Let me teach you how to make naturally flavored (and naturally colored) strawberry buttercream frosting. The secret is to replace some confectioners’ sugar with freeze-dried strawberry powder. This strawberry buttercream is ultra creamy and smooth, with loads of real strawberry flavor.
I originally published this recipe in 2017 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and a few more success tips.
One reader, Kristen, commented: “I made a variety of cupcakes for a wedding. I made this frosting and I have to say it was easy to make and hands down the best frosting I’ve ever had. I love all of your recipes. ★★★★★“
Let’s talk about how to make naturally flavored, naturally pink strawberry buttercream frosting.
Have you ever tried making frosting with fresh strawberries? I have, and the results were disastrous. I chopped up the strawberries, even blotted the moisture a little bit, pureed them, and then added it to a vanilla frosting. The buttercream instantly curdled as a result of the excess moisture—yuck! Same thing happened with strawberry jam, which also made the frosting too sweet.
Instead of relying on artificial strawberry flavor, I tried a trick I learned while writing my cookbook Sally’s Candy Addiction. Use freeze-dried strawberry powder!
I have a recipe for strawberry buttercream candies in that cookbook—they’re actually the pretty pink striped candies you see on the cover. The filling is creamy and smooth with lots of concentrated strawberry flavor, which comes from—you guessed it—ground freeze-dried strawberries. I decided to make actual strawberry frosting the same exact way. It’s really easy.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting (6 Ingredients)
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: You’ll grind these into a powder. Want to make a raspberry buttercream? Use freeze-dried raspberries instead.
- Unsalted Butter: Start with room temperature butter. Room temperature butter is actually cooler than you think. If the butter is too warm, the frosting will be greasy.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Confectioners’ sugar is the bulk of this frosting, sweetening it and binding the ingredients together.
- Heavy Cream or Milk: Liquid thins out and adds creaminess to the frosting. You can use heavy cream, milk, or even half-and-half.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds incredible flavor.
- Salt: A pinch of salt offsets all the sweetness.
That’s it! No artificial flavoring or food coloring in this pretty pink strawberry frosting.
Grind the freeze-dried strawberries into powder using a food processor or blender:
Success Tip for Super-Smooth Strawberry Buttercream:
If you prefer a smoother strawberry buttercream, with none of the teeny-tiny seeds, you can sift out the seeds and larger pieces of the ground freeze-dried strawberries with a fine mesh sieve, and use just the super-fine strawberry dust. If I have an extra minute, I usually do this.
The rest of the recipe is similar to making regular vanilla buttercream or chocolate buttercream. You’ll need a handheld or stand mixer.
Where Can I Buy Freeze-Dried Strawberries?
I always find freeze-dried strawberries in my regular grocery store in the dried fruit aisle. Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Target, and Amazon all carry them.
Do not use “dried strawberries,” which are chewy like raisins or dried apricots. They have a gummy texture and don’t grind into a powder. You need freeze-dried strawberries, which have all of the moisture removed. There’s also freeze-dried raspberries, which is an ingredient we use to coat these chocolate raspberry crinkle cookies.
What Tastes Best With Strawberry Buttercream?
The dessert flavor-combo possibilities are endless! This recipe makes enough for a dozen cupcakes, a 3-layer 6-inch cake, or a 9×13-inch quarter vanilla sheet cake. I would 1.5x the recipe for a 2-layer cake.
- Vanilla Cupcakes
- Pistachio Cupcakes (pictured below)
- Confetti Sprinkle Cupcakes
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Strawberry Cupcakes
- Peanut Butter Cupcakes (for a PB&J flavor combo)
- Piñata Cupcakes
- Vanilla 6-Inch Cake
- Fruit Pizza
- Lemon Cupcakes (pictured below)
I also halve the recipe and use it to fill these chocolate covered strawberry cupcakes.
Strawberry Frosting Variations
If you love strawberry buttercream frosting, you’ll also love these delicious variations!
