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This low carb keto cream cheese frosting recipe was originally created for making keto carrot cake, my all-time favorite spring dessert. And I’m so glad I did, because I’ve found so many delicious ways to use this sugar-free cream cheese frosting since then. Pairing beautifully with so many different desserts, it works equally well as a keto icing recipe (that you spread) and a low carb frosting (that you pipe). It’s not just the best cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar… I’d say this is the best one, period.
This keto cream cheese frosting recipe was originally published on February 17, 2018, and was republished in December 2019 to add better photos and better tips. If you’re curious, here’s one of the original photos:
Is Cream Cheese Frosting Keto?
No, regular cream cheese frosting is not keto because it contains sugar. (Lots of sugar.)
Traditional cream cheese frosting is pretty much the opposite of low carb. Fortunately, it’s actually very easy to make keto cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar.
How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting Without Powdered Sugar
How do you make cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar? Use powdered erythritol instead!
Yep, powdered erythritol works basically the same way as sugar in this low carb cream cheese frosting recipe. It’s even a natural sweetener, too.
The difference is, no powdered sugar means no insulin spike. And, no sugar crash later. Yay!
What If You Don’t Have Powdered Sweetener?
If you don’t want to buy the powdered kind, you can also use granulated erythritol. In fact, you can use any granulated sweetener you like, like monk fruit or a stevia blend. I have a guide covering all the keto and diabetic sweeteners here, along with a sweetener conversion chart.
TIP: If you use a granulated sweetener, you have to powder it in a food processor or coffee grinder. It needs to be powdered before adding it to the frosting, otherwise, your keto cream cheese frosting will be grainy.
How To Make Keto Cream Cheese Frosting
So, how do you make low carb cream cheese frosting? It’s very straightforward.
All you need are five ingredients and a hand mixer!
- Beat together cream cheese and butter, until the mixture is fluffy.
TIP: Make sure both the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature first. Otherwise, they will be too stiff and may not mix well.
- Beat in powdered sweetener and vanilla. (This is where you’ll want to grind your sweetener first if it’s not already powdered.)
- Thin out the frosting to a creamy consistency. The way I do it is by adding some heavy cream, and you can adjust the amount to your liking. If you like, you could also use any milk of your choice, such as almond or coconut milk.
TIP: If you want your sugar-free frosting recipe to be keto friendly, don’t use regular dairy milk, which has sugar from the lactose.
Ingredient Ratios in My Favorite Low Carb Cream Cheese Frosting
One thing that makes this low carb cream cheese frosting a little different from most is the ratios. I don’t like a lot of butter in my cream cheese frosting.
My sugar-free cream cheese frosting recipe has a 4:1 ratio of cream cheese to butter.
I prefer to let the slightly tart flavor of the cream cheese shine through. But if that’s not your thing? No problem! It’s super easy to customize.
TIP: If you’d rather have a stronger buttercream frosting flavor or texture, feel free to change up the ratio – you just want 10 tablespoons total. More butter and less cream cheese should work just fine.
I’m pretty sure that almost any ratio in this keto cream cheese frosting would still be delicious! 😉
How To Pipe Cream Cheese Frosting
How to pipe cream cheese frosting will partially depend on what you are using it for. For some uses, such as bars or a regular cake, you can just spread it on, whereas others require a piping bag.
To pipe cream cheese frosting in a pattern, such as for cake decorating or topping cupcakes, transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a piping tip.
TIP: If you don’t have any piping bags or tips, you can simply use a plastic bag with a corner snipped off.
For frosting cupcakes or any other round shape, start from the center, forming a spiral outward, and then continue the spiral inward again, ending back at the center.
How To Store Cream Cheese Frosting
You can make low carb cream cheese frosting ahead of time if you like. It only takes like five minutes to make to begin with, so not sure how much you are saving, but feel free if you’re so inclined.
Keto cream cheese icing will store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just make sure to let it come to room temperature before trying to use it.
Does Cream Cheese Frosting Freeze Well?
Yes, absolutely! If you want to make a big batch of sugar-free cream cheese frosting, you can freeze it. Simply transfer it to a zip lock bag and push all the air out before sealing.
Before using frozen sugar-free cream cheese frosting, let it thaw in the fridge. Then, let it come to room temperature on the counter before using.
TIP: To avoid any texture issues after freezing, beat the low carb cream cheese frosting briefly again (or at least stir or whisk well if that seems sufficient), right before using.
