Easy Cream Cheese Glaze

The perfect glaze to top any baked goods including muffins, cookies, and breads. This easy cream cheese glaze only needs cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla. It’s the perfect addition to put on your baked goods.

applesauce muffins without eggs getting cream cheese glaze piped on them

Easy cream cheese glaze

This recipe came to mind when I was looking for a sweet glaze to top muffins with. I wanted something that was thinner than frosting to add just a bit of sweetness, flavor, and creaminess to each bite. This glaze is much thinner than your typical frosting. Cream cheese frosting is much thicker and creamy. This cream cheese glaze is thinner and just the right amount sweetness.

Ingredients

  • Cream cheese: creamy and rich in flavor. Cream cheese is so delicious in a glaze!
  • Powdered sugar: used to thicken and sweeten the glaze
  • Unsalted butter: adds richness and flavor
  • Milk: helps to thin out the mixture so it isn’t an icing, but a glaze
  • Vanilla: adds great flavor to the icing. NOTE: vanilla will add a bit of color to this glaze so if you are wanting the color more white, I would omit the vanilla.

How to make the cream cheese glaze

  1. In a medium size bowl, add in softened cream cheese and butter. Make sure they are soft! Leave the cream cheese or butter out at room temperature for about an hour to soften. If you need them to soften more quickly, microwave at 15 second increments. Microwave the cream cheese and butter separately as the butter will take longer to soften.
  2. With a hand mixer on low speed, beat until smooth.
  3. Add in powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat again until smooth and creamy.
  4. Tip: Add additional milk if you are looking to thin out the glaze. Add more powdered sugar to thicken.
  5. Spoon drizzle over your baked goods OR place the glaze in a Ziplock bag. Clip a small piece off the corner of the bag and then drizzle it onto your baked goods.

Why you will love this recipe

Simple: Only 10 minutes to prepare. This glaze adds so much delicious flavor to a baked good.

Cream cheese: I love cream cheese in an icing. It is creamy, rich, and decadent.

Beautiful look: This is a beautiful topping to your baked good. If you are looking to display a baked good at party or gathering these looked beautiful plated and ready to serve.

FAQ

Add more milk, 1 tbsp. at a time until desired consistency

Add more powdered sugar until desired consistency.

A cream cheese frosting is thick and used to coat the top of a baked good. A cream cheese glaze is thinner, you can drizzle it and it has a glossy look. You can drizzle the glaze using a spoon or in a Ziplock bag with a corner cut off.

No, the glaze does not harden. It will thicken slightly when stored in the fridge, but still be soft.

Yes, you will need to store the glaze, and any baked good you place it on, in the fridge.

What to serve cream cheese glaze on

  • Breads: pumpkin, banana, chocolate bread
  • Pancakes
  • Muffins: Drizzle them on some muffins and its delightful! We love adding them to these applesauce muffins.
  • Cookies: I could list out all of the flavors. But, really any type of cookie!
  • Cupcakes: If you are looking for a more subtle addition than icing, then this glaze will go well on cupcakes.
  • Scones
  • Cinnamon rolls

Equipment needed

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How to store

Store the cream cheese glaze in an airtight container in the fridge. You will want to bring it to room temperature before putting it on a baked good in order for it to thin back out.

Tips for success

  • Make sure the butter and cream cheese are softened. Leave at room temperature for an hour to soften. You can also microwave in 15 second increments to quickly soften them.
  • To prevent clumps, sift your powdered sugar before adding. Also, make sure the cream cheese is softened.
cream cheese glaze with a spoon scooping some out

Easy Cream Cheese Glaze

The perfect glaze to top any baked goods including muffins, breads, and cookies! This easy cream cheese glaze only needs cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10
Calories 102 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Hand mixer
  • 1 Medium sized mixing bowl
  • 1 Strainer to sift the powdered sugar

Ingredients
  

  • 4 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 3 tbsp. unsalted butter softened
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 4 tbsp. whole milk
  • ½ cup powdered sugar sifted

Instructions
 

  • In a medium size bowl, add in softened cream cheese and butter.
  • With a hand mixer on low speed, beat until smooth.
  • Add in sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat again until smooth and creamy.
  • Spoon drizzle over baked goods. OR place the glaze in a Ziplock bag, clip a small bit of the corner off the bag and then drizzle it onto the baked goods.

Notes

Add additional milk if you are looking to thin out the glaze. Add more powdered sugar to thicken.
To avoid clumps, make sure the cream cheese is softened and sift the powdered sugar.
The glaze or a baked good with the glaze on top needs to be stored in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcal
Keyword Cream Cheese, Dessert Glaze, Glaze
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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