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Lower Fat Cream Cheese and Whipped Cream Frosting just sounds too good to be true. However, over time you can train your tastebuds and brain, and even your gut, to be accustomed to foods with less fat and sugar. This frosting uses Neufchatel cheese (which has 1/3 the fat of regular cream cheese), less sugar than what most recipes call for, and heavy whipping cream. Neufchatel cheese can be just as decadent and the full-fat cream cheese that you know and love. Give it a try!
This cream cheese and whipped cream frosting is a treat that we have on baked goods for rare occasions or when we share baked goods with family, friends, and neighbors and get to have a little taste. Just another way to keep the food balance in our household – share all the sweets and treats so there is only a serving or two for us. It tastes great on carrot cake, red velvet cake, pretty much anywhere you need white frosting that is creamy, slightly sweet, and densely fluffy. Make sure to keep your frosted cake or cupcake in the refrigerator after it’s frosted; otherwise, you will have a rotting mess on your hands.
This no-fuss frosting is much easier to make if you have a KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Mine is about 17 years old now and is still working just as well as when I first bought it. You can check out the specs for yourself here at the link below:
Health Benefits: Neufchatel Cheese
There are some benefits to Neufchatel cheese compared to cream cheese. It has more protein and less fat than the beloved cream cheese we all know and love. Neufchatel cheese has a higher concentration of B vitamins compared to cream cheese, but less of vitamins A, K, and E. Who knew!
Just keep in mind that they are higher in saturated fats, so may not be good for those watching their cholesterol. However, if your heart health is not a strong concern, Neufchatel cheese can help take care of your eyes, skin, and brain
Health Benefits: Heavy Cream
There’s a minimal number of vitamins and minerals that you can get from heavy cream because the high fat content makes it hard to eat enough of it to reap the benefits. It’s also expensive and can be difficult to use up a larger amount if cooking for just yourself or a small family when trying to eat healthily.
However, the alternative for whipped cream, which is often a frozen and/or more highly processed product, can have added chemicals and ingredients that the body may not be able to digest and use well, or might be difficult for the body to get rid of.
Regardless, if you are making your food at home, you know what’s going into it and can decide whether heavy cream or other alternatives are best for your family and your health and financial situation.
Is it okay to use white sugar?
A white-colored frosting is probably one of the few places that you will find me using white granulated sugar. It’s the only way that I know of to keep the snow-white color of the cream cheese and the whipping cream. Despite the processed sugar, it is less sweet compared to the shelf-stable frostings and has a richer taste because of the cream cheese. You also still get the benefit of having a homemade product without the chemicals that help make a shelf-stable frosting or a frozen whipped frosting last a long time.
Love this frosting recipe? Check out these other amazing dessert recipes that are healthier than the store bought treats.
Lower Fat Cream Cheese and Whipped Cream Frosting
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- 1 stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- 1 Large bowl (if using electric hand mixer)
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Neufchatel cheese softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Put softened cream cheese and sugar into a mixer with a whisk attachment. You can also place it in a bowl and use a hand mixer. Mix on medium speed for about 3 minutes or until slightly whipped.
- Add heavy whipping cream to bowl. Mix/whisk on medium-to-medium-high speed until it looks like it almost doubled in volume and is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
