Oreo Frosting Recipe

With just a few simple ingredients you can make the BEST Oreo buttercream frosting recipe that is perfect for frosting your cakes and cupcakes. This frosting is simple to make and is ready in about 15 minutes or less!

If there’s one cookie I have a hard time resisting it’s an Oreo cookie. What is it about an Oreo cookie? Now I’ve started eating the more organic, less processed cookies but doesn’t matter – still great. Still no self control.

So what do you think happens when you crush some up and stir it into the best vanilla buttercream frosting? Yes you can find me in a corner with a spoon and no shame. It’s OK, I’ll get you a spoon too.

This Oreo frosting recipe is what dreams are made of. And it’s made with just a few simple ingredients and comes together in just a few dangerous minutes. I piped these onto some Oreo cupcakes for even more Oreo goodness. Yes I have no shame. And yes you are going to want seconds.

What Is American Buttercream Icing?

So this Oreo frosting is basically an American icing or American buttercream (ABC) is probably that buttercream you had at that last kid’s birthday party you went too. Or that kind you grew up on.

Sometimes it gets a bad rep for being too sweet. Or grainy. Ugh. But I promise you this recipe is not. American buttercream is one of the beaten butter types of buttercream. Flour buttercream (ermine frosting) and German buttercream also fall into this category. This type of buttercream is made by first beating the butter and then adding in a sweet base. In this case, powdered sugar.

What Are The Main Types Of Buttercream Frosting?

There are 6 main types of buttercreams and they fall into two categories – creamed butter and cubed butter. In fact, if you want to learn how to make all 6 buttercreams, and master making frosting once and for all be sure to check out my Buttercream Basics Guide

American buttercream falls into the creamed butter category is by far the easiest of all the buttercreams to make. German buttercream or ermine frosting are two more creamed butter buttercreams similar to American buttercream. A little more involved but less sweet.

Unlike the cubed butter method of buttercreams- like Swiss Meringue, Italian  meringue buttercream and French buttercream.

You can read about all the different Types Of Frosting here.

Ingredient Needed

• Unsalted butter: I always recommend using unsalted butter vs. salted butter so you can control the amount of salt. 
• Powdered sugar: Or confectioners sugar (or icing sugar). I don’t sift mine in as I find that as long as I mix it long enough I don’t have lumps.
• Vanilla – You can use clear vanilla extract or pure vanilla extract. Clear vanilla will give you more of that boxed cake vanilla flavor, and keep the frosting more white in color. Or use pure vanilla extract, which is what I used.
• Heavy cream: This helps thin out the frosting, and add some richness, but milk would also work.
• Oreos – I like to use organic all-natural Oreos (I like Newman O’s or the Whole Foods variety)
• Salt – A pinch of a salt helps balance out the sweetness.

How Do You Make This Oreo Buttercream Frosting?

So simple, you ready? Ok here is a step by step photo tutorial of how to make this oreo cookie frosting.

Step 1: Cream butter

You want to do this first before adding any powdered sugar. You can make this in your stand mixer (which is what I prefer) but you can use a hand mixer as shown below. I like to add my zest at this point to help break up the zest and infuse the lemon flavor throughout.

Step 2: Add powdered sugar

Do this a 1/2 cup at a time. Then mix until incorporated. Be sure to start your mixer on low or otherwise you will have it everywhere!

Step 3: Add remaining ingredients

Now add the heavy cream, pinch of salt and vanilla. Make sure to start the mixer out on low, or the heavy cream and vanilla might splash out. Once it’s mixed in then I’ll increase the mixer speed.

Step 4: Mix on high speed

You want to do this for 8 minutes. Yup 8! But it’s worth it 🙂 In the end you get the most amazing whipped oreo frosting!

Step 5: Add in the crushed cookies

Now it’s time to add in the crushed cookies. You can do this with a spatula and fold this in or just mix on low. The cookies are crushed anyway so using your mixer won’t harm it and it’s much easier!

Frosting The Cupcakes

For frosting the cupcakes, I like to use a large closed star or plain pastry tip. And if you need help frosting, then check out this post on how to frost the perfect cupcake (+ video!). 

You can also learn how to master all 6 buttercreams in my Buttercream Basics Guide!

Recipe Tips

• Use softened butter to achieve the best consistency. You can soften your butter quickly if you forget to take it out ahead of time. Click here for 3 ways to soften your butter quickly. 
• Scrape down your bowl. Be sure to scrape down the bowl from time to time so it’s all being incorporated. A lot of times some butter or sugar will be hanging out at the bottom.
• Mix for a long time. Make sure to whip this buttercream for a full 8  minutes to get a light airy fluffy consistency. If you are using a hand mixer this will take longer.
• Serve at room temperature. This is a butter-based buttercream and if you refrigerate frosted cupcakes, then bring them back to room temperature as the frosting will harden and be like eating a stick of butter!

Recipe FAQ’s

What can I use this Oreo frosting recipe on?

You can add this to any thing you might want a big old layer of frosting on top! Here are a few recipes that I think would be perfect to pair with this Oreo frosting recipe:

• Sourdough Chocolate Cake
• 5-Minute Chocolate Crazy Cake
• Easy Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
• Easy Chocolate Cupcakes

More Frosting Recipes To Try

• Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
• Lemon Buttercream Frosting
• EASY Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
• Brown Sugar Buttercream