Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 12 tbsp (170 g) unsalted butter; 8 oz. (226 g) cream cheese, room temperature; 3½ - 4 cups (420 - 480 g) powdered sugar; 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract; ½ tsp salt; 1 - 2 tbsp (15 - 30 ml) milk, room temperature

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Turn cakes, cupcakes, cookies or brownies into something truly remarkable with this brown butter cream cheese frosting. This brown butter frosting is creamy, tangy, nutty and unbelievably delicious. It instantly transforms and enhances the deliciousness of any baked good it tops.

Why Should You Make This Recipe

What I love most about brown butter is the way it instantly elevates the flavor of the baked good. Pair that nutty, sweet and buttery flavor with cream cheese and it’s absolutely incredible. My Chewy Carrot Cake Cookies, Carrot Loaf Cake and Easy Carrot Cake recipes would all be incredible with this brown butter cream cheese icing. For fall baking, look no further than my Maple Apple Loaf Cake or Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting. For all year baking, my Matilda Chocolate Cake, Sour Cream Cookies, Roasted Banana Cake or Banana Bread Snack Cake would all be incredible with this brown butter buttercream. I could go on and on, but I know you’ll love this recipe because:

You love cozy variations on classic toppings. Cream cheese frosting is already incredibly delicious, but using brown butter makes this butter cream even more amazing, flavorful and cozy.
Depth of flavor. Browning butter brings a sweet nuttiness, while also a hint of savory butteriness to any baked good. It’s a “can’t put my finger on it, but this is the most delicious thing ever” kind of flavor.

Ingredients

This browned butter buttercream recipe requires only a handful of pantry basics and a little time to make. Here’s what you’ll need.

Gather unsalted butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, milk and salt.

Substitutions

Here are my recommended substitutions to make this wonderfully delicious brown butter frosting.

Unsalted Butter: Feel free to use an equal amount of salted butter.
Cream Cheese: The tangy flavor of cream cheese is hard to match. If you don’t have cream cheese, use an equal amount of mascarpone cheese.
Powdered Sugar: I like using Wholesome Organic powdered sugar. If you need a lower sugar powdered sugar alternative, I recommend Swerve or Lakanto.
Vanilla Extract: This provides a wonderful background flavor that pairs perfectly with the browned butter. I highly recommend you keep the vanilla extract.
Milk: This is used to thin the frosting as needed. Feel free to use an equal amount of heavy cream or milk of choice.

How To Make

Learn how to make the incredible brown butter cream cheese buttercream in a few easy steps!

In a sauce pan or pot, melt the butter on low heat until the butter to begins to foam. Once it starts to foam, whisk or stir the liquid butter frequently. The butter will begin to smell nutty and very fragrant. Once the foam has subsided, the butter should have some brown, lightly toasted bits floating at the bottom.
Pour the brown butter in a heat safe bowl to cool for about 15 minutes at room temperature. Transfer the butter to the fridge to solidify to a softened butter consistency. This takes about 60-90 minutes. Every 20-30 minutes, stir the butter. This helps ensure the bits of browned butter are distributed throughout the butter.

Cream together cooled and softened brown butter with the room temperature cream cheese until creamy and well combined, about 4-5 minutes on low speed. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in the sifted powdered sugar 1/2 cup (60 g) at a time, beating each addition of powdered sugar until incorporated. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl as needed. Once all the sugar has been added, mix in the vanilla extract and salt. Beat on high until the browned butter buttercream is fully incorporated and your desired consistency. If the buttercream is too thick, add 1 - 2 tbsp (15 - 30 ml) milk of choice, beating until well incorporated.
Transfer the brown butter cream cheese frosting to an airtight container or use to top your favorite cake, cupcakes, cookies or brownies.

How To Make Ahead, Freeze, Thaw and Store

Make Ahead: This burnt butter cream cheese icing can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for one week or freezer for up to three months. The brown butter can also be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer.

Freeze and Thaw: Transfer the brown butter cream cheese buttercream to an airtight and freezer proof container to store in the fridge for up to three months. Thaw the frosting overnight in the fridge. Then bring the buttercream to room temperature before using in a recipe.

Store: Transfer the frosting to an airtight container to store in the fridge for one week.

M's Expert Tips

Cool the brown butter completely to a softened butter consistency. This takes about 60 - 90 minutes in the fridge. I like to pull out my cream cheese to sit at room temperature at the same time I transfer the brown butter to the fridge to chill.
Use a full fat brick style cream cheese. This is the best kind to make a perfect cream cheese buttercream.
Make sure the cream cheese is softened. If the cream cheese is too cold, the buttercream could end up with a lumpier consistency.
Wait to add the milk. I use this to thin the cream cheese buttercream as needed. If you add too much milk and find the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Chill the brown butter cream cheese frosting. If the frosting is too runny or soft, chill the buttercream in the fridge for 20 - 30 minutes.
Keep it cool. This buttercream is made with melted and reformed brown butter and cream cheese. Both of these ingredients will begin to soften easily in warmer environments. Once this frosting is applied to the cake, cupcake, cookie or brownies, keep those baked good in the fridge until it’s time to serve them.

FAQs

What type of butter should I use to make brown butter?

I use unsalted sweet cream butter for most of my recipes, to include this brown butter cream cheese frosting as it is the most widely available in the US.

How can I stiffen my cream cheese frosting?

If the cream cheese frosting is too soft, chill the buttercream in the fridge for 10 - 15 minutes.

How long can cream cheese frosting sit out at room temperature?

Depending on the temperature of the room, any baked good with cream cheese buttercream should sit out at room temperature for no longer than 2 - 4 hours.

How much frosting does this brown butter cream cheese buttercream recipe make?

This recipe makes about 3 cups of frosting. This is enough to frost a 6-inch or 8-inch 2 layer cake, 9 x 13-inch cake or about 24 cupcakes.

More Frosting Recipes to Try

If you try this Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M