Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
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This creamy, nutty, and tangy brown butter cream cheese frosting is perfect for cakes, cupcakes, and anything between. While this frosting is perfect for fall, it can be enjoyed all year long.
The MOST Delicious Frosting
I was working on two new fall recipes and I wanted a new and unique frosting for them. Brown butter is one of my favorite fall flavors so I thought, “Why not take my favorite cream cheese recipe and make it with brown butter and turn it into brown butter cream cheese frosting?”
So, that’s exactly what I did and this is the result.
My friend, this frosting is incredible. My mom was here when I was making it and she and I licked the spatula and beaters and scraped the mixing bowl clean because we just couldn’t get enough.
Cream cheese frosting is one of my favorites and the brown butter takes it to a whole new level.
In this post, you’ll see the brown butter cream cheese frosting by itself, but I’ve also used it on my cranberry pumpkin bars and applesauce cupcakes. It was incredible on both of these recipes as well.
Are you wondering …
What Does Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Taste Like?
Magic! I’m only kidding. Sort of. Ha. The browned butter adds a fragrant nutty flavor, while the cream cheese adds a creamy richness with a touch of tang. I especially love this brown butter cream cheese frosting for the fall. It pairs perfectly with pumpkin and apple flavors.
More recipes to add this frosting to:
- Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- Pumpkin Bars
- German Apple Cake
- Applesauce Cupcakes (coming soon)
- Cranberry Pumpkin Bars (coming soon)
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- softened cream cheese
- unsalted butter
- kosher salt
- vanilla extract
- confectioners’ sugar
- milk
That’s it! Let’s whip some up.
How Do You Make Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting?
I’ll walk you through the steps here, but for your convenience, I’ve also provided a detailed ingredient list and instructions in the printable recipe card below.
- Place the butter into a small skillet over medium heat. Heat the butter until it melts.
- Continue to cook while stirring and scraping the pan. Once the butter near the bottom starts to brown and the butter smells nutty, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the butter to a heat-proof bowl.
- Let the butter sit at room temperature to re-solidify before continuing with the recipe.
- Beat together the cream cheese, browned butter, and salt until light and smooth.
- Blend in the vanilla. Beat to combine.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar slowly and mix until smooth.
- Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve desired consistency.
That’s it! The only complicated part about this recipe is browning the butter. Just remove it from the heat when you start to see brown specks and smell that rich nutty flavor and you’ll be good to go!
Happy Baking!
Whether you’re making one of my recipes or just want a new frosting recipe to try, I highly recommend this brown butter cream cheese frosting.
I have a feeling you’ll be licking the spatula too.
Enjoy!
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Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 packages (8 oz each)cream cheese , softened
- 1 1/2 cup 3 sticks unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Start by browning the butter.
- Place the butter into a small skillet over medium heat. Heat the butter until it melts. Continue to cook while stirring and scraping the pan. Once the butter near the bottom starts to brown and the butter smells nutty, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the butter to a heat-proof bowl.
- Let the butter sit at room temperature to re-solidify before continuing with the recipe.*
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, browned butter, and salt until light and smooth. This will take about five minutes.
- Add in the vanilla. Beat to combine.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar slowly, about one cup at a time, and mix until smooth.
- Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve desired consistency.
I made this to top a maple sheet cake and it was a huge hit! There was also a store-bought sheet cake at the event and guests chose my cake over the store cake by about a factor of 2:1 (I know the frosting was a big reason why). My sister-in-law tasted the frosting and said “There should be a rule that this is the only frosting allowed on anything ever.” Ha!
I had some left over and we used it on cinnamon rolls the next morning–sooooo good!
Question: in your instructions #5 says to add vanilla and almond extract, but the almond extract isn’t in your recipe… can you clarify?
Sounds wonderful! Have you, by chance, tried making it with a bit of bourbon? Maybe substituting in the milk stage?
I haven’t but that sounds amazing!
xo Michael