Favorite Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (5-Minutes, Less Sugar)

I’m always on the hunt for frostings that are flavorful, yet a little less sweet for cupcakes and cakes, and this Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting is the BEST. It’s easy, intensely strawberry flavored, and a lot less sweet than traditional buttercream. And it’s such a pretty color!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

It can be hard to make a frosting for home-baked goods that tastes as good as the kind you’d get at the bakery. This one though, it totally passes muster. It’s naturally sweet from the strawberries, creamy from cream cheese and butter, and it’s a perfect match for Vanilla Cupcakes, Chocolate Cupcakes, or Vanilla Cake.

It goes above and beyond plain Cream Cheese Frosting!

The strawberry flavor, which comes from freeze-dried berries, is intense and bright. And it makes the mixture the most amazing pink color. It requires just a few steps to make, too, so you don’t have to worry about setting aside too much time.

Ingredients You Need

To make this easy frosting recipe you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand.

• Freeze-dried strawberries: These are typically sold near the dried fruit or in the produce department. They are crunchy and have had all of the moisture content removed.
• Cream cheese: I use a traditional block of full-fat cream cheese here. You’ll want to let this rest at room temperature so it’s soft to the touch.
• Unsalted butter: You’ll want to let this rest at room temperature so it’s soft to the touch.
• Pure vanilla extract: This adds a nice flavor base that pairs well with the berry flavor.
• Maple syrup: You can also use honey if you prefer. (Though avoid honey for kids under 12 months old.)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s an overview of the process involved in this recipe so you know what to expect. See the full recipe at the end of the post for the specifics.

1. Grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a powder with a blender or food processor.
2. Add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Mix with a electric hand mixer until fluffy and evenly mixed.
4. Place into a zip-top bag and seal. Cut off one bottom corner to use as a piping bag. Frost onto cupcakes or add to cake layers.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

We love to pair this frosting with my lower sugar Vanilla Cupcakes and my easy Vanilla Cake. It would also be great with Chocolate Cupcakes or my Easy Chocolate Cake.

How to Store

You can make the frosting up to 24 hours ahead. Store in a storage bag in the fridge, with as much air removed as possible and sealed, until ready to use.

Best Tips for Success

• Let the cream cheese and butter soften at room temperature for a few hours so it’s very soft to the touch. This will help it mix up smoothly.
• Grind the freeze-dried strawberries to form a fine powder. (Look for them in your store near the dried fruit or in the produce department.) They have less moisture and more concentrated flavor than fresh strawberries or strawberry puree, so they are my preference here.
• Add ¼-½ cup powdered sugar to make the frosting sweeter if you’d like. (I sometimes do this if serving to older kids and/or adults who may expect a sweeter frosting.)
• Top with sprinkles if desired.
• Use freeze-dried blueberries in place of the strawberries if you’d like a different flavor.
• Make this dairy-free with vegan cream cheese and butter.

I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it, so please comment below to share!

• Place the strawberries into a blender or clean spice grinder. Grind into a fine powder.

• Add to a medium bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

• Blend well using a handheld electric mixer on high speed to make a fluffy frosting.

• Transfer to a zip-top quart-size bag. Seal. Cut off one bottom corner and pipe onto cupcakes. (You can also just use a spatula to frost onto a cake.)

• Let the cream cheese and butter soften at room temperature for a few hours so it’s very soft to the touch. This will help it mix up smoothly.
• Grind the strawberries to form a fine powder.
• Add ¼ cup powdered sugar to make the frosting sweeter if you’d like. (I sometimes do this if serving to older kids and/or adults who may expect a sweeter frosting.)
• Top with sprinkles if desired.
• Use freeze-dried blueberries in place of the strawberries if you’d like a different flavor.

Calories: 197kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 61mg, Potassium: 292mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 372IU, Vitamin C: 241mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 4mg

This post was first published March 2020.