Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (Thick + Silky!)
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting is quick and easy to make and turns out thick, silky, and bursting with real strawberry flavor…thanks to a special secret ingredient!
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Cream cheese frosting has long been my favorite type of frosting. I love it for its silky, creamy texture and its underlying tang from the cream cheese, which prevents it from being cloyingly sweet. As a bonus, for a little variety, classic Cream Cheese Frosting can be further flavored into Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting, and -- one of my most popular incarnations of all -- this Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting!
Once upon a time, I knew a certain little 4-year-old girl who adored all things strawberry. Strawberry smoothies, strawberry ice cream or popsicles, strawberry muffins, strawberry cake...if it started with strawberry, she was a fan.
She requested strawberry cupcakes for her birthday from the time she could talk, and back then, I typically just topped them with my standard cream cheese frosting recipe with some fresh strawberry puree blended in...thereby coining it Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting.
Well...the problem was that fresh strawberry puree tends to be pretty watery.
And that meant that adding too much strawberry puree always made for thin, runny frosting.
But adding too little meant that the strawberry flavor got overpowered by the cream cheese.
So what was a cream cheese frosting-loving mom with a strawberry dessert-loving daughter to do???
The Secret Ingredient!
Well, I'll tell ya what she did.
She procured a bag of magical, freeze-dried strawberries.
And she dumped 'em into her mini food processor and pulverized 'em into a bright red, strawberry-packed powder.
And then she whipped that powder into her tried-and-true cream cheese frosting recipe for the ultimate Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting!
This Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is super easy to make and it's good enough to eat with a spoon.
It's thick and silky.
It's bursting with big, bold strawberry flavor.
And take a gander at that gorgeous color!
Ingredients
Now that I've let you in on the most important ingredient for Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting success, I bet you can guess most of the other ingredients! But I'll give you some extra details about them below... 🙂
- Butter. Salted and at room temperature. Make sure your butter is completely softened or your frosting may turn out lumpy. And if you don't have any salted butter, no problem...just add a tiny pinch of salt to your Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting to make the flavors pop!
- Cream cheese. Again, make sure it's at room temperature and be sure that it's a regular, full-fat block of cream cheese. Cream cheese from a tub may have extra water/air/ingredients whipped into it for easier spreading, and this can be a negative when you use it to make frosting. Similarly, light or reduced-fat cream cheese will have a different flavor and texture than regular cream cheese and may yield frosting that's less rich and decadent.
- Powdered sugar. If your powdered sugar is lumpy, you should sift it first. You can add more or less powdered sugar to taste.
- Pure vanilla extract + pure almond extract. Use high-quality, pure vanilla extract and real almond extract. You only need a tiny amount of almond extract because, while it contributes a lovely undertone, it's also pretty potent and you don't want too much of it to dominate the flavor of your frosting. However, if you don't have any almond extract on hand, the frosting will still be delicious if you leave it out.
- Freeze-dried strawberries. As already mentioned, this is the secret ingredient to thick, potent Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting! Just make sure your freeze-dried strawberries are pulverized into a fine powder before you incorporate them into your frosting.
Keep in mind that how much powdered sugar you use will affect not only the sweetness but also the consistency of your frosting. That being said, you can always add extra freeze-dried strawberry powder to make up for using less powdered sugar and still end up with a thick, sturdy frosting.
How to Make Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
- Pour freeze-dried strawberries into a small food processor (or a powerful blender). Process until crushed into a fine powder (although it's fine if some small lumps are remaining). Set aside.
- Use an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) to beat together the softened butter and cream cheese.
- Slowly and gradually blend in the powdered sugar until smooth.
- Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat until smooth and well-combined, scraping the bowl as necessary.
- Slowly blend in the freeze-dried strawberry powder, and then beat on high until it's fully incorporated.
The longer you whip this frosting, the lighter and fluffier it will become!
Other Flavor Options
Can I let you in on a little secret?
The beauty of this Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is that you can take the general concept and flavor your cream cheese frosting with different types of freeze-dried fruits!
Peaches, cherries, mangoes, pineapple, bananas, blueberries, blackberries...a wide variety of freeze-dried fruit is readily available these days.
Just be sure you're using freeze-dried fruit -- which can be easily crushed into a fine, dry powder -- as opposed to dried fruit -- which is chewy and leathery and won't turn into a powder now matter how much you beat on it. 😉
Also, since freeze-dried fruit is always available, you can make fruit flavored frosting year-round, without worrying about what fruit happens to be perfectly sweet and in-season!
