powdered sugar. It’s light and fluffy and perfect for any party, potluck, or bbq- especially in summer time!
This is the frosting I use on top of my hot chocolate cupcakes for a cozy winter dessert or I frost it over this vanilla sheet cake for potlucks and torch it. Lemme tell you, its gone in minutes.
It would also be delicious on top of this super tender chocolate cake or these marshmallow brownies.
As a professionally trained baker, a tip I have for this recipe is that you have to use marshmallow cream, AKA marshmallow fluff, and not actual marshmallows. They just don’t have the same texture needed for this frosting.
All you’ll need to do is add everything to a stand mixer, and whip it up until creamy and fluffy!
This is a thick spreadable frosting, and really is foolproof, it’s become a favorite for F&F readers!
Ingredients Needed
Using regular marshmallows wont work for this recipe.
How to make Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting
Chill and store: Use right away if frosting onto a cooled cake. To pipe and use for cupcakes or smaller desserts, chill the frosting for 30 minutes before piping so the shape will hold.
Tips for Recipe Success
- Powdered sugar is key to getting a smooth consistency. You can sift it before adding it to the mixture to ensure there are no lumps.
- If you want a lighter frosting, add more milk until it gets thinner.
- For a stiffer frosting, add less milk or add in more powdered sugar.
- If the frosting is too sweet for your taste, add a pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness.
- This recipe makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes or fill and frost a 2 layer 8-9” cake.
5 Minute Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp (226 g)
- 3 cups powdered sugar, (340g)
- 7 oz marshmallow cream, (200g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp milk
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the softened butter and confectioners sugar.
- Mix on low speed moving up to medium as the mixture combines. Continue mixing for 1 minute.
- Stop and scrape down the mixer with a rubber spatula.
- Add in the 7 oz marshmallow cream andmix on medium high speed for 1 minute.
- Add in the vanilla, milk, and salt and mix again for 1 minute.
- Frost on cooled cake or refrigerate for 30 minutes to pipe onto cupcakes.
This recipe gets a five star rating. It’s light and delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Connie! I am so glad you loved this recipe! I saw your question come in about 7 minute frosting. Unfortunately I havent tested or made that kind of frosting so I don’t have any tips for it but it could come down to humidity or that there is too much liquid in the recipe you are trying.
I modified this recipe a bit and wanted to share my results.
First, I don’t add milk because I want it to be nonperishable. So, I add as much vanilla as necessary for the texture I need (I use alcohol free imitation vanilla but if you’re using a boozy flavoring just use water for the liquid component.). Then, I preferred only two cups of sugar…1 cup for every stick of butter. And finally, I whipped it way longer than suggested. O Wanted fluffy marshmallowy consistency. It was too dense and grainy for my liking with that amount of sugar and only whipping it for a minute beyond combining.
Thanks for letting me know! The milk helps to break down the sugar when its mixed in so that could be why it was grainy. You can also still leave this on the counter with the milk in it. Im glad the recipe worked for you either way!!
Gee, I wonder why it was grainey and didn’t taste good. 🙄
Yummm! Thanks for the quick save!!!
Thanks for your 5 star review and comment Cece, so glad you love it!
This recipe is delicious!! It’s not too sweet ,it’s smooth and satisfying. I used it to frost a cocoa cake recipe I got from a 1930s cookbook. The frosting and cake paired perfectly. I will definitely make this delightful recipe quite often!
That sounds so delicious Eileen! Such a perfect combo of flavors. Thank you so much for making this and the 5 star rating!
Can you cut this recipe in half only have 18 cupcakes
Sure go for it!
Does this recipe crust or stay soft?
This frosting stays more on the softer side.
In the recipe you note 7oz of fluff and it’s not clear if that is weight measurement or liquid measurement.
Its weight 🙂
Googled Marshmallow frosting yesterday and got very lucky when this recipe showed up. I followed the recipe exactly as written and it is delicious! So easy to make and it turned out perfectly wonderful. It’s a keeper! Thanks so much.
SO happy to hear this Kathleen! Thank you so much for making this recipe and coming back to leave a 5 star rating and review!!! So very much appreciated! Enjoy!
I just want to say I love this recipe it’s on one of my top requested cupcakes. Thank you
Awww YAY! That makes me so happy! Thank you so much for letting me know!!
Will this recipe melt in the summer sun at the park?
Hi Savannah, it depends on how hot and humid it is. I would keep it in the shade for sure. Since its made with butter and not shortening it’s not ideal to keep it in the sun. Hope that helps!
Made this before and my grandkids loved it and ask for me too make it again needless to say the whole cake was gone in a day they live next door lol
Live this so much Caroline, thank you for letting me know!
Can I make this a day in advance or is it best to make it the day I plan to use it?
Sure you can!
Do you think it would work to use brown sugar in place of powered? I’m trying to make a brown sugar marshmallow frosting, but I’m afraid it will be grainy.
