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This easy cool whip frosting recipe is the perfect topping for cakes and cupcakes. In just 5 minutes with 5 simple ingredients, you’ll have a delicious, creamy homemade frosting.
Once you make this frosting with cool whip one time, it will probably become your favorite frosting! Once you know that cool whip makes such a good frosting, you’ll be hooked for life!
Unlike traditional frosting or standard buttercream, this cool whip frosting uses instant pudding mix, which makes for a perfectly fluffy frosting perfect for everyday cakes.
The light, yummy vanilla flavor makes this the perfect topping for sheet cakes. This seriously might be my favorite topping because it’s so versatile.
It’s stable for piping, and can easily be made into colored frosting by adding a few drops of food coloring. It also isn’t as sweet as other frostings, so it can be a great alternative for birthday cakes and for people who don’t love super-sweet icing.
Pair This Delicious Frosting With..
Why you’ll love Cool Whip Frosting
- 5 basic ingredients
- Easy recipe
- Make it in 5 minutes
- Stable for piping
- Dye it with food coloring to make different colors
Cool Whip Pudding Frosting Ingredients
This whipped cream frosting only requires 5 simple ingredients. Get the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Instant vanilla pudding mix
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Cool whip
How to make Cool Whip and Pudding Frosting
This cool whip pudding frosting is ready in just 5 minutes, making it a great frosting for last-minute cakes and cupcakes. Get the full instructions in the recipe card below.
Combine. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pudding mix, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
Cool Whip. Add in the cool whip and beat on medium until combined. Use frosting on cake or cupcakes. If storing for later, put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cool Whip Frosting Recipe Tips
If you decide to make this cool whip frosting at the last minute and didn’t thaw your cool whip ahead of time, there is a way to thaw it quickly without ruining it.
Simply move the frozen cool whip into a microwave-safe bowl. Using the defrost setting, microwave for 30-second intervals, being careful not to mix too much in between (this can make your cool whip watery).
Alternatively, you could leave the tub of cool whip closed and run it under room temperature water until it starts to soften. If you want a more in depth tutorial reference How To Thaw Cool Whip.
How do you make cool whip frosting thicker?
Variations of Pudding Cool Whip Frosting
- Flavor. You can make different flavors of this frosting by simply changing the flavor of the pudding mix that you use. Use chocolate pudding mix for chocolate frosting, or cookies ‘n’ cream pudding mix for an oreo frosting.
- Dye it. Use food coloring to dye the frosting various colors.
- Sugar free. Use Sugar Free Cool Whip in place of regular Cool Whip.
How to store Cool Whip Icing
Cool whip frosting can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 hours before serving.
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Cool Whip and Pudding Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix, 3.4 oz
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 oz container cool whip, thawed
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the pudding mix, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
- Add in the cool whip and beat on medium until combined. Use frosting on cake or cupcakes. If storing for later, put in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. Store leftover cake or cupcakes in the fridge because of the frosting.
I made this, used the 1/2 cup of milk.  It didn’t come out right..way different consistency.  Was it supposed to be a cup of milk?
Hi Peggy! 1/2 cup milk is accurate.
Hi Beth, followed recipe exactly and frosting is so loose. Added extra powdered sugar, which made it terribly sweet and then refrigerated as suggested. No good. How did you get yours to pipe so beautifully on that cupcake?
Did you use a 3.4 oz box of instant pudding? Not the sugar free version.
What if I dont have a hand mixer or stand mixer? will it turn out using a hand wisk?
The mixture needs to be whipped really well before adding the cool whip, so I don’t recommend a hand whisk!
I tried this recipe as well and failed! It was to soupy to use for anything. I followed the recipe to a T, even added more powder sugar to no avail. So dissappointing.
Did you use 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix, 3.4 oz?
Turned out too thin. I added extra pudding and sugar but then it was really sweet. Maybe the cool whip wasn’t thawed enough, or maybe it was because I used reduced fat cool whip.
Hi Jodi! Did you use 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix, 3.4 oz?