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting is a beautiful, scrumptious complement to strawberry cakes, cupcakes, or cookies.
But it's equally delicious on vanilla or chocolate treats!
I mean, how good would this stuff be slathered on a chocolate cake or a rich, fudgy pan of brownies???
Cupcake Piping Tip
As depicted in the photos below, I like to scoop my Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting into a gallon-sized, zip-top plastic bag, snip off the corner of the bag, and pipe the frosting onto my cupcakes in a spiral, starting from the outside perimeter and working towards the center.
However, be aware that piping requires a lot more frosting than spreading it with a knife. So in that case, plan on doubling the recipe for 24 generously-piped cupcakes.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting will make your desserts happy.
It'll make your family, friends, and bake sale recipients happy.
And I can guarantee that it'll make any and all 4-year-old strawberry lovers verrrry happy. 🙂
More Strawberry Treats
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Sparkling Strawberry Floats
- Easy Strawberry Cream Cheese Pastries
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (Thick + Silky!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups sliced freeze-dried strawberries, about 1 ounce
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar, depending on your desired consistency & sweetness of frosting
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon pure almond extract, optional
Instructions
- Pour freeze-dried strawberries into a small food processor (or high-powered blender). Process until crushed into a fine powder (with some small lumps remaining). Set aside.
- Using an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer with paddle attachment), beat together the butter and the cream cheese. Slowly and gradually blend in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat until smooth and well-combined, scraping the bowl as necessary. Slowly blend in the strawberry powder, then beat on high until it's completely incorporated. The longer you whip the frosting, the lighter and fluffier it will become.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- BUTTER: If you use unsalted butter instead of salted, add a small pinch of salt to your Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting.
- CREAM CHEESE: Use a block of regular, full-fat cream cheese in this recipe. Cream cheese from a tub, or light/low-fat cream cheese, may have extra air or extra ingredients added that can negatively affect the ultimate texture of your frosting.
- POWDERED SUGAR: If your powdered sugar is lumpy, you should sift it first.
- ALMOND EXTRACT: If you don’t have any almond extract on hand, you may leave it out.
- SWEETNESS + CONSISTENCY: How much powdered sugar you add will affect not only the sweetness but also the consistency of your frosting. For thicker frosting with less powdered sugar, increase the amount of freeze-dried strawberry powder that you add instead.
- OTHER FLAVORS: Other freeze-dried fruits (such as peaches, cherries, blueberries, etc.) may be substituted for the freeze-dried strawberries in order to achieve different flavors of cream cheese frosting. Just don’t try substituting dried fruit, which is chewy and leathery and won’t turn into a powder.
- YIELD: This recipe will frost 24 cupcakes (spread with a knife) or a sheet cake. For 24 piped cupcakes or a layer cake, you’ll want to make 1.5X or double the recipe.
- PIPING: For a shortcut piping bag, scrape your frosting into a gallon-sized, zip-top plastic bag, snip off the corner of the bag, and pipe the frosting onto cupcakes in a spiral, starting from the outside perimeter and working towards the center.
- STORAGE: Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting must be stored in the refrigerator. I typically apply it to my cake/cupcakes immediately after making it and then pop the cake/cupcakes in the fridge. I set them out about 15 to 30 minutes ahead of time to come to room temperature before serving. But keep in mind that this frosting will become soft/melt if it sits out on a very hot day.
- MAKE-AHEAD: Alternatively, you can make this Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting up to a week ahead of time, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Allow it to come to room temperature and give it a good stir before using it to frost your cake/cupcakes.
Nutrition
Post originally published on June 15, 2017, and updated on July 17, 2021, and February 21, 2025.
Hello!
This was my first time making any kind of strawberry frosting and I was nervous about making it with fresh strawberries since so many things could go wrong, but your recipe was the perfect reference. I followed your exact cream cheese and butter measurements, but I adjusted the icing sugar and freeze dried strawberry powder to my liking (I also had to add a little milk to mine). Either way, it was incredibly delicious and the perfect accompaniment to my cupcakes. Thank you so much!
This frosting looks absolutely dreamy!! 😀
I made this tonight first time ever using freeze dried strawberries... Interesting flavor and very red! I made half the batch as I made a single layer 6" cake. I always splash in heavy whipping cream in my frostings as well as pinch or 2 of salt to cut the sweet. Chilling in the fridge now looking forward to tasting the whole cake tomorrow.
