This easy 4 ingredient cream cheese frosting is smooth, creamy and ready in just 10 minutes! It’s the perfect balance of of sweet and tangy and elevates any baked good.
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4 Ingredient Cream Cheese Frosting
Trust me when I say that this is the best cream cheese frosting! It’s so easy to whip up with only 4 ingredients and tastes amazing on top of carrot cake cupcakes and pumpkin bars.
This homemade cream cheese frosting recipe is one of my favorites! The consistency is perfectly smooth, fluffy and creamy, while the taste is rich and decadent. Make it thicker to pipe on the best chocolate cupcakes or add more milk for a cream cheese glaze!
Ingredient Notes
- Cream cheese: Use block-style full fat cream cheese softened to room temperature. Do not use whipped or low fat varieties.
- Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter that is fine. Also soften to room temperature to avoid lump frosting.
- Powdered sugar: This is also called confectioners sugar.
- Vanilla extract: Adds flavor.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and softened 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.
Thickening Cream Cheese Frosting
If your frosting is runny, you could have beaten the cream cheese a little too long prior to adding the powdered sugar or your butter and cream cheese may have been too soft.
Spreadable cream cheese, whipped or low-fat cream cheese will also make the frosting runny. Use only brick style that comes in a box.
- 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 its shape.
- Refrigerate. As the frosting chills it will become more firm.
Frosting Flavors
Flavor this homemade cream cheese frosting in a variety of ways!
Add 1/2 cup cocoa powder for a chocolate cream cheese frosting or a dash of cinnamon for cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Dulce de leche can be used to make caramel cream cheese frosting and strawberry puree a strawberry cream cheese frosting.
Ways to Use Cream Cheese Frosting
- Bars: This is the perfect frosting for bars! I especially love to use it to frost pumpkin bars, banana bars and red velvet brownies with cream cheese frosting.
- 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 easy vanilla cupcakes or churro cupcakes.
- Cookies: Sugar cookies or sugar cookie bars topped with this frosting are my jam! It also tastes great over pumpkin cookies or this carrot cake cookie recipe.
- Sandwich cookies: Try it sandwiched between pumpkin whoopie pies or chocolate whoopie pies.
Storage
- Store: Cream cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated. Place in an airtight container or bag and store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Freeze: Cream cheese frosting freezes well due to its thicker consistency. Simply add frosting to a zip top freezer bag and store in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and re-whip before using.
More cream cheese frosting recipes include lemon cream cheese frosting, maple cream cheese frosting and coconut frosting
More Frosting Recipes
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 8 ounces cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter until smooth. Then add 2-3 cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon 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.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
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.
RobertWW
How could the recipe be adjusted to add some sour cream for tanginess?
Jamielyn Nye
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/
Bread2Cook
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.
I Heart Naptime Community
Thank you so much for the review! I’m glad you enjoy it.
Kim
I just make the chocolate version! It. Is. Amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Taylor @ I Heart Naptime
So glad to hear you loved it, Kim!
Erika Landeros
Delicious and easy to make!
Wendy
If you put this on cookies wouldn’t you have to refrigerate them???
I Heart Naptime
Yes, it’s best to refrigerate them :)
Jayne
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
I Heart Naptime
Yay! So glad you loved it :) And a double layer cake sounds delicious!
Carolyn Matthiesen
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
Jamielyn Nye
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for leaving a comment and review Carolyn. :)
Isabella Barrera
This was delicious! Tried it with an extra cup of powdered sugar for some cupcakes and everyone loved them! Not too sweet, just right!
Jamielyn Nye
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Krista
I love a good frosting! Can’t wait to try this one!
Jamielyn
Hope you enjoy! It’s my favorite!
Anna
My favorite frosting ever! So smooth and creamy!
Jamielyn
I’m so glad you love it!
Catalina
This cream cheese frosting looks perfect for my next cupcakes! I need to make it immediately!
Jamielyn
Hope you enjoy!!
Allison
I love the ideas for flavor variations. I’m having so much fun playing around with this recipe.
Jade Manning
This looks so good I can’t wait to make this!
Jamielyn
Hope you enjoy!
Chrissie Baker
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!
Jamielyn
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for leaving a comment and review!
Ali
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.