Ways To Use Sugar-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
What are your favorite ways to use sugar-free cream cheese frosting? Here are some of mine:
- Keto Pumpkin Bars – These are my most popular pumpkin recipe, and something tells me the frosting has a little to do with it.
- Sugar-Free Cupcakes – They already have a raspberry frosting, but would be just as delicious with this sugar-free cream cheese frosting instead.
- Keto Birthday Cake – This vanilla cake is so good that my non-keto friends and family can’t tell the difference. 😉
- Keto Mug Muffin – The low carb cream cheese frosting pairs perfectly with the cinnamon swirl.
- Keto Carrot Cake – This was the reason I first made this cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar!
If you have ideas of your own, I want to hear about them. I know I’m going to be experimenting with this keto cream cheese frosting a lot. If you use it too, I’d love to know!
And if you’re more of a chocolate fan, try my keto chocolate frosting recipe. You can also make sugar-free peanut butter frosting by using Besti powdered sweetener in place of sugar.
Tools To Make Keto Cream Cheese Icing
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Hand Mixer – This is the one I have and love. It’s super powerful and I like the storage for all the pieces.
- Piping Bag & Tip Set – This set has lots of different tips for adding keto frosting to cupcakes and more!
Low Carb Keto Cream Cheese Frosting without Powdered Sugar
Low Carb Keto Cream Cheese Frosting without Powdered Sugar
Want to see how to make cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar? It's so easy! This delicious, low carb keto cream cheese frosting recipe has just 5 ingredients. Use sugar-free keto cream cheese icing to frost cupcakes, cakes, and more.
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Ingredients
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Instructions
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- Use a hand mixer to beat together the cream cheese and butter, until fluffy.
- Beat in the sweetener and vanilla, until well incorporated.
- Add cream and beat again, until creamy. You can adjust the amount of cream to desired consistency.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 2 tbsp
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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244 Comments
Alicia
0I just made this frosting and added it to your carrot cake recipe.. DELICIOUS!! The combination turned out perfect. All my non-keto family enjoyed it too:) Thank you for sharing.
Jen
0Can I use Splenda instead of powdered Erithritol?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jen, I prefer to avoid artificial sweeteners but from a recipe standpoint Splenda would work fine.
LINDA janson
0Can I use Stevia in the raw. It doesn’t say it’s powdered.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Linda, Yes, you can sweeten this frosting with stevia, but it won’t be in the same amounts. You will have to sweeten to taste.
Michele
0Hi, I hope you can help! I used monk fruit mixed with erythritol to make the icing. It’s the first time I’ve used it and I didn’t understand about it being grainy until now. Is there a way to fix it or do I have to start all over?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michele, Sorry, I don’t think there’s a way to completely save it if you used a granulated sweetener. You could try pureeing it in a food processor but most likely it won’t fully powder it to be totally smooth. You might be able to use the mixture to make cream cheese cookies.
Melissa
0My husband and mom love this cake this will be the 2nd time make it. It was so easy. My husband is doing the keto diet and I am doing it a little here or there and I usually do not eat things with sugar substitutes because I always get a nasty after taste but with this cake I don’t get any after taste YUM
Berenice
0Oh my…….this cake was so good!!. I didn’t miss at all the sugar!. I been looking for recipes with almond flour and this one it’s definitely a keep one!. Thanks for sharing. Me encantó!!
Genar Beard
0Happy days! This was great. I am no cook but wow this turned out really good. It has been a long, long time since I had cake. The texture is perfect. Fellow diabetics and keto friends and family are in for a big treat. Thank you!
Stephanie
0Phenomenal! Doubled it and increased the butter a touch, then added 4 Tbsp cocoa powder to frost vanilla cupcakes ❤️
MaryAnn
0For some reason it isn’t a creamy texture. Looks crumbly and moisture in bottom of mixing.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi MaryAnn, It sounds like your frosting split. Were all your ingredients at room temperature?
Gina
0This is delicious! It saved me tonight!! I put it on my chocolate mug cake! I don’t like anything too sweetened (perks of being on keto) so I eased the Swerve in and use about 2/3 – 3/4 of what was called for. I actually used the granulated Swerve since it’s all I have on and it’s still awesome – I don’t mind the graininess at all. So happy about this, it’s my new jam.
