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.

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!

Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too - I’d love to see it!