Our chocolate boiled icing is a must-try frosting. Learn how to make this old-fashioned boiled icing step by step. It’s boiled for one minute, then whisked in an ice bath and poured onto the cake of your choice. Boiled icing hardens as it cools. Gluten-free.
While grabbing a tub of icing or frosting is easy, creating a homemade icing recipe lets you have full control of the ingredients. Created without hidden sources of gluten, it will quickly become your go-to chocolate icing recipe anytime there is a cake, cookie or another sweet treat to frost!
Looking for a delicious homemade cream cheese and buttercream frosting recipe? We have you covered with our Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting and Almond Buttercream Frosting.
This icing recipe makes enough to frost a double layer 9 inch cake. Simply adjust as needed to create the amount for your dessert. We often make half a batch when drizzling this recipe on our flourless chocolate mini cakes or topping nutella marshmallow cookies.
Ready to get started? Gather the equipment and ingredients listed below before following the step by step directions or using the printable recipe card to create this icing recipe.
Equipment
- medium-sized saucepan with handle
- stir spoon
- measuring cups and spoons
- whisk
- large stainless steel or glass bowl
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 squares unsweetened chocolate
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons Crisco
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract check for gluten-free
- ice and water
How To Make
To a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, bring the sugar, unsweetened chocolate, milk, butter, Crisco, and light corn syrup to a boil.
Prep the ice bath
Add ice to a large stainless steel or glass bowl that is big enough for the saucepan to fit. Add about 1 cup of water to the bowl then set aside.
Boil icing for 1 minute
Once the icing is at a rolling boil, let boil for 1 minute without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
If desired, the vanilla extract can be swapped with almond extract. Before deciding on which extract to add, consider your dessert flavor. Almond extract pairs best with raspberry, peach, plum, butterscotch, chocolate, and maple flavors while vanilla extract complements cherry, orange, strawberry, cinnamon, hazelnut, and chocolate flavors.
Whisk icing in the ice bath
Immediately place the saucepan into the ice bath. Holding the handle of the saucepan, whisk the icing for about 1 minute or just until the icing starts to slightly thicken up. If the icing seems too runny, continue to whisk until it thickens.
Immediately pour onto the cake or dessert of choice. This icing will harden quickly so make sure to pour it while still runny.
FAQ
A candy thermometer is not needed for our recipe, simply bring to a rolling boil then whisk in the ice bath before pouring onto the dessert of your choice.
To resoften, microwave the icing in 10-second intervals until it is runny enough to drizzle on your dessert.
This homemade icing is best served fresh, but it can be refrigerated on the dessert up to a day in advance if looking to make ahead of time.
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes
Looking for more desserts to serve any night of the week or for any occasion? Here are a few of our favorites to enjoy all year round!
- Gluten-Free Pecan Pie
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll
- Fruit Tart
- Bundt Cake (Gluten-Free)
- Gluten-Free Apple Cake
- Gluten-Free Cherry Dessert Parfaits
- Air Fryer Banana Chips
- Air Fryer Baked Apples (Gluten-Free)
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Chocolate Boiled Icing
Equipment
- medium-sized saucepan with handle
- large stainless steel or glass bowl
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 squares unsweetened chocolate
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons Crisco
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ✅
- ice and water
Instructions
- ⭐️ Bring ingredients to a boil. To a medium-sized saucepan with handle over medium heat, bring the sugar, unsweetened chocolate, milk, butter, Crisco, and light corn syrup to a boil.1 1/2 cups sugar, 4 squares unsweetened chocolate, 1/3 cup milk, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons Crisco, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- Prep the ice bath. Add ice to a large stainless steel or glass bowl (big enough for the saucepan to fit). Add about 1 cup of water.ice and water
- ⭐️ Boil icing for 1 minute. Once the icing is at a rolling boil, let boil for 1 minute without stirring. Stir in the vanilla.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⭐️ Whisk icing in the ice bath. Immediately place the saucepan into the ice bath. Holding the handle of the saucepan, whisk the icing for about 1 minute or just until the icing starts to slightly thicken up. Immediately pour onto the cake or dessert of choice. If the icing seems too runny, continue to whisk. This icing will harden quickly – make sure to pour it onto the dessert while still runny.
Notes
- This homemade icing is best served fresh, but it can be refrigerated up to a day in advance if looking to make the recipe ahead of time.
- Pour immediately on your dessert of choice once made as it hardens quickly.
- Vanilla or almond extract? Consider your dessert flavor. Almond extract pairs best with raspberry, peach, plum, butterscotch, chocolate and maple flavors while vanilla extract complements cherry, orange, strawberry, cinnamon, hazelnut and chocolate flavors.
Nutrition
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