Shop
My
Custom
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowI originally created this keto cream cheese frosting for my keto carrot cake (my favorite spring cake!), but since then, it’s become my go-to for so many treats. It’s so versatile! You can pipe it on low carb cupcakes, spread it on keto cakes, and even use it as a keto icing for cookies… all without any powdered sugar. Grab your hand mixer and make this sugar free cream cheese frosting with me in just 5 minutes!
Why You Need My Keto Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Creamy, tangy, and sweet – I know many of you love my keto buttercream frosting, but I think this keto cream cheese frosting is even better. And unlike many frosting recipes, mine uses more cream cheese than butter! It’s extra creamy, with a tangy flavor that brightens up any keto dessert.
- Keto friendly and gluten-free, with no aftertaste – I firmly believe you don’t have to compromise between taste and eating better. Even my friends and family (who aren’t low carb) love this stuff.
- 5 ingredients, 5 minutes – My sugar free cream cheese frosting is quick and easy! Just as easy as the regular kind.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my sugar free cream cheese frosting recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Cream Cheese & Butter – For smooth blending, make sure both are softened at room temperature. I recommend unsalted butter, although you can add a pinch of salt if you like.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Making cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar is pretty much the same as the regular kind, but the problem is that many sugar substitutes can leave a gritty texture. I used to make this keto cream cheese frosting with powdered erythritol, and when it did manage to dissolve (which wasn’t always!), it would crystallize later. That’s why I always use Besti now — it dissolves completely and won’t crystallize. You can also use Wholesome Yum confectioners allulose, but increase the amount to 2/3 cup. I don’t recommend any other powdered sweetener, as other brands of monk fruit and stevia typically contain erythritol.
- Heavy Cream – This thins out the frosting for a creamy consistency. Full-fat coconut milk works as a substitute if you’re out of cream. Avoid regular milk, which isn’t keto friendly.
- Vanilla Extract – I like this brand.
How To Make Keto Cream Cheese Frosting
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Beat the butter and cream cheese. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the cream cheese and butter, until fluffy.
- Add powdered Besti and vanilla. Beat them in until the sweetener dissolves.
- Add the cream. Blend again, until your keto cream cheese frosting reaches a smooth, creamy consistency. Adjust the cream as needed to get just the texture you want.
My Recipe Tips
- Forgot to soften your butter and cream cheese? This usually takes 30 to 45 minutes at room temp, but it depends on your kitchen temperature. For a shortcut place both on a plate, and fill a large stainless steel bowl with boiling water. After 5 minutes, empty and dry the bowl, and place it inverted over the plate. Your butter and cream cheese will soften from the residual heat!
- Feel free to adjust the cream cheese to butter ratio. I like a 4:1 ratio, which makes it very tangy. If you prefer it milder, reduce the cream cheese to 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) and add an extra 4 tablespoons of butter (for 6 tablespoons total). You can play with any ratio you like — you just need 10 tablespoons total between the butter and cream cheese combined.
- Your kitchen temperature and humidity can play a role. If it’s very warm or humid, this can make your frosting runny as well.
- Don’t beat too long. You want the butter and cream cheese to become fluffy, but beating too long can warm them up so much that your frosting becomes runny, or introduce air bubbles.
- Want to add flavors? Try mixing in a dash of cinnamon or pumpkin spice, lemon or orange zest, or a few spoonfuls of cocoa powder (you can experiment with how much — I use the same amount as my keto chocolate frosting).
- Don’t have a piping bag? I have this set, which includes reusable bags, a variety of tips, and a box to hold them all. But you can easily scoop the frosting into a zip lock bag, snip off a corner, and you’re ready to pipe.
- How to pipe this sugar free cream cheese frosting: For cupcakes or round shapes, start in the center and spiral outward, then spiral back in to finish in the center.
Ways To Use It
You can use cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar in the same ways you would the regular kind! Here are some of my favorite ways:
- Cakes – Like I mentioned earlier, I first whipped it up for my keto carrot cake, but I also use it for my keto yellow cake and keto red velvet cake. You can even spread it on keto chocolate cake for something different!
- Cupcakes & Muffins – I originally made a raspberry frosting for my sugar free cupcakes, but I end up using this one just as often (as pictured on this page). You can also make your keto muffins feel more dessert like with a swirl of keto cream cheese frosting on top.
- Cookies & Bars – I think this frosting pairs particularly well with pumpkin, like my healthy pumpkin bars and keto pumpkin cookies. It also works well on keto sugar cookies and sugar free gingerbread cookies. If you really love cream cheese, spread it over my low carb cream cheese cookies!
My Tools For This Recipe
- Hand Mixer – I’m obsessed with mine! It’s powerful, has great storage for all the attachments, and has many speeds.
- Piping Bag & Tip Set – I love the variety of tips, but what I love even more is they come with a storage box and reusable bags.
Keto Cream Cheese Frosting (Sugar Free)
Make my sugar free, keto cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar in 5 minutes! It’s creamy, sweet, & perfect for your low carb desserts!
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
-
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the cream cheese and butter for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy.
-
Beat in the sweetener and vanilla, until the sweetener dissolves. (Note: You can use powdered Besti or powdered allulose, but most other sweeteners won't dissolve well.)
