Cinnamon Icing is a luscious, buttery powdered sugar glaze with warm vanilla and cinnamon, and optional maple syrup for even cozier flavor. It comes together with 6 simple ingredients and is the perfect topping for pound cake, cookies, doughnuts, cinnamon buns, or your favorite desserts.
We love it on these Brown Sugar Cut-Out Cookies and Pumpkin Angel Food Cake.
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This Cinnamon Icing is a quick and easy recipe that stirs together in minutes with simple ingredients you probably already have.
It's my go-to icing recipe for homemade Cinnamon Sugar Cookies and Banana Zucchini Bread, and a great way to level up semi-homemade recipes like Apple Coffee Cake and Chocolate Croissant Cinnamon Rolls. It would be amazing drizzled over monkey bread on Christmas morning!
I love to make it with maple syrup for even warmer, cozier flavor, and it always reminds me of maple-glazed doughnuts. For straight-up cinnamon icing without maple syrup, see the notes on the recipe card.
❤️You're Going to Love This
- Quick and easy recipe with just 6 pantry ingredients.
- 2-minute cinnamon glaze recipe with warm cinnamon and vanilla flavor
- Optional maple syrup makes it extra cozy for fall baking.
- Perfect for drizzling over bundt cakes and quick breads, spreading onto cookies, or dipping doughnuts.
- Delicious alternative to cream cheese icing on homemade cinnamon rolls.
🧈Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Powdered sugar, aka confectioners' sugar. For smooth, lump-free icing, sift the powdered sugar. If you're ever bothered by the texture of powdered sugar, try organic powdered sugar. It uses tapioca starch instead of cornstarch and doesn't have the chalky taste and texture that powdered sugar can have.
- Melted butter. Butter gives powdered sugar icing a softer, silkier texture. And adds rich flavor.
- Maple syrup. This is optional, but super delicious and maple-y.
- Cinnamon. Of course, the star of the recipe! Adjust this to taste.
- Salt. Just a small pinch of salt makes all the difference between a glaze that's too sweet and one that's just right. Don't skip it.
🥛Variations or Substitutions
- Milk or cream. Instead of maple syrup, substitute with a little low-fat or whole milk, water, almond milk, or heavy cream. Start with 1 tablespoon.
- No cinnamon. I know... this recipe is for cinnamon icing. But if you ever need an easy vanilla icing recipe, I got you! Use this recipe, minus the cinnamon.
- Almond extract. Add a drop or two of almond extract.
- Spices. Swap out some of the cinnamon for your favorite warm spices like nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cardamom, or a little pumpkin pie spice.
🥣How to Make Cinnamon Icing
Step 1: Stir all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl until smooth.
Step 2: Immediately drizzle over cakes, cookies, sweet breads, and warm cinnamon rolls.
👉Helpful Hint: For cinnamon icing without maple syrup, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or water until the icing is the right consistency.
✅Top Tips
- For the best texture, sift the powdered sugar.
- If a crust forms while you're still using the glaze, just give it a stir.
- To slightly thin the icing without adding more liquid, try warming it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.
- If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
🎁Storage
Store leftover cinnamon frosting covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Bring to room temperature or warm in the microwave in 5-10 second increments until thin enough to drizzle, dip, or spread.
❓FAQ
Yes, you can use water or a milk alternative like almond or oat milk for a dairy-free option.
Add more powdered sugar to thicken, or a splash of milk to thin it to your desired consistency.
Usually about 15–20 minutes at room temperature, depending on the thickness.
If used on baked goods, it’s fine at room temp for a day or two, but refrigerate for longer storage.
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📖 Recipe
How to Make Cinnamon Icing
Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ cup maple syrup* optional, see notes for maple-free alternative
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Sift powdered sugar into a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Use right away to ice cakes, cookies, muffins, and cinnamon rolls.
Notes
- *To make cinnamon icing without maple syrup, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or water until the icing is the right drizzling consistency.
- If a crust forms while you're still using the glaze, just give it a stir.
- To slightly thin the icing without adding more liquid, try warming it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.
- If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Recipe yields about ¾ cup with maple syrup, or ½ cup without maple syrup.
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