Creamy, healthy cream cheese frosting…
It’s both fluffier and creamier than Pillsbury cream cheese. And if you’re counting calories: you could eat the entire recipe for just 200 calories. Who wouldn’t want to eat an entire container’s worth of frosting in one sitting?
For more healthy frosting recipes: Over 50 Healthy Frosting Recipes
But the following recipe is better than store-bought frosting for a reason much more important than the calories: it’s free of unhealthy trans fats.
Many packaged frostings contain your entire day’s worth of trans fats in just two tablespoons. I posted a similar frosting recipe, my Cheesecake Frosting, around three years ago, and I modified the recipe yesterday and think this new healthy cream cheese frosting recipe is even better than the original!
Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting
(makes about 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, such as TJ vegan or homemade cashew cream cheese
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp powdered sugar OR stevia to taste
- 1/4 cup silken tofu OR more cream cheese (For soy-free: Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese Frosting)
- up to 2 tbsp milk of choice, as needed for desired thickness
Blend everything together in a small food processor (I used a Magic Bullet). If you’re using this recipe to top cupcakes, I’d recommend frosting them just before serving, or frosting earlier and then storing the cupcakes in the fridge, due to the perishable nature of the ingredients. Leftover frosting can be stored for a few days in the fridge, covered. Variation ideas: Add pumpkin, or shredded carrot and pineapple for a carrot cake dip, or cinnamon and walnuts…
Or you can go crazy: Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Dip.
Do you worry about trans fats?
Do you think they really are as bad as all the hype says they are? I don’t “worry” about them, but that’s pretty much because I don’t have to—most of the foods containing trans fats are pre-packaged snack foods (often not even vegan) I wouldn’t seek out anyway. Sure, every now and then I’ll grab a handful of chocolate Teddy Grahams if I’m at a friend’s house and they’re sitting out. But for the most part, I don’t buy anything with “partially-hydrogenated oils” listed in the ingredients (a really easy way to tell if a food has trans fats).
By the way, I just noticed: You can totally see my head and camera in the reflection of the spoon in the photo above 
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IS this frosting thick enough to decorate a cake with?? Do you think it would be to runny? Thanks
Tofu? Any non- fermented soy product is not healthy. Besides all soy being GM. I used to use tofu until I studied the results of consuming it. Baby formula made with soy delivers a shot of estrogen. Look it up.
Yeah, plant estrogen. Look it up lol
Look for organic soy products. Tofu and tempe are fine, as are frozen or fresh edamame. Anything with soy isolates is cancer promoting. Don’t know about children but soy products are breast cancer preventative.
Yum! Trying this today on white cake cupcakes 🙂 I’m always up for trying a healthier option for frosting. Thanks for sharing on Pinterest!
I was wondering if it would work to sub out the cream cheese spread for plain yogurt?
Thanks a bunch!!!
Just for those looking for additional alternatives to the sweetener…I didn’t have powdered sugar and don’t love stevia, I used raw honey – a little more than a TBSP – and loved the results. Also – I didn’t notice the soy flavor other commenters have noted. LOVE the runny texture – really fun to drizzle on the strawberry muffins!
HI Katie,
Do you have any frosting recipe that does not require refrigeration? Or from the recipe posted above, can i remove the milk and substitute it with plain water?
Thanks and more power!
Commercial frostings have unhealthy preservatives that enable them to be left out at room temp, so unfortunately natural frostings will not be the same. However, this one can be left out for at least a few hours: https://lett-trim.today/2014/09/11/homemade-cookiesn-cream-frosting/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Has anyone ever tried freezing it? I think I might.
Do you happen to have a recipe for the ‘homemade cashew cream cheese’? My husband dislikes all of the vegan cream cheeses we have tried and I am curious about this option. Thanks!
Unfortunately I don’t… Maybe try this one? I’ve not tried it: http://www.food.com/recipe/raw-cashew-cream-cheese-359133
Kate, I have been following your recipes for several years. However, I am allergic to soy and coconut; I won’t eat any stevia or non sugar substitutes. Any suggestions?
Here are all her frosting recipes, many of which are soy and coconut free, such as the cashew frosting or marshmallow fluff: https://lett-trim.today/category/healthy-frosting-recipes/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
how can i make the cream cheese thicker to frost a cake?