Cream Cheese Icing
Do yourself a favor and make decadent Cream Cheese Icing ASAP to add to your favorite dessert or breakfast! Calling for a handful of ingredients, this smooth and creamy cream cheese frosting recipe is perfect for anything.
Last weekend, we made Joy the Baker’s Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls for my friends Elizabeth, Eric and their baby, Hannah.
They were absolutely incredible, and I made this Cream Cheese Frosting for Cinnamon Rolls to go on top of them.
I recommend checking Joy’s recipe out, and I wanted to share the Cream Cheese Icing recipe I whipped up for the rolls because it was perfection.
Why I love this recipe:
Honestly, Cream Cheese Icing for Cinnamon Rolls is something special, totally decadent and incredibly simple to make at home, too. It tastes delightfully tangy with just a little balance of sweetness.
All you need are four ingredients and a pinch of salt…
In about 5 minutes, you’ll have the creamiest, dreamiest frosting imaginable.
Serve on warm cinnamon rolls to really get gooey and perfect!
Please note that this homemade cream cheese frosting has a runnier texture than the type you’d find on a layered cake, like a red velvet cake, spice cake or a carrot cake or even cupcakes.
This recipe was originally developed to drizzle on cinnamon rolls and it is too thin to use in a piping bag, but I am biased and will tell you it is the BEST cream cheese frosting recipe to add to cookies, red velvet waffles, pancakes, etc.
However, you can find my thicker, pipable Cream Cheese Frosting for Cakes and Cupcakes here.
Recipes to use this thinner Cream Cheese Icing with: Guinness Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting Drizzle | Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes | Spiced Pumpkin Sugar Cookies | Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars | Chocolate Chip Brownies with Bourbon and Pecans
Looking for more frosting recipes? Check out my Icing Recipe Index.
What you need to make this recipe:
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Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you’ll need to grab from the grocery store:
- Cream cheese — I recommend using the full-fat cream cheese to get as much flavor as possible out of this recipe. I have not tried this with low-fat cream cheese or nonfat cream cheese. The texture will potentially change and be less luscious if you use one of these.
- Powdered sugar — also known as confectioner’s sugar, this is the sweetener for our frosting.
- Pure vanilla extract — the real deal stuff really makes a difference in the flavor!
- Milk — you can use whatever type of milk you’ve got on hand. I’ve made this with skim milk, as well as whole milk.
When I make icings like this, I like to add a pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness. I won’t count it as a fifth ingredient, but please note that this will help the frosting not taste too sweet.
How to make Cream Cheese Icing
Measure the softened cream cheese into a large bowl. It needs to be at room temperature to blend more easily.
Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, starting slowly so it doesn’t splatter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add the powdered sugar. Beat until combined with the cream cheese. Be sure to start the blender slowly so the powdered sugar doesn’t fly everywhere.
Pour in the vanilla, and mix to combine. It should smell amazing.
Drizzle the milk slowly into the frosting. Do this very slowly as you blend the ingredients together, keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t become too runny.
Enjoy with cinnamon rolls, cookies, cakes, pancakes and more!
You can spread this onto warm rolls and it will become gooey and delicious.
Make it your own!
Depending on how you like your frosting, you can add more or less milk than the recipe specifies. Add enough milk to get the icing to YOUR desired consistency.
How to store:
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Let the icing come closer to room temperature to drizzle upon cinnamon rolls or cookies.
Quick tips and tricks to the best Cream Cheese Cinnamon Roll Icing
- Double the recipe and make a double batch if you’re serving a crowd or like a lot of frosting!
- How to store: Transfer the icing into an airtight food storage container. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Change up the flavors! You can add a little strawberry to make Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting. Swap the vanilla extract with another extract (like maple, lemon, etc.) to give this a different flavor.
More cinnamon roll recipes to try:
- Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
- Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
- Walnut Sticky Buns with Cream Cheese Icing
Want to learn how to make this goodness?
Check it out below…
Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar 260g
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 5g
- 1 tablespoon milk 17g
- Kosher salt to taste
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
- Add the softened cream cheese to a large bowl.
- Use a hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, starting slowly so it doesn't splatter. We do this to add air to the cream cheese from the get-go and make the blending easier.
- Sprinkle in the powdered sugar, and beat until combined with the cream cheese. (Be sure to start the mixer on low so that the powdered sugar doesn't fly everywhere.)
- Pour in the vanilla, and mix to combine.
- Drizzle the milk into the icing slowly, running the hand mixer at the same time. We don't want the icing to become runny, though you might like yours thicker or thinner depending on your personal tastes.
- Add milk until the icing is the correct consistency.
- Spread the icing on top of your dessert or breakfast of choice. (It works great for cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, cake, pancakes and more!)
Notes
Quick tips and tricks to the best Cream Cheese Cinnamon Roll Icing
- Double the recipe if you’re serving a crowd or like a lot of frosting!
- How to store: Transfer the icing into an airtight food storage container. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Change up the flavors! You can add a little strawberry to make Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting. Swap the vanilla extract with another extract (like maple, lemon, etc.) to give this a different flavor.
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
Oh man, I would go crazy for those. Homemade cinnamon rolls are the best! I have a sweet treat linky party going on at my blog till Monday night and I’d love it if you’d come by and link your cinnamon rolls up. http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/2011/06/sweets-for-saturday-23.html
Thanks so much, Lisa! I’d love to submit this to the sweet treat link party at your blog. Is it a problem that this isn’t my own recipe?
I made these cream cheese rolls and believe me;They were AWESOME,especially with the ground cloves.
You must put that in the filling ingred.
I didn’t have pecans and wallnuts,only raisins and they were dilicious.
I made a icing frosting and that was also very nice to see on top of those rolls en dilicious too.
Must try this recipe.
Guarantee a NO FAIL RECIPE.
This was easy to make and so yummy on our morning cinnamon rolls. We loved it.
Love this easy recipe! It’s so tasty on homemade cinnamon rolls, carrot cake, pumpkin bread and more.
The icing speaks for itself. Just yum!
This is the perfect combination of sweet and tangy! My go-to recipe.
This is the BEST cream cheese icing. I want to put it on all the cinnamon rolls forever.
YAY! I want to do the same thing, Susannah! Glad you love it, too!
This recipe rocks! And I agree, full fat cream cheese is definitely the best!
Thanks, Kathleen! I’m glad you enjoyed it and feel the same way about the full fat cream cheese being superior!
Great recipe for cinnamon rolls, came out perfectly!
So happy to hear this, Tristin! I need to make a batch of cinnamon rolls soon!
Making a couple of batches for my desserts and one for me to eat with a spoon when no one is watching/judging LOL
No judgment here, Jennifer! I’m glad you love this recipe!
So good I could honestly eat it with a spoon! It’s delicious and perfect for topping our cinnamon rolls!
I love this icing. It’s amazing on your sweet rolls but we love it on our carrot cake cupcakes too! So creamy and delicious.
When I need a cream cheese icing, this is my go-to! So easy and delicious!
When I make a cream cheese icing or frosting I expect it to taste a bit like cream cheese not like powdered sugar. Way too sweet.
I’m sorry that you didn’t like this icing, Sabrina. Thanks for taking a moment to let me know it was too sweet for you. While this recipe always tastes perfectly balanced to me, I know everyone’s tastebuds aren’t the same and respect that. I hope you find a recipe that better fits yours.