Vanilla frosting is pretty simple—some butter, some confectioners’ sugar and a hint of vanilla—but when it comes to store-bought options, things get complicated quickly. Some out there are cloyingly sweet, others leave a strange aftertaste and few manage to nail that nostalgic, perfect balance of creamy, fluffy and flavorful.
To help you hunt down the very best canned frosting for all your spring baking adventures, we decided to put our palates on the line and do a taste test. We grabbed seven popular vanilla frostings from major grocery stores, gathered a group of eager tasters and conducted a blind taste test to find the best of the bunch, once and for all.
Ready to find your next go-to tub of frosting? Read on for our ranking of 7 popular vanilla frostings, ranked from worst to best.
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How We Tested These Vanilla Frostings
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In true taste-test fashion (as I do these days), I put the call out to my trusty team of taste testers—Samantha, Cherie, Jen and her boyfriend Patrick—and they all came running (after all, who wouldn’t for a cake and frosting taste test?).
I shopped at every major grocery store in Chicago to source as many canned vanilla frostings as I could. I ended up with six brands (and seven cans) of frosting from Jewel-Osco, The Fresh Market, Mariano’s, Aldi and Walmart.
I doled out the frosting samples in unmarked tiny paper cups and my panel filled out a Google Form while tasting, with comments on each sample of vanilla frosting (both from the cup and on a slice of cake). After weighing the pros and cons of each, we voted on our top choices and averaged out an ultimate winner.
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7 Store-Bought Vanilla Frostings, Ranked Worst to Best
7. Miss Jones Baking Co. Vanilla Frosting
The organic darling of the baking aisle didn’t win over a single taster—except me. I thought this one was the closest to homemade (including the minimal ingredient list). It was definitely less artificial tasting than the others but also strangely salty at the end, which we all noticed. Samantha described it as “Good, thick. Salty aftertaste. Creamy. Great vanilla flavor,” which sounds promising but Cherie shut it down with: “I don’t like the flavor at all. Tastes like amaretto or something? Also weird salt aftertaste. Hate it.” Jen agreed on the flavor issues: “Salty after taste, density is good and the texture could pass as homemade.” Patrick said simply, “No flavor at all, no vanilla.” For a brand that markets its frosting as organic and elevated, it left most of us confused. Another downside? A tub cost me $6.79 at The Fresh Market.
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6. Baker’s Corner Vanilla Frosting
The Aldi can wasn’t terrible but out of the seven we tried, it ended up in the bottom. Samantha summed it up as, “Not bad but not good. Oily. Flavor is kind of bitter.” Cherie gave it a simple “Too sweet. Don’t love this one.” Patrick called it “grainy,” and Jen found it “almost tasting like an icing for a cinnamon roll or Bundt cake,” which isn’t exactly what you’re going for when you’re making a cake. $1.89 at Aldi.
5. Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Vanilla Frosting
A classic found in every major grocery store, Ms. Crocker hit us with the nostalgia up front but missed the mark a bit in the end. Samantha immediately clocked it as “Betty Crocker. Oily aftertaste, chalky. Sour and not great flavor, but very familiar and nostalgic.” Cherie also guessed the brand: “Also love this flavor but don’t like the chalky after feeling. Feels very familiar. I think this is Betty Crocker.” Jen gave it a lukewarm assessment: “Tastes a lot like a classic store can of frosting, chalky.” Patrick wasn’t a fan either: “Tastes like icing with a chemical aftertaste.” $3.29 at Kroger.
4. Duncan Hines/Dolly Parton’s Creamy Vanilla Flavored Frosting
Big name, bigger hair, but mixed results. As a group, we were pretty split on the Queen of Country’s take on vanilla frosting. Samantha said, “Good taste and consistency in the beginning but I hate the aftertaste. Oily at the end.” Cherie noted, “Too sweet. Has an artificial taste. Like grocery store cake icing. If this was paired with one of the less flavorful cakes I would like this.” I agreed and thought that overall, it was just too sweet for me. Jen was more generous: “Tastes a lot like sheet cake icing.” Patrick wasn’t so forgiving: “Very chemical aftertaste.” $3.60 at Mariano’s.
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3. Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Vanilla Frosting
This one triggered some nostalgia and brand recognition. Samantha called it, “Oily, thick, sort of classic. Not my favorite.” Cherie liked it more: “Solid icing. Would buy this. Nice sweetness. Very standard.” I didn’t mind this one in the lineup of all seven; out of all of them, it was my second favorite. Patrick found it to be “More complex flavors. Nothing jumps out as harsh.” A dependable middle-of-the-road option. $2.99 at Jewel-Osco.
2. Pillsbury Whipped Vanilla Frosting
This whipped version of the Pillsbury classic won most of us over in the end with its airy texture. Samantha said, “Not bad, light fluffy, whipped!!!! Good flavor, very good vanilla taste.” Cherie was all in: “This is definitely the whipped one and I love it. Perfect flavor and not too heavy or dense.” Jennifer also appreciated it: “Whipped, light and airy. I like this style of frosting.” Patrick agreed: “Very smooth, almost tastes like natural vanilla.” If you’re a fan of dense frosting, this one isn’t for you, but fluffy frosting fans take note. (Pro tip: You can turn any tub of frosting into whipped frosting by whipping it in a bowl with a mixer.) $2.99 at Jewel-Osco.
1. Great Value Vanilla Frosting
Walmart strikes again! The mega-retailer consistently hits the marks with its Great Value line. Samantha declared it had “Good balance. Sweet and creamy. Not oily aftertaste, very pleasant and not overbearing.” Cherie said, “This one tastes familiar. Basic, solid icing.” Jennifer was ready to commit: “I would buy this one. It tastes good, dense without being too thick.” Patrick and I agreed that it was pretty basic and unoffensive, saying “Nothing stands out.” But overall, it was clearly the crowd-pleaser—smooth, sweet and shockingly delightful for the price. $1.82 at Walmart.
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