This Cream Cheese Glaze is the easiest way to dress up a cake, muffin, or pan of cinnamon rolls — no heavy cream, no vanilla bean, no fancy equipment. Just five ingredients you probably already have on hand, a hand mixer, and about 10 minutes.
It comes out rich, creamy, and pourable, and it’s forgiving enough for a first-timer to get right on the first try.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
It’s quick to whip up, creamy and sweet, and adds just the right finishing touch to cakes, cinnamon rolls, muffins, and more.
It is slightly different than icing with a thinner consistency. It’s so easy to drizzle over cakes and baked goods.
I’ve been making this cream cheese glaze for years, and it’s still one of my favorite ways to finish a homemade dessert. You may also want to try Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe and Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe.
Ingredients
- Cream Cheese. Softened at room temperature so you can combine easily. Learn How to Soften Cream Cheese.
- Butter. Softened before mixing. Either salted or unsalted works — salted butter adds a little extra flavor contrast against the sweetness, while unsalted lets the cream cheese’s tang come through more.
- Vanilla Extract. Make sure you are using pure vanilla.
- Powdered Sugar. Sift the powdered sugar first.
- Milk. As needed.
Ingredient Notes
- Brick-style cream cheese (not the spreadable tub kind) holds its shape and whips up smooth — the tub versions have extra air and water whipped in, which can leave your glaze thin and a little grainy.
- Softened cream cheese and butter are non-negotiable here — if either one is cold, it won’t fully break down, and you’ll end up with little lumps no amount of stirring can fix. Leave both out on the counter for about 30 minutes before you start.
- Whole milk (instead of heavy cream) keeps this version simple and inexpensive without sacrificing texture — you’re just using it to thin the glaze to the right consistency, not to build richness.
Substitutions and Additions
- Flavor the glaze. Some ideas include lemon zest or lemon juice, pumpkin spice, cinnamon or cocoa powder. I would start with 1 teaspoon and adjust accordingly to taste.
- Color the glaze. Add a hint of color to the glaze by adding your favorite jam. You can also use food coloring to color the glaze in any color you choose.
How to Make Cream Cheese Glaze
Step 1: Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until completely smooth, with no lumps.
Step 2: Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar directly to the cream cheese mixture, and beat until fully combined and smooth.
Step 3: Add the milk one tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition, until the glaze is smooth and pourable — it should coat the back of a spoon and slowly drip off, not sit thick like frosting.
Step 4: Refrigerate until ready to use. This recipe makes about 1 cup of glaze, enough to drizzle generously over a bundt cake, a dozen cinnamon rolls, or 2 dozen cookies.
Tips and Tricks
- Full Fat Cream Cheese. This recipe is best with the full fat variety in the brick style. Do not use the tubs of whipped cream cheese.
- Softened Cream cheese. The ingredients will combine easier if the cream cheese is softened at room temperature.
- Pure Vanilla Extract. Try to use the best quality ingredients you can. Pure vanilla extract is best. Also, clear will give the glaze the purest color.
- Timing matters. For the cleanest drizzle or spread, add the glaze once your baked good has cooled to room temperature — a glaze poured over anything still warm will simply melt and run off instead of setting where you want it.
- For more control over drips, spoon the glaze into a small piping bag or a squeeze bottle instead of pouring straight from the bowl — it makes it much easier to drizzle exactly where you want it, especially on a bundt cake.
Milk Consistency
Add the milk one tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition, until you reach the consistency you need:
- For spreading over warm cinnamon rolls: stop at 1 tablespoon of milk. It should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon.
- For drizzling over a bundt cake or muffins: use the full 2–3 tablespoons. It should coat the back of a spoon and slowly drip off in a ribbon.
- For dipping cookies or donuts: add up to 1 more tablespoon beyond that, so it flows freely enough to dunk into.
Frequently Asked Questions
This glaze will store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Storing cream cheese glaze is very easy and it will still taste great.
If you find the glaze is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk at a time until desired consistency.
This is often a result of poor-quality cream cheese that has a higher water content. Also, cream cheese in a tub can result in a runny consistency.
It is important to use brick style cream cheese to make this recipe. Full fat good quality cream cheese is best to make this recipe.
Yes! Lumps almost always mean the cream cheese or butter wasn’t fully softened. Keep beating on medium speed for another minute or two — it often smooths out on its own. If lumps remain, microwave the glaze in 5-second bursts, stirring between each, until it loosens up enough to beat smooth. Next time, just make sure both are truly soft (press-with-a-finger soft) before you start.
Too thick: add milk a tablespoon at a time until it loosens up. Too thin: add powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time, since that absorbs the extra liquid without diluting the flavor.
Glaze uses less powdered sugar and more liquid, so it stays pourable and drizzles smoothly. Frosting uses more powdered sugar and less (or no) liquid, so it’s thick enough to spread or pipe. If you want something to fully coat a layer cake, frosting is the better choice — glaze is for drizzling and finishing.
Ways to Use This Glaze
- Cinnamon Rolls. Try this cream cheese glaze recipe on your favorite cinnamon rolls. It is so rich and delicious.
- Bundt Cake. Everyone will love this topping for bundt cake that not only taste great but looks so pretty.
- Carrot Cake. The flavors of carrot cake and cream cheese glaze blend together perfectly.
- Cookies. Skip the traditional frosting and use this glaze cream cheese to drizzle on the cookies.
- Red Velvet Cake. It is perfect to use with red velvet and turns out fabulous. This glaze is absolutely delicious on red velvet cake or cupcakes.
- Pancakes or Waffles. Drizzle this over a warm stack for a bakery-style breakfast — thin it with the full amount of milk so it soaks in a little instead of just sitting on top.
- Donuts. Thin the glaze with an extra splash of milk and dip warm or cooled donuts right in for an easy glazed finish.
Why Make Your Own Cream Cheese Glaze?
A store-bought tub of cream cheese frosting can run you several dollars for something you’ll use half of and toss. This glaze uses just 5 ingredients you likely already have — cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk — for roughly $2.22 a batch, no trip to the store required.
It takes about 10 minutes, and since you’re making it fresh instead of scooping it out of a tub that’s been sitting on a shelf, the vanilla and cream cheese flavor actually comes through instead of tasting flat.
More Cream Cheese Desserts
Make this decadent cream cheese glaze for bundt cake today and leave a comment letting us know how it turned out.
Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese softened
- 1/4 cup Butter softened
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons Milk as needed
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Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese and softened butter with a hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Beat until fully combined and smooth.
- Gradually add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the remaining milk if needed until the glaze reaches your desired consistency.
- Cover and refrigerate the glaze until ready to use.
- Stir the glaze before using and drizzle or spread over your favorite baked goods.
