Brown sugar cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar

Old Fashioned Brown Sugar Frosting made without powdered sugar.

Brown Sugar Vanilla Buttercream Frosting made without powdered sugar is my new favorite frosting recipe! I love that this recipe is made without powdered sugar. Up until a couple years ago I had no idea you could even make frosting without powdered sugar but now I frequently make vanilla frosting using brown sugar or regular sugar.

This recipe is pretty forgiving & easy to make. You cook the flour and milk together on the stove (as shown above) until it becomes a thick paste then you add it to the butter/sugar mixture to make a nice whipped vanilla brown sugar buttercream frosting. If I am using the frosting to pipe on to cupcakes I sometimes add extra sugar to thicken it up more so you can add extra sugar if you need to when making it.

Note: This recipe will not taste 100% like powered sugar frosting recipes you may be used to, to me it is more whipped, creamy, & buttery. It is a little less sweet. I love it! Sometimes I find regular vanilla frosting to be too sweet. The frosting is also known to have a grainy texture to it due to the sugar being more coarse but I like it!

I always refrigerate whatever I frost, like the Vanilla Cupcakes pictured. Keeping it in the frig also helps to keep the frosting firm. Recipe frosts a whole batch of cupcakes for me, about 18 cupcakes.

Brown Sugar Frosting made without powdered sugar

• ½ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons flour
• pinch of salt
• 1½ cups light brown sugar sugar (add up to ½ cup extra brown sugar if you want it on the thick side)
• ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Whisk milk, flour, and salt together in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Keep stirring until the mixture gets very thick and bubbly.
2. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
3. In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer beat sugar and butter together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the cooled flour mixture until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.
4. *Note* If you want it to be thicker you can add more sugar. This recipe is very forgiving and if you want it a really thick consistency keep adding sugar to it.

Cream cheese frosting is creamy and delicious and is perfect for a cake or cupcake. This frosting is super easy to make, and you can make it using a few ingredients like cream cheese, heavy cream, and powdered sugar. If you are trying to watch your sugar intake or just do not have any powdered sugar on hand, you can still make cream cheese frosting. Keep reading to learn how to make cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar.

Contents

• What is cream cheese frosting?
• What to use instead of powdered sugar when making cream cheese frosting
• More Powdered Sugar Substitutes
• How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting Without Powdered Sugar – Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
• How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting Without Powdered Sugar
  • Ingredients  
  • Instructions 
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Cream cheese frosting is made from cream cheese, cream, and powdered sugar. It is used to frost and decorate cakes and cupcakes. Cream cheese frosting has a sweet yet tangy flavor and is often used to frost a carrot cake, red velvet cake, cinnamon roll, or sugar cookies.

What to use instead of powdered sugar when making cream cheese frosting

We have compiled a list of ingredients that you can use instead of powdered sugar to make cream cheese frosting:

• Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar and powdered sugar are more or less similar. The main difference is in the form. In fact, powdered sugar is made from granulated sugar by blitzing it. If you don’t have powdered sugar available, you can simply use granulated white sugar. You just have to put on some extra effort when making the frosting to ensure the sugar dissolves completely.
• Coconut sugar: Coconut sugar comes from coconut, as its name suggests. It is not as sweet as white sugar but offers a subtle sweetness. If you are using coconut sugar, you might have to adjust the quantity that you use to achieve the level of sweetness that you desire.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar is yet another sugar widely used in making desserts. Brown sugar comes in two main types, i.e., light and dark. You can use light brown sugar to make cream cheese frosting. It will add a light brownish hue to the frosting, plus you will also get a sweet and caramel-like flavor.

More Powdered Sugar Substitutes

• Monk fruit: Monk fruit is a great ingredient if you are health or calorie conscious. It is a natural source of sugar and is rich in antioxidants as well. Plus, it also has zero calories. Monk fruit extracts add sweetness to your cream cheese icing and are a great substitute for powdered sugar.
• Honey: Substitute honey for powdered sugar when making cream cheese frosting and enjoy the extra rich flavor.
• Maple syrup: Maple syrup is a great substitute for powdered sugar when making cream cheese frosting. It gives the frosting a nice golden hue along with a delicious sweet flavor.
• Agave syrup: Agave syrup comes from a plant and is known for its intense sweetness. It is a great powdered sugar substitute.
• Stevia: Stevia is an artificial sweetener ideal for those who want to cut down on added sugar. You can find it in both powdered and liquid form. It adds sweetness and is an excellent sugar-free substitute for powdered sugar.

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting Without Powdered Sugar – Recipe

Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup cream cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Add heavy cream to an electric beater bowl and beat it on medium to high speed for a few seconds until it is for and you can see stiff peaks. Set the whipped cream aside or place it in the refrigerator.
• In another bowl, add cream cheese and beat it at medium speed until it is soft. Add honey and vanilla extract and beat it for a few seconds.
• Fold in whipped heavy cream gently using a rubber spatula.
• Use the frosting as needed and store the leftover frosting in the refrigerator.

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting Without Powdered Sugar

Yield: 2 cups

• 1 cup cream cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Add heavy cream to an electric beater bowl and beat it on medium to high speed for a few seconds until it is for and you can see stiff peaks. Set the whipped cream aside or place it in the refrigerator.

• In another bowl, add cream cheese and beat it at medium speed until it is soft. Add honey and vanilla extract and beat it for a few seconds.

• Fold in whipped heavy cream gently using a rubber spatula.

• Use the frosting as needed and store the leftover frosting in the refrigerator.

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