I’ll never forget my first taste of Cinnabon frosting. I was a teenager at the mall with friends when that intoxicating cinnamon aroma pulled us toward the Cinnabon kiosk like a cartoon character floating on a scent cloud. The warm roll was divine, but it was that velvety cream cheese frosting that haunted my dessert dreams for weeks afterward. That perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and buttery goodness became my gold standard for frosting.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Table of Contents
Cinnabon frosting stands out
It is hard to beat cream cheese frosting, but Cinnabon’s frosting is irresistibly smooth and has a delightful creamy texture. The time they take to whip up their high-quality ingredients makes their frosting irresistible.
Sure, Cinnabon may sell its signature frosting in frosting pints, but that requires leaving home to get a pint of frosting. You can make this from scratch in less time than it takes to drive to the mall. We all know how long it takes to go to the mall during the holiday season.
Cinnabon cream cheese frosting
The magic of authentic Cinnabon frosting lies in two critical elements: the perfect balance of ingredients and the extended mixing time that creates that signature silky texture. The secret ingredient? A touch of lemon juice brightens the flavor and cuts through the richness with subtle citrus notes. Unlike many copycat recipes, this version captures the exact creamy consistency and tangy-sweet balance that makes Cinnabon’s frosting so irresistible.
The Secret to Perfect Cinnabon Frosting
The magic of this recipe lies in two critical elements: the perfect balance of ingredients and the extended mixing time that creates that signature silky texture. This is the perfect topping for cinnamon buns, cupcakes, and your favorite Red Velvet cake.
Ingredients for this Cinnamon Roll Icing
Dairy Components:
- Cream cheese – Provides the essential tangy foundation and creamy texture that makes this frosting special
- Margarine – Creates the smooth, spreadable consistency and adds buttery flavor notes
Flavor Elements:
- Confectioners’ Sugar – Sweetens the frosting while maintaining a silky-smooth texture without grittiness
- Lemon juice – The secret ingredient that brightens the flavor and cuts through richness with subtle citrus notes
- Vanilla extract – Adds aromatic warmth and depth that complements the tanginess of the cream cheese
Ingredient notes and substitutions
One of my favorite things about cooking at home is that you can modify recipes to your taste. Here are some ingredient substitutions:
- While Cinnabon may not use real butter, you can use it as an alternative to margarine.
- If you want your frosting to remain perfectly white, use clear vanilla. It is often found at stores that sell cake decorating supplies.
How to make this easy cinnamon roll icing
- Allow margarine and cream cheese to reach room temperature. Please place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and margarine until combined and smooth.
- Slowly add powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a spatula.
- Once all of the sugar is added, mix for an additional 12 minutes.
- When almost done, add lemon juice and vanilla extract to the mixture.
You can turn this into a cinnamon roll glaze by adding whole milk to thin it out. It’s great to drizzle or pour over cinnamon rolls.
Other ways you can use this frosting
Who says you can’t use this frosting for other baked goods? Try these ideas out!
- Brownies. Smother some of the frosting on brownies to give them an instant upgrade. Just make sure to wait until they are fully cool before doing so.
- Waffles. How about a cinnamon-roll-inspired waffle in the morning? Put some of this cream cheese icing onto your Belgian waffle, followed by a dusting of cinnamon sugar.
- Cookies. Decorate cookies with it. For this method, I suggest putting the frosting into a piping bag and drizzling the icing over the cookies for an elegant presentation. You can also use it as a filling for sandwich cookies.
- Cakes and cupcakes. This frosting tastes phenomenal with cake. Try it with vanilla, lemon, strawberry, carrot cake, or even pound cakes. Rather than trying to coat the entire outside of a cake, you can slather it on top as a finishing touch. For cupcakes, it can create a simple coating that you can dress up with garnishes like chocolate shavings, fresh fruit, or cinnamon sugar.
- Dip. Serve it with fruit and graham crackers for a deliciously creamy dip.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Bring to room temperature before using.
- Reheating Method: Let frosting come to room temperature naturally, then re-whip briefly with a mixer to restore smooth texture.
- Freezing: Store in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before use.
Need more frosting ideas? Check out these frosting recipes
Love cinnamon rolls? Try these recipes
- Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnabon Twists
- Domino’s Cinnamon Twists
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Cakes with cream cheese frosting
Be sure to check out my featured favorites and restaurant bread recipes.
Copycat Cinnabon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 pound margarine or butter at room temperature
- 2 pounds powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Beat the cream cheese and margarine in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a spatula. Once all the sugar has been added, mix for at least 12 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice and vanilla and briefly mix to incorporate.
Video
Notes
Chef’s Tips
- Room temperature ingredients are absolutely essential – cold cream cheese will result in lumps.
- Don’t skip the full 12 minutes of mixing time – this creates the ultra-smooth, whipped texture that makes Cinnabon frosting unique.
- Use clear vanilla extract if you want perfectly white frosting.
- For a pourable glaze consistency, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to thin the frosting.
Beat for 12 minutes??? Are you sure?
The idea is to get the air into the frosting.
How can I see your videos from when you kinda of first started?
Sure, there are a bunch of videos all on YouTube. The music is bad, but this video is from 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARSIe0LmPrs
What are the exact measurements? It says 1 pound of this or two pounds of that. I know that can’t be right?
Those are the exact measurements, this makes a lot of frosting.
How many dozens does this frosting makes and don’t you thinks 4 sticks of margarine is too much
Hi was wondering if this can stat at room temperature like the original?
