Old Fashioned Caramel Icing

Name: Old Fashioned Caramel Icing
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 1 cup brown sugar; 1/3 cup milk; 2 cups powdered sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Old Fashioned Caramel Icing is the most delicious icing for cake, muffins, donuts, and cinnamon rolls. This icing was passed on to me from my mother and it’s a staple for my kitchen!

THIS recipe is my most made icing recipe EVER.

The caramel frosting drizzling off a spoon into a jar.

Brown Sugar Icing

My favorite EVER icing recipe is now on the blog! If you’ve never made this brown sugar icing you are missing out.

This recipe was a constant in our home when I was growing up. My mother made it a billion times (at least!) – for topping cinnamon rolls and banana cake. Now I’ve used it for a handful of recipes on the blog and decided it was time for it to have it’s own recipe here.

We love this recipe for so many reasons – but mostly for the undeniable mouth-watering taste. It’s simple to make and makes everything taste better. Trust me!

Overhead shot of a jar of the brown sugar icing.

Ingredients Used:

Just five simple ingredients to the BEST caramel icing!

Unsalted Butter
Brown Sugar
Milk – I used 2% milk but any will do fine.
Powdered Sugar – I highly recommend sifting your powdered sugar for a smoother texture.
Vanilla Extract

The ingredients on a white background, labeled.

How to make Old Fashioned Caramel Icing:

Step 1
Melt butter and brown sugar. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together until smooth.

Step 2
Add milk. Add the milk and bring to a simmer.

Step 3
Add powdered sugared and vanilla. Remove the pan from the heat and add the powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until well combined.

Let the icing sit for a bit to set up. If it gets too firm, add a few drops of milk. If it’s too thick, add a little more powdered sugar. Adjust the icing to your preference!

The pan of icing with powdered sugar on top.

Step 4
Use icing. Use this icing in all the things. Us it for cakes, cupcakes, rolls, muffins, and quick breads. We love it on banana baked goods especially!

A hand holding a spoon into the jar of icing.

How to use this caramel icing:

Overhead view of the sheet cake, sliced in squares.

A hand dipping a donut in some brown sugar glaze.

Recipe FAQs

How do you make smooth caramel icing?

I recommend sifting your powdered sugar to get a super smooth consistency.

How do you get the correct consistency for icing?

In order to get the correct consistency, carefully measure your ingredients. If the icing is too thick, add a few drops of milk and stir again. If it’s too thin, add a little bit of powdered sugar.

How do you store caramel icing?

You can store the icing on your countertop for a few days. If you need to store for longer, I recommend storing it in the refrigerator.

xoxo ~Sue