This strawberry buttercream frosting is light, fluffy, and packed with real strawberry flavor using freeze-dried strawberries. It's an easy strawberry frosting recipe that pipes beautifully and works for cakes, cupcakes, and more.
If you love strawberry desserts, don't miss my collection of the best strawberry recipes for spring, including cheesecake deviled strawberries and strawberry hand pies.
🔍 Quick Look: Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
⏱️ Prep Time: 5 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 15 minutes
🧁 Yield: About 2½-3 cups frosting
🎂 Frosts: 18-24 cupcakes or one 9×13-inch cake
🎨 Color: Naturally pink (no food coloring)
⭐ Texture: Light, fluffy, and pipeable
🛠️ Tools: Mixer, mixing bowl, food processor or blender, spatula, fine-mesh sieve
🥣 Best For: Cakes, cupcakes, French macarons, and decorated desserts
❄️ Make-Ahead Friendly: Yes (refrigerator and freezer friendly)
⭐ Difficulty: Easy (beginner-friendly)
Summarize and Save This Content On:
I've made a lot of buttercream frosting over the years. From classic vanilla buttercream to super unique frosting flavors like cookie dough buttercream and everything in between. But, this strawberry version is one of my all-time favorites!
After testing multiple ways to add strawberry flavor, using freeze-dried strawberries consistently produces the best results and is the version I come back to every time. They deliver a strong strawberry flavor without adding extra moisture, so the frosting stays fluffy, smooth, and easy to pipe.
Just check out what one Pinterest user says about the recipe:
“Great strawberry flavor! I love using freeze dried strawberries vs fresh. So much easier and no goopy soft icing due to excess moisture. I'm no expert decorator but this piped very well. The tartness of the strawberries combatted the sweetness 👍🏼 great recipe.”
– Courtney
And, this recipe is a classic American buttercream, so it's quick to make, beginner-friendly, and super reliable for cakes, cupcakes, and decorated desserts. The texture holds up beautifully, and the natural pink color is just a bonus!
❤️ Why You'll Love This Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Easy: A classic American buttercream that comes together quickly with only 5 ingredients.
- Delicious: Made with freeze-dried strawberries real and strong strawberry flavor.
- Reliable: A tested method that stays smooth, fluffy, and easy to pipe.
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: These provide concentrated strawberry flavor without adding moisture. Unlike fresh or frozen strawberries, freeze-dried berries won't thin or curdle the frosting, making them the most reliable option for smooth, pipeable strawberry buttercream.
- Salted or Unsalted Butter: Both work in this recipe, simply omit the pinch of salt if using salted butter.
- Milk or Cream: Both heavy whipping cream and milk work fine. This thins out the frosting to your desired consistency.
How to Make
Traditional American buttercream frostings is one of the easiest frostings to make and there are only a few simple steps for this strawberry frosting version:
- Add Strawberries to Food Processor: Add the freze-dried strawberries to a food processor.
- Blend: Pulse the dried strawberries in a food processor until they've broken down and formed a loose powder. Set aside until ready to use. If desired, sift out the strawberry seeds and any large pieces.
- Cream Butter: Add the softened butter to the bowl of a standing mixer or large bowl with a hand-held mixer. Mix on medium to medium-high for 3-4 minutes, until the butter is very pale and yellow. This helps for a light and fluffy frosting, so be sure to mix for the full 3-4 minutes
- Add Sugar and Powdered Strawberries: Add the powdered sugar, powdered strawberries, and mix on low for 30-60 seconds until it starts to incorporate.
- Continue Mixing: Once the frosting comes together and looks crumbly, turn up the speed and mix on medium-high for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add Vanilla and Adjust Consistency: Mix in the vanilla. Once it’s mixed, gauge the consistency. If you want it thinner, you can add a tablespoon or two of milk or cream. Mix another minute until incorporated. That's it! It's now ready to use on your favorite desserts.
🌟 Tips & Tricks for Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Grind the strawberries finely: A very fine strawberry powder creates the smoothest frosting. And sifting after blending to remove seeds or larger pieces, makes it even smoother.
- Crushing by hand works too: If you don't have a blender or food processor, place the freeze-dried strawberries in a zip-lock bag and crush them with a rolling pin until very fine. Be sure to sift the powder before using it to remove any larger pieces for a smooth frosting texture.
