This healthy cream cheese frosting recipe is light, fluffy, and naturally sweetened. You will love the soft, whipped texture and tangy cream cheese flavor!
Table of Contents
- What makes this the best healthy cream cheese frosting?
- Step by step recipe video
- Key ingredients
- Cream cheese frosting health benefits
- How to make yogurt cream cheese frosting
- Turn it into different flavors
- Frequently asked questions
- More healthy frosting recipes
- Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Ways to use healthy cream cheese frosting
What makes this the best healthy cream cheese frosting?
- No butter, no shortening, and no powdered sugar.
- One simple trick makes the frosting so much thicker and fluffier than similar recipes.
- It tastes like cheesecake you can eat with a spoon.
- Perfect for topping carrot cake, cupcakes, red velvet cake, or cinnamon rolls!
- You need just four ingredients, with low calorie, dairy free, gluten free, sugar free, low carb, vegan, and keto options all included.
Try it on this Carrot Cake Banana Bread
Step by step recipe video
This frosting is amazing!!! I am really surprised at how little sugar I needed to add to it for it to taste awesome. Most cream cheese frosting recipes call for a TON of powdered sugar, margarine, and cream cheese so I’m very happy that this is so healthy and decadent.
Key ingredients
Yogurt or Tofu – Greek yogurt or soft tofu both work well to add thickness and creaminess. As a bonus, low fat yogurt and tofu are high in protein and low in saturated fat. For vegan cream cheese frosting, use dairy free yogurt or the silken tofu option.
Cream Cheese – You can buy block or whipped Philadelphia cream cheese (reduced fat or regular), soy free cashew cream cheese, or store bought or homemade vegan cream cheese.
Unrefined Sugar – Many healthy cream cheese frosting recipes call for pure maple syrup or honey. While you can use one of those here, the consistency of the icing will be thinner. For the best fluffy texture, I like to start with raw cane sugar and pulse in a blender or food processor until fine and powdery. Voila! An easy, healthier alternative to processed powdered sugar.
Vanilla Extract – A teaspoon of pure vanilla extract balances the tanginess of the cream cheese.
Ground Cinnamon (optional) – Add up to a half teaspoon of cinnamon for cozy warmth and sweetness without a ton of extra calories. A pinch of chai or pumpkin pie spice is also lovely.
Above, healthy cream cheese frosting tastes delicious spread on Easy Cinnamon Rolls.
Cream cheese frosting health benefits
- No trans fats, artificial flavors or colors.
- Unlike store bought frosting, this one has no corn syrup.
- An equal size serving of Pillsbury cream cheese frosting contains more calories, more fat, no protein, and over four times the amount of sugar!
- Close to two grams protein in just one tablespoon.
- Provides calcium and iron.
- Yogurt or tofu takes the place of all the butter in traditional frosting, adding creaminess and texture without all the unhealthy fat.
How to make yogurt cream cheese frosting
Step 1: Soften the cream cheese. Let the cream cheese sit out on the counter for up to an hour ahead of time. This step is especially important if you are using blocks, because it will blend more easily and smoothly when soft.
Step 2: Make healthy powdered sugar. If you are using granulated sugar, blend it alone in a food processor until it turns to fine powder.
Step 3: Combine all ingredients. Add the tofu or yogurt, softened cream cheese, powdered sweetener, pure vanilla extract, and optional cinnamon to a food processor or stand mixer. It also works in a large bowl with hand beaters.
Step 4: Blend until smooth. Process on high, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the machine. Continue blending until the mixture is thick, whipped, and super fluffy.
Step 5: Chill if desired. You can serve the healthy cream cheese icing straight away, or refrigerate until cold if you prefer a firmer texture. It will also be much more firm after sitting loosely covered in a bowl overnight in the fridge. If time permits, I love making the recipe a day in advance.
Turn it into different flavors
In addition to the aforementioned cinnamon, and chocolate and lemon variations (below), you can create endless custom frosting flavors from the base recipe.
High Protein Frosting: Blend in two tablespoons of your favorite flavored protein powder.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting: Add two drops of maple extract. Taste, then slowly add more drops if you want a stronger maple flavor.