Shayna Creeger
0Hi. I’m trying to input this recipe in my fitness pal. I’ve tried twice, putting the exact ingredients in, and no matter what I do, it still says 17 carbs per serving. Advise?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Shayna, Our nutrition info comes from the USDA Food Database, which is more reliable than 3rd party calculators. Unfortunately I can’t troubleshoot 3rd party calculators, but the nutrition info on the recipe card is correct.
Mel
0I only have powdered stevia or swerve. What would be their portion to use instead?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mel, You can use the low carb sweetener conversion calculator here.
Sondra
0Total game changer, YUM
Glynis Cole
0I Iooove this frosting, thank you. I can’t find powdered sweetener in the shops here in Aus, Natvia used to make one but they said it didn’t sell! I’ve tried grinding the granules in a coffee grinder and with the stick blender, but it still comes out grainy. The only solution I have found us to heat the mixture in the microwave, so it will dissolve. Perhaps I should dissolve the sweetener in water before adding it to the other ingredients – what do you think?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Glynis, I don’t recommend adding water to this. You could try seeing if the sweetener will dissolve in the cream cheese if you heat that a bit, but I haven’t tried it to say for sure. A better alternative might be to use a food processor to grind the sweetener (might work better than your coffee grinder) or order the powdered sweetener online.
Glynis Cole
0Hi Maya
Yes, the sweetener does dissolve in the heated cream cheese, but unfortunately I don’t have access to power often as I am a full time traveller and only use 12 volt or rechargeable appliances.
I tried powdering the granules with my stick blender but it still came out grainy. I don’t have a food processor, just the rotating blades on the blender.
The postage to buy confectioner’s (powdered) sugar online is prohibitive and takes too long to arrive as it isn’t available in Australia & I don’t stay in one place for more than a few weeks.
Could I safely heat the cream cheese in a pot on the stove?
Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0You can heat the cream cheese in a double boiler on the stove instead. It might burn if you put it directly over heat.
Anthoinette Palma
0I put the granulated swerve in a bullet blender it was amazing it turned into powdered sugar in no time
Tommy
0I was easy to make. I used an 1/8 cup of Lakanto powered monk fruit sweetener w/erythritol in it. It was sweet enough with the 1/8 cup. I also used 8oz of cream cheese and about 3-4 oz of Kerrygold Irish butter. It was more like a buttercream. I also used 12 oz of heavy whipping cream and about a tablespoon of vanilla. The flavor kicked A**!!! I’m diabetic , after all the taste testing and licking the whipping blade on my blender, blood sugars hit 115.
I plan on putting the cream on some little Keto Blueberry loaves I made
Jackie
0This. Frosting. Is. Incredible! Not incredible compared to other sugar free frosting, but compared to all cream cheese frosting recipes. Wow. My family of four adults gives this recipe five stars. Thank you!
Karen
0Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is one of my all-time fave foods. I always disliked too much sugar so this will suit me – I just cut down.
and, this is going to sound strange, but, I have been looking for a butter-cream combo that I can keep warm. Then the keto people – like me – at dinner can pour on the roasted cauliflower along with diced and crisped bacon. It is a bit of a headache but I have one person who is lactose intolerant and another hates sauces of any kind. so, do you think you can help me out here? I have a gravy boat that sits on a candle. thanks for this site
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Karen, I hope you’ll like the carrot cake and frosting – you can find the low carb carrot cake here. As for the sauce, the closest I have right now is this keto alfredo sauce recipe, but it does include dairy. A butter sauce would have dairy by definition, though. If you’d like you can use the Recipe Request link in the top menu to request a recipe if you’re looking for something different.
Susan
0This sounds delicious! If I wanted to make a boozy frosting, how much bourbon would need I to add? TIA 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Susan! Sorry, I haven’t tried that. You could just add it to taste, I’m sure, but may need to skip the heavy cream so that it’s not too thin.
Michele
0This is amazing thank you! Best sugar-free frosting recipe yet (ps. I used 1/4 cup pure organic stevia instead)
Susanne
0This is a brilliant recipe, first one I have made that is near the real thing. I downsized it as I’m getting fed up making desserts no one will eat, wish I had made this bigger!
Kelly
0Tastes amazing!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Kelly!
Doreen
0OMGoodness!! This tastes so much better than the high sugar version I remember. Thank you Maya! I tried this today as I had a migraine coming on and had a craving for something really sweet – this really hit the spot!! Thank you xx
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it, Doreen! Thanks for stopping by!
