Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting – 2 Ways!

 

 
As a young girl, at every birthday party or special celebration, regardless of whether it was my own or a friend’s, I sat at the table in eager anticipation, my eyes shining as brightly as the candles poking out of the cake, hoping and wishing for a slice from the center with a gigantic buttercream rosette… Or, at the very least, a corner piece with extra frosting ruffles thickly piped around two of its sides.

I saw the cake as merely a vehicle… And I wanted as much of that extra sugary frosting as I could get.

I didn’t care whether it was chocolate or vanilla. I happily swallowed every forkful and licked up every last morsel from my plate.
 

 
Sometime during college, my taste buds started to change. The bakery buttercream I previously pined for and lusted after began to taste… Well… If I’m being completely honest…

Too sweet – and a little more like fluffy and airy super sugary whipped butter than I remembered from my childhood. It still melted on my tongue in the exact same way, but when I noticed it tasted almost cloyingly sweet, I began reaching for slices with the least amount of buttercream. Some days, I even scraped off almost all of the frosting and left it, untouched, on the side of my plate.

Around the same time, I discovered the magic of cream cheese frosting.
 

 
It had a similar luxurious and velvety smooth consistency, although not quite as airy as classic buttercream, and the hint of salt and subtle tang from the cream cheese beautifully balanced out the frosting’s sugary sweetness. Ganache-style fudgy chocolate frosting remained my favorite, yet cream cheese frosting slipped into the #2 spot.

So in case you enjoy it too, I thought it’d be fun to share two healthy cream cheese frosting recipes with you! I’ve used them to top cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and bars. They’d even be delicious spread on top of brownies!

The sky’s the limit… Especially when the frosting is this simple to make!
 

 

QUICK OVERVIEW – HEALTHY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Frosting #1: Fairly thick frosting that’s mainly for spreading.

Frosting #2: Thicker buttercream-like frosting that’s pipe-able.

Difficulty: Easy, including for many beginner bakers. (Or, in this case, beginner frosting makers!)

Taste: Bright and sweet, balanced with hints of that classic cream cheese tang.

Texture: Thick, velvety smooth, and luxuriously creamy.
 

 

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Let’s go over the ingredients you’ll need to make these healthy cream cheese frosting recipes. There are only four of them, and I’m guessing you already know the first one…

Light cream cheese. A predictable cream cheese frosting ingredient! For the best results, use brick-style cream cheese – not tub-style or whipped cream cheese. The latter two have a different consistency, which then affects the consistency of your frosting (and not in a good way!).

However, a few different types of brick-style cream cheese will work! I’ve used reduced fat cream cheese (also called Neufchâtel cream cheese or ⅓-less fat cream cheese), Greek yogurt cream cheese, and fat free cream cheese. They all produced lovely thick, creamy, and smooth frostings!

Note: If you can’t find any of these, then regular full-fat, brick-style cream cheese also works.
 

 
Greek yogurt. Unlike cream cheese, Greek yogurt may be a somewhat surprising frosting addition… Unless you’ve browsed through my recipes before. Greek yogurt is one of my favorite ingredients! 😉

Here, it helps produce a really smooth frosting consistency – without the need for any butter! That shaves off lots of calories from your healthy cream cheese frosting. It also gives your frosting a big protein boost!

I’ve found that some brands of Greek yogurt are thicker and yield better frosting than others. My favorite is FAGE’s plain nonfat Greek yogurt. It’s really thick, and it doesn’t have as prominent of a yogurt “tang” to it as other brands.

Tip: Look at the ingredients list of your Greek yogurt. If it lists anything besides milk, live active cultures, or cultured pasteurized milk (such as cornstarch, sugar, fructose, etc!), then I’d recommend steering clear. Those varieties of Greek yogurt tend to be more runny, which will then make your frosting thin and runny too.
 

 
Sweetener. There are a few different sweetener options that work really well in these healthy cream cheese frosting recipes. I generally use this liquid stevia and granulated sucralose the most (depending on who’s eating the frosting and how sensitive or picky they are! 😉 ).

Tip: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for one another. For the best results, I recommend using the same one that I do. (I buy it online here because that’s the best price I’ve found, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too!)

If you’re not a fan of either of those, I’ve also had good luck with confectioners’ style erythritol and Truvia. Some other granular sweeteners will also work!

However, aside from the aforementioned liquid stevia, I highly recommend avoiding liquid sweeteners like honey, pure maple syrup, or agave. They’ll add too much liquid volume to your frosting, which would make it really runny and more like icing. (Very frustrating when you’re trying to frost a cake or pipe it on top of cupcakes!)
 

 
Instant pudding mix. This is a key ingredient in Frosting #2. It’s what makes that cream cheese frosting thick and stiff enough to pipe, just like buttercream! Since you’re making cream cheese frosting, cheesecake instant pudding mix produces the best tasting frosting. However, it’s not always easy to find, so the vanilla flavor is a really good back-up.

