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!
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 Healthy Vanilla Cupcakes, Easy Chocolate Cupcakes, or Vegan 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.
(You may also like Strawberry Sheet Cake, Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes, and Yogurt Frosting.)
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
To make this easy strawberry cream cheese 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 strawberry cream cheese frosting recipe so you know what to expect. See the full recipe at the end of the post for the specifics.
Step 1. Grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a powder with a blender or food processor.
Step 2. Add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
Step 3. Mix with a electric hand mixer until fluffy and evenly mixed.
Step 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
If this frosting gets a bit runny, it could be that your butter is too warm. Put it in the fridge for about 10 minutes to help firm up the butter before continuing with the recipe.
Use freeze-dried blueberries in place of the strawberries if you’d like a different flavor.
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.)
Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
We love to pair this strawberry cream cheese 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.
And for a baby’s first birthday, try it with my One-Year-Old Birthday Cake (or any of my first birthday cakes.)
How to Store
You can make the strawberry cream cheese 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.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it, so please comment below to share!
Favorite Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries
- 8 ounces cream cheese (I like full fat, softened at room temperature)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick, softened at room temperature)
- 2-3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup powdered sugar optional
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
- 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.)
Equipment
Video
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
This post was first published March 2020.
I couldn’t get the freeze dried strawberries to not stick to the bottom of my blender. I tried twice and they were just like glued to the bottom no matter how much I blended them or didn’t blend them. And I would definitely add the powdered sugar next time because it just wasn’t sweet. Tasted like strawberry cream cheese on a muffin.
can I use more honey or maple syrup instead of adding powdered sugar?? or does that ruin the texture?
Of those two options, honey will be better since it’s less liquidy. Enjoy!
What can I do in place of freeze dried strawberries? 2 ounces is almost 8 dollars, and if I need a whole cup… That’s way too expensive.
You can use a little strawberry jam. Or look at a big box store like Target or Walmart where an 8 ounce bag is closer to 2 or 3 dollars.
Thank you for responding so quickly! I checked Walmart, Target and Publix are all around $3-5 for 1oz… cheapest I could find is 2/$12 for 2.1 ounce bags. If you know of a store that sells it that cheap, please let me know 🙂 I’m making the cake tomorrow for my mom’s birthday. 💕
Can I use freeze dried peach instead? I can’t find any freeze dried strawberry.
Sure!
Could I substitute frozen strawberries if I don’t have freeze-dried strawberries on hand?
Fresh or frozen strawberries would add a lot of liquid to the mixture, which can make it runny. To use frozen berries, you will want to cook them down into a thick sauce first–similar to my Strawberry Sauce. Then stir a little in at a time for color and flavor. https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/fresh-strawberry-sauce/
Can I substitute strawberry flavored cream cheese for the freeze-dried strawberries? Thanks.
Sure, the flavor is a little different but it should work similarly.
I am totally in love with dehydrated raspberries right now-have you ever used those in this recipe (or maybe something else)?
Thanks for being great!
Hi- You can use it here, though they tend to be more tart than strawberries so you may need to balance them with sweetener a little more. You can also use them in my bliss balls recipe: https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/favorite-bliss-balls/
Does this frosting freeze well?
I haven’t tried freezing it but it might!
Made the cupcakes and strawberry frosting today. Very easy to do. The dried strawberries definitely make the frosting, bright pinky red. I am just wondering. I put them in the refrigerator since they have cream cheese in them. I wasn’t sure how that would be on the counter. We’re not eating them till tomorrow For birthday celebrations
Yes, the fridge would be best overnight.
Could you make this the same way but without cream cheese?
You would need to substitute something. Did you have something in mind?
Is there a substitute for freeze dried strawberries? Would fresh work somehow?
Blending in fresh berries will make the frosting too liquidy. You can make the frosting plain though, and decorate with sliced fresh berries though.
Hi! Would this work on a 9×13 inch cake or would I need to double the recipe
I would double it!
Delicious! The strawberry flavor is so good! I prefer more sweetness and butter cream frosting type consistency on chocolate cupcakes so I made the base recipe then added more powdered sugar to taste.
Love your recipes and this one was very tasty – made it to top your chocolate muffins for my kiddos daycare for a valentine’s snack and I’m told they loved them!
For next time, can the butter be omitted or replaced? Butter cream frosting makes my tongue feel kind of tingly, which I’m not a fan of, and this did the same for me. I did think about it when making it, but didn’t have time to try something different!
Sure, just replace it with more cream cheese!
This is the first time I’ve ever reviewed a recipe but I wanted to say this is hands down the best icing I have EVER had, including icing on the fanciest of bakery cupcakes I’ve eaten. I used freeze dried strawberries that were already in powder form (purchased from amazon) so I used 1/4 cup or roughly half of the 45 gram container I bought. This was AMAZING, not just for kids cupcakes but I will use this to frost cakes in the future too!
I’m so glad to hear that and thank you for leaving a review!
If I don’t have time the day before to make this frosting, can I make ahead and freeze it?
I haven’t frozen it but it might be okay, or it’s fine for a few days in the fridge. Put into a storage bag and remove as much air as possible before sealing.
My son (nearly 6 years old) and I made this today for my husband’s birthday and oh my goodness! This frosting was so delicious. We used this to top the chocolate cake recipe and it was a fantastic combination. We also opted to use seedless raspberry spread between the two layers. Seriously- some of the best frosting I have ever had!
