I’m adding a NEW flavor option to our favorite, easy to make, not too sweet frosting! Freeze dried fruit powder is the secret ingredient for the BEST Strawberry Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting.

What is Strawberry Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting?

It is the most delicious, not too sweet, strawberry frosting! Basically, it’s the combination of a cream cheese frosting and whipped cream.

People that don’t like frosting, LOVE this frosting! People that don’t like cream cheese frosting, LOVE this frosting!

Close up of Strawberry Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting piped in a swirl on a spoon that's sitting on a white plate with a fresh strawberry. A bowl of fresh strawberries and frosted cupcakes are in the background

It’s based on my all time favorite “go to” frosting, Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting. It is simply the BEST not too sweet frosting on the planet!

So, if you’re looking for a delicious strawberry frosting, you’ve arrived at the right place :)

I’ve been making a strawberry version for years, but have never posted a recipe for it. I’ve had readers ask about it over on the original post, so I thought I’d finally create an official post.

The following paragraphs may contain affiliate links {aff. link}. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting piped on a vanilla that's sitting on a pedestal with a fresh strawberry on top

What is freeze dried fruit?

Freeze drying is a way of preserving fruit without losing the nutrients. Freeze drying is different from other dried fruits like raisins and prunes where only part of the moisture is removed. Instead, freeze drying removes 98%-99% of the moisture from fruits and vegetables.

If you’ve eaten a box of cereal that has strawberries or dehydrated marshmallows {aff. link} in it or used hot chocolate mix with marshmallows in it, you’ve probably tried freeze dried food.

So, the fruit not only keeps it’s nutrients, but all of it’s flavor. But, the flavor is more concentrated after freeze drying. Freeze dried fruit is the perfect vehicle to add tons of natural fruit flavor to recipes that can’t handle the additional moisture of fresh fruit.

overhead photo of a bag of Trader Joe's freeze dried strawberries

Where can I buy freeze dried fruit?

I like to buy my freeze dried fruit at Trader Joe’s, but you can find other brands in the produce section of some grocery stores or on Amazon {aff. link}.

You can even buy freeze dried strawberry fruit powder {aff. link}, saving you the step of processing the dried fruit pieces. I haven’t tried other brands, so I can’t recommend one other than Trader Joe’s to you.

The best way to know if you like it is to taste it. If you like the taste of the freeze dried fruit in it’s pure form, you should have no issues adding it a recipe.

Trader Joe’s has one ingredient: strawberries. So, it should taste just like the fruit.

Can I use other kinds of freeze dried fruit?

Yes! You can use other freeze dried fruits to flavor this frosting. Some fruits are more mild in flavor than others and so might require increased quantities to get your desired level of flavor.

You may also want to adjust the level of sugar, as some fruits are more tart than others.

Cream cheese, salt, sugar and vanilla in a glass bowl side by side with a photo of them mixed together

There are so many ways to use freeze dried fruit. I’ve used them in these freeze dried fruit recipes:

How can I use freeze dried fruits in other recipes?

Heavy cream being poured into a glass bowl that contains a mixture of cream cheese, salt, sugar, vanilla, and powdered freeze dried strawberries

Ingredients for Strawberry Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting

block cream cheese (not whipped)-My favorite is Philadelphia Cream Cheese. You can use neufchatel, the lower fat version, but if you’re planning to pipe with it, I’d go full fat.
granulated sugar-This is my preference. If you’d rather use confectioner’s sugar, you’ll have to use 1 and 3/4 cups for each cup of granulated sugar, in other words, almost double.
vanilla extract
salt-just a bit, because you know that salt helps you taste the sweet
freeze dried strawberries– These will be ground to a powder. I use Trader Joe’s.
heavy cream-I prefer heavy cream to whipping cream. The higher fat content will help it whip better and be a little sturdier than whipping cream.

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting being mixed in a glass bowl

How to Make Strawberry Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting

Honestly, this recipe couldn’t be easier. If you can whip cream, you can make this frosting. It’s as easy as one, two, three!

One: First start by beating the cold cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and salt until combined and just getting creamy.
Two: Add the fruit powder to the cream cheese mixture but do not mix until you start adding the cream. This gives the powder a little hydration time before it’s fully mixed into the cream cheese.
Three: Beat until stiff peaks form.

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting in a glass bowl

That’s it! You’re ready to frost!

