Maple Frosting

This light and creamy maple frosting is made with a cooked flour base and real maple syrup. Making it stable, rich, and airy all at the same time! 

I know when you hear cooked flour you think of a roux but this frosting is far from that. This maple frosting is perfectly sweet and full of real maple flavor. The flour keeps it stable while the butter and sugar create a creamy frosting with a rich texture.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a sucker for swiss meringue buttercream, but it is always fun to venture off into other frosting and buttercream possibilities. I love making this easy marshmallow frosting recipe and using it on top of sweet potato casserole cupcakes or mounding it on top of my easy pumpkin pie!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• All-Purpose Flour: This frosting does rely on the thickening powers of all-purpose flour. You could use a gluten-free all-purpose flour, but it will make the final product grainy. For a gluten-free frosting, consider using American buttercream frosting or cream cheese buttercream frosting, and flavor it with syrup and extracts instead.
• Whole Milk: Whole milk adds to the fat and flavor. You can substitute any milk alternative, just know that they can impart a flavor onto your frosting. 
• Maple Syrup: For the best texture and flavor, it is imperative to use pure maple syrup that is Grade A: dark amber, rich taste. This is formerly Grade B. This grade has been reduced more before bottling to concentrate the flavor and evaporate more moisture. 
• Granulated Sugar: You can reduce the sugar down to ½ cup (or anywhere in between) for a slightly less sweet frosting.
• Butter: This frosting does use less butter than Swiss meringue buttercream, but it is still a substantial amount. I suggest using unsalted butter. 

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

• Different Syrups. You can change the flavor by using different syrups like molasses, honey or use the syrup from Fabbri Amarena Cherries. 
• Switch it up with a reduction. You can reduce apple cider, like I do with my apple cider donut recipe, and use that to flavor your frosting. 
• Infuse the milk. Infuse your milk with whole spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla bean, or cloves. You can even use toasted almonds or hazelnuts. Boil more milk than the recipe calls for. Then add your infusion, cover, and let sit for a few hours to overnight. Then strain and scale for your frosting. 
• Make with extracts. You can use my ermine frosting recipe and use maple extract. It can also be added to Italian meringue buttercream, or this caramel Swiss meringue buttercream would be very complementary. 

Professional Tips 

• Make sure you cook the flour base thoroughly. It can be tough to know when to stop cooking the flour base. It should plop off your spoon or spatula and hold a line at the bottom of the pan when you pull your spoon through it. The thickness of this base is directly correlated to the stability and pipeability of the final frosting. 
• Use cold but pliable butter. The butter needs to be cold but pliable when making this frosting. If your butter is too warm then it will make a soft frosting that will not hold its shape when piped. If the butter is too cold you can always cream the butter with the paddle attachment and a kitchen torch. Then switch to the whisk when it reaches the proper temperature. 
• Use high-quality maple syrup. It’s time to splurge and get the good stuff! You want grade A: dark amber, rich taste. Getting high-quality maple syrup will add flavor without as much added moisture. Then you can also make this maple bundt cake! 

How to Make Maple Frosting

Use these instructions to make this fluffy and silky smooth frosting! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Make the flour base: 

Step 1: In a large saucepan, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine (photo 1). 

Step 2: Slowly whisk in the milk, adding just a little at a time (photo 2), making sure it is completely incorporated before adding more. This will keep the frosting lump-free, just like when making homemade vanilla pudding. Whisk in the maple syrup. (photo 3). 

Step 3: Switch from the whisk to a silicone spatula and stir constantly over medium heat (photo 4). 

TIP: I like to use a zig-zag pattern across the pot and then around the edges. I repeat this same pattern to ensure that I am scraping the whole bottom and none will burn. It is the same technique that I use for crème anglaise or easy lemon curd! 

Step 4: Continue cooking until the flour mixture has thickened and will drop off a spoon in clumps rather than pour off in a stream (photo 5).

This thickness will determine the consistency of your final frosting. A thicker base will make a pipeable frosting that holds beautiful lines and details even in high heat and humidity. This usually takes about 25 minutes. 

Step 5: Remove from the heat and scrape into a large bowl with the spatula. Cover the top with plastic wrap that is touching the surface, and allow to cool at room temperature until it is no longer warm to the touch. You can speed this up by cooling it in 20 minute intervals in the refrigerator, stirring and repeating until it is body temperature. 

Make the frosting:

Step 6: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy and almost white in color (photo 6). 

Step 7: With the mixer running, add a spoonful of the maple mixture and allow it to beat in fully before adding the next. Scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go (photo 7). 

Step 8: Stop the mixer to scrape in the last of the flour mixture and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. 

Step 9: Add the vanilla extract and continue to whisk on high until it holds stiff peaks (photo 8). 

Step 10: Transfer to a piping bag or spread on cakes. 

Recipe FAQs 

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this cooked frosting recipe. Check out our other easy buttercream & frosting recipes like this chocolate buttercream frosting recipe or this perfectly tangy cream cheese buttercream frosting!