Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (with 6 simple ingredients!)

Fluffy, creamy, and bursting with bold strawberry flavor. That’s what you’ll get when you whip up this beautiful strawberry cream cheese frosting.

I’ve made a point to create separate posts for all of my fun frosting recipes because desserts can always be made extra special with the addition of frosting! Yes, I have a brand new recipe dropping (tomorrow!) that has this strawberry frosting on top, but why not spread it on some freshly baked cookies, bars, or a cake that needs a little something?

Whip it up in just 15 minutes, and maybe even dip pretzels or vanilla wafers. YUM.

Everything you’ll need to make strawberry cream cheese frosting

You’re just 6 ingredients away from creamy, deliciously sweet strawberry frosting. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

Freeze-dried strawberries: we’re actually using freeze-dried strawberries (not fresh strawberries) to give the frosting that yummy strawberry flavor and pretty pink color! They pack the most flavor punch too.
Butter: you’ll also need butter to give the frosting its fluffy texture. I like to use salted butter for a little extra flavor.
Cream cheese: because this isn’t a buttercream frosting, we’re also adding cream cheese! It gives the frosting that subtle tang and slightly thinner texture that distinguishes it from buttercream.
Powdered sugar: like in all of my frosting recipes, we’re sweetening this with powdered sugar.
Vanilla: I like to add a splash of vanilla extract to bring out the sweetness.
Milk: feel free to use any milk you’d like to make the frosting nice and creamy.

Can I use fresh strawberries?

After testing both this strawberry cream cheese frosting and this Strawberry Buttercream multiple times each, I found that neither fresh strawberries (nor strawberry jam) gave the frosting the sweetness and strawberry flavor I was looking for.

Using freeze-dried strawberries gave the frosting a much deeper strawberry flavor, and it means that you can easily make this frosting when strawberries aren’t in season!

Try a vegan or dairy-free version

To make vegan strawberry cream cheese frosting, just use your favorite vegan / dairy-free butter and cream cheese. I like Miyokos butter and Violife cream cheese! Then be sure to thin your frosting with dairy-free milk.

Perfect strawberry cream cheese frosting in 3 steps

Blend the strawberries. Start by blending your freeze-dried strawberries in a small, high-powered blender or food processor until they become a very fine powder. Do not blend too much though or they will turn into a paste. It should only take 20 to 30 seconds.
Mix the butter & cream cheese. Next, whip your butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer on high until fluffy and well combined.
Whip the frosting. Add the freeze-dried strawberry powder, powdered sugar & vanilla, and beat together starting on low and ending on medium-high until smooth. Add milk a tablespoon at a time to make the frosting nice and creamy!

Can I mix it by hand?

Absolutely! Feel free to mix the strawberry cream cheese frosting in a large bowl with a hand mixer.

Delicious ways to use this frosting

Storing & freezing tips

To store: place any leftover strawberry cream cheese frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To freeze: place the frosting in an airtight glass container or freezer-friendly bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, simply let it thaw in the refrigerator, let it come to room temp, and then re-whip it in your electric mixer.

Our favorite frosting tools

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More frosting recipes you’ll love

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I hope you love this strawberry cream cheese frosting recipe! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

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