- Strawberry cream cheese frosting from this strawberry cake
- White chocolate strawberry buttercream from these white chocolate strawberry cupcakes
- Nutella-strawberry swirl buttercream from my Valentine’s Day cupcakes
For blueberry frosting, see how we use freeze dried blueberries in the frosting for lemon blueberry cookies.
Print
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: about 3 cups
- Category: Frosting
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Freeze-dried strawberries are the secret to adding real flavor and natural color to strawberry buttercream frosting. Rich and creamy, this flavorful frosting pairs perfectly with an array of confections including chocolate cupcakes, lemon cupcakes, and/or a vanilla sheet cake.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (about 25g) freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream or whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Using a food processor or blender, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a powdery crumb. You should have around 1/2 cup. If it’s not grinding down fine enough, you can sift it with a fine mesh sieve to rid larger seeds/pieces. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, heavy cream/milk, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Taste. Add 1–2 more Tablespoons of heavy cream/milk if needed to thin out, if desired. (I usually add at least 1 more.) Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Use immediately or cover tightly and store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting on medium speed for a few seconds so it’s creamy again. After thawing or refrigerating, beating in a splash of heavy cream or milk will help thin the frosting out again, if needed. (It stiffens in the refrigerator.)
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | Fine Mesh Sieve | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer)
- Where to find freeze-dried strawberries: I always find freeze-dried strawberries in my regular grocery store in the dried fruit aisle. Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, some dollar stores, Target, and Amazon carry them.
- Do not use fresh, frozen, or dried strawberries. Fresh and frozen strawberries add too much moisture. Dried strawberries are chewy like raisins or dried apricots. They have a gummy texture and don’t grind into a powder. You need freeze-dried strawberries, which have all of the moisture removed.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream produces an extra creamy frosting, but whole milk or half-and-half work too. Lower fat or nondairy milks work in a pinch, but the frosting won’t be as creamy.
- Quantity: This recipe is enough to frost 12–18 cupcakes, or a thin layer on a 9×13-inch quarter sheet cake. 1.5x the recipe for a 2-layer cake. (Doubling the recipe would be far too much.)
Reader Comments and Reviews
Sally your Strawberry cake recipe looks amazing. The cake is so fluffy and pink. I bought freeze dried Strawberries to use for the very reason of making Strawberry frosting. Thanks to you I know have the perfect recipe. I’m a little hesitant to make Strawberry cake as I know it takes expertise to make it taste like and look decadent. I’m curious why you reduce the strawberry puree. Must it be concentrated to a puree.
Hi Poune, yes, reducing the strawberry puree concentrates the flavor so you aren’t adding too much liquid to the batter. Hope this clarifies it!
I used this recipe for a baby shower cake along with the Sally’s Baking Addiction Best Pumpkin Cake recipe. Everyone loved it perfect for a fall baby shower. Pumpkin cake with Strawberry Buttercream.
Can I make this with less sugar?
Hi Becky, while you can certainly try reducing the sugar, the sugar is what gives the frosting it’s structure and reducing the sugar will make it thinner in consistency.
Can this be made WITHOUT the straw berries for a plain whipped frosting? Not looking for a recipe that contains cream cheese. Thank you!
Hi Kathy, we’d recommend using our vanilla buttercream instead. You could also use the whipped frosting from this vanilla sheet cake. Or for a less sweet option, you could use our Swiss meringue buttercream.
I am giving this 5 stars for it’s excellent flavor but I wondered if there would be any way to make this a more pastel color. I was a little disappointed that it was such a deep, dark pink color.
I followed the recipe exactly, and thought about adding more powdered sugar to lighten it up, but it is already plenty sweet, so I decided not to.
Again, the flavor is excellent, but I don’t think I’ll make it again because of the color.
Sally, you are my “go to” whenever I bake.
Thank you for all your great recipes and your easy to follow website.
My 1st time working with freeze dried fruit. The frosting came out delicious and was certainly easy enough to make. I did a crumb coat and while it was setting up, I put the leftover frosting in a piping bag & tossed it in the fridge. This was a mistake. The frosting became too thick to pipe & I blame the dried fruit bits rehydrating. It was room temp when I tried to use it so temp wasn’t a factor. Regardless, family loved the cake & the frosting has nice flavor. Next time I’ll whip it with more cream before using.
