Maple Frosting Recipe with Pecans from The Food Charlatan (2024)

This all-butter Maple Frosting with pecans is great for any fall cake or cupcake. Maple makes for a very sweet buttercream frosting, but the pecans balance it out perfectly!

Maple Frosting Recipe with Pecans from The Food Charlatan (1)

Originally posted October 23, 2014

So I’m making this frosting the other day with Charlotte, and it’s going great. There is a cloud of powdered sugar in the air, spilt maple syrup on the counter, small, buttery fingers, and all the measuring cups are being lined up and realigned just so. Typical bake-with-mom frosting session.

I taste the frosting and ask her, “What does it need Charlotte?” And she says, casually throwing a thumb over her shoulder toward the computer, “I don’t know Mom. Go check your blog.”

Maple Frosting Recipe with Pecans from The Food Charlatan (2)

Seriously?? Even my 3-year-old knows that I can’t do anything without consulting a recipe. This might sound weird coming from a food blogger, but what can I say, the internet just knows too many things for me to want to take the time to guess everything. (It needed salt, btw, and yes, I figured it out ALL BY MYSELF.)

My brother Nathan was totally mocking me the other night because I looked up my own recipe for a grilled cheese sandwich. Yes, I looked up a recipe for a freaking sandwich, on my own blog. Now granted, they were these awesome Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, but still. You kinda lose some amount of cooking-cred when you have to look up a sandwich recipe. (Maybeit’s the Charlatan coming out in me?) Honestly though, that’s part of what this blog is about: cataloguing recipes I love so I don’t forget them!

Maple Buttercream Frosting

I am in looooove with this frosting. I’ve been experimenting for a couple weeks now and finally got it to optimal awesomeness. I really love the sophisticated touch the pecans add. The nuts are chopped so small that you don’t really feel like you’re eating nuts. There is no nut-crunching necessary, they just melt into the frosting perfectly and add great flavor. This frosting is verysweet without the nuts, so if pecans aren’t your thing you’re crazy just pair it with cookies or cake that is not overly sweet.

Maple Frosting Recipe with Pecans from The Food Charlatan (3)

How to make Maple Frosting

The first step is to get those delicious pecans all chopped up nice and small. You can do them by hand or in a food processor. I like them small and I like saving time so I drop them in the cuisinart and hit the pulse button until I’m happy. Take a look at the photos to see how small I like them, but you do you!

Maple Frosting Recipe with Pecans from The Food Charlatan (4)

Next you roast up those pecans. Set a frying pan over medium heat. Add the pecans and stir occasionally until they start to smell delicious, or until they barely start to brown. You can let those cool while you start on the buttercream.

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter to within an inch of its life. Just kidding, beat it for a couple minutes until it’s high and fluffy. Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar and maple syrup and keep beating it until well mixed. Add another cup of powdered sugar, the maple extract, and salt until it is all combine.

Lastly, you add those beautiful chopped pecans (they should be fully cooled). Then enjoy! Put them on whatever beautiful baked good you’ve got planned.

Ingredients for Maple Frosting

  • Pecans (toasted, finely chopped)
  • Butter (salted)
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Real Maple Syrup (Grade A)
  • Maple Extract
  • Salt

Here’s theCinnamon Cardamom Cakethat I made to go with this frosting:

Maple Frosting Recipe with Pecans from The Food Charlatan (5)

UPDATE: I also used a variation of this frosting to make Carrot Cake. (I added cream cheese!): Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Maple Pecan Frosting.

Other cakes and frostings to love:

Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake:

Blackberry Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:

Strawberry Truffle Cake

S’mores Buttercream Frosting by Wine and Glue

Apple Cider Cupcakes with Nutmeg Frosting from Eat Live Run

Honey Buttercream Frosting from The Cupcake Project

Facebook|Pinterest|Instagram|Twitter

Maple Frosting Recipe with Pecans from The Food Charlatan (7)

Maple Pecan Frosting

4.86 from 14 votes

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 5 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

Servings: 24 Servings

Maple Frosting Recipe with Pecans from The Food Charlatan (8)

This all-butter Maple Pecan Buttercream Frosting is great for any fall cake or cupcake. Maple makes for a very sweet frosting, but the pecans balance it out perfectly!

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup pecans, toasted, finely chopped
  • 1 cup salted butter, 2 sticks
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup real maple syrup, I used Grade A
  • 1 teaspoon maple extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Instructions

  • Chop up the pecans. You can chop them with a knife or in a food processor. See photos to see what level of choppiness we're talking.

  • Set a frying pan over medium heat. Add the pecans and stir occasionally until they start to smell delicious, or until they barely start to brown. Set aside to cool.

  • In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter to within an inch of its life. Just kidding, beat it for a couple minutes until it's high and fluffy.

  • Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and maple syrup. Beat well.

  • Add 1 cup powdered sugar, maple extract, and salt. Beat well.

  • Add the chopped pecans when they are completely cooled and beat it. Try not to eat it all with a spoon.

Notes

I've never tried this with fake maple syrup. I'm sure it would work fine! Let me know if you try it out.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 157

Keyword: buttercream frosting, Maple, pecan

Did you make this? I'd love to see it!Mention @thefoodcharlatan or tag #thefoodcharlatan!

Categorized as , Dessert, Thanksgiving, The Best Fall Recipes

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Hi! I'm Karen

Isn't eating just so much fun?
But listen, I'm no chef.
Fake it til you make it, I say!

