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!
91 Comments on “Pudding Buttercream Frosting + Video”
I don,t like super sweet frosting. Do you think leaving out the powdered sugar would make a big difference?
You can always taste it first and then add powdered sugar to taste, but it may also effect the texture and pipe-ability of the frosting.
i tried this recipe i use 1/2 cup shortening and 1/2 cup of butter it has too much shortening flavor and is super greasy can i use less shortening more butter and add more powdered sugar? also does this crust?
You can definitely adjust it to fit your personal tastes. And I’m sorry, but I haven’t made it recently, so I can’t remember if it crusts. I hope you can get it to work out the way you want it to. 🙂
I used less shortening more butter so i can get that butter taste. It gets hard in the fridge so i guess it does or doesn’t matter if it does. I couldn’t tell either cause it went from the fridge to serving. i made this recipe for a b-day party came out really nice thick and fluffy! i loved the white chocolate, thank you this saved me such a nice way to use less sugar. Cant wait to try different pudding flavours!
Yay! I’m so glad you got it to work out! Thanks for the update!
I made this icing with all butter, but find it to have a strange texture. Did anyone else have this problem?
I wonder if the shortening helps stabilize it. I didn’t think it would be that different doing all butter. I’m sorry it went all funky on you. 🙁
Just made this and I love it! Normally I use buttercream but have been trying to find something that is not so sweet. This is perfect. I am making a wedding cake and due to time constraints I am making it ahead and will have to freeze for a few days. I am wondering if the frosting will thaw well? Any idea? Have anyone ever tried freezing it?
Hi Valerie! If it’s only for a few days I would just refrigerate it. You will need to add a little bit more milk to get it to be workable again, because it thickens up like pudding, but you should be fine. Good luck!
I just made this icing and I’m not impressed. It has a after taste. I was so hoping this was my miracle recipe. I tasted mainly butter and shortening. I ended up adding unsweetened cocoa and more flavor. Oh well I thought I would give it a try.
Okay, thanks for your review.
I am wondering what brand of pudding you used?
Just made this frosting and was not impressed tasted it after doing exactly what the recopies says to do and all I could taste was butter… no thanks not on my cupcakes. trying to salvage it I started adding more powdered sugar and a little milk ended up using almost a whole bag of powdered sugar just to not taste just butter. And if I stop mixing it and it sits for a just a minute it starts to seperate.I personally wouldn’t make this again.
Hmm, interesting. Thanks for your review. I’m sorry you didn’t like it!
I am 62 years old and have been in a kitchen since I was 20, but I don’t understand if you make the pudding according to the box directions, or make the pudding with the 1/3 cup of milk listed in the directions? Thanks in advance for your clarification.
Hi Barb,
Mix the pudding with the 1/2 cup milk listed in the directions. Then you will add the pudding to the beaten butter and shortening with the vanilla. Next add the powdered sugar and mix well. Then you can thin the frosting to your desired consistency by adding 1 Tbsp of extra milk at a time. Hope this helps!
I’m having a problem. Mine looks like it is separating
Did you store in in the refrigerator before you needed to use it? I would just use a hand mixer and blend it all up again. It should come together.
I made your chocolate cake recipe. I’m making a 2 layer cake and filling with your White Chocolate Pudding Frosting. The outside is gonna be Chocolate Pudding frosting. My question is this cake is for Thanksgiving, so can I make both frostings now and keep them in the fridge til Thursday?
So you are prepping the frostings beforehand, storing them in the fridge and frosting the cake on Thanksgiving? If you are frosting the cake later, you will need to add additional milk to thin the frosting a little bit to a spreadable consistency. It thickens up like pudding does when refrigerated. If you are frosting it and refrigerating it, it should be just fine to slice and serve! Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m going to frost the cake Wednesday and keep it in the fridge til Thursday. Thank you!! i can;t wait to try your frosting!
I made the this frosting and to me it doesn’t taste sweet enough. Would you add more powdered sugar or another box of pudding?
I would do more powdered sugar to your personal tastes.
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Does this have more of a yellow color to it?
It’s definitely off white, more ivory in color.
If I make this for cupcakes do the cakes have to be kept refrigerated?
I do because of the milk in the pudding. So, yes.
Thanks for the quick reply! I wonder if anthem gum would help make up for that? I really commend people that experiment and create these recipes, because so much trial and error and wasted food is involved. I am making this for my birthday so my son who is on the LGIT for epilepsy can have a small slice. Thanks for sharing!!
I’m so sorry I couldn’t help you more! I really need to dabble in more recipes for those with diet restrictions so I can have a solid answer for questions like these. Please let me know if ends up working out!
Hi there! It was pretty sweet already without the extra bitterness of the Trader Joe’s Stevia, but I added about 2 tsp in to see how it tasted. Then I added the xantham gum in as well. About 2 tsp and it thickened it up nicely. I also had used too cold of butter and it looked all curdled but i ran it all in the blender and it smoothed out super nicely. I stored it in the stainless blender in the fridge and will process it one more time and then use it to frost the cake tomorrow and serve fresh. Thanks!
Glad it worked out! Thanks for sharing your alterations!
Can I substitute Stevia sweetener for the powdered sugar. I will use less than 1/4 cup…
The powdered sugar kind of gives the frosting body and thickness, along with the sweetness. The pudding does help thicken this recipe, so you could give it a try. I don’t bake with Stevia, so I can’t say for sure, but I don’t see why not.
I am a little delayed in my question, but can this be used to make flowers and other fancy cake designs? I am taking a decorating course and I just can’t stand to use the traditional buttercream week after week; I hate it!
Yes, but you will need to use it right away, because the longer it sits, the stiffer it gets. It will also need to be refrigerated after decorating. If it does get stiff, add additional milk 1 Tbsp at a time until you get the piping texture you want.
Would this recipe be stiff enough to pipe onto cakes?
Yes, ma’am. The pudding actually makes it stiffer than typical buttercream. If it sits too long, you will need to add a little milk to make it easier to work with. It’s best to decorate right after being made.
Seriously, this looks SO good! I want to lick it right now!! Thanks for sharing!
Hershey’s instant pudding? I’ve got to find myself some of that. Yummy.
I like baking and making cakes, and this looks like it would be super yummy.
White chocolate is my favorite!
Now I do love butter cream but my favorite is Swiss Meringue Frosting–to die for. But I am always open to something new and this looks delicious! Can’ wait to try it.
I’m a frosting liver, but ry isn’t Seems like this will be the best of both worlds. If I wanted to make choc frosting would I need to add cococo and pudding?
Brianna, if you want chocolate, just do chocolate pudding. No cocoa required. Should work the same!
Super cool! I’m definitely going to give this a whirl!
Genius!
yum. pinned this for later 🙂