This silky honey cream cheese frosting is made with just honey, cream cheese, and butter in 5 minutes! Honey adds floral notes and keeps it refined sugar-free. It's super creamy, and great for spreading on carrot cake, gingerbread, or for licking off of spoons – you do you!
If you're a fan of my reader-favorite low-sugar cream cheese frosting, you're going to love this no-sugar version that's sweetened only with honey. Using honey not only makes this cake topping refined sugar-free, but it also gives it an extra-silky texture and bright, floral notes that taste like springtime.
Swirl this silky frosting over your favorite cake and cupcake recipes – if you don't eat it all straight from the bowl first!
Ingredients
This frosting is made with just 3 main ingredients:
- Cream cheese forms the base. Be sure to use a block of cream cheese that has some gums in it which keeps it smooth. My favorite brand is Organic Valley which has a clean, fresh flavor and can be found at most major grocers.
- Butter adds richness. Be sure to use fresh butter that tastes delicious. I like Straus and Vermont Creamery brands which are both made with super fresh cream and are extra rich.
- Honey sweetens the frosting, adding a silky texture and bright, floral notes. I prefer an amber-colored clover honey, but feel free to use different varietals here. Make sure your honey is liquid and at room temperature, not crystallized, for a smooth frosting. Crystallized honey can be liquefied and cooled back to room temperature to dissolve the crystals.
- Salt optionally adds a bit more sharpness to the flavors.
How to Make Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
This recipe makes about 1.5 cups of frosting, enough for an 8-inch square cake, 9-inch single layer cake, or 6 cupcakes. Double the recipe for a 9x12-inch sheet cake, or triple it for an 8- or 9-inch layer cake. It takes about 5 minutes to whip up.
You can make it in a small stand mixer such as the KitchenAid Mini fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a bowl with an electric beater (or a spoon and your strong arms!)
- Beat together the soft butter and cream cheese until smooth
- Add the honey and salt.
- Beat the frosting on medium-high until silky smooth.
- Swirl over your favorite cake recipes, or eat it straight from the bowl!
What to Pair with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
Besides licking it off the spoon, here are some of my favorite uses for this honey frosting recipe:
- Spread it over Gluten-Free Carrot Cake, Paleo Carrot Cake, or Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cake
- Serve it with Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread or GF Pumpkin Muffins
- Swirl it on Coconut Flour Banana Cake
- Use it on Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
If you make this frosting, please let me know what you use it on in the comments below!
Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my award-winning gluten-free baking cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this honey cream cheese frosting, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.
Silky 3-Ingredient Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 8 ounces (225 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) lightly salted or unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup (95 g) honey (liquid and light-colored, such as clover)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with an electric beater or wooden spoon) combine the cream cheese and butter. Beat on medium-low speed until smooth and combined, 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl and paddle as needed.
- Add the honey and salt, if using. Beat the frosting on low speed to combine, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until silky and shiny, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Take care not to overwhip the frosting because it can turn grainy (though it will still taste delicious!)
- The frosting will be fairly soft at first, better for swirling than for piping. If you wish to pipe the frosting, pop it in the fridge, checking it every few minutes until it's firm enough to pipe.
- Use right away, or store refrigerated airtight for up to 1 week. If chilled, let soften to room temperature before using.
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes about 1.5 cups of frosting, enough for a 9x9-inch sheet cake, a 6-inch layer cake, or 6 cupcakes.
- Double the recipe to frost a 9x12-inch sheet cake.
- Triple the recipe for an 8- or 9-inch layer cake with frosted sides.
- Nutritional values are for 1 of 8 servings.
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