How to thicken buttercream without adding more sugar

How to thicken buttercream without adding more sugar - Person Mixing Yellow Eggs in a Bowl

I made some buttercream frosting for brownies using this recipe. Because The frosting is going on brownies, it needs to be thicker than what it would be on something like a cupcake. We typically frost the entire pan of brownies and then cut the brownies into bite sized squares.

But this recipe comes out thinner than I would like for the brownies. Our usual recipe calls for twice the amount of sugar, but that makes it really sweet. With this recipe, the sweetness is overpowering.

Is there anything else that I can use to thicken the frosting without making it overly sweet?



Best Answer

It looks like a couple of similar recipes in your link there, but you could make it a teensy bit thicker without increasing the sweetness by 1) diminishing slightly the amount of liqueur, or 2) adding a little bit of unsweetened cocoa powder [but of course it will then become brown and chocolatey], or 3) adding a little more cornstarch [since confectioners sugar does contain cornstarch anyway]... or some combination of above. Go easy at first of course.




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Quick Answer about "How to thicken buttercream without adding more sugar"

If you want to thicken your royal icing without adding additional sugar, you can add a very small amount of corn starch (around ½ teaspoon), which will help your icing thicken up.

How do you stiffen buttercream without icing sugar?

How To Thicken Icing Without Powdered Sugar
  • Add Flour. All purpose can be used as an icing thickening agent for any icing that is baked. ...
  • Add Cornstarch. Cornstarch can be used for thickening any runny icing. ...
  • Add Butter. Butter works well for thickening up a thin icing. ...
  • Add Whipped Cream. ...
  • Add Gelatin.


  • How do you thicken runny buttercream?

    As a general rule, you can thicken your runny buttercream frosting by sprinkling some powdered sugar on it. The sugar will absorb some of the liquid in the frosting so that it thickens. You can also use cornstarch or meringue powder to absorb the excess liquids on the frosting.

    How do you make buttercream stiffer?

    By bringing down the temperature, the frosting should tighten up immediately. This is a great trick for buttercream frosting that may have been overmixed or made in a warm kitchen. If this doesn't seem to do the trick, try adding sifted powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

    What happens if you put less sugar in buttercream?

    Using less sugar With this ratio the buttercream is a little bit softer, but it's still pipeable and still forms a slight crust.



    How can I thicken frosting without powdered sugar or cornstarch?




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