I've made this frosting recipe several times and it's always been a hit! I've used it on strawberry cake, chocolate cake, and even on sugar cookies. It's divine! I tend to decrease the sugar a bit due to preference, which doesn't make it as stiff, but still very delicious! My pink-loving little girls love it too! Thanks so much for the recipe!!
So happy to hear that this is a repeat recipe for you, Alexandra, and that you're able to tweak it to your taste! 🙂
This frosting was delicious! The only missing thing from the recipe is that it didn't say to sift the powdered sugar, and it definitely needs it to come out smooth!
I used 3 c. powdered sugar, and it made plenty to frost a double-layer round cake made from Betty Crocker devil's food cake mix. Served with Mayfield signature vanilla ice cream, and it was a hit!
Hi Maggie! So glad you enjoyed it! I've never needed to sift my powdered sugar when I make cream cheese frosting, but it's definitely a smart step if your powdered sugar has any lumps. 🙂
I am so excited to make this frosting for mini size 2-layer strawberry cakes for a ladies Tea Party. I have freeze-dried strawberries and vanilla extract. But I also have strawberry extract. Would the strawberry extract be too much, or will it enhance the strawberry flavor?
I imagine strawberry extract would boost the strawberry flavor even more! 🙂
So good! And a great use for the dehydrated strawberries I bought for snacks, but ended up not really liking. This frosting is so smooth and creamy and the color is perfect. I was able to get great swirls and peaks using a frosting bag/tip. So yummy on chocolate cupcakes!
Delicious! I had to add a couple splashes of whipping cream at the end to make it a good spreading texture. And absolutely make sure the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature otherwise you’ll get chunks of it in your icing. I learned that the hard way.
Will it stay on the sides of a cake
Yes, unless the cake is sitting out on a really hot day...then it might slide off. 🙂 After frosting the cake, I would refrigerate it and then let it come to room temperature before serving. Unless "room temperature" is the blazing heat of summer, the frosting will stay put.
This is the best frosting EVER! Its a hit every time I make it. I cut the sugar down a bit to make it a bit more tart which is nice when you have it on a sweet cupcake. Yesterday I used it on fairy bread instead of plain butter and it flew off the plate in a matter of minutes! Was wondering if this would freeze well as I always have a lot left over.
So happy to hear you enjoy this frosting! I have not tried freezing it myself, as it keeps in the fridge for a good while. However, cream cheese frosting supposedly can be frozen for up to 3 months, so it might be worth a test! 🙂
Yum, I love this frosting. I love strawberries and I love cream cheese frosting so naturally this needed to be made. I can envision it on vanilla cupcakes. strawberry cupcakes, chocolate fudge cupcakes, all sound wonderful but I am a big fan of the combination of strawberry and banana so I frosted my favorite banana cupcakes with it and it was all I could do to share them. I wanted them all. So delicious. Thank you Samantha
Haven’t made yet but planning to tomorrow - if I make the frosting ahead of time, how would I store? In the fridge or freezer?
Store this frosting in the fridge and then let it come to room temperature and stir well before frosting your cake/cupcakes. 🙂
Folks this icing is amazing. The freeze dried strawberries add soooo much more flavor than strawberry puree! I made a double batch of frosting. Double butter cream cheese and vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp of almond extract & 6 cups of powdered sugar. I think 1.5 times the recipe would work next time as I have leftover frosting. I piped it but not anle to do the beautiful tall peaks if icing like in the photo. 🙂 10 out 10!! And if anybody cares my cupcakes are homemade strawberry.
I haven't made it yet.I was wondering how much is a little Almond extract??
I don't want to over use the amount.
Hi Gigi! I agree that a little bit goes a long way when it comes to almond extract! The recipe card calls for 1/8 teaspoon almond extract, but it is optional for those who might find it overpowering. That being said, I like it in this recipe, but just a little bit. So if you're not sure, you could start with *half* of your 1/8 teaspoon (or do you have a 1/16 teaspoon?), mix it in and taste, and then add a few more drops if you like. Hope that helps! 🙂
Wanted a strawberry frosting to go on chocolate fudge cupcakes. Wanted a chocolate strawberry feel/taste. This frosting is delicious. I only used 3-1/2 cups of powdered sugar which worked well. So good, will share and make again.
The hardest part is finding the freeze dried strawberries in the store. I found them at Whole Foods. I used my coffee grinder to powder the strawberries. The recipe is easy to make, easy to spread and tastes good. I would make it again.
Dollar tree carries freeze dried strawberries
Great frosting! A big hit! I also love the freedom to change the flavor - I believe this will be my default frosting