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The Best Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting is a unique twist on a classic frosting that combines the tang of cream cheese with the flavor of cookie dough. Yum, yum!

Closeup of three cupcakes topped with The Best Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting sitting next to a glass bowl filled with Brown Sugar.

We went into the Two Sisters Frosting Test Kitchen and came out with a winner!  We combined our Best Cookie Dough Frosting with our Best Cream Cheese Frosting and boy oh boy do we love it.  The creamy tanginess of the cream cheese combines with the sweet rich texture of the brown sugar into one yummy frosting.  Add our The Best Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting to your must-make list … you won’t be sorry.

How to Make

Collage image showing the steps for mixing the butter, cream cheese, vanilla and brown sugar to make the best flavored frosting.

Step 1: The main ingredient of this frosting is Brown Sugar.  We usually use Light Brown sugar but if you are looking for a deeper, richer taste you can try Dark Brown Sugar.  One important trick, make sure you sift out all the tiny brown sugar stones before you add the brown sugar to the mixing bowl. They will clog a decorating tip and are unappetizing to eat.  Lightly pack the brown sugar and add it to the mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add the butter, softened cream cheese, and vanilla extract to brown sugar in the mixing bowl. The butter needs to be what we call “slightly softened” which is somewhere between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature.  Mix together on medium speed until thoroughly combined (at least 2 minutes.)  You really want the brown sugar to dissolve and meld with the butter to enhance the flavor of the frosting and get rid of any graininess in the frosting. The brown sugar does add a crystal-like texture to this frosting.  The frosting is definitely more like cookie dough than regular frosting but it is a pleasing taste.
Step 3: Use a spatula to scrape the butter mixture down from the sides of the bowl before moving on to the next step.  

Collage image showing the steps for adding the powdered sugar to the butter/cream cheese mixture.

Step 4: Add the Powdered Sugar to the mixing bowl.
Step 5: We’ve got a Two Sisters Tip for mixing the butter and the powdered sugar – cover the mixer with a towel to keep the powdered sugar from flying out of the mixer.
Step 6: Start your mixer (or electric beater) on the lowest setting and keep it on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated (about 30 seconds). Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then increase the speed to medium-high and mix for another 30-45 seconds so the frosting gets light and fluffy. This is the fun part of the frosting-making process where you get to taste your icing. You are tasting to determine taste (does it need more vanilla or brown sugar?) and consistency (is it too thin or too thick?)  (Two Sisters note about Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting … it is a thin frosting.  It will never be a frosting that is pipeable or will crust up like buttercream. That being said, as you can see in our pictures, you can do a swirl.) The first thing you should do before using the frosting is put it in the refrigerator for an hour or so, that will help the butter and cream cheese firm up.  Another thing to try if the frosting is too thin is to add EITHER 1/2 cup of powdered sugar or 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

How to Serve

Closeup on a decorating bag filled with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting sitting in front of a batch of unfrosted Chocolate Cupcakes.

How much frosting will you need?  That always depends on how thick or thin you apply the frosting or how much decorating you do but here are a couple of guidelines. Our recipe should make enough Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting to cover a 9″ x 13″ sheet cake or a two-layer 8″ cake.  If you are making cupcakes, you should be able to frost 24 cupcakes if you apply the frosting with a knife.  If you swirl on the frosting with a pastry bag as we have done here, you should be able to frost 15-18 cupcakes depending on the size of the swirl.

Expert Tips and FAQ’s

Does the frosting need to be refrigerated?

Yes. Cream Cheese Frosting needs to be refrigerated because of the Cream Cheese. You can leave it out for a couple of hours at a maximum before it needs to be refrigerated again. And be very careful with it outside on a hot day.

How do I store any leftover frosting?

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting will only be good for as long as your Cream Cheese is good so make sure to check the expiration date on the Cream Cheese package before making the frosting. For example, if the expiration date on the Cream Cheese is two days away, the frosting will be good for two days. Store any left-over frosting, in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. If you carefully wrap the frosting in order to avoid freezer burn, the frosting should be fine in the freezer for 3-4 months.

Closeup of a chocolate cupcake topped with The Best Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting sitting next to a bowl of brown sugar.

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The Best Brown Sugar Cream Cheese FrostingPrint

The Best Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield 2 1/2 cups
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

The Best Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting is a unique twist on a classic frosting that combines the tang of cream cheese with the flavor of cookie dough. Yum, yum!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Butter, slightly softened (We use Salted Sweet Cream Butter)
  • 8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
  • 2 teaspoons of Vanilla
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar (light or dark, lightly packed)
  • 3 cups Powdered Sugar

Instructions

  1. Lightly pack the brown sugar and add it to the mixing bowl. We usually use Light Brown sugar but if you are looking for a deeper, richer taste you can try Dark Brown Sugar.  One important trick, make sure you sift out all the tiny brown sugar stones before you add the brown sugar to the mixing bowl. They will clog a decorating tip and are unappetizing to eat.  Lightly pack the brown sugar and add it to the mixing bowl.
  2. Add the butter, softened cream cheese, and vanilla extract to brown sugar in the mixing bowl. The butter needs to be what we call “slightly softened” which is somewhere between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature.
  3. Mix together on medium speed until thoroughly combined (at least 2 minutes.)  You really want the brown sugar to dissolve and meld with the butter to enhance the flavor of the frosting and get rid of any graininess in the frosting. The brown sugar does add a crystal-like texture to this frosting.  The frosting is definitely more like cookie dough than regular frosting but it is a pleasing taste.
  4. Use a spatula to scrape the butter mixture down from the sides of the bowl before moving on to the next step.  
  5. Add the Powdered Sugar to the mixing bowl.
  6. Start your mixer (or electric beater) on the lowest setting and keep it on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated (about 30 seconds). Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then increase the speed to medium-high and mix for another 30-45 seconds so the frosting gets light and fluffy.
  7. Taste the frosting. You are tasting to determine taste (does it need more vanilla or brown sugar?) and consistency (is it too thin or too thick?)  (Two Sisters note about Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting … it is a thin frosting.  It will never be a frosting that is pipeable or will crust up like buttercream. That being said, as you can see in our pictures, you can do a swirl.) The first thing you should do before using the frosting is put it in the refrigerator for an hour or so, that will help the butter and cream cheese firm up.  Another thing to try if the frosting is too thin is to add EITHER 1/2 cup of powdered sugar or 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!

© Two Sisters Crafting
Cuisine: American / Category: Frosting