An easy to whip up, smooth and rich Keto Cream Cheese Frosting! Whether you’re making a carrot cake or pumpkin bars, this keto vanilla frosting is the perfect addition.
1 Net Carb per serving
Need sweet treats that fit into your keto diet? Try this low carb frosting recipe on Keto Pumpkin Coffee Cake or these individual Keto Chocolate Mug Cakes!
The Perfect Sugar-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
Is cream cheese frosting keto? Traditional cream cheese icing is made with powdered sugar, so it is not. But powdered sugar is the only ingredient that needs a swap to make this low in carbs!
Anyone looking to lower the sugar in their diets and maintain healthy blood sugar levels will love this cream cheese frosting.
I’ve added cream cheese to frostings for years, long before I started a low carb diet. It’s perfectly creamy, high in protein, and reduces the need for a ton of powdered sugar.
Whip it up with some butter, and sweeten it with a powdered sweetener, and you have the perfect cake (or cupcake!) topper with fewer carbs.
Cream cheese frosting is synonymous with carrot cake, but it’s also perfect for chocolate cakes, hummingbird cake, and red velvet cake.
Spread it on thick, or pipe it high on cupcakes!
Cream cheese frosting is less sweet than vanilla buttercream. It has a slight tang that makes it the perfect compliment to sweet desserts. It’s my go-to recipe for low-carb cakes!
What You’ll Need:
- Cream Cheese (full fat recommended)
- Butter
- Powdered Monk Fruit Sweetener* (use discount code BLISSFULLYLOWCARB for 20% off your first order!) Swerve also makes a powdered sweetener, but I prefer the monk fruit sweetened options.
- Vanilla Extract (or a scraped vanilla bean)
*If you have a granulated sweetener, add it to a food processor or blender, and process until it forms a powder. No need to buy a special product!
Make Keto Cream Cheese Frosting with pure Monk Fruit or Stevia
It’s possible to make cream cheese frosting without sugar alcohols!
I use the Powdered Monk Fruit Sweetener, which has erytritol. If you avoid erythritol, but still want to make this recipe, you can with a little variation!
No Sugar Alcohol Ingredients:
- Full Fat Cream Cheese
- Butter
- Allulose (optional)
- Pure stevia or monk fruit
- Vanilla Extract
- Cacao Butter
Follow the instructions as written. Add 1/2 cup allulose plus monk fruit or stevia, to taste. Melt the cacao butter, and drizzle it in with the mixer running. It will solidify as it’s being mixed into the cream cheese and butter mixture, helping to firm up the frosting so it’s a spreadable texture.
Avoid liquid sweeteners, which will make the frosting too thin.
How to Make Keto Cream Cheese Frosting
Step 1: Soften the cream cheese and butter. For even softening (and the smoothest frosting), cut the butter and cream cheese into small pieces, and let sit out at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Step 2: Add butter and cream cheese to a stand mixer bowl or large mixing bowl. Using the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip the cream cheese and butter together until it’s smooth and creamy and no more lumps remain. *An electric mixer is highly recommended for the best texture. If you need to hand stir it, it will take longer but still taste delicious!
Step 3: Add the vanilla and powdered sweetener into the cream cheese mixture, and continue to whip until the icing is thick but light and fluffy. Add more powdered sweetener until desired texture is reached.
Step 4: Use these thick and rich low carb cream cheese frosting to top your favorite keto cake recipes or cupcakes!
FAQ & How to Store
How to Store Leftover Sugar Free Cream Cheese Frosting
Store leftover frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Store it in a sealed container and freeze frosting for up to 3 months.
Prior to using the frosting, allow it to come back to room temperature, and beat it until it’s light and fluffy again!
What if my frosting is too thick?
If your cream cheese frosting is a thicker texture than you’d like, thin it out with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Add an additional 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream, beating in between additions, until the desired texture is reached.
What if my Low Carb Cream Cheese frosting is too thin?
Add additional powdered sweetener to your frosting until the desired texture is reached.
