Easy Cream Cheese Frosting Without Butter

4.45 from 9 votes

My cream cheese frosting without butter is creamy, sweet, and delicious! It's easy to make and tastes incredible.

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 179kcal

In a small mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form to create whipped cream. Cover and chill in the refrigerator.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese for 1 to 2 minutes until softened. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, and beat it until smooth.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until it’s thoroughly combined.
Pipe or spread on cupcakes, cookies, or cake.

My recipe makes enough to pipe 12 cupcakes or a small cake.
Softening the cream cheese first gives the smoothest frosting without lumps.
Beat the heavy cream using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer until it forms firm, stiff peaks. Under-whipping the heavy cream can make the frosting runny.
When adding the powdered sugar to the whipped cream cheese, keep your mixer on a low speed so you don’t get powdered sugar everywhere.
Full-fat cream cheese makes a big difference. Reduced-fat versions can make the frosting too thin.
If the frosting seems thin, stick it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. If it still isn’t as thick as you want, add a small amount of cornstarch.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The frosting needs to be refrigerated after piping on cupcakes or cake, too.