I made this with the confetti cake for my daughter’s birthday and it was a huge hit! She wanted a bright pink cake and the frosting was so vibrant and delicious. Definitely take the extra time to sift the strawberry dust. My strainer was still wet from being washed so I skipped it and I had issues with the seeds clogging my piping tips. 10/10 will make this again!
Thanks so much for giving this cake a try, Ingrid! We’re so glad it was a hit.
I loved this recipe but I had fresh B.C. Strawberries so I mashed a few up and mixed them with the milk and the combination of the freeze dried and fresh! My husband loved it on his chocolate cupcakes. I even put some in the middle of a few. I only used 3 cups of icing sugar as I do not like my buttercream too sweet. Diabetic so watch how much I use. Excellent buttercream but expect nothing less from @sallysbakingaddition
I’ve been looking for a strawberry buttercream frosting that doesn’t use jello and was happy to find this!
Alternatively if I wanted to make this buttercream using another freeze dried fruit (like blueberries, blackberries, mango, etc) would I still use 25g of whatever fruit?
Thanks!
Hi Grace, you certainly can try this with other fruits. We haven’t tested it, but we’d recommend starting with 25g of the freeze dried fruit – then taste and add more for flavor if needed. Let us know if you give it a try!
Simply the Best! I’ve tried multiple strawberry frostings but none had the taste and texture of this recipe. Using the freeze-dried fruit prevents the frosting from becoming watery. I will definitely make this again.
Can I substitute freeze dried raspberries and make it a raspberry frosting?
Hi Lily, you definitely can! Or you can try this raspberry frosting that’s made with jam.
Wondering if I can halve this recipe? I can’t wait to try it with my dehydrated berries but I don’t need that much frosting.
Hi Karen, yes, you can halve this recipe.
Dear Sally, I really appreciate your posting this recipe. I have the freeze dried strawberries and sugar but need to sub the butter for a dairy free option. Do you have any suggestions for one that will hold up well? I will keep them refrigerated if need be. I am using it for banana cupcakes. I have fresh strawberries but after reading your notes, I do not think I would decorate with it although they would look nice with a strawberry in the center.
Hi Marcianne, we haven’t tested it, but a plant-based butter like Earth Balance butter sticks may work here. The texture may be a bit different. Please do let us know what you try!
Hi there! I was just wondering how many cups of strawberry buttercream I would need to fill and crumb coat a 3 layer 8″ inch cake and 3 layer 12″ cake?
Hi Billie, it really depends on how heavily you plan to frost your cakes. Doubling should be plenty to frost your 3-layer, 8-inch cake. You’ll likely want to 2.5x or even 3x the 12-inch cake, especially if you plan on using some frosting to decorate.
My favorite buttercream recipe!!! Would you recommend doubling or tripling the recipe to frost 100 mini 2 inch cookies?
Hi Kelsie, it really depends on how heavily you plan to frost the cookies. We’d start by doubling, then making an additional batch if needed.
Hello ! I just wanted to ask if this buttercream crusts ? Would it be thick enough to pipe a dam around a filling ? Also would double the recipe be enough to fill a 3 layer 12 inch cake and also do a crumb coat ? If I then cover the crumb coat with vanilla frosting would that work or do you think the pink would show through ? Doing it for the bottom layer of a wedding cake. Thanks so much for any help!
Hi Sarah, yes, this frosting will harden enough to pipe a dam around the edges. Doubling the recipe *should* be enough for filling your cake and applying a thin crumb coat layer. If you frost the outside heavily with vanilla, it should be enough to cover the pink of the crumb coat layer.
I am confused by the quantity of freeze-dried strawberries called for in the ingredients. the recipe says, “1 cup (about 25g) freeze-dried strawberries”. One ounce of freeze-dried strawberries averages 28 grams. Wouldn’t 1 cup be about 224 grams?
Hi Jim, freeze-dried strawberries weigh next to nothing, so about 25 grams (or 1 ounce) will give you the cup needed to pulse down into the fine powder. Hope this helps!
