Pudding Buttercream Frosting + Video
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Pudding Frosting is easy to make without Cool Whip or whipped cream. All you need is butter, instant pudding mix, milk, powdered sugar and vanilla. Try this white chocolate pudding buttercream frosting or switch it up with any flavor of instant pudding mix.
Buttercream
“I’ve never really been a fan of buttercream. Too sweet and too greasy. I use bare minimum on the cakes that I actually eat, or I’ll scrape it off if it’s served to me.”
This was my opinion back when buttercream was primarily (or partially) made with shortening. Especially in grocery store bakeries. Bleh! Pure homemade vanilla buttercream frosting made with all butter is MUCH better.
Pudding Frosting
Now there is an even funner way to spruce up buttercream!
You’ve heard of pudding cake and pudding cookies, but have you ever heard of pudding frosting?
I hadn’t, until I searched it and only found like one recipe. I adapted it to my liking and I loved the results!
No Cool Whip or Whipped Cream
Most pudding frosting will be made with cool whip or whipped cream. Which is fine, but if you want a frosting you can pipe with, you need to make pudding buttercream frosting — with butter.
The texture is perfect: smooth and velvety, yet durable and holds its shape. You also use less powdered sugar than typical buttercream, while adding flavor (not just pure sugar) to the frosting. It’s genius! Or at least I think so.
Ingredients
For this recipe you will only need 5 ingredients.
- Instant Pudding Mix – One small box (4 serving size; approximately 3.4 oz); any flavor. Just the dry powder. Do not follow directions on box to make pudding.
- Milk – To mix with the pudding and thin the frosting to the desired consistency. Whole, 2% or skim milk all work well.
- Butter – At room temperature. Unsalted butter is preferred, unless you love salted butter. You can always add a pinch of salt to the frosting if you’d like. Better to control the salt, than for it to be too salty.
- Powdered Sugar – To add a little extra sweetness and volume to the frosting.
- Vanilla Extract – To enhance the flavor.
How to Make Pudding Buttercream Frosting
It’s easy to make pudding frosting with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Whisk together the pudding mix and milk in a bowl. Set aside.
- Cream the butter until smooth, using an electric mixer.
- Add the prepared pudding and vanilla extract. Beat together.
- Add the powdered sugar. Mix completely.
- Add extra milk 1 Tablespoon at a time to the desired consistency.
- Frosting is ready to spread or pipe onto cakes or cupcakes. For best results, use immediately.
Tips and Storage
Extra Milk: I add between 4-6 Tablespoons of extra milk to get it soft and thin enough to pipe.
NOTE: The frosting will look a little more thick and slightly lumpy straight in the bowl, but it will smooth as it is piped. You can add more milk if you plan to spread it on a cake with a spatula.
Use immediately. This pudding frosting can get quite firm, especially when refrigerated. For best results spread or pipe the frosting directly after making it. If you refrigerate the frosting before using it, simply mix in more milk to a spreadable consistency.
Refrigerate leftovers. Since the frosting is made with a substantial amount of milk, it is best to refrigerate any leftovers. Be sure to remove the cupcakes/cake from the fridge 20-30 minutes before serving, to take the chill off the cake and frosting. Otherwise they may both be quite stiff.
Pudding Mix Flavors
Now that you see how easy it is to make pudding frosting, just think of all the flavor combinations! Crazy amounts of pudding boxes waiting at the store for you to make frosting with!
Of course there’s vanilla and chocolate, but there’s also, cheesecake, pistachio, lemon, banana cream, butterscotch, and white chocolate. And that’s not even seasonal or specialty flavors like pumpkin spice or Oreo.
I just happened to have this Hershey’s instant white chocolate pudding mix in my cupboards and needed something to make with it, so that’s what I did. I like it! And I hope you will too!
Great Cupcakes to Pair with this Pudding Frosting
- Vanilla Cupcake Recipe with oil
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
- Key Lime Cupcakes
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
If You Make This Recipe, Please Rate and Review it in the Comments Below. THANKS!
White Chocolate Pudding Buttercream Frosting
Buttercream frosting flavored with pudding mix for piping or spreading onto cakes and cupcakes.
Ingredients
- 1 small box white chocolate (or other flavor) instant pudding mix (the 4 servings size box; approximately 3.4 oz)
- 1/2 cup cold milk, plus extra for thinning
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Whisk pudding with milk in a small bowl. Set aside until thickened; about 3 minutes; it's not very long.
- Meanwhile beat butter in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer until creamy and smooth. Add thickened pudding and vanilla. Blend until combined.
- Add powdered sugar and blend again.
