Top sugar cookies with this creamy, rich, and flavorful cream cheese frosting for cookies! It's easy to make with basic ingredients (without milk!) and can be used to frost just about any sugar cookie recipe. Add it to thick, fluffy no roll sugar cookies or just as an easy spreadable icing on top of cut out sugar cookies.
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Up until a few years ago, I wasn't a big fan of frosting on cookies. It wasn't until I moved to Salt Lake and found the best little cookie shop named Ruby Snap that I fell in love with thick, soft cookies topped with frosting.
They have a cookie called the Mia, which is essentially a thick fluffy sugar cookie topped with a thick layer of the creamiest, most delicious beet frosting (I was skeptical of the beet at first, but it's magical).
Ever since then, I've made it my mission to replicate the cookie and although I haven't tackled a beet frosting, this cream cheese frosting paired with my no roll sugar cookies is the closest thing I have gotten to those prized little cookies.
What You Need to Make Cream Cheese Frosting for Cookies
- Powdered Sugar
- Cream Cheese
- Vanilla
- Almond Extract
- Perfectly paired with: No Roll Sugar Cookies
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting for Cookies
Step 1: Using a mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and creamy.
Step 2: Keeping the mixer on medium speed, slowly add in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and powdered sugar. Once all the powdered sugar disappears, turn the mixer on high speed and beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. (Yes, this is a frosting without milk!)
Step 3: To color the icing, I recommend squeezing a dot of food coloring on a paper plate, dipping the tip of a toothpick through it, then swiping it through the frosting. This will allow you to control the amount of color you add.
Tip: For this light pink shade, I just did one swipe of red food coloring.
Step 4: Use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread frosting onto cooled cookies. If not enjoying immediately, store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator (they need to be refrigerated since the frosting contains cream cheese).
Cream Cheese Frosting for Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter (½ cup, i.e. 1 stick) and softened cream cheese (4 ounces) on medium speed using a hand or stand mixer (with paddle attachment) for 2-3 minutes (until light and creamy).½ cup unsalted butter, 4 ounces cream cheese
- Keeping the mixer on medium speed, slowly add in vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), almond extract (¼ teaspoon) and powdered sugar (1 ¼ cups). Once incorporated, turn mixer to high speed and beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract, 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- Spread or pipe frosting on cooled cookies and top with sprinkles!
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this cream cheese icing harden?
The frosting will develop a slight crust if left sitting out (or when refrigerated), but it won't completely harden. Which means you shouldn't stack them when they're at room temperature. For my tips of perfect stacking, see my guide on how to freeze sugar cookies.
Can I freeze cream cheese icing?
Yes, you can freeze the cream cheese in a plastic bag for up to 1 month. When you're ready to use it, thaw in the refrigerator until soft. You may need to stir it before using, as the oils may separate during the thawing process.
To freeze frosted cookies, first place the cookies on a baking tray in the freezer until the frosting hardens. Next, place the cookies in an airtight container, placing a piece of parchment paper in between each layer. To thaw, remove the cookies from the layered container, place cookies on a baking tray inside the refrigerator. For my tips of perfect stacking, see my guide on how to freeze sugar cookies.
What cookies can I pair with this cream cheese frosting?
My favorite recipes to pair with this cream cheese frosting are my Cut Out Sugar Cookies or No Roll Sugar Cookies.
Gabbi
I l e the taste of the frosting not sweet. Mine was a little too soft though.
Melissa
Hi Gabbi! Next time you can add a little more powdered sugar to help it firm. I've found that some brands of cream cheese these days produce a runnier frosting (Philadelphia being one of them), so you sometimes have to counteract it with a bit more sugar.
Dawn Hershberger
Hello, I made the cream cheese icing, very good. It is just sweet enough without going overboard. Will definitely use this again. Thanks.
Laura
I made it , everyone loved it
Can I freeze it ?
Melissa
Yes you can! You'll just need to thaw & remix it to get it back to being creamy.
Ann
Great recipe. Spreads nicely and sets up. My granddaughter loved using several colors.
Melissa
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Ann! Thank you so much for leaving a review!
Christina D Schmidt
Tried this frosting for my sugar cookies. It was delicious! I will be making this again. Thank you for sharing.
Melissa
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for leaving a review, Christina!
M.Mielko
Perfectly delicious!! thanks so much!
Melissa
Thank you so much for leaving a review!
Kirsten
So tasty! I made it because I bought a roll of sugar cookie dough from Trader Joe’s (a new item), and then I read so many reviews online that the dough was gross and needed to be tossed in the trash. This icing saved the cookies from the trash! My son wanted to eat the icing plain, by the spoonful.
Melissa
Lol, so glad this recipe could save the cookies! :) Thank you so much for leaving a review, Kirsten! I really appreciate it!
Pat Johnson
Ez and delish. Love the light texture!! I"m adopting this as my "go to"!
Melissa
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Pat!
Leila
Simply delicious. I subbed the extract for vanilla spiced rum. It's simply amazing!!
Melissa
So glad you loved it, Leila! Thank you so much for leaving a review!
Gray
Creamy yet buttery and stays on well. And just perfectly sweet enough without being over powering.
Melissa
So glad you loved this recipe, Gray! Thank you so much for leaving a review!
SKEETER
VERY GOOD AND SO EASY
Helen A Scurzi
Frosting was delicious! I made it for carrot cake cookies,but it was a little thin in consistency and I did have some left over.
Alicia Keller
Best yummy ,creamy frosting for our Easter Cookies. I put some beet powder in to make it pink for my grandkids. They love to frost and sprinkle.This will be my go to for frosting!
Melissa
So glad to hear you love this recipe, Alicia! Thank you so much for leaving a review!
Ginger
Perfect thank you. Shamrock cookies never tasted so green and good.
Melissa
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Ginger! I really appreciate it!
Whitney
Just made this for our Valentine's Day cookies, and we loved it. I thought it turned out perfect and was easy to make.
Angela
Exceptional quick frosting. I appreciate the suggestions on coloring the frosting. Yum :)
Melissa
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Angela!
Jullia
I just made this icing and it’s the best! It’s delicious and fluffy and perfect for what i need. Thank you
Melissa
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Jullia! Thank you for leaving a review!
Liz C
Easy and tasty. Thank you
Robbin
I’m somewhat new to baking especially during the holidays. But the Cream Cheese Frosting was a hit! We put this frosting on sugar cookies with sprinkles on top of the frosting. They were delicious! But guessing this frosting will be wonderful on any type of cookie.
And this website was great information for me on all the various types of frostings!
Melissa
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Robbin! I really appreciate it!
Tracy McClain
This recipe is so delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.