This idea works for peppermint, coconut, or almond extract as well.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting: Replace a fourth cup of the Greek yogurt or tofu with canned pumpkin puree. Include the optional cinnamon, as well as a fourth teaspoon of ground pumpkin spice.
Peanut Butter Frosting: Replace at least one fourth cup of the Greek yogurt or tofu with creamy peanut butter. Almond butter, pecan butter, or cashew butter work too.
Coffee Cream Cheese Icing: Blend in a teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso powder.
Frequently asked questions
While the frosting is thicker than similar healthier frostings, it contains no shortening or butter and is therefore not ideal for piping.
This one is easy. Just blend one third cup sifted cocoa powder into the recipe, and increase the vanilla extract to one and a half teaspoons. Thin with a teaspoon or two milk of choice (or brewed coffee!) if needed.
Sure. You can try blueberry, strawberry, or lemon yogurt too. If using vanilla Greek yogurt, omit the vanilla extract in the recipe.
Cover leftovers tightly and refrigerate for up to five days. The icing is free of preservatives, so it shouldn’t sit out at room temperature for more than a few hours.
In general, I do not recommend freezing homemade frostings, because the texture after thawing is never as creamy.
Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese or vegan cream cheese (225g)
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt or silken tofu (180g)
- 1/2 cup unrefined sugar (80g) or 2/3 cup powdered monk fruit (can also sub 1/3 cup pure maple syrup)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (5g)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Let cream cheese sit at room temperature for up to an hour to soften, so it will blend more smoothly.
- 2. If using granulated sweetener, blend it alone in a food processor until it turns fine and powdery.
- 3. Process softened cream cheese, tofu or yogurt, sweetener, vanilla extract, and optional cinnamon in a food processor or stand mixer, or with hand beaters in a large bowl. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides, and blend until smooth and fluffy.
- 4. Serve right away, or refrigerate until cold for a thicker texture. The healthy cream cheese frosting is also much firmer after sitting loosely covered overnight in the refrigerator.
- 5. Store any leftovers after a day in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Video
Notes
Ways to use healthy cream cheese frosting
I just came across your site and think your receipes look wonderful. I have gluten and I am learning a new way to eat and live. Trying hard to gather different receipes love to cook and bake and yours looks great hope I can find your website again
I’m really disappointed. Soy is dangerous. It mimics estrogen in our bodies and no one should consume it.
Wrong. Listen to facts, not hype/propaganda. Soy is fine, just don’t eat boatloads of it.
Your blog almost makes me want to become vegan, I think it would help me feel better as well, all the processed foods are making me sick. However, I love cheese a little too much… Can I be a dairy eating vegan? 😛
Yes haha… well, sorta. I tell people that all the time! They say, “I’d be vegan but I can’t give up cheese.” So be a vegan except for cheese ;). I seriously doubt ANYone in this world is a “perfect” vegan, and every little bit helps. Non-vegans are probably more to thank for things like soymilk and veggie burgers showing up in stores than vegans, since there are so few of us. People like me are completely indebted to our semi-veggie friends for helping to make vegan foods more mainstream. 🙂
Is this frosting thick enough to be piped on cupcakes? 🙂
I’ve piped it before… but it’s much thicker if you make it up a day early and then chill thoroughly in the fridge. Also, if you want it extra thick you can up the ratio of cream cheese to less tofu. But frost right before serving, as this frosting doesn’t do well if left out (unfridged) for hours.
Thank you!
WOW, I can’t believe how good the frosting is! What a pleasant surprise!
Hi Katie,
I’m just starting to experiment with xanthan gum, and I am wondering if I could use it in this recipe to thicken the icing for piping or to simply hold longer with out refrigerating? Or is that a totally bad idea?
Thanks, Ali!
Yum. Just made a blueberry “pizzert”. When I took it out of the oven I spread 1/2 of it with microwaved and smashed blueberries.Then folded over the other half on it like a sandwich.
Reminded me a lot of a scone, also very delicious. Looked fancy, haha.
No idea for names, but pizzert still has a special place in my heart.
And totally commented on the wrong recipe with this. Oh well, lol.
