This Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting is sweet and tangy with notes of caramel and butterscotch from the brown butter. This delicious icing will level up any dessert!
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I love cream cheese frosting so I just had to make this Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s the perfect mix of nutty brown butter and rich cream cheese for the perfect creamy topping for your cakes and desserts.
- TASTE: This frosting is sweet with tangy flavor that makes all cream cheese frostings so yummy. But the brown butter adds a nutty, caramel flavor that’s amazing with hints of vanilla.
- TEXTURE: Thick and creamy, this smooth icing is perfectly spreadable. But it’s also fluffy and not too dense for a delightful dessert.
- TIME: This recipe will take about 20 minutes to make.
- EASE: This frosting only takes 5 ingredients to make, so you know it’s going to be nice and simple.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter- We want to use unsalted because we are adding a little salt later on and don’t want to overbalance the sweetness in the frosting.
- Cream cheese- Use room temperature cream cheese for easier mixing and to avoid clumps.
- Powdered sugar- This sugar is fine so it will mix into the frosting easily without creating a grainy texture like granulated sugar would.
- Vanilla extract- For a little vanilla flavor.
- Salt- Just a little salt will bring out the flavors more.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute mascarpone cheese- Using half cream cheese and half mascarpone takes some of the tang out of the frosting and leaves more sweetness.
- Add espresso- For a little kick and slight bitterness that will complement the sweetness, add some espresso powder to the frosting with the powdered sugar.
- Substitute the butter- You can use high-quality vegan butter in the stick form in place of the dairy butter for a dairy-free option. Avoid tub vegan butter as this has too much moisture and leads to runny frosting.
- Add bourbon- The dark, rich flavor of bourbon is a nice addition to the flavors of this frosting.
How to Make Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Brown the butter. Melt the butter in a light-colored pan (like stainless steel) over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown specks form and the butter gives off a rich, nutty aroma. Remove from the heat right away.
- Allow it to cool. Pour the browned butter into a separate bowl and let it cool slightly. Refrigerate until it starts to thicken and becomes partially solidified.
Pro Tip: Don’t over heat the butter because it can burn and lose that yummy flavor. Remove it from the heat as soon as it becomes aromatic with specks.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Add the cooled brown butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, and salt to a large mixing bowl, then use an electric hand mixer to beat until creamy and well combined.
- Add the sugar. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar and continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Recipe Tips
- Use a light colored pan- Stainless steel pans are ideal because they make it easy to see the specks of milk solids as the butter browns so you know when it’s done.
- Let the butter cool- Once the butter has browned, let it cool slightly or the texture of the frosting won’t be as smooth.
- Use an electric hand mixer- These move fast enough to not only combine the ingredients and get rid of any clumps, they also aerate the brown butter frosting so it’s fluffier.
- Add the powdered sugar slowly- Because this sugar is so fine, it can create a dust cloud if mixed too quickly. Add it in batches and fully combine.
FAQs
Some common mistakes when making brown butter are not stirring it constantly, cooking it over heat that is too high, and cooking it for too long. The key is to stir it constantly over medium heat and remove it from the heat when brown specks appear and a nutty aroma arises from it.
It usually takes about 6-8 minutes to brown butter, but this does depend on the amount in the pan. You can brown it slightly less for a more golden color, or a little more for a dark golden color and strong nutty smell.
Serving Suggestions
This toasty Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting is delicious on so many desserts. Try it with cakes, cupcakes, breakfast pastries, and cookies.
- Cakes and Cupcakes: Spread this delicious frosting on top of banana cake, Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes, Nutella Cake, Flourless Chocolate Cake, or Carrot Cake.
- Breakfast pastries: Add some of this brown butter frosting to muffins, pancakes, or waffles. Enjoy it on Chocolate Pancakes or Buttery Belgian Liege Waffles.
- Cookies: Make a cookie sandwich with Gingersnap Cookies, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, or add it on top of Lofthouse Frosted Sugar Cookies (VIDEO).
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can brown the butter ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to add it to the other ingredients and make the frosting.
Storing: Store this Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Freeze: Freeze this frosting for up 3 months in a freezer ziplock bag with as much air pressed out as possible. When you thaw it, place it in the fridge overnight and then let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes. Then whip it once more for a fluffy texture.
More Tasty Toppings!
Full Recipe Instructions
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 8 oz cream cheese room temp
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a light-colored pan (like stainless steel) over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown specks form and the butter gives off a rich, nutty aroma. Remove from the heat right away.
- Pour the browned butter into a separate bowl and let it cool slightly. Refrigerate until it starts to thicken and becomes partially solidified.
- Add the cooled brown butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, and salt to a large mixing bowl, then use an electric hand mixer to beat until creamy and well combined.
- Gradually mix in the powdered sugar and continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Notes
- For cupcakes– If you plan to pipe this frosting, you may need to add a little more powdered sugar for it to be a bit more stable and firmer.
- Use a light colored pan- Stainless steel pans are ideal because they make it easy to see the specks of milk solids as the butter browns so you know when it’s done.
- Let the butter cool- Once the butter has browned, let it cool slightly or the texture of the frosting won’t be as smooth.
- Use an electric hand mixer- These move fast enough to not only combine the ingredients and get rid of any clumps, they also aerate the brown butter frosting so it’s fluffier.
- Add the powdered sugar slowly- Because this sugar is so fine, it can create a dust cloud if mixed too quickly. Add it in batches and fully combine.
Nutrition
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