Tips for success:

Make sure all ingredients are COLD.
If your kitchen is warm, it might be good to also chill your bowl and beaters.
Use block cream cheese, not whipped.
Use heavy cream instead of heavy whipping cream.
Use an electric mixer. I use my Kitchen Aid hand mixer {aff. link}for this, but I’ve also used my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. {aff. link} If you use a stand mixer, you’ll want to use the paddle attachment to mix the cream cheese portion and then switch to the whip attachment when you’re adding the heavy cream.
Whip long enough to achieve stiff peaks. It takes a few minutes to whip enough air into the mixture. Have patience.
Always add the freeze dried fruit powder with the cream. Do NOT blend it into the cream cheese mixture until you’ve started adding the cream. You want the fruit powder to come into contact with the liquid cream to help saturate the dry powder as it’s getting blended into the cream cheese.
Frost or pipe immediately after making the frosting. For best results and sharpest piping, do not make frosting in advance.
If you need multiple batches, I would make them one at a time. I often like to make one batch to fill and crumb coat. Then I’ll chill the cake in the refrigerator and make my next batch for the final coat and/or piping once the crumb coat has firmed up.
Store frosted cakes in the refrigerator. Allow whole frosted cake to sit about 30 minutes at room temperature (depending upon the size of the cake) to take the chill off before serving.
Leftover frosted slices of cake can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap or waxed paper and then placed in zip top freezer bags {aff. link} for up to 3 months. Defrost in refrigerator overnight, allow to sit a room temperature for an hour or very gently defrost in a microwave at low power at 15 second increments until desired temperature.

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting piped on a vanilla cupcake in a rose design

This frosting pipes well. I used a Wilton 1M open star tip {aff. link} to pipe the rose and the tall swirl.

Can I substitute confectioner’s sugar for granulated sugar?

Yes. You can use confectioner’s sugar instead of granulated sugar. You will need to increase the amount to about 1 3/4 cups. I would probably start with 1 1/4 cups, taste test and then add the rest if needed.

Close up of strawberry Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting piped in a swirl on a spoon that's sitting on a white plate with a fresh strawberry

Love this not too sweet frosting? Then,try these flavors of Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting!

More delicious “not too sweet” frostings without cream cheese:

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Strawberry Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 (1.2 ounce) bag freeze dried strawberries (I used Trader Joe's); 1 (8 ounce) block COLD cream cheese, I use Philadelphia Cream Cheese; 1 cup granulated sugar (see notes); 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1 1/2 cups COLD heavy cream

Yield: lightly frost a 2 layer 9" cake or more generously frost 24 cupcakes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting is an easy to make, not too sweet frosting naturally flavored with freeze dried strawberries!

Ingredients

1 (1.2 ounce) bag freeze dried strawberries (I used Trader Joe's)
1 (8 ounce) block COLD cream cheese, I use Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 cup granulated sugar (see notes)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups COLD heavy cream

Instructions

Use a food processor to grind freeze dried strawberries to a fine powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla for about 30 seconds or just until fully combined. Don't overbeat at this stage.
Add strawberry powder on top of cream cheese mixture but do not start mixing.
Slowly pour the cold heavy cream over the mixture to start to hydrate the fruit powder, then begin beating on a low speed to incorporate the cream and powder into the cream cheese mixture.
Increase mixer speed to high and continue beating, scraping sides of bowl as necessary until stiff peaks form. This may take a few minutes. You'll see the mixture thicken as you beat it, and then when you begin to see the mixture stiffen and leave track marks behind from the beaters, it should be done. Pull the beaters up and check for stiff peaks to confirm.
Use frosting immediately to frost or pipe onto cakes, etc. Store frosted cakes in refrigerator.

Notes

*I've used as little as 1/2 cup of sugar in the original vanilla version of this recipe. I used the full cup here to help balance the tartness of the strawberries. Feel free to sweeten to your preference.

*Make sure all ingredients are COLD.

*If your kitchen is warm, it might be good to also chill your bowl and beaters before starting.

*Use block cream cheese, not whipped.

*Use heavy cream instead of heavy whipping cream. The higher fat content makes for a more stable frosting.

*Use an electric beater.

*Whip long enough to achieve stiff peaks. It takes a few minutes to whip enough air into the mixture. Have patience.

*Always add the freeze dried fruit powder with the cream. Do NOT blend it into the cream cheese mixture until you've started adding the cream. You want the fruit powder to come into contact with the liquid cream to help saturate the dry powder as it's getting blended into the cream cheese.

*Frost or pipe immediately after making the frosting. For best results and sharpest piping, do not make frosting in advance.

*If you want to generously fill, frost and pipe a 2-layer 9" cake, I would make 1 1/2 or 2 batches.

*If you need multiple batches, I would make them one at a time. I often like to make one batch to fill and crumb coat. Then I'll chill the cake in the refrigerator and make my next batch for the final coat and/or piping once the crumb coat has firmed up.

*Store frosted cakes in the refrigerator. Allow whole frosted cake to sit about 30 minutes at room temperature (depending upon the size of the cake) to take the chill off before serving.

*Leftover frosted slices of cake can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap or waxed paper and then placed in zip top freezer bags for up to 3 months. Defrost in refrigerator overnight, allow to sit a room temperature for an hour or very gently defrost in a microwave at low power at 15 second increments until desired temperature.