I sub’ed half of a banana for the cream cheese. The frosting wasn’t as “white” as yours, but still very thick and fluffy. I had it ontop of YF toast with fruit. Yum. P.S. This also makes a nice fruit dip on its own. Thanks for all the great recipes! I suffer from food allergies and your recipes allow me to have my “cake and eat it too!” 🙂
Hi Katie, I’m not sure if anyone else pointed this out (not going to read 89 comments!) but your nutritional info is incorrect in two respects:
1. If you use regular Tofutti cream cheese, it has trans-fats. You state that your recipe is ‘fine’ with it, but also state that it has no trans-fats. Only the yellow-lid Tofutti cream cheese has no trans-fats.
2. Your recipe calls for added sugar, but you state in the nutritional info that it has no sugar.
You might want to correct these, although it’s a while ago since you made this post.
Pat
Hi Pat,
My nutritional info is actually correct. 🙂
You can easily use the trans-fat-free tofutti (which I did for this recipe). And I used stevia to sweeten. I give options so people can change the recipe to suit their own needs, but I can’t give nutrition facts for every possible combination of ingredients that someone might choose to use. So I give them for the ingredients I used (which are included in the recipe).
Cool, I just made this with regular firm tofu (whole foods brand) and it worked fine! I didn’t really measure but instead started with the base and added more of each ingredient (and some almond milk) as needed/to taste. I did put in about 1/2 cup powdered sugar (though I at least doubled this recipe) and a squeeze of agave; it still tastes a little tofu-y but I didn’t want to go overboard on the sugar. Great recipe though if you want a low-sugar frosting!
Much like you Katie I stay away from processed food as much as possible. I do worry when I splurge on a treat food that says 0% transfat on the packaging. I recently found out that 0% transfat actually means less than a certain percentage. Some foods that state no transfat just give percentages for the smallest serving size where the transfat level is less than this amount.
PS, I actually stopped by for help with a cream cheese icing replacement. Trying a beet red velvet cake recipe this weekend. (I know it’s not chocolate). Thanks for the help with that 🙂
Could you add cocoa powder to make it a chocolate frosting? Or would that just taste bad?
I haven’t tried it, so I really can’t say… But if you try it, I would love to hear the results!
Made this yesterday, and tasted it, and all I could taste was the soy. I really didn’t like it! I was like, “but it’s Katie’s, so it must be good! Maybe I did something wrong!”. So I put it in the fridge for the night, hoping that would do something, and sure enough, in the morning, the soy taste was hardly there. But if someone makes this, I would recommend making it a day ahead so that the flavors settle. Thanks for another good recipe Katie!
Hi Claire,
Did you make sure to use Mori Nu tofu? Glad it worked out in the end, no matter!
Wow, you are fast!! Yes, I did use it! The only difference is that I used partially hydrogenated toffuti cream cheese. Could that have been the taste difference?
Hmmm… I don’t think so. But what sweetener?
Haha yeah I’m online now and try to stay on top of comments. 🙂
I used some powdered sugar, and added vanilla extract. Any idea why it tasted different?
Hi Katie!
I made your banana bread donut muffins this morning and it soo good!
I really wanna make this frosting but I don’t have tofu. Lol I do have the tofutti cream cheese though and wondering if that would be good enough!!
Oh I just read the nutritional link. Looks like I do need the tofu. Dang it! Lol ok thanks I’ll try a diff frosting recipe from you!
Maybe just use extra of the cream cheese? It should be ok! 🙂
This frosting is amazing!!! I am really surprised at how little sugar I needed to add to it for it to taste awesome. Most cream cheese frosting recipes call for a TON of powdered sugar, margarine, and cream cheese so I’m very happy that this is so healthy and decadent. Yay for silken tofu!
This sounds amazing, but we don’t eat soy products. Do you have a similar recipe that is soy free, by chance?
I am LOVING your website…I just can’t get enough! Now, the problem is that I just can’t decide what to make out of all the lovely desserts and breakfasts to choose from! 🙂
Here is a list of all my frosting recipes. Many, such as the coconut banana butter, are soy-free. https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/chocolate-covered-recipes/healthy-recipes-frostings-and-nut-butters/