Looking for a healthier frosting recipe? This soft cheese or Greek yogurt frosting is made with jam for a flavorful and icing sugar-free alternative!
This cream cheese-style frosting is perfect for everything from churro cupcakes to cinnamon buns. I particularly love it on my red velvet cupcakes (see photo below).
Cream cheese options
The key to this frosting is to use soft cream cheese. Store-bought cream cheese is typically too firm for this recipe. The goal is to use something that is similar to the consistency of Greek yogurt.
Here are a few options:
1. Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is probably the best option for a really rich, high-fat frosting. Store-bought cream cheese is typically too firm for this recipe. Choose an old-fashioned spreadable cream cheese instead.
Alternatively, homemade cream cheese is really easy and will have the perfect consistency.
2. Greek Yogurt Frosting
Greek yogurt or yogurt cheese is a simple, lower-fat option. I recommend using whole milk yogurt for its richness.
Store-bought Greek yogurt is full of thickeners, so it should have the right consistency. If you plan on making your own Greek yogurt, strain it for at least 12 hours so it is really thick.
3. Kefir cheese
I usually make this recipe with homemade kefir cheese. The trick is to make sure that the kefir cheese has drained for at least 12 hours, otherwise, the frosting will end up as a thin glaze rather than a pipeable frosting.
4. Other options
Really, this recipe will work with any soft, creamy cheese. It is delicious with the tanginess of soft goat cheese and the richness of ricotta or mascarpone.
Kefir or Yogurt Frosting
This soft-cheese frosting is simple and delicious. It’s made with jam for a flavorful and icing sugar-free frosting. See the section above for all the different soft-cheese options, including Greek yogurt and kefir cheese.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/2 cups (enough for 12 cupcakes) 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup soft cheese or Greek yogurt (see the section above for options).
- 1/2 cup jam (see notes for details)
- 1 to 2 Tbsp tapioca starch or cornstarch (as needed)
Instructions
- Mix together the soft cheese and jam in a large bowl. Start with a spoon, then use a whisk to make sure everything is smooth and well-combined.
- If the frosting isn’t stiff enough, whisk in a tablespoon of starch to help thicken it. Let it sit for 5 minutes, before whisking in a second tablespoon. Usually, no extra thickener is required. However, kefir cheese or yogurt that hasn’t drained for at least 12 hours can be a bit too liquidy.
- Refrigerate the frosting for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- Use sugar-free jam
for sugar-free frosting!
- If you want to pipe through a star-shaped frosting tip, strain the jam first to remove any chunks of fruit. These will get caught in the icing tip.
- Apricot jam provides a nice neutral flavor. Raspberry and blueberry jams make a beautiful pink frosting. Marmalade is delicious with chocolate cake. However, it usually has chunks of peel, so pipe it through a round decorating tip
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for sugar-free frosting! 
.Keywords: kefir, probiotic, goat cheese, sugar free, gluten free, jam, apricot, blueberry, marmalade, soy free, nut free, egg free
So if you don’t use icing sugar, do you just use the kefir cheese and jam?
That’s what I do! It’s not the smoothest or sweetest frosting… but it’s good enough for us. Just make sure your kefir cheese is pretty thick.
can you use jelly instead of jam?
Yes! Jelly would make a really smooth frosting. Definitely, the best option if you plan on using a frosting bag.
Amazing frosting! I really enjoy the complex flavor of the kefir cheese!
★★★★★
Thanks!
What flavor jam should I use if I want white frosting? Or can I substitute something in place of the jam to get a white frosting?
Hi Tiffany, The jam will always color the cheese, so you can’t make a perfectly white frosting. However, if you use strained apricot or a light marmalade, then it will only be slightly colored. Cheers!