You could stabilize it by adding about 1/3 cup of vegetable shortening to the recipe if desired.
Oh how we love our cinnamon buns sunday mornings. I even have some on the counter for christmas morning. We always make the icing without margarine. Just 1 block of cream cheese (8 oz) 4 cups of icing sugar and 1 tsp. Of vanilla and. Whip it up for a few minutes. Yyum
it would much easier of you could put the measures not pounds and the serving shows 1…how much frosting does this make in cups and can it be frozen for later use
Well the measurements are super easy which is why she wrote it in pounds as there is no need to measure or weigh those ingredients. One pound of butter is one full (16 ounce) box of 4 regular sticks. One pound of cream cheese is two 8 ounce packages (ya know because 16 oz=one pound) and two pounds of icing sugar/confectionery sugar is one regular size bag…. Most people that have ever baked anything know this….
Can’t wait to try. And I think the butter am ount is spot on….if anyone has ever made a pure butter butter cream (without shortening that is), they would know this is a normal amount to even a touch shy (which us what the cream cheese will pick up on). Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Why is it that someone always has to put people down.really is disturbing to see so many people being mean and petty . come on grow up.
Jody, you are kind of in the wrong, he was just educating the person who didn’t know. He even did it in a professional way, sorry you had to take offense.
I couldn’t agree more Jody.
Sad world we live in!????
Jody, Bren was very polite in explaining the amount of ingredients in this recipe.
Well said????
The Kitchen Aid stand mixer is a gift from the gods for this recipe!
This is enough for 25 years
You can always cut the recipe in half.
You can cut the recipe in half, it also stores well in the fridge.
Or its the perfect amount to bakery pipe (with your 1M tip!) 2 dozen carrot cupcakes and have a small amount left over for some cinnamon buns…..
I truly believe that cupcakes are just an edible spoon for frosting….
“I truly believe that cupcakes are just an edible spoon for frosting….”
So refreshing to know there are people in this world that know the truth, like me!
Did the butter work out the same?
Butter works out well for this recipe.
margarine is actually alot more unhealthy for you then butter because it uses hydrogenated oils which means trans fats and butter doesnt have trans fats so i would stick with butter plus it taste better.
Uh oh. All of that information is wildly inaccurate. Trans fats and hydrogenated oils should never enter the body at any cost, so skip the margarine.
Re-read what Jerry said, he’s 100% correct.
It was just like a cinnabon
Why not butter instead of margarine?
I believe they use margarine, butter would taste better.
I believe they use margarine, and not butter.
FYI: Stephanie you’re right they do use margarine and not butter. So if anyone really wants the original then they definitely use margerine. I know, it’s not what people like to hear but they sure eat an awful lot of them to complain about the taste..Lol.
This would make the perfect amount for The Pioneer woman cinnamon rolls that I am making tomorrow!
This is exactly what I use this recipe for! Pioneer woman’s cinnamon rolls are the absolute best, and the freeze really well. I thaw a few overnight on the counter and whip up the icing in the morning. Winner!
I quartered this recipe and it worked out just fine! Consistency is nice and light, very fluffy, and not as heavy as the Cinnabon one, though it may become heavier after it’s been sitting in the fridge. The quartered recipe was more than enough for 1 dz whopper sized cinnamon buns! Thanks
Having worked at Cinnabon for 6 years this recipe is very close although hugely scalled down from what we made at the bakery, Im gonna try it at home to see how it tastes. I dont see why it should be exactly the same though.
Let us know if you think the recipe is close!
too much lemon in this.
whats the real recipe? I am dying to know!!! Prettynpink620@gmail.com
I don’t think this is their real recipe. It is my version of it.
Please give us the recipe! 🙂 info@mikesautoart.com
frosting is amazing however entirely too much maybe this recipe is for a huge batch for the day at Cinnabon!!!
amazing! this made a lot but it tastes yummy!
Without a doubt as good, if not better than the original.
hey mike, i made a dozen rolls (using 4 cups of flour) in a 15 x 9 pan and plan on using butter instead of margarine; and to cut this recipe in half. Tis my best educated guess anyhow.
is this correct?? 2 lbs powdered sugar?
how much does this make? Enough for how many rolls
I cut the recipe in half and had enough for 3 dozen fairly large rolls
I’m not sure how many rolls this would frost. But it would cover 3-4 dozen cupcakes with a bakery pipe (a 1M tip). The only thing ‘extra’ from my normal cupcake butter cream frosting is the cream cheese and swap the lemon for heavy whipping cream. If it needs to stand against warm weather, I toss a 1/4 to a 1/3 cup crisco in with it to stabilize it). That is considered a ‘double batch’. I never make a single batch (really who does that? Who wants to measure or eyeball 1 pound of sugar when you can just dump the whole bag.) Extras? Freeze it. That in the fridge and whip again to use. You’re welcome…
This makes a lot, but I should test this out. I love your idea of stabilizing this with a little Crisco. You sound like a real pastry chef, I appreciate you dropping by and sharing your knowledge.
This is the recipe you want for the icing! It is just like the REAL DEAL!
I made this and cut the amounts in half…powdered sugar and butter are marked in lbs so easy to measure. I forgot to whip it for 12 minutes, just did it till it looked fluffy and it looks great on my pan of carrot cake cookie bars. Also had no lemon juice so just did the vanilla only and it worked out great. Hubby is celiac so when I make the bars with rice flour and xanthum gum to replace flour and frost with this icing he is in heaven and the whole pan is for him only! hahaha