Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting (2 Ways)
These two cream cheese frosting recipes are quick and easy to make. Velvety smooth and luxuriously creamy, with the perfect balance of sweetness and tag, these cream cheese frostings are perfect for cakes, cupcakes, cookie bars, and more! Any unused frosting should keep for at least three or four days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
FROSTING #1 – MAINLY FOR SPREADING
- 1 cup (240g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 8 oz (226g) light cream cheese, well softened (should be 1 block-style brick)
- ¾ tsp liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste)
FROSTING #2 – BUTTERCREAM-LIKE + PIPE-ABLE
- 1 cup (240g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 8 oz (226g) light cream cheese, well softened (should be 1 block-style brick)
- 2 servings (16g) sugar-free, fat-free cheesecake instant pudding mix
- ¾ tsp liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste)
Instructions
- To prepare Frosting #1, add the Greek yogurt, cream cheese, and liquid stevia to a large bowl. Beat with a hand-held electric mixer just until smooth and creamy. (Do not overbeat!) Cover the top of the bowl with foil, and refrigerate until ready to use. (If refrigerating for more than 2 hours, transfer the frosting to an airtight container with a lid instead.)
- To prepare Frosting #2, add the Greek yogurt, cream cheese, instant pudding mix, and liquid stevia to a large bowl. Beat with a hand-held electric mixer for 2 minutes. Cover the top of the bowl with foil, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using. (If refrigerating longer, transfer the frosting to an airtight container with a lid instead.)
Notes
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE YIELD: Both recipes yield enough frosting to generously pipe on top of 12 cupcakes or to frost one 8-9”, two-layer cake.
GREEK YOGURT NOTES: I’ve found that FAGE plain nonfat Greek yogurt works the best when making frosting because it’s thicker than many other brands, which really helps with the frosting’s consistency. (It also has less of a yogurt “tang” to its flavor!)
For more information about the best types of Greek yogurt to use (and which to avoid!), see the “Greek yogurt” header in my blog post above.
CREAM CHEESE NOTES: Neufchâtel cream cheese (also called reduced fat cream cheese or ⅓-less fat cream cheese), Greek yogurt cream cheese, and fat free cream cheese will all work. Regular cream cheese works well too. Whichever option you use, make sure it’s well softened for the best creamy frosting consistency.
I do not recommend substituting tub-style cream cheese or whipped cream cheese. They will change the consistency of your frosting.
INSTANT PUDDING MIX NOTES: Many boxes of sugar-free, fat-free instant pudding mix have 4 servings per box. Since you only need 2 servings, you’ll use half of the box (not two boxes!).
If you can’t find sugar-free, fat-free cheesecake instant pudding mix, then substitute sugar-free, fat-free vanilla instant pudding mix instead.
Instant pudding mix is special because its thickening properties are activated when it’s cold or at room temperature — not when heated (like with cornstarch and regular “cook-and-serve” pudding mix).
Unfortunately, there isn’t a great substitute for the instant pudding mix. I’ve tried using xanthan gum, and while it does thicken the frosting, it also adds a weird texture. Regular “cook-and-serve” pudding mix and cornstarch won’t work because those require heat to activate their thickening properties, and heating the Greek yogurt is not a good idea.
So if you can’t find or don’t want to use instant pudding mix, I recommend using Frosting #1 instead.
STEVIA NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: For sweeter frosting, increase the liquid stevia by an additional ¼ to ½ teaspoon.
For the best results, I recommend using the same liquid stevia that I do. (Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for one another!) I buy it online here because that’s the best price I’ve found, and you’ll use it all of these recipes of mine too.
If you prefer not to use liquid stevia, then substitute 2 ¼ teaspoons of this powdered stevia. Alternatively, substitute 4-6 tablespoons of granulated sucralose, Truvia, confectioners’ style erythritol, or regular confectioners’ sugar (aka powdered sugar).
Do not substitute honey, pure maple syrup, agave, or any other similar liquid sweeteners.
HOW TO STORE: Store any unused or leftover frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Depending on how fresh your cream cheese and Greek yogurt are, it should last for at least three or four days, if not longer.
{gluten free, egg free, low fat, low sugar, sugar free, low carb, clean eating option}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.