This is the best cream cheese frosting with only 4 ingredients and ready in just 10 minutes! Rich, tangy and perfectly smooth, this easy frosting recipe elevates any baked good.
Use this to frosting recipe on carrot cake, red velvet brownies or the best chocolate cupcakes!
Table of Contents
Classic Cream Cheese Frosting
Trust me when I say that this is the best cream cheese frosting! It’s so easy to whip up and tastes amazing on top of sugar cookies and pumpkin bars. Seriously so yummy!
This homemade cream cheese frosting is one of my favorites! It’s easy to make and the consistency is perfectly smooth, fluffy and creamy, while the taste is rich and decadent. Make it thicker with more powdered sugar and add more milk for a cream cheese glaze!
Ingredients
It’s made with just 4 simple ingredients and comes together in minutes! Feel free to add in a couple of drops of food coloring or additional flavoring like cocoa, lemon juice or orange juice.
- Cream cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat just until combined and fluffy. Make sure not to over mix.
- Taste and add pinch of salt or extra vanilla if needed. If you’d like a sweeter and thicker frosting, add 1/2 cup more powdered sugar.
- Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
TIP: If using to frost perfect cupcakes, I suggest adding an additional 1-2 cups of powdered sugar and make sure not to soften the butter or cream cheese too much so it will be pipeable.
Variations
Below are a few of my favorite variations. There are so many ways you can flavor it to meet your needs!
- Chocolate: Add in 1/2 cup of cocoa powder with the sugar and mix until combined.
- Cinnamon: Adding in a few teaspoons of cinnamon is the perfect way to achieve a sweet and tangy cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
- Lemon: Add in a teaspoon of both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest for lemon cream cheese frosting.
- Orange: Add in a teaspoon of both fresh orange juice and orange zest.
- Strawberry: Puree 1/2 cup fresh strawberries in blender, then fold in strawberry puree at the end. Nothing beats strawberry cream cheese frosting!
- Peanut butter: Add in 1/2 cup peanut butter and beat with the cream cheese and butter.
- Maple: Add in 2 teaspoons maple extract, like I did in this maple cream cheese frosting.
- Caramel: Add 1/2 cup dulce de leche to make caramel cream cheese frosting.
- Coconut: A dash of coconut milk and coconut extract makes the best coconut frosting.
Favorite Ways to Use
- Bars: This is the perfect frosting for bars! I especially love to use it to frost pumpkin bars and banana bars.
- Cakes: My absolute favorite way to use it is for carrot cake. It also tastes amazing on red velvet cake or strawberry sheet cake, too.
- Cupcakes: Pipe onto vanilla cupcakes, churro cupcakes and carrot cake cupcakes.
- Cookies: Sugar cookies or sugar cookie bars topped with this frosting are my jam! They both compliment each other so well. It also tastes great over pumpkin cookies or this carrot cake cookie recipe. Try it sandwiched between pumpkin whoopie pies or chocolate whoopie pies.
FAQs
If your frosting is runny, you could have beaten the cream cheese a little too long prior to adding the powdered sugar. I’ve also found that the low fat version makes for a more liquid-y frosting. These types of cheeses contain more liquid, so I always suggest using the full fat version.
If it’s lumpy, it’s probably because you didn’t allow the butter and cream cheese to soften enough. If this happens, try microwaving the frosting for about 10 seconds, so that the lumpy bits can melt.
Try adding 1/2 cup more powdered sugar. If I’m frosting cupcakes, I like to add 1-2 more cups of powdered sugar so that it will keep it’s shape.
Yes, this frosting needs to be refrigerated. Place in an airtight container or bag and store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Yes, it holds up well in the freezer due to it’s thick consistency. Simply add frosting to a zip top freezer bag and store in freezer for up to 3 months.
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Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter , softened
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar , more as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: pinch of salt, food coloring
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat just until combined and fluffy. Do not over mix.
- Taste and add a pinch of salt and more vanilla if desired. You can also add 1/2 cup more powdered sugar if you’d like it a little sweeter or thicker.
- Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Notes
- If using this recipe to frost perfect cupcakes, I suggest adding an additional 1-2 cups of powdered sugar and make sure not to soften the butter or cream cheese too much. This will help the frosting hold it’s shape.
- If you’d like to make chocolate variation, add 1/2 cup of cocoa powder with the sugar and mix until combined.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Frosting, No-Bake
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
How could the recipe be adjusted to add some sour cream for tanginess?
You could do half cream cheese and half sour cream (would start with a little less liquid). Or you can try our sour cream frosting: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/sour-cream-frosting/
Great and easy. Like the simple cream chz frostings I loved in the 70’s and kind of forgot about, but instead was trying other ideas. This is the one! I made as written, chilling it now and will later put on my original red velvet cupcakes (black as coal, use chocolate & 36 Oz of puréed beets – not those pale red, dry cakes found today). This will be awesome on them. Thanks for posting it.
Thank you so much for the review! I’m glad you enjoy it.
I just make the chocolate version! It. Is. Amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
So glad to hear you loved it, Kim!
Delicious and easy to make!
If you put this on cookies wouldn’t you have to refrigerate them???
Yes, it’s best to refrigerate them :)
One of the best cream cheese frostings I’ve ever made. Had to add another cup of powered sugar to make sure I had enough to frost a 8 inch double layer cake…DELICIOUS
Yay! So glad you loved it :) And a double layer cake sounds delicious!
The best cream cheese frosting I’ve ever had. I am 79 yes old and have made this frosting many times but this is my new go to recipe from here on. Delicious and creamy but not sickening sweet
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for leaving a comment and review Carolyn. :)
This was delicious! Tried it with an extra cup of powdered sugar for some cupcakes and everyone loved them! Not too sweet, just right!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I love a good frosting! Can’t wait to try this one!
Hope you enjoy! It’s my favorite!
My favorite frosting ever! So smooth and creamy!
I’m so glad you love it!
This cream cheese frosting looks perfect for my next cupcakes! I need to make it immediately!
Hope you enjoy!!
I love the ideas for flavor variations. I’m having so much fun playing around with this recipe.
This looks so good I can’t wait to make this!
Hope you enjoy!
This was the absolute best cream cheese frosting I have ever made or had in my life. I used it on a red velvet cake that I took to work and all of my coworkers thought it was divine! Thank you for sharing it!
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for leaving a comment and review!
This is the exact same family recipe I use for Cream Cheese Frosting!! It is super delicious! I can’t wait to try out some of these flavorful variations as well.