I am helping a neighbor’s teen make your strawberry cake for a silent auction at her school. She loves the recipe ( we have made it for three of her birthdays) but my concern is the cream cheese frosting. I don’t think the strawberry cream cheese frosting would be safe sitting out for a few hours. Would this frosting need to be refrigerated or could it sit out for a few hours?
Hi Pam, the frosting should be okay on display for a few hours, especially if it is coming cold from the refrigerator. If you are concerned, this strawberry buttercream frosting without cream cheese is a great swap!
Hey, Sally! If I want to make this frosting for a four-layer 8″ cake, will doubling the recipe be enough?
Many thanks
Hi Shibani, yes, that should be enough!
I followed the instructions and it turned out fantastic!
Hello! I am looking to frost a 3 layer 8″ cake with this. Should I double the receipe?
Hi Erin, yes, we’d recommend doubling the recipe. Enjoy!
I’m making a “pool cake “ yup the old women’s weekly one for my granddaughter who’s in love with a beach character. It will be a confetti cake and I will be subbing the chocolate cookies that traditionally surround the cake with white chocolate wafers. I love the sound of this strawberry frosting. Do you think it would make a good filling or should I stick with a plain buttercream. Just not 100% sure about the blue jello & strawberry filling. lol. Mind you I could make the “pool “ very small and focus on sand. I know I might be obsessing a bit but I’m not fond of overly sweet icings – this just sounds like a lovely addition to a confetti cake. Also its 9x 13 double layer . How much icing would you recommend. Thanks so much. Just found your site so am looking forward to many more recipes.
Hi Wendy, yes, this frosting would work well for a filling. It yields about 3 cups, which is enough for a thin layer on a 9×13-inch quarter sheet cake. Hope it’s a hit!
This has a great flavor and comes together easily. Just a word of caution though…if you are not piping this frosting on cupcakes and are instead just using a spatula to spread a thin layer on top, this could probably frost 24 cupcakes. I made 16 cupcakes and I have more than a cup of frosting left. Next time I’d probably make 3/4 the recipe.
Could you use the powdered strawberry flavored jello from a package?
Hi Sherry, We don’t recommend it. The jello would be much too sweet without as strong of a berry flavor.
I’m embarrassed it’s taken me so long to leave a review – this is my most requested buttercream. Fantastic flavor and silky smooth – I’ve been making it for years and it always impresses.
So glad to read this, Sara!
I adore this recipe, I’ve done it with freeze dried strawberries, blueberries, Raspberries and even apple. My go to buttercream recipe.
Trader Joe’s sells freeze dried mango just in case!
Hi, Sally! I just want to confirm that this strawberry buttercream frosting will go well with your peanut butter cupcakes?
Absolutely!
Hi Sally, I’ll make this cake for my grandson, can I switch the strawberries for blueberries?
Hi Patricia, absolutely. Freeze dried blueberries will work well here.
Can I add the freeze dried strawberries to a cream cheese frosting?
Absolutely. I do that in my strawberry cake recipe.
Hi Sally! I’m wanting to make your strawberry ABC for my strawberry ombre cake. I want to freeze it (fully done and frosted) for a future date. I was wondering if the strawberry buttercream pipes and freezes well. Thanx!!
Hi Kelle! Yes, this frosting pipes and freezes well.
Hi Sally, Curious for your feedback as I’ve made strawberry buttercream with fresh strawberries twice using Betty Crocker’s (from my grandmother’s original 5-ring-binder style book!) recipe (1/3 c. butter, 3 c. confectioner’s, and 3-4 T crushed fresh strawberries) and it’s come out beautifully both times (I ended up using 1/2 c confectioner’s and 3 T strawberries, pureed-ish w/a stick blender, this time). It’s not enough for a 9″ double layer, so it should be doubled, but wondering why you’ve strayed from a classic recipe?
P.S. I used it on your Triple Chocolate Cake and holy WOW – YUM! My friends devoured it! Highly recommend.
Hi Monique, we love the overall taste, texture, and look that the freeze-dried strawberries provide. But certainly feel free to use another recipe if you have one you love!