Low-carb, sugar-free, and just three ingredients—so good you could eat it with a spoon!
Carrot cake, red velvet cake, and pumpkin cake: Think of these desserts and you almost always think of rich, tangy cream cheese frosting. It’s been a favorite for generations and it’s hard to forget, even if you’re avoiding sugar or following a low-carb or ketogenic diet. The good news? Cream cheese is a particularly good match for sugar substitutes. It’s thick and creamy on its own, meaning it doesn’t need heft from powdered sugar and won’t turn as soft at room temperature as butter-based frostings will. Plus, the dairy flavor and mild tang of cream cheese is a good match for sweeteners like the stevia in this recipe—just add vanilla and you’ll have a very tempting three-ingredient frosting.
This smooth, creamy frosting is designed to be classic and versatile, but it can easily be flavored with cinnamon, coconut extract, unsweetened cocoa powder, and more if you want to dress it up. You can use a knife or offset spatula to frost your treats, or transfer the mixture to a piping bag and decorate cakes or cupcakes that way. And while a traditional cream cheese frosting is dense, this recipe yields an almost mousse-like mixture. You could even garnish a serving with a few berries and eat it with a spoon, it’s that good! Play around with it and you might find it’s your new favorite when you’re craving something sweet.
What is stevia glycerite?
Stevia sugar substitutes are made from the leaves of the stevia plant, sometimes known as candyleaf, sweetleaf, or sugarleaf. What makes it suitable for keto diets? Well, the stevia leaf has a natural compound that’s hundreds of times sweeter than sugar. It’s considered a non-nutritive substance, meaning it contains no carbohydrates, calories, or vitamins and minerals. The form of stevia used in this recipe is stevia glycerite, made by infusing the leaves in a glycerin base (which does add a negligible amount of calories). The result is a sweetener with a thick syrupy consistency that’s popular with bakers since it mixes smoothly into just about any base. In addition to ordering stevia glycerite online, you can find it in larger supermarkets and stores specializing in natural foods since most (but not all) brands are organic.
How do I store leftovers?
The frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week. You can also have the option of freezing the frosting for up to a month in a sealed container. Cream cheese does freeze pretty successfully, but not perfectly: You may notice a bit of graininess in the thawed frosting. Beating it again helps to smooth it out, but probably won’t make it absolutely creamy again.
Serving suggestions
Looking for other great recipes that won’t have you missing sugar or carbs? Try this flavor-packed Keto Tuna Casserole or Keto Broccoli Salad. And if you think more is better, whip up a batch of easy, sugarless Keto Whipped Cream to serve alongside your desserts—no one will complain!
Easy Keto Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons stevia glycerite
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract sugar free
Instructions
- If it's not already softened, remove the cream cheese from its packaging, cut it into cubes, and place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 10-second bursts until soft but still holding its shape, not melted.
- Place the softened cream cheese in a bowl and add the stevia and vanilla.
- Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes with a whisk or 1 minute with an electric mixer, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Spread the frosting on cupcakes or cakes or transfer it to a piping bag and pipe it on.
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