Click on my nose to read more!

You May Also Like...

Sweet Breakfast

Truly The Best Crepes I’ve Ever Had

Pies, Pastries & Tarts

Dreamy Coconut Cream Pie with Caramel Layer

Dessert

Royal Icing Recipe for Beginners

Cheesecake

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Maple Frosting Recipe with Pecans from The Food Charlatan (2024)

FAQs

Are you supposed to whip canned frosting? ›

Always begin by scraping the frosting into a mixing bowl and stirring vigorously or mixing with a mixer until smooth and creamy. This simple step of incorporating air into a can of dense store-bought frosting will make it fluffy and enhance the flavor.

How do you thicken frosting? ›

Dry/thick ingredients like cocoa powder, freeze dried fruit (powder,) and peanut butter will help thicken frosting, while vanilla and brown butter should be added sparingly to make sure it's the right texture. Storage Tips: Once you achieve the perfect consistency, store your frosting in an airtight container.

How do you make store-bought frosting taste like homemade? ›

For a (16-ounce) tub of frosting, anywhere from ½ cup to 1 cup of crunchy additions will do the trick. Toasted nuts, coconut flakes, chocolate chips or chunks, halvah, and toffee will all add a fun new dimension of flavor. Stir in chopped up canned pineapple or fresh berries for an extra fruity kick.

How do you make canned frosting taste like bakery? ›

Whip the frosting with half a block of cream cheese and an extra cup of powdered sugar and a few drops of the appropriate flavoring extract. If you're using chocolate, add cocoa powder. If you want a richer buttery flavor add a few tablespoons of butter as well.

What makes canned frosting taste better? ›

Elevate the flavor of canned frosting by adding a personal touch. Incorporate a splash of vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, or a dollop of creamy peanut butter to enhance the taste and give it a homemade, gourmet twist.

What does cream of tartar do for frosting? ›

Some recipes, like frosting, icing, caramel sauce, and syrups require cooking sugar down to a liquid form. During this process, the sugar can sometimes recrystallize, resulting in a grainy texture. Fortunately, cream of tartar can prevent this from happening by binding to the sugar crystals and keeping them tiny.

How do you thicken frosting without making it sweeter? ›

Use tapioca, cornstarch, or arrowroot starch.

Dry starches like these absorb liquid and are a great way to thicken frosting without altering the taste of the frosting. Add roughly 1 tbsp (15 ml) of starch to your frosting.

How do you thicken icing without making it sweeter? ›

Cream Cheese

If you need to thicken your frosting but are worried about it becoming too sweet, you can add cream cheese to balance the runnyness and achieve the perfect consistency.

How do you jazz up store bought frosting? ›

"Mixing in cream cheese, whipped cream, lemon zest, or even Nutella can make such a difference." From making frosting creamier or fluffier to changing its flavor, these easy changes will certainly impress anyone you're planning to share your dessert with.

What can I add to frosting to make it fluffier? ›

One of the easiest things that you can do to make store bought frosting fluffy would be to simply whip it up. Using a whisk attachment , beat the room temperature store bought frosting incorporating more air into it.

How long to whip store bought frosting? ›

How to Make Store-Bought Frosting Better by Whipping It
  1. Empty the canned frosting into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Whip the frosting using an electric mixer (either hand mixer or stand mixer) for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy and doubled in size.
  3. It's ready!
Oct 4, 2022

Why does my homemade frosting taste weird? ›

The starch added to most powdered sugar can make frosting taste slightly metallic. Here's how to fix that: Melt the butter and mix it with the powdered sugar, salt, and milk in a stainless steel bowl. Set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.

How do you make store bought frosting creamy? ›

Add Liquid:Gradually add small amounts of liquid to the frosting until you reach the desired consistency. Milk, cream, or even fruit juice can be used. Add a tablespoon at a time and mix thoroughly before adding more.

How to make grocery store frosting better? ›

You can give store-bought frosting a fluffier texture by mixing in heavy whipping cream. Just add a tablespoon at a time until it's your desired consistency. Or fold in fresh homemade whipped cream for a rich flavor and a lighter, airy texture; try using equal parts frosting and cream.

Can you make canned frosting harden? ›

If your store-bought icing is too soft to pipe, you can stiffen it by adding powdered sugar. Use a hand mixer to incorporate 1 tablespoon of confectioners' sugar into your icing. Continue until your desired consistency is achieved.

What happens if you over whip frosting? ›

Too thick: If you over-whip the frosting, it will appear chunky and curdled. While my fix isn't perfect, it will certainly help—by hand, stir in more liquid heavy cream 1 Tablespoon at a time until the frosting smooths out again.

Will whipping frosting make it thicker? ›

Making a frosting that is sturdy enough to beat with an electric mixer and that can be chilled? Try thickening it with a bit of heavy whipping cream. You can add up to ¼ cup of heavy cream, depending on how much you need to thicken it. Then whip the frosting until it fluffs up.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Lilliana Bartoletti

Last Updated:

Views: 6057

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (53 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Lilliana Bartoletti

Birthday: 1999-11-18

Address: 58866 Tricia Spurs, North Melvinberg, HI 91346-3774

Phone: +50616620367928

Job: Real-Estate Liaison

Hobby: Graffiti, Astronomy, Handball, Magic, Origami, Fashion, Foreign language learning

Introduction: My name is Lilliana Bartoletti, I am a adventurous, pleasant, shiny, beautiful, handsome, zealous, tasty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.