Krispy Kreme made us do it! No, really. They came out with a Dr Pepper donut and we had to try it. At first bite, we knew we could do a whole lot better. It was just a frosting, and a Dr Pepper frosting? That’s a delicious idea! So we immediately hit the kitchen to come up with a Dr Pepper frosting that could satisfy any true Dr Pepper connoisseur. We’ve taken a traditional buttercream frosting, added in a Dr Pepper reduction, and then enhanced the flavor even more with cherry and almond extract. If you are looking for the perfect Dr Pepper-flavored frosting, this is it!

For another different kind of frosting, you could try our sweetened condensed milk frosting. It comes in plain or chocolate.

Why Our Recipe

  • All the flavor of Dr Pepper in frosting form!
  • Use it on cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and donuts.
An angled view of a sugar cookie topped with a swirl of Dr. Pepper frosting and red sprinkles, with a small Dr. Pepper logo in the background.

23 flavors is the blessed allure of Dr Pepper, but the strongest flavor people notice is the cherry. Reducing Dr Pepper over heat until it became syrup didn’t make a bold enough flavor to satisfy our Dr Pepper palates, so in went some cherry extract here, and a little almond extract there, and voila! There it was, those two little extracts pulled 23 flavors right to the top.

Ingredient Notes

An overhead view of a bowl of powdered sugar, a soda bottle of Dr. Pepper, sticks of butter and a small bowl of vanilla extract.
  • Dr Pepper: Regular version, not diet. You need the sugar to make a syrup.
  • Almond Extract: Found near the vanilla extract in your local grocery store, imitation extract can be substituted.
  • Cherry Extract: This one isn’t always on grocery store shelves, but you should be able to purchase it online or at a specialty grocery store.

Softened Butter is a Must!

Not only do you want to make sure the Dr Pepper reduction is cooled before using, but your butter needs to be softened. Leaving sticks of butter on the counter to soften for an hour or two should give you the consistency you need. If you’re hesitant to keep your butter out of the fridge then we recommend softening it in the microwave.

To soften butter in the microwave, place the sticks in a microwave-safe dish and heat at 10% power in 30-second increments. Keep a close eye on it, because butter will go from softened to melted in seconds. Like 2 seconds, we’re not kidding. Melted butter won’t give you the fluffy texture you want in this frosting, and can even give it a greasy texture.

A close up view of a bowl of Dr. Pepper Frosting.

Dr Pepper dates back to the 19th century, and we will forever hold its creator on our pedestal of life-changing products.

By the way, we still love Krispy Kreme and are just waiting for that “Hot Now” beacon to light up. Your Dr Pepper donut may not be up to par, but we’ll still stop by.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. When ready to use bring it to room temperature to soften, and then re-whip it to restore the fluffy texture.

Freeze in an airtight container or resealable plastic freezer bag for up to 3 months. Press out or remove as much air as you can from the container or bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, follow the refrigerate instructions.

Use your frosting on…