Cream Cheese Frosting without Powdered Sugar - Robust Recipes (2024)

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Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·★★★★★4.2 from 24 reviews

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If you don’t know this already, Friday means CARROT CAKE!!! I mean, no, Friday does not actually translate to carrot cake lol. What I mean is that on Friday I am sharing a carrot cake recipe. Right here, on this very blog.

Just in time for your Easter celebrations!!

But first, before the carrot cake, I am here to talk about the frosting. Cream cheese frosting…without powdered sugar, to be exact.

Yes, you read that right. A cream cheese frosting. Without. Powdered. Sugar.

But, is there even such a thing? Yes, actually there is a method for making frostings without powdered sugar by cooking a milk and flour and sugar mixture together on the stove, allowing it to cool then adding that to your whipped cream cheese. That sounds like WAY too much work. Especially when you’re already baking a cake.

I want my frosting to be simple, quick, easy, and done in 10 minutes. No cooking or cooling or more dishes to wash. TYVM!

But I also want to not have to use powdered sugar in my frosting, which is the thickener and glue to any good frosting. Are my expectations too high for a cream cheese frosting?

The answer: No. There is a way.

Cream Cheese Frosting without Powdered Sugar - Robust Recipes (2)

This cream cheese frosting is sweetened with honey. YES! Natural, minimal processed, beautiful golden honey. And guys, you can use maple syrup or agave nectar if you choose. These babies are three of my fave ways to sweeten things in a more natural and healthier way.

Sweetener is done, but now we need a way to thicken things up just a bit so that the frosting stays on our cake.

Solution: corn starch.

Yes, I know that corn starch sounds weird, but all you need is a tablespoon or two and it does the trick nicely. A little milk to give it a spreadable consistency and we have frosting perfection.

Did you think that an easy 10 minute cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar was even possible?! I had my doubts, but I am so happy to be able to share a cream cheese frosting that is naturally sweetened. Most recipes call for 2 to 3 cups of powdered sugar. It just makes my teeth and stomach hurt thinking about it. All we need with this frosting is a few tablespoons of honey. That’s it.

The result is a sweet and slightly tangy, velvety smooth, thick, vanilla scented cream cheese frosting that is awesome for spreading onto cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or other baked goods.

And let’s just be honest, the one cake cream cheese frosting was born to be on is carrot cake!

Coming Friday!

With this cream cheese frosting on top.

Be here…or be….I dunno…..very sad because you didn’t get a slice of carrot cake to go with your cream cheese frosting.

Choose happiness.

See you Friday!!!

Cream Cheese Frosting without Powdered Sugar - Robust Recipes (3)

More healthier frosting recipes for you to love:

  • yogurt cream cheese frosting
  • Vegan “Buttercream” Frosting
  • 5 minute vegan chocolate frosting

Yummy desserts to use this frosting on:

  • carrot cake
  • pumpkin cake

Print

Cream Cheese Frosting without Powdered Sugar - Robust Recipes (4)

★★★★★4.2 from 24 reviews

  • Author: Emily Koch
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 10 mins
  • Yield: about 1 1/2 cups 1x
  • Category: dessert, refined sugar free
  • Method: mixing
  • Cuisine: gluten free, vegetarian
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

A healthier version of cream cheese frosting, without powdered sugar. This frosting is perfect for spreading on cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or other baked goods.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 10 ounces, full fat brick cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 ounces butter, room temperature
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar (depending on how sweet or tangy you like you frosting. I used 3 tablespoons of honey)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons corn starch (or sub arrowroot starch)

Instructions

  1. Cream : Add the room temperature cream cheese and butter to to bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer. Cream on high, until well mixed. Add the salt, sweetener of choice, and vanilla extract, and milk, mix again on high until well incorporated – scraping down sides as needed.
  2. Finish: Add 1 tablespoon of corn starch and mix until well incorporated. At this point you can adjust the consistency of your frosting as desired. If you want it to be a little thicker add 1 teaspoon of corn starch at a time until it’s thick enough – NOTE: do not add more then 2 tablespoons of corn starch total. To thin it out add 1 teaspoon milk at a time. How much milk you need to add will depend on the consistency your prefer, and how much sweetener you add. Also, keep in mind that if you are using maple syrup, or agave nectar, which is more runny than honey, you may not need milk at all. Keep checking the consistency as you go. It should be thick enough to not fall from a spoon when held up, yet it should be easy to spread.
  3. Frost: frost cooled cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or other baked goods immediately. You could make the frosting up to several days in advance, just bring it to room temperature before frosting. This frosting especially works great carrot cake.