- Add additional milk, 1 Tbsp at a time until desired consistency is achieved. (I added about 4 to 6 Tablespoons.) Fill pastry bag and pipe icing onto cupcakes or spread onto cake with a spatula.
Notes
- Use pudding frosting promptly after being made. If prepared beforehand: thin with additional milk to a spreadable consistency. Keep refrigerated.
- Remove decorated cake/cupcakes from fridge 20-30 minutes before consuming to take the chill off of the cake and frosting.
- Yield: 2 1/4 cups frosting; enough to pipe high onto 16-18 cupcakes, spread on top of a 13x9-inch cake, or decorate a single layer round cake.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1/16Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 31.6mgSodium: 93.1mgCarbohydrates: 13.8gFiber: 0gSugar: 12.3gProtein: .4g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix, and is an estimation only.
Recipe adapted from Cooking with Carrie
*Originally published 4/16/13. Photos updated December 2021.
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Welcome!
Hi, I’m Amber! I am a culinary graduate and dessert lover! This is where I share my favorite sweet and savory recipes alongside my knowledge and skills as a culinary graduate. I hope you find something you like!
97 Comments on “Pudding Buttercream Frosting + Video”
Can I use soy milk and plant butter for my vegan friends?
That should be just fine.
I loved it, so did my 6 year old, who said she wasn’t me to make this for every cake or cupcakes I ever make and to write it down so I don’t lose it! It’s not to sweet just right, I prefer more buttery to sweet. I used vanilla instant pudding. It is nice and thick for she, so keep that in mind for what your looking for. I did not try to thin it at all mind you.
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with the recipe Morgan! Glad it was a hit with your daughter.
hello,
is this buttercream good for mscaron filling and how long can it be left at room temperature? I’m also wondering if I can use the pudding mix in swiss meringue buttercream? thank you.
This frosting should work just fine in a macaron, but I haven’t tried it in swiss meringue buttercream. You’ll have to let me know how it goes if you try it.
I’m from the Bahamas and I struggle with finding butter cream recipes that can withstand the heat. So I am proud to say that with a few adjustments to your recipe my cupcake frosting has never lost its shape and the light airy texture of the frosting is impeccable. 10/10 recommend
Glad to hear this recipe helped! Thanks for your feedback.
Tried this the other day searching for a less sweet BC and this one comes with the added bonus of no GRIT!! I actually used Heavy Whipping Cream instead of milk and it worked great. I do believe it made it far more thick than milk but I also think it created more volume too!! Another added bonus! Wasn’t able to use it right away so ‘sausage wrapped’ it in several bundles and refrigerated until the next day. Had to thin it down using quite a bit of whole milk to get the right consistency. It took a LOT of milk ~ about 3/4 cup but again had more icing too! For me, the recipe made 4-5 Cups of icing, enough to fill, ice, and decorate a 3 layer 6″ cake. Sides were straight and smooth, piped decorations were crisp & detailed. Icing hardened perfectly once refrigerated (which was something I needed it to do for tiered cakes. Husband loved it!! This even holds up to using fresh fruit fillings!! This will be my new go-to icing!!
That’s great! Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe. So glad it was a hit!
I found this recipe easy, very tasty! I used the Hershey‘s white chocolate pudding and I will definitely be making this again. Not quite sure where all the comments come in about people using shortening? I see no shortening in the ingredients, so I’m quite baffled by the comments with shortening. I plan on using different flavored pudding‘s to spice things up But this is going to be my go to recipe along with my more time involved cooked frosting recipe. Thanks for this yummy alternative
Hi Linda, I’m so glad you enjoyed this pudding frosting recipe. I originally made and shared this recipe in 2013 and re-vamped it recently to be made from all butter instead of shortening + butter, hence the shortening comments. Sorry for the confusion.
Thannnnnk you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How awesome is it to make this frosting, it’s fancy tasting! I made raspberry jam stuffed vanilla cupcakes…. Divine! BTW I used the clear vanilla extract.
Sounds like a tasty cupcake! Glad this frosting complimented your cupcakes well. Thanks for your comment Danielle.
Can I use cook n serve pudding instead of instant
I haven’t tried it personally, but I believe it will still be ok.
The recipe didn’t say to use shortening, so I didn’t…only butter. The frosting curdled and looks weird. My other recipes are much better!
The pudding does give it a slightly “curdled” texture, but it actually pipes out completely smooth as you can see in my photos. Adding more milk will also help make it smoother. Keep adding milk and mixing it.
This is a great recipe. We all love it.
Awesome! Glad it’s been well loved.