Strawberry Frosting (Made with Freeze-Dried Strawberries)

Name: Strawberry Frosting
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries; 1 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon salt; 4 cups powdered sugar; 2 tablespoons whole milk (plus more as needed)

A closeup of swooshes of creamy strawberry frosting that has topped a cake and fills the whole frame.

This strawberry frosting gets its flavor from freeze-dried strawberries ground into a fine powder, not from a strawberry reduction, jam, or artificial flavoring. The result is a buttercream with intense, real strawberry flavor and a naturally pink color with deep pink flecks throughout.

I use the same freeze-dried technique in my white chocolate strawberry truffles, and it works just as well in frosting. Five minutes with a mixer and you have a buttercream that pipes beautifully on my gluten-free strawberry cake, cupcakes, cookies, or anything else you want to frost.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s ready in 5 minutes. Just process the strawberries, cream the butter, and mix everything together. No cooking, no reducing, no waiting.
6 simple ingredients. Freeze-dried strawberries, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and milk. That’s it.
Naturally pink with no food dye. The freeze-dried strawberries give the frosting a beautiful pink color with deep pink flecks. No artificial coloring needed.

Overhead view of ingredients in bowls to make strawberry frosting with text overlays over each ingredient.

Ingredient Notes

Freeze-dried strawberries – Process them into a fine powder in a food processor. You want as few large pieces as possible so the frosting stays smooth and pipes well. A few small flecks are fine and add to the look.
Unsalted butter – Must be fully softened to room temperature (you should be able to press a finger into it easily). Cold butter won’t cream properly and you’ll end up with a lumpy frosting.
Whole milk – Added at the end to adjust consistency. Start with 2 tablespoons and add more by the half tablespoon if needed. The fat in whole milk helps keep the frosting smooth. You can use 2% in a pinch.

Freeze-dried vs. dehydrated strawberries

Use crispy, crunchy freeze-dried strawberries for this recipe, not the chewy dehydrated kind you’ll find next to raisins and dried cranberries. Freeze-dried strawberries have about 99% of their moisture removed, which means concentrated strawberry flavor without adding liquid that would thin out the buttercream. You’ll find them in the dried fruit aisle or snack aisle of most grocery stores.

Step-by-Step Instructions

This fresh strawberry frosting recipe is incredibly easy to make with the help of a food processor and an electric mixer. It can be ready in just about 5 minutes. Follow the easy steps below with matching photos to help you make this recipe perfectly every time.

For the ingredient list with measurements, full instructions, printable recipe, and additional notes, please scroll down to the recipe card.

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A food processor with freeze-dried strawberries in it that have been pulverized to a powder. — Place the freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor. Process until finely ground.

Powdered freeze-dried strawberries and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. — Add the softened butter and the prepared strawberry powder to a large mixing bowl.

Creamed butter and freeze-dried strawberries in the bowl of a stand mixer. — Beat until the butter is creamy and combined thoroughly with the freeze-dried strawberries. Scrape down the sides of the bowls as needed.

Creamed butter and freeze-dried strawberries topped with vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer. — Add the vanilla extract and salt. Mix until combined.

Creamed butter and freeze-dried strawberries topped with powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. — Add the powdered sugar gradually, mixing in between each addition.

Mixed strawberry buttercream topped with whole milk before mixing in the bowl of a stand mixer. — Add the whole milk to the frosting.

Creamy strawberry frosting that has been mixed in the bowl of a stand mixer. — Mix until smooth and creamy.

Strawberry frosting in the process of being piped on top of a chocolate cupcake. — Frost your cake, cupcakes, or cookies as desired.

Recipe FAQs

How do you thicken strawberry frosting?

If your strawberry frosting is too thin, you can thicken it by adding more powdered sugar to it.

How do you make your strawberry frosting easier to pipe or frost a cake with?

If your strawberry buttercream is too thick, which can make it difficult to frost a cake with, add more milk by the ½ tablespoon until it has reached the right consistency.

Can strawberry frosting be made dairy-free or vegan?

Yes, use a 50/50 mix of vegan butter and shortening for a dairy-free and vegan strawberry frosting. Substitute the whole milk with almond milk, or another non-dairy milk alternative.

Expert Tips

No food processor? Use a rolling pin. Place the freeze-dried strawberries in a zip-top bag and roll back and forth until finely crushed. It won’t be as fine as a food processor, but a few small chunks in the frosting look good and taste great.
Add the powdered sugar gradually. About 1/2 cup at a time on low speed. If you dump it all in at once, it will fly everywhere and the frosting will be harder to mix smooth.
Use it right away or re-whip before frosting. The strawberry powder absorbs moisture as it sits, so the frosting will stiffen up over time. If you make it ahead or pull it from the fridge, give it a good 30-second whip with the mixer and add a splash of milk if needed to get it back to a pipeable consistency.

A close up of piped and frosted strawberry buttercream on a cake topped with fresh strawberry havles.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerator: Airtight container for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature and re-whip before using.

Freezer: Up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature and re-whip until smooth.

Frosted desserts: A frosted cake or cupcakes will keep at room temperature for 1-2 days as long as they aren’t sitting in direct sunlight or a hot room. Refrigerate for longer storage.

Serving Suggestions

This frosting is made for my gluten-free strawberry cake. It’s the pairing I had in mind when I developed it, and the strawberry-on-strawberry flavor is worth every bite. For a chocolate-strawberry combination, frost my gluten-free chocolate cake or pipe it onto gluten-free chocolate cookies for a cookie sandwich.

It’s also great on my gluten-free cookie cake if you want to swap the vanilla buttercream for something fruity, or piped into gluten-free cookie cups for a party-ready dessert. If you’re making a strawberry coulis to drizzle alongside, I have a strawberry coulis recipe that pairs perfectly.

5 from 1 vote