These were incredible!! We made your cupcakes gluten free and this with maple syrup. Kids gobbled them up.
Hi, this frosting looks delicious! How much cups of frosting does this recipe make? 😋😋
I hope you have a good and safe day 😊
Hi
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
Looking to make this.
Do you know if it’s possible to make this frosting with something vegan ?
Coconut milk or vegan cream cheese?
Thanks!
I would use vegan cream cheese which works really similarly. Enjoy!
Made this using 3 tbsp syrup and no extra sugar to frost 2nd birthday cake. Topped with sliced strawberries. Was delicious.
Forgot rating.
Can we use fresh strawberries instead of the freeze dried ones?
Fresh berries in this mixture will make the frosting soupy so I don’t recommend that.
Omg this is so delicious! I made this a day ahead for my son’s bday. Only had 1/2 cup of freeze dried strawberries left as I didn’t realise my son ate them up 😂
I used mascarpone instead of cream cheese and only used 2 tbsp of honey. The flavor was fantastic! I couldn’t stop licking it off the whisk haha I’ve now stored it in the fridge to frost and pipe a small 4-inch mini cake and 6 cupcakes (I used the easy vanilla cake recipe for that) ☺️
Do you think these could be made with defrosted frozen strawberries? Maybe patted dry and thickening the frosting somehow so it’s not runny? I can’t find freeze-dried strawberries locally. Thank you – always love your recipes.
If you wanted to try that, I would thaw them and drain them so you’re not adding all the liquid. Then blend into a puree and blend in a little at a time. I would add a little at a time so you can stop as soon as it starts to get thin. You may not want to add much of it, but a little should add some flavor I’d think.
Hiya, do you have a muffin receipe to accompany the yummy strawberry frosting? Thank you:)
Sure, just use the search to find what you’re looking for. This is a good one: https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/strawberry-muffins/
hi, how many grams of powdered strawberry was used? i could only find powdered freeze dried strawberries.
This worked out well for us. I made cupcakes with a low sugar banana cake recipe. Then I frosted them with this frosting, making little stars in the middle and topping with a sliced strawberry.
This stuff is amazing. We like to use powdered swerve or monkfruit instead of sugar. One of my kids favorite ways to eat it is in between graham crackers with a little dot sprinkles. I’ve also topped cooled pancakes and banana bread with it.
I plan to make this to go on the Vanilla Oat Cake (your recipe!) for my daughter’s smash cake. Hoping I don’t regret the color from the strawberries when she’s got it all over her. Lol. Would you recommend waiting to frost the cake until ready to serve? Or can it be frosted in advance?
It would likely be best if you wait until closer to serving if you’re able too. And I hope she loves it!
Hello, I bought the dry Freeze strawberries already grinded up. How much should I use since it’s already in powdered form?
Thanks!
About 1/4 cup
I can’t find frozen dried fruit in mu country, can I substitute with something else?
Thank you
You could use a small amount of strawberry jam or strawberry puree, though add just a little bit at a time so the frosting doesn’t become too runny
Hi! Does this freeze well? How long can this frosting last in the freezer?
I honestly haven’t ever frozen it so I am not sure. If you try it, freeze it in a plastic freezer bag with as much air removed as possible.
Oh dear. I bought frozen strawberries as opposed to freeze-dried… is there a way I can still use these for the recipe? Or do you think it will be a flop?
It won’t work the same. I would make the cream cheese frosting plain and then top with some of the thawed (and drained) strawberries.
This sounds delicious and looks great! Would this be good on a chocolate cake? My son’s bday request.. thanks!.
I bet it would be delicious with chocolate cake!
Thank you! Do you think I should double the recipe if frosting a two layer 9” cake, including between the layers?
If you plan to frost between the layers and outside the cake I would at least 1.5 it—doubling it would ensure you have plenty but you might have a little extra. (Wouldn’t be the worst problem to have though!)
Can’t wait to try this recipe! How long can the frosting stay at room temperature once made and applied? Or must it be refrigerated because of the cream cheese? Thanks!
2 hours is generally considered to be the safe time limit that cream cheese can be out of the fridge!
Hi
I can’t wait to try this recipe but can you provide alternative measurements for the unsalted butter, freeze dried strawberries and powdered sugar please as I am unsure what the cup size is?
Thanks
2 ounces butter, about 1 ounce freeze dried strawberries, about 25 g powdered sugar
I took 5 oz of freeze dried strawberries to make 1 cup of ground down powder.
That worked! Thanks so much! I decided to go with strawberries after all 🙂 Do you think I could whip some heavy whipping cream and add to it to make this a little lighter?
Sure, I think that would work with the whipping cream!
Thanks! This is for my son’s first birthday cake and he absolutely LOVED! this frosting!!! It’s fruity, creamy and not too sweet!
Yay! I hope he has a wonderful first birthday!
This frosting is SO good! I used blueberries instead of strawberries. It came out a little gritty though. Is that because of the dried fruit powder? Do you have any suggestions for making this smoother/creamier?
If you can grind the fruit a little more to get it as pulverized and into a powder form, that could help. (That may depend a little on the blender you have.) I agree that the flavor is great though!
Thanks!
Tastes like straight Philadelphia strawberry cream cheese, not like frosting. I love the dehydrated strawberry idea, though, and I might try making a more traditional frosting with that for flavor. Spread nicely and came together easily.