Hint: You just need the dry mix – don’t prepare it according to the package’s instructions!

Instant pudding mix works differently than regular cook-and-serve pudding mix and cornstarch. These latter two require heating to activate their thickening properties, whereas instant pudding mix works at room temperature or with cold ingredients. Its thickening properties are activated simply by mixing it with dairy. (More on that in the section below!)

No powdered sugar or butter? That’s correct – this healthy cream cheese frosting is made without butter or powdered sugar! Yet it’s still just as smooth and creamy as “traditional” cream cheese frosting. I call that a win-win! 😉
 

 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Now that you have your three (or four!) ingredients, let’s quickly talk about how to make the best healthy cream cheese frosting. The process is very similar for both options. There’s just one key difference!

Soften the cream cheese. I’m horrible at remembering to do this… But it makes a big difference! Set out your cream cheese well before you plan on making your cream cheese frosting. When it’s soft, it’s much easier to achieve that perfectly smooth frosting consistency.

Use a mixer. I’ve found a hand-held mixer works best. I don’t recommend trying to make this frosting by hand; it’s really difficult to get rid of all the lumps unless you use a mixer.
 

 
Beat for the proper amount of time. This is the key difference! For Frosting #1, beat the ingredients until they’re just incorporated and the frosting is silky smooth. Do not overbeat! If you do, it’ll make your frosting runny and thin.

For Frosting #2, beat the ingredients for exactly 2 minutes – no more, no less. This is the amount of time it takes to activate the instant pudding mix’s thickening properties. You should notice the mixture getting thicker as the seconds tick by. It’s like magic!

Chill. Although optional for Frosting #1, this is mandatory for Frosting #2. It needs to chill for at least 2 hours before it’s stiff enough to pipe. Just cover the bowl with foil, pop it in the fridge, and wait (as patiently as possible!) for the pudding mix to finish working its magic.
 

 

WAYS TO USE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Here are some of the desserts where I’ve used these healthy cream cheese frosting recipes!

CAKES

• The Ultimate Healthy Carrot Cake (pictured above!)
• Healthy Pumpkin Cake
• Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookie Cake

 

 

CUPCAKES

• Healthy Mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes
• Healthier Red Velvet Cupcakes
• Healthy Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes (pictured above!)
• Healthy Banana Cupcakes
• Healthy Gingerbread Cupcakes
• Healthy Blueberry Cupcakes
• Healthy Cranberry Orange Cupcakes
• Healthy Pumpkin Cupcakes
• Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes

 

 

BARS

• Healthy Carrot Cake Bars (pictured above!)
• Healthier Red Velvet Cookie Bars
• Healthy Cinnamon Roll Cookie Bars
• Healthy Carrot Cake Cookie Bars (← different from the recipe above!)
• Healthy Zucchini Cookie Bars
• Healthy Gingerbread Cookie Bars

 

 

FAQS ABOUT HEALTHY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Is this cream cheese frosting gluten free, sugar free, or clean eating?
Yes! Both of these healthy cream cheese frosting recipes are gluten free and sugar free. Frosting #1 is also clean eating friendly.

What’s the best cream cheese to use for frosting?
Brick-style cream cheese is best. The consistencies of tub-style cream cheese and whipped cream cheese are different, which negatively impacts your frosting.

What’s the best Greek yogurt to use?
I love FAGE the most because it’s really thick, which gives your frosting the best thick and creamy consistency. See the “Greek yogurt” header above for more information about other brands and styles of Greek yogurt!
 

 
Can I substitute another sweetener?
Depends on the sweetener! I included the ones that work best in the Notes section of the recipe. I don’t recommend using honey, pure maple syrup, or agave. They’ll make your frosting too thin and runny.

Can I substitute something for the instant pudding mix?
Unfortunately, no. Instant pudding mix is special because it can thicken when mixed with room temperature or cold ingredients. Regular cook-and-serve pudding mix and cornstarch both require heat to activate their thickening properties. See the “instant pudding mix” header above for more information!
 

 
Can you make cream cheese frosting without cream cheese?
Surprisingly… Yes! And I actually have a guide all about how to make cream cheese frosting without cream cheese!

How should I store cream cheese frosting? And how long does it last?
Store any unused or leftover cream cheese frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Depending on how fresh your cream cheese and yogurt are, the frosting should keep for at least a few days, if not longer.
 

 
Ready to make your own? And when you do, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy cream cheese frosting!

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy “Cream Cheese” Frosting – Made Without Cream Cheese!
♡  Healthy Chocolate Frosting – 3 Ways!
♡  Healthy Vanilla Bean Frosting
♡  Healthy Cinnamon Frosting
♡  Healthy Raspberry Frosting
♡  Healthy Strawberry Frosting
♡  Healthy Peanut Butter Frosting
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy frosting recipes!