Roasted Chestnut Butter Frosting
Roasted chestnut butter frosting is the perfect topping for any Christmas cupcake and there is no open fire needed – although you may find yourself seeking one out as you eat it. The chestnut frosting is not overly nutty, and it has a mild flavor and a smooth buttercream texture.
While peanut butter has its fans, chestnut butter is the nut butter of choice for the season. I loved it in the roasted chestnut butter frosting, but it is also great on a piece of toast or in a chestnut butter and cranberry jelly sandwich!
This post covers how to make chestnut butter and then how to make chestnut butter frosting.
To start, you’ll need roasted chestnuts.
I bought my roasted chestnuts at Whole Foods. However, if you want to take the effort to roast chestnuts yourself, Kevin of Closet Cooking has a great post on how to roast chestnuts.
Next, you’ll need to turn those roasted chestnuts into chestnut butter.
Making nut butter is easier than you might think. You just need a food processor. My favorite food processor to use is my mini Cuisinart [paid link]. Simply grind the roasted chestnuts in your food processor and then add vegetable oil 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to process until it has the consistency of a nut butter. Since roasted chestnuts don’t have much oil in them, you may need to add up to 1/4 cup of vegetable oil per cup of chestnut butter produced.
Now, you can make the roasted chestnut butter frosting.
Or, you could also make my Christmas pie which is a roasted chocolate chestnut pie!
Roasted Chestnut Butter Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted chestnut butter
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups powered sugar
Instructions
- Place the butter and nut butter into a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer.
- Gradually mix in the sugar.
- Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.
Nutrition

Chestnuts have a wonderful flavour, and very much associated with Christmas. This paste is a lovely idea for a homemade gift. So easy to make.
Wow this might just be a new holiday tradition. Nice photo
What a brilliant idea! I made this with toasted walnuts instead of chestnuts, and it was also excellent. I’m glad to know it doesn’t just have to be a holiday-themed treat!
Great minds must think alike! I made vegan roasted chestnut frosting in November and my son and I loved it.
If you’re going to roast the chestnuts yourselves, though, be careful —
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2002news/2002-233.html
Happy – They were!
Courtney – Cool! Which ones did you pick?
Lisa – Thanks! Glad I achieved my goal.
Kim – That list must be getting pretty big. :)
Eli – Sounds like a good cream cheese frosting!
Foodphoto – I’ll pass that compliment on to Jonathan.
Evie – Glad you said that. I kinda felt like I was cheating by buying the prepared stuff, but it is much easier.
Looks delish, how did you come up with the idea for this flavor combination?
A note on chestnuts- I spent a fortune on 2 jars of prepared chestnuts at Whole Foods. About $20 total for two 7oz jars…that was for a creamy chestnut soup. Roasting your own is VERY time consuming…that being said, I vote for coughing up the big bucks and buying the prepared version.
http://evieskitchen.blogspot.com
Wow this might just be a new holiday tradition. Nice photo
hey try this frosting,
Ingredients
* 125 grams Butter or Marg
* 250 grams Philadelphia Cream Cheese
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or Essence
* 3 1/2 cups Icing Sugar (sifted)
Instructions
In a bowl, cream marg and softened cream cheese and vanilla together till fluffy.
Gradually add sifted icing sugar.
Refridgerate for an hour.
Yum! I’m adding this to the list of things to make soon!
Oh, just the thought makes me smile! I have such nice memories of my grandfather’s delight at gathering and sharing chestnuts. Put that in a frosting and top a cupcake with it and you have a perfect Christmas recipe!
These look SOOO good! Love the frosting. Using your blog to pick cupcakes to bake for my work Holiday party!
Wow they looks so beautiful and i am sure they were delicious too