Notes

This cream cheese frosting is just enough to frost two layers of a 9 inch cake, but without frosting on the the sides . If you want to frost the sides or are making a larger cake you may want to up the recipe by half or double.

I have not tried piping this frosting, although I imagine it might work well, I don’t have any experience with how the consistency of piped frosting should look or act. If someone tries to pipe it please let us know how it goes in the comments below. Thanks! 🙂

Keywords: cream cheese frosting, cake, frosting, vanilla frosting, cake, dessert

Recipe Card powered byCream Cheese Frosting without Powdered Sugar - Robust Recipes (8)

Cream Cheese Frosting without Powdered Sugar - Robust Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you stabilize frosting without powdered sugar? ›

Add corn starch

If you want to thicken your royal icing without adding additional sugar, you can add a minimal amount of corn starch (less than a teaspoon) to help your icing thicken up.

What can I use instead of powdered sugar for frosting? ›

It is possible to simply use granulated sugar in a slightly smaller amount, though you'll have to accept that the texture may not be ideal, especially for icing or other recipes that are supposed to be super smooth. Just substitute 1 cup of granulated sugar for every 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar and proceed as directed.

How do you stiffen buttercream without sugar? ›

These thickening agents include: cornstarch, gelatin, cream cheese, cocoa powder, cold heavy cream, tapioca, arrowroot starch, flour and even butter.

Is there a diabetic substitute for powdered sugar? ›

POWDERED BOCHASWEET™ tastes just like powdered sugar and as a zero calorie and zero glycemic sweetener is perfect for the keto and diabetic lifestyle.

Can splenda be substituted for powdered sugar? ›

To make the powdered sugar substitute, combine 1 cup of Splenda with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in a mixer or food processor. Blend on high speed for approximately 1 minute or until the texture is similar to powdered sugar.

What is a substitute for powdered sugar without cornstarch? ›

If you don't want to add starch to your powdered sugar then you will just take the required amount of granulated sugar of your choice and blend it in a high-powdered blender or food processor on high for about 30 seconds or until it has turned into a fine powder.

How do you make buttercream firm without excessive sweetness? ›

Vanilla extract and salt are the flavoring agents for this frosting. You can sub out any extract you like but add salt, and it balances the sweetness of the sugars and creates a more well-rounded frosting taste.

How do you make can frosting harden? ›

If your store-bought icing is too soft to pipe, you can stiffen it by adding powdered sugar. Use a hand mixer to incorporate 1 tablespoon of confectioners' sugar into your icing. Continue until your desired consistency is achieved.

What can I add to buttercream to make it stiff? ›

To make your buttercream stiff consistency, prepare the vanilla buttercream frosting recipe as directed. This should result in stiff consistency buttercream. However, if your buttercream isn't stiff enough, gradually add more powdered sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until your frosting is thick but still pipeable.

How to thicken cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar? ›

Cornstarch is a good way to thicken the frosting without increasing its sweetness. Mix 1 tablespoon (25 grams) of cornstarch into the frosting. If it is still too runny, add a little more. Continue to add cornstarch until you are happy with the texture.

Is it possible to over whip cream cheese frosting? ›

Overbeating cream cheese frosting can make it too runny. When all the sugar is incorporated into the frosting, don't beat it for much longer to avoid overbeating. If the frosting is too soft, pop it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to harden before piping.

How to fix frosting that is too runny? ›

Add small amounts of ingredients like powdered sugar, cornstarch, gelatin, heavy whipping cream, or cream cheese to make your frosting less runny. For flavored frostings, ingredients like cocoa powder and peanut butter can also work. When your frosting is the right consistency, it'll be easy to spread or pipe.

How do you fix granulated sugar in frosting? ›

Usually it is grainy from the sugar not dissolving into the butter properly. One easy fix is to re-whip the frosting, preferably with the paddle attachment, on medium speed until it becomes smoother. (You can let it go for quite a bit!)

How do you stabilize store-bought frosting? ›

Store-bought frosting can be too thin for piping frosting onto your cake. You'll need to thicken the consistency. Empty a can of frosting into a bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar with a mixer, adding more sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

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