Be sure not to over soften cream cheese and butter prior to whipping it. This will make it very difficult to get a thick texture.
Make Less Sweet Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese has water in it that is released when the frosting is whipped, so if you only add 1/2 cup- 1 cup of powdered sweetener, the frosting will be too thin.
There is a work around! Melt 1/2 ounce of cacao butter and drizzle it in with the mixer running. It will solidify when hitting the cooler ingredients and help form a thicker textured frosting.
Keto Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
If a keto chocolate frosting is what you’re after, this is still the perfect recipe! In fact, the unsweetened cocoa powder helps the frosting have an even better consistency!
The recipe is the same, but add 1/4 cup natural cocoa powder for a lighter chocolate flavor, or 1/3 cup cocoa for a deeper chocolate flavor.
Keto Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Give your cakes a spring vibe with a lemony cream cheese frosting.
Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice + 2 tablespoons of lemon zest to the frosting, and increase the powdered sweetener by 1/2 cup.
Berry Cream Cheese Frosting
Add some fun to your keto cream cheese frosting! Use freeze dried raspberries or strawberries. The strawberries will give the frosting a pink hue, and the raspberries will make a dark pink or red!
Add 1/4 cup for a lighter color, or 1/2 cup freeze dried berries for a darker hue and flavor!
Frost Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
This frosting is perfect for spreading or piping! It’s thick enough to to pipe beautiful designs on top of your favorite keto cupcakes.
Add Keto Cream Cheese frosting to a piping bag, and top these Keto Pumpkin Muffins made with mini chocolate chips!
Also try Keto Carrot Cake Cupcakes topped with sugar free cream cheese frosting!
How to Use Low-Carb Keto Cream Cheese Icing
On top of Keto Chocolate Cake.
Piped on to Keto Carrot Cake Cupcakes.
As a thick topping to this Keto Pumpkin Coffee Cake.
Thin it with heavy whipping cream, and drizzle it on top of low carb cinnamon rolls (low carb version or not, this sugar free icing makes a healthier topping!).
Store extra frosting in the refrigerator and add a dollop on top of Mug Cakes.
Make a delicious Keto Birthday Cake and top it with a low carb frosting!
Other Keto Desserts
Try this recipe? Be sure to share your cooking with me on Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram, and tag @BlissfullyLowCarb !
Keto Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or Handheld Mixer
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese full fat (softened)
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered monk fruit sweetener or powdered sweetener of choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or scrape 1 vanilla bean
Instructions
- Soften the cream cheese and butter. For even softening (and the smoothest frosting), cut the butter and cream cheese into small pieces, and let sit out at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
- Whip the cream cheese and butter together until it’s smooth and cream, and no more lumps remain.
- Add the vanilla and powdered sweetener, and continue to whip until the mixture is thick but light and fluffy. Add more powdered sweetener until desired texture is reached.
- Use to top your favorite keto cakes or cupcakes!
Video
Notes
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese (full fat)
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1/2 cup Allulose (optional)
- Pure stevia or monk fruit (to taste – make very small additions and taste)
- Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 ounce Cacao Butter (melted)
Hi Michelle, I can’t find an organic cream cheese where I am, how can I substitute this ? Mascarpone? Heavy cream? a mix of both? Thank you !!
Marscapone would be the closest thing here — I imagine it would take a little more sweetener to make a thick frosting, but it will taste similar. Another option is to line a strainer with a paper towel and add the marscapone (over a bowl) overnight. This will allow the excess water to drain from the cheese and make it thicker like cream cheese!
Absolutely brilliant! Awesome to be able to make such a lovely, sweet, cream cheese icing without it being disastrously unhealthy. Thank you Michelle! 🙂
Thank you! Happy to have you following along.
I had to make powered out of my regular monk sugar, however it still tasted gritty. Will make it work, but I don’t think I’ll try this once again. Thanks anyways.
I agree it doesn’t get quite as smooth as when you buy it! I still use it in a pinch but it’s better to purchase it.