Marcelle
0I cannot wait to try this! But do you get a cooling effect from the erythritol? Can you use powdered xylitol to prevent any cooling effect?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marcelle, I don’t notice the cooling effect since the cream cheese masks it pretty well, but if you find that you notice any powdered xylitol will work fine. You’d need less of it – check the calculator here.
KARI SMITH
0DEAR LORD IN HEAVEN!!!! This is thee best recipe I have ever used!!! Made Low Carb Pumpkin Pie and it is a match made in heaven THANK YOU!!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Kari! Thank you!
Serina Harvey
0Tasty!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Serina!
Julie
0This was better than I even hoped for, thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love to hear that, Julie! Thank you for stopping by!
Claudine Delacour
0Have just finished making these and they are delicious. I made mine in a silicone mould made for mini loaves. It made 14 and the frosting is to die for. I have messed up my diet for today as I had to eat one (well maybe two)
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the frosting, Claudia!
Alison
0This is so perfect for the carrot and walnut cake. Love it. Thank you!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Alison! I am glad you liked the frosting and the cake sounds delicious too!
Joyce
0Erythritol, I am finding, does not dissolve as sugar does. Mine was gritty! What to do?? 🙁 First I used pure erythritol then went to monk fruit sweetener with erythritol in it. Both were gritty and I need a solution, please.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Joyce, Did you use granulated erythritol? If so, this would make it gritty. This recipe requires powdered.
Joyce
0I used granulated monk fruit sweetener which has erythritol. I have had this same problem with pure erythritol in other foods I had used it in and why I switched to monk fruit. I ground it with a coffee grinder which I use for other things such as flax seed, etc. It becomes as fine as powdered. I had also contacted Lakanto and they stated erythritol must reach a higher temperature to dissolve. I feel like I am the only person having this problem! 🙁
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0That is interesting, Joyce. I am glad you are happy with the monk fruit sweetener! It’s possible that grinding it yourself isn’t creating as fine a powder as the kind I used. Or, depending on how long the frosting sits, it might be crystallizing.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yay! I love to hear that, Margie!
Heather
0We just switched to keto and I’ve always been a baker. Love seeing your recipes. I have my own cream cheese icing recipe I use normally, would the amount of powdered erythritol be equal to amount of normal powder sugar I would have used or is there a conversion?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Heather! I don’t recommend using same amount, you’d need less. The conversion for frosting seems to be different than it normally is in my chart. I’d just add it gradually to taste if using a different recipe.
Linda DeLaura
0Cream cheese frosting is one of my favorite things in the world! I can’t wait to try this!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I hope you like it, Linda! Thanks for stopping by!
Dana @ Pretty LIttle Apron
0This is a fantastic idea! Can’t wait to try it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I hope you like it, Dana!
Rita Gresty
0Your sugar free, gluten free, low carb carrot cake is the best cake I’ve ever made! Absolutely delicious, so moist! I couldn’t find pineapple extract, but delicious without it. thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the cake, Rita! Thanks for stopping by! Please come back again soon!
Cat
0Delish! This would make really good fat bombs too, if you up the butter content and left our the cream. Yum! A butter cream frosting fact bomb. Probably have to store them in the freezer….. excuse me, heading to the kitchen to make this into fat bombs…..wonder what they would taste like dipped in chocolate…. Great recipe as always, Maya!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Cat! Please come back again soon!
Jo
0Is there a way to make a chocolate version of this frosting?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jo, I haven’t tried that yet, but it’s on my list!
Wholesome Yum A
0I just made it. All I did was added two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. Tastes great!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for sharing with us, Amanda!
Aimee
0I’m having a birthday party in a couple days and I was trying to come up with a good frosting for my cake that wouldn’t fall apart in a few hours, this is kinda what I was thinking of doing so I’m happy I found this recipe, sounds delicious.
If I put this on a cake and then leave it in the fridge, how long do you think it would stay stable for? I’m trying to figure out if I need to add it to the cake on the same day or if I can do it the day before. Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Aimee, Happy upcoming birthday (to you or is it for someone else?)! To be on the safe side, I’d make this the day-of. Sometimes it can crystallize in the fridge. Usually it’s not that quick, and most of the time it’s fine for a few days in my experience, but it can vary. Since it’s for a party, I’d just do same day, just to make sure. If you have leftovers, it’s fine to store in the fridge for a few days.
darra
0this.is.so.dang.good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it, Darra! Have a great day!