Hi Giovanna, no I dont recommend using brown sugar to replace the powdered, because powdered sugar dissolves and is much more fine, you can never substitute it for regular or brown sugar. Instead why dont you try this brown sugar buttercream
Hi Giovanna!
If you’re looking for a brown sugar marshmallow frosting, you should Google seafoam icing or seafoam frosting. It’s an old-fashioned frosting and i’ve been making it for decades and put it on a spice cake. It’s a very old-fashioned recipe. But it would honestly be good on anything. I could eat it by the spoonful.
Hi Elle! I have never heard of this, im intrigued!
Can this frosting be toasted?
Hey Monica, I havent tried toasting it but you can try doing it lightly.
How long will this frosting hold it’s shape if piped on mini cupcakes & kept indoors. I need to make some for a Christmas party & wanted to know if I can frost them the day before. They would be kept at room temperature. Thank you.
Hi Cindy! If you pipe them the day before it would be best to keep them in the fridge to keep their shape, or pipe them before serving. Happy holidays!
I am making this right now, (cupcakes), but would like to know if I added merengue powder would that help them hold up with piping? I will send a pic and rate as soon as they are decorated. Making this for my work party tomorrow night.
Hi! Since I havent tested it I cant day for sure but let me know how it goes!
This frosting is very loose and you definitely have to refrigerate it to get it stiff enough to work with. I also found that 1.5 sticks of butter is way plenty.
Needs more work…
No this recipe does not need more work, I clearly stated in the post if you want it to be stiff it needs to be refrigerated.
I love this recipe! Thank you so much for your clear explanation of the recipe & ingredients. Worked out perfect for me & I plan on using it for my two dozen Easter cupcakes. It’s also easy-friendly to add color. Thanks! You’re the best!!!
YAY Theresa! That sounds like so much fun. Thank you so much for letting me know how much you love this recipe! ♥️
Is this sturdy enough to hold coconut on the sides?
I think so! You can add the coconut and then put the cupcakes in the fridge to make sure.
It was ok but not what I wanted. It was too buttery and too sugary for what I needed. I am sure it was great for other purposes.
Thanks for trying it anyways!
Delicious! The hardest part was getting the marshmallow cream out of the jar! Will definitely be making again!
Thanks for the recipe..
I live for frosting so of course it was good, but it was waaaay to sweet, I added 4oz of cream cheese to balance it out.
Ohh what a good idea! Yes this is a sweet recipe, but adding cream cheese sounds like a great idea
Question-Can this receipe be bruled or torched like a toasted marshmallow? I want to make a frosting for a smores cupcake for my daughters baby shower this weekend.
Hi Marilyn, I havent tried it but I dont see why not! Congrats on the baby!
Can I use powdered sugar in this recipe?
And I didn’t see measurements two sticks of butter teaspoon of vanilla? Dash of salt?
Hi Sharon, the measurements are at the bottom on the recipe card, its right above the comment section. Or you can click the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the post.
Can I make a chocolate version?
Hi, I havent tried it but it sounds cool!
I refrigerated it overnight and now it’s too stiff to frost my cake. I’m leaving it out for now to see if it softens so I can use it. Do you recommend adding milk or anything to soften it? Maybe I need to do that and beat it again.
Yes I did just made it and it turned out awesome and just perfect for piping it’s yummy also
YAYYY this makes me so happy Evelyn! Thank you so much for coming back and updating me!
Amazing recipe we loved it on our Christmas sugar cookies! Thank you for sharing!
Aww Samantha! I feel so honored this helped make the holiday special for your family. Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know!
We all liked this frosting. Very sticky and sweet!
YAY! Its a great summer frosting right!
Can I use 1/2 Crisco and 1/2 margarine for more consistency??
You sure can!
This worked out really well for a layered cake for my nieces birthday. I used half of the recommended amount of milk to make it stiff enough to pipe onto cake. It is fairly stable. If you are looking for it to hold up longer, I would recommend cooling your finished product in the fridge for a bit to firm up the icing. Great recipe, thanks!
Thank you so much Tiffany! Glad to know it held up well for you, happy bday to your niece, you sound like a fun aunt!
Just made this for our thankingsgiving cake and my husband tasted it and said “OH YEA”!!! It is delicious tastes like my mom used to make!! Thank you!!!
AWWWW this makes me so happy! So honored! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Ann!
Great frosting! But it isn’t pure white with the butter in it. Any way to make it pure white?
hmm ok to make it more white I would cream the butter for longer until its super pale yellow, it could take like 5 minutes. Then I would also get a clear colored vanilla extact like this one ( this is an affiliate link). Hope that helps!
A drop of purple food coloring is what we were told to use to make a “yellow “ white icing more white
Yes! Color theory at its finest 🙂
Can this frosting be ‘toasted’ with a kitchen torch for toasted marshmallow flavor?
Totally, I’ve done it its delicious!