-
Add the heavy cream and beat again, until creamy. You can adjust the amount of cream to get the consistency you like.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 2 tablespoons
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you prevent runny frosting, my hack to soften the butter and cream cheese fast, several ways to adjust the flavor, and piping tricks.
- Store: Keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let it come to room temperature before spreading or piping.
- Freeze: You can freeze this sugar free cream cheese frosting for up to 3 months. I recommend using a zip lock bag — just squeeze out all the air. Thaw in the fridge overnight, bring to room temp, then give it a quick beat before using.
- Recipe yield: This recipe makes 3/4 cup of frosting. Feel free to double or triple it if you need more.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
Try More Of My Recipes
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Keto Cream Cheese Frosting
317 Comments
Carol
0Excellent!! What more can I say?
Darcy Matson
0This was delicious! Perfect for adding onto any kind of sweet treat! My non-keto/low carb husband had no idea this was a keto/low carb recipe!
CazT
0Super recipe. I’m freezing some carrot cupcakes and not sure whether I should frost them first or freeze the frosting separately, perhaps as already piped shapes ready to place on the cakes. Any advice welcomed, thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Caz, You could do either, but freezing separately will be a little better. Creating frozen piped shapes is a great idea!
CazT
0Thank you!
Roxy Bannerman
0O M G!!!!!!!!!!! This frosting was AWESOME!!!! I made half a batch and it was just enough to cover my brownies!!!!! I even licked the beaters and bowl. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mo
0Three words only… simple and delicious!
Jany
0Maya, First of all, I am impressed with your site and love your recipes!!!! Sometimes, I like watching a video on the process. In your recipes, you state, “Tap on the image below to play the video. It’s the easiest way to learn how to make this recipe!” I am sorry, but I cannot find the link. The image below is the Besti image. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Jany
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jany, The video is located in the recipe card, just above the recipe itself. If you can’t see it, check to see that you don’t have your browser’s ‘reader mode’ enabled. It may need to be turned off to view the video. I hope this helps!
Stephanie
0Hi, if I was to powder xylitol as the sweetener, would this still work?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Stephanie, Xylitol doesn’t dissolve as well as Besti, but better than erythritol. It can work in the recipe as long as it’s powdered.
Elizabeth Doub
0Is there any way to sub coconut cream for the butter?
Noor
0Can I use Quark instead of cream cheese? I’m in the UK and our cream cheese isnt as thick – the Quark cheese here appears to have a thicker texture.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Noor, Although quark and cream cheese are not technically the same, you should be able to use it in this recipe just fine.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Elizabeth, I believe this will work, but your frosting won’t set up to be as thick and workable as it would with butter, and you’d have a coconut flavor.
Renee
0This recipe worked, but I just didn’t see the need to add the cream. It was perfect and fluffy and frosting like before, but I wanted to follow be recipe so I added the cream. It made it runnier and thinner. If I do this recipe again, I won’t add the cream.
Can this frosting stay out, or does it need to be refrigerated?
Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Renee, Cream Cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated. Hope you enjoy!
April
0So easy and delicious! I did use less vanilla to have a more cream cheese taste. Keto carrot cake is perfect.
Lisa L Germano
0This is the simplest, best cream cheese frosting! I love it and will continue making it!! Oh, by the way, I put it on banana nut muffins and it was like eating a carrot cake.
Lyn
0OMG this is soooo good! Thanks a million!
Christine Riley
0Hello, I followed the recipe to the T, looks good and tastes good but mushy uncooked in the middle.
Please advice
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Christine, I would like to help, but you commented on a recipe for frosting. Can you let me know which recipe you baked?
AstroTalk
0This cream cheese was fabulous, I still have it in my fridge, I never let this run out. I just love this!
Dianne M
0This is literally the best frosting I’ve had! I’ve loved all your recipes, I’ve tried thus far! Thank you so much, for making keto easy ❤️
Lina
0Amazing recipe.
Debbie
0I just made the LOW CARB KETO CREAM CHEESE FROSTING WITHOUT POWDERED SUGAR. It is fabulous! Thank you so much for this recipe. My husband has diabetes and I am pre diabetic so this allows us to have a very good tasting icing without spiking our blood sugar.
Eliza E
0Loved them. Made your lemon icing for these and just overate them! Thank you …. Oops I thought I was on your cream cheese cookie recipe. That’s what I used this recipe on! Both are fabulous.
Sandra
0Hello, Maya:
Just came across the shortbread cookie recipe today, and wonder if this cream cheese frosting could be used on those instead of dipping them into the chocolate?
Almonds go very well with cherries. I thought of adding a couple of drops of cherry extract to this, and thinning it down just enough to make a “drizzle” using whipping cream right out of the container, again with just a touch of the cream. Does this sound like something that would work?
Your comments & suggestions please.
Sandra W.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sandra, This sounds lovely, but please know that this frosting will not “set” as cookie icing would. Also, please know if you try this, your frosted cookies will need to be refrigerated to stay fresh. Best wishes!
Jennifer Fahsel
0Oh my goodness! Yum!!
Princesa
0Hi, thanks for the awesome cream cheese frosting recipe! Do you also have a recipe for the cupcake in the main picture? It looks like a vanilla cupcake. I’ve searched your website but can’t seem to find it… There’s only a raspberry cupcake & a chocolate one that comes up.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Princesa, Yes, those are my sugar free vanilla cupcakes!