Hoa
0Hi, can we freeze the cake to eat later?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0The cream cheese frosting will freeze just fine. As for the cake, it depends on which one you made!
Caroline
0Hi, happy to have found your recipe. Can I use this recipe for a little girl with diabetes?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Caroline, Yes, absolutely! My kids love this frosting (while they are not diabetic, we limit sugar in our family). As always I don’t give medical advice and recommend consulting a doctor for any medical questions, but in general a low carb diet is great for diabetes. And, this sugar-free frosting is made with a natural sugar-free sweetener.
Caroline El Nagar
0Thanks for your answer. Can I change the erythritol to stevia?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0If you change to pure/concentrated stevia it might work but the consistency would be a bit different. If you use a granulated stevia blend, you’d need to powder it first using a coffee grinder or food processor, so that your frosting isn’t grainy. You can use my sweetener conversion chart here to determine how much to use.
Dondra
0This is incredibly good!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the frosting, Dondra!
Karyn M.
0This frosting has an amazing flavor- it takes exactly like the non-sugar free version. I loved it!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Karyn! I’m so glad you loved it.
Donna
0Hi, I’m GF, DF and Refined SF, Can I Use DF cream Cheese? And what can I use to replace the heavy cream?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Donna, Yes, dairy-free cream cheese should work. Not sure about replacing the butter, though. You can replace heavy cream with unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk, but would need less since those are thinner than cream.
Esther Erlich
0I can’t get powdered erythritol where I live in Australia. Is there any substitute? I can only get erythritol granules. There are no powdered artificial sweeteners at all.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Esther, You might be able to powder the granulated erythritol in a coffee grinder yourself. Also, erythritol is not artificial at all in case you wanted to know – it’s a natural sugar-free sweetener. 🙂
Dondra
0I used xylitol with no problem. I’d probably use a little less than the recipe though.
Natalie
0Hm, I don’t like the sweetener so is it possible if I make this without the sweetener? I think it’s still sweet with the butter and cream. Also, we will use it with cake, cupcakes or muffin so it would be delish in any case, isn’t it?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Natalie, From a consistency standpoint you probably could, but personally I think a frosting needs some sweetener. Up to you, though! If you omit the sweetener, you’d probably need less heavy cream.
Rita
0I used Total Sweet pure natural Xylitol from supermarket & it was delicious. I only blitzed a cup for the frosting & used straight from packet for creaming butter for cake. Really worked well! No aftertaste some sweeteners leave. Product made from European birch & beechwood.
Marcia Little
0Carrot cake is my all time favorite, please??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marcia, Carrot cake is coming soon!! 🙂
Ann
0Instead of using so much sweeter I sometimes use powdered milk. It helps to gives it the icing a little more volume.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ann, That’s a great idea! That does add some carbs from the lactose, but I bet heavy cream powder would also work the same way. I do use a lot less sweetener in my recipe than traditional powdered sugar frosting recipes.
Jen Gosnell
0Hi Maya! This recipe came at the perfect time, as I’m about to have a kid birthday here. From reading, it sounds like the sweetener has to be powdered. I’m wondering if this is to the exclusion of other sweeteners like liquid stevia. Is there a consistency reason that it needs to be powdered?
Thanks!
Jen
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jen, Yay, I love this for birthdays! Yes, the reason for the powdered sweetener is consistency. A granulated sweetener would make the frosting gritty, but a liquid one would make it runny. The powdered sweetener works to add not only sweetness but also bulk and adjusts the consistency.
Victoria
0This looks delicious! However, my body will only tolerate pure stevia, not any of the other sugar substitutes. I have powdered stevia that is very sweet. instead of 1/2 cup of sugar or erythritol, I would use 1 tsp. of my stevia. would that work for this recipe???
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Victoria, I haven’t tested it with pure stevia powder so am not 100% sure. I know granulated and liquid sweeteners will not work well, due to texture issues. Powdered pure stevia will not have the issues of being grainy or runny that granulated or liquid sweeteners would. But, it also would lack the bulk that using powdered erythritol provides. It would probably work ok but the texture would be a little different. Let me know how it goes if you try!
Linda Sutley
0My favorite way to use cream cheese frosting is atop a carrot cake with raisins and pineapple in the batter! Do you have that kind of magic up your sleeve, Maya?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yum, sounds amazing! I’m actually planning a carrot cake recipe next month! It doesn’t have raisins and pineapple due to the carb content, though. But, adding raisins will be really easy to do if you decide to do that.