Learn how to make sweet and creamy white chocolate buttercream frosting with this easy recipe. Although it looks plain, the frosting is made with melted white chocolate, so there’s extra flavor hiding in each creamy swirl. The frosting is very rich and wonderfully thick, so it holds beautiful shape when piped. Try it on vanilla cupcakes with raspberry filling!

One reader, Amy, commented: “I don’t usually write reviews on any recipe that I’ve tried, but today—yes. This is the best buttercream icing ever. I’ve tried so many different ones and they just fall short. Today was different—this one was all that and then some… I’m still licking my fingers. ★★★★★”

One reader, Fred, commented: “This is the perfect frosting for pretty much anything. I used it on my first ever wedding cake for our granddaughter. It frosts so smoothly and pipes exquisitely… ★★★★★“

close-up photo of white chocolate frosting buttercream swirled on cupcake with raspberry and fresh mint garnish.

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Move aside, vanilla buttercream and cream cheese frosting, and make way for the new white frosting in town. (I still love you both, though. There is room in my heart—and my kitchen—for all the frostings.)

But maybe you’re tired of the same ol’ vanilla frosting. And while I love cream cheese frosting, I know a lot of people in other countries have trouble making it, because it’s not always easy to find brick-style cream cheese outside the U.S. So I wanted to publish another option for a delicious white frosting that tastes good on a variety of desserts.

Why You’ll Love This White Chocolate Buttercream

Extra creamy and rich from melted white chocolate
Holds shape when piped
Spreads easily onto baked goods
Can tint it a color (see it colored on top of these white chocolate peppermint cupcakes)
White chocolate tastes great with so many different flavors

If you love white chocolate, you’ll enjoy these white chocolate strawberry cupcakes too. I add freeze-dried strawberries to make a delicious strawberry white chocolate frosting on those!

overhead image of cupcakes frosted with white chocolate buttercream and some garnished with a fresh raspberry.

Grab These 6 Ingredients

White Chocolate: For the best flavor and texture, we need real white chocolate. Do not use white chocolate morsels or candy melts here—get the real-deal bars of white chocolate.
Unsalted Butter: Start with room temperature butter. Room temperature butter is cooler than you think. If the butter is too warm, the frosting will be thin and taste greasy.
Confectioners’ Sugar: We’re using less confectioners’ sugar in this frosting than we do in vanilla buttercream, because the white chocolate is already sweet.
Heavy Cream or Half-and-Half: Liquid thins out and adds even more creaminess to the frosting. You can use heavy cream or half-and-half. Milk works in a pinch.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds incredible flavor.
Salt: A pinch of salt offsets all the sweetness.

ingredients on marble counter including white chocolate, confectioners' sugar, butter, salt, vanilla, and heavy cream.

Best White Chocolate to Use in Frosting

The best white chocolate frosting starts with real white chocolate. Do not use white chocolate morsels because they contain stabilizers preventing them from melting into the correct consistency. You need the bars of “baking chocolate” found in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips. I like Baker’s and Ghirardelli brands, which come in 4-ounce bars. You need 6 ounces of white chocolate for this recipe, so you’ll use 1 and 1/2 bars.

Start by chopping up the white chocolate and placing it in a microwave-safe bowl. (I usually use a glass liquid measuring cup.) Microwave it in 20-second increments, stopping and stirring after each increment. The short bursts of heat allow the white chocolate to melt without burning. Once it’s completely smooth, set it aside to let it cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

chopped white chocolate in liquid measuring up and shown again melted.

The rest of the recipe is similar to making regular vanilla buttercream or strawberry buttercream, and you’ll add the cooled melted white chocolate during the process. You’ll need a handheld or stand mixer.

bowl of white chocolate buttercream frosting.

It looks like vanilla buttercream, but it’s silkier, smoother, and has an extra-rich flavor. You’ll love it.

white chocolate frosting buttercream on red spatula.

What Tastes Best With White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting?

White chocolate pairs beautifully with so many flavors, like chocolate, raspberry, lemon… the list goes on and on! This recipe makes enough for 12–16 cupcakes, a 3-layer 6-inch cake, or a 9×13-inch quarter vanilla sheet cake. I recommend you 1.5x the recipe for a 2-layer cake.

Try this white chocolate frosting on:

Really, it’s great on pretty much anything you might typically top with vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting!

It also makes for a wonderful cupcake filling. See my post on How to Fill Cupcakes for how to do so and for recipe pairing inspiration.

white chocolate buttercream frosting swirled on cupcake with raspberry and fresh mint garnish.

close-up image of white chocolate buttercream swirled on a cupcake.

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White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 37 reviews

Author: Sally McKenney
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2.5 cups
Category: Frosting
Method: Mixing
Cuisine: American

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Description

Learn how to make sweet and creamy white chocolate buttercream frosting with this easy recipe. Although it looks plain, the frosting is made with melted white chocolate, so there’s extra flavor hiding in each creamy swirl. Be sure to use real white chocolate, and not white chocolate morsels. See recipe Notes.

Ingredients

6 ounces (170g) white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups (240g) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream or half-and-half*
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

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Instructions

Melt the white chocolate: Chop the white chocolate, then melt in a double boiler on the stove, or simply use the microwave: Place chopped white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl (I usually use a glass liquid measuring cup), and microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after every 20 seconds until completely smooth. Set it aside to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. (Be sure the melted white chocolate has cooled for 20 minutes, so it’s still melted but not scorching hot, which would melt the butter.)
In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Switch the mixer to low speed and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar.
Stir the cooled white chocolate so that it is smooth, and then add it to the butter/sugar mixture. Switch the mixer to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes until combined and creamy.
Add the cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat for 1 minute until combined. Taste. Add 1 more Tablespoon of heavy cream/milk if needed to thin out, if desired. Add another pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
Use immediately or cover tightly and store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator, then beat the frosting on medium speed for a few seconds so it’s creamy again. After thawing or refrigerating, beating in a splash of heavy cream or milk will help thin the frosting out again, if needed. (It stiffens in the refrigerator.)

Notes

Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Liquid Measuring Cup or Double Boiler | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer)
White Chocolate: Do NOT use white chocolate morsels in this frosting. Use pure white chocolate, which typically comes in 4-ounce bars, and can be found in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips. I like Baker’s or Ghirardelli brands.
Cream: For the frosting, milk is OK to use instead of heavy cream or half-and-half. However, cream is preferred for creamiest texture.
Quantity: This recipe is enough to frost 12–16 cupcakes, a 3-layer 6-inch cake, or a thin layer on a 9×13-inch quarter sheet cake. 1.5x the recipe for a 2-layer cake. (Doubling the recipe would be far too much.)
Decorating Tips: Be sure to check out my post on how to use piping tips (with video tutorial!), and my recommendations for essential cake baking & decorating tools.

Sally McKenney

Sally McKenney is a baker, food photographer, and New York Times best-selling author. Her kitchen-tested recipes and step-by-step tutorials have given millions of readers the knowledge and confidence to bake from scratch. Sally’s work has been featured on TODAY, Good Morning America, Taste of Home, People, and more.