Cream Cheese Frosting

This Cream Cheese Frosting is perfect for almost any baked good, including cinnamon rolls, carrot cake and even graham crackers. You can not go wrong with a good homemade cream cheese icing when you are looking to top your favorite sweets.

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Is there anything better than homemade cream cheese frosting?

That’s a trick question because the answer is NO.

A close second is our Granny’s Homemade German Chocolate Icing!

Cream cheese icing for cinnamon rolls takes a regular cinnamon roll from ok to down right amazing.

Barbara found this cream cheese icing recipe in what I think has become her go-to church cookbook – Pot ‘O Gold Cookbook from the St. Patrick Altar Society of Imogene, Iowa. She decided to use it to top some homemade Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls but this recipe can be used in other ways. It would be great on a carrot cake or even just a plain yellow cake.

What is cream cheese icing made of?

Making cream cheese icing from scratch is easy and only has a few ingredients.

Cream Cheese, softened

Butter, softened

Vanilla Extract

Milk

Powdered Sugar, sifted (Confectioner’s Sugar)

To make a perfect cream cheese frosting from scratch, be sure to factor in enough time for both of your cream cheese and butter to soften before you start making this frosting. If you don’t allow for it to soften, you’ll have lumpy icing…which tastes the same, but it doesn’t look quite as pretty!

Another great suggestion for perfect cream cheese icing is to sift the powdered sugar before making the icing.  This simple step prevents a lumpy, clumping frosting.

If you have leftovers (and we really hope that you do), store it in the refrigerator to use later.

OR pull out a box of graham crackers and slather a thick layer on one and enjoy. If you want to go crazy, top it with another graham cracker for a delicious sandwich cookie.

Notes About Classic Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Be sure that your cream cheese and butter are both softened.
• The great thing about this homemade cream cheese icing is that you can control the consistency. If you want it a bit thinner than what we show on this post, just don’t add all the powdered sugar.
• Use a hand mixer to get the homemade frosting fluffy and creamy.
• For lump-free frosting, try sifting the powdered sugar before adding it to this easy frosting recipe.
• For cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls, we put on the icing when the rolls are warm which melts the cream cheese icing into a thinner consistency.  For a nice thick cream cheese icing, let the rolls cool first, and then frost.

How to Make Classic Cream Cheese Frosting

Instructions for how to make cinnamon roll frosting from scratch:

1. Beat together softened cream cheese and butter.
2. Stir in milk and vanilla; slowly add in powdered sugar, beating until creamy and smooth.

For the full instructions and ingredient amounts for cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Does cream cheese frosting need refrigerated?

So you’ve made some delicious homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing. Do cinnamon buns with cream cheese icing need to be refrigerated?  This same question has crossed our minds countless times.

And the answer is YES.

Any dessert that is topped with a cream cheese icing should be refrigerated. This does change the texture and consistency of the cream cheese icing.  To remedy this, remove the cinnamon rolls (or whatever dessert you’ve made) from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature before serving. Or, warm slightly in the microwave before serving.

What goes with cream cheese frosting?

Besides the obvious cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls, you can make this delicious icing recipe for all kinds of desserts. Here are 10 awesome dessert ideas to top with cream cheese icing.

• Vintage Pumpkin Cake
• Zucchini Cookies
• Sour Cream Coffee Cake
• Yellow Cake Mix Gooey Bars
• Mom’s Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
• Chocolate Pound Cake 
• French Buttercreams
• Strawberry Bread
• Hummingbird Cake
• Vanilla Wafer Banana Cake

Print Recipe

Cream Cheese Frosting

This Cream Cheese Frosting is perfect for almost any baked good, including cinnamon rolls, carrot cake and even graham crackers.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time0 mins

Total Time10 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: classic cream cheese frosting, cream cheese frosting, easy cream cheese frosting

Author: Barbara

Ingredients

• 8 oz. package cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

• Beat together softened cream cheese and butter.
  
• Add milk and vanilla, and then slowly add powdered sugar.
  
• Beat until smooth and creamy.
  
• Frost cinnamon rolls, cookies or cake or eat on graham crackers.
  
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
  

Notes

• When making this frosting, be sure that your cream cheese and butter are both softened.
• The great thing about this frosting is that you can control the consistency. If you want it a bit thinner than what we show on this post, just don't add all the powdered sugar.
• Use a hand mixer to get the cream cheese frosting fluffy and creamy.
• For lump-free frosting, try sifting the powdered sugar before adding it to this easy cream cheese frosting recipe. 
• Serve this smothered over Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls. 
• For cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls, we put on the icing when the rolls are warm which melts the cream cheese icing into a thinner consistency.  For a nice thick cream cheese icing, let the rolls cool first, and then frost. 

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