- Mix for the full time listed: Don't rush the mixing time. Beating the buttercream for the full amount stated in the recipe (a full 10 minutes!) is what creates a light, fluffy texture and helps the dried strawberries blend evenly.
- For extra smooth frosting for piping: Beat on low speed for the final 1-2 minutes to knock out excess air bubbles, especially if you're piping or frosting a layer cake.
FAQ and Troubleshooting
Freeze-dried strawberries are commonly sold in the snack or dried fruit aisle of most grocery stores and big box stores like Target and Walmart. You can also find them on Amazon.
Fresh strawberries contain a lot of moisture, which can thin or break buttercream frosting. Freeze-dried strawberries provide the most reliable texture and flavor without extra liquid. If using fresh strawberries, they must be cooked down on a stovetop into a very thick reduction before adding.
Grainy strawberry buttercream is usually caused by strawberry powder that isn't ground finely enough or hasn't been sifted. Freeze-dried strawberries should be blended into a very fine powder and sifted to remove seeds or larger pieces before adding them to the frosting. Under-mixing can also cause a grainy texture, so be sure to mix for the full time listed in the recipe to fully incorporate the ingredients.
This strawberry buttercream frosting can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Before using, let the frosting come to room temperature and rewhip briefly to restore a smooth, fluffy texture.
Yes, this frosting along with frosted cakes and cupcakes can sit out for up to a day, provided there is nothing else in them that would need refrigeration such as pastry cream, whipped cream, etc. and it’s not too hot out.
Yes. Strawberry buttercream frosting freezes very well. Store it in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 2-3 months. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature and rewhip briefly to restore a smooth, fluffy texture.
🎂 Frosting Cakes and Cupcakes
This strawberry buttercream frosting is sturdy, pipeable, and easy to scale, making it ideal for frosting layer cakes, frosting cupcakes, and frosting sheet cakes.
- Yield: This strawberry buttercream frosting recipe makes about 3 cups of frosting.
- Coverage: Enough to frost 18-24 piped cupcakes or one 9×13-inch cake, depending on how generously you frost.
- Frosting Layer Cakes: For three-layer cakes, smooth finishes using a cake turntable, crisp edges, or decorative piping like a piping a rosette cake, plan to make 1½ to 2 times the recipe. Decorative piping always requires more frosting.
- Fondant-friendly: Holds up well under fondant without becoming watery.
- Scaling: The recipe can easily be doubled or halved to fit your needs.
- Stability: Made with freeze-dried strawberries, this frosting is sturdy, stable, and easy to pipe.
Best Recipes to Pair with Strawberry Frosting 💫
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 cups freeze-dried strawberries
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1-2 tbsp milk or cream up to 1/4 cup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch of salt omit if using salted butter
Instructions
- Add the dried strawberries to a food processor and process until they are very finely ground.
- Add the softened butter to the bowl of a standing mixer or large bowl with a hand held mixer.
- Mix on medium to medium high speed for 3-4 minutes, until the butter is very pale and yellow. Mixing the butter so long helps for making a light and fluffy frosting.
- Add the powdered sugar and strawberry powder to the butter and mix on the lowest speed for 30-60 seconds until it comes together and starts to look crumbly.
- Once it comes together, turn up the speed and mix another 3-4 minutes until it is very light and fluffy.
- Turn off the mixer and add your vanilla extract and gauge the consistency. If you want a thinner frosting, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream. If you want a thicker frosting, add another few tablespoons of powdered sugar.
- Mix another minute until everything is incorporated and it's ready to use in your favorite dessert!
Notes
- Beat the butter for a good 3-4 minutes before adding the sugar and strawberries and again after adding the sugar. Mixing the butter and frosting so long makes for a very light and fluffy frosting.
- If you want you can sift the freezer dried strawberries if you want to get rid of the seed.
- The frosting will keep 4-5 days in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer.
- This recipe makes about 2.5 to 3 cups of frosting and can easily be doubled as needed.
Beth says
I appreciate all the explanations and details about the strawberries, the butter, etc – that’s all so helpful for when I make this the first time – soon!
sapana says
Thoise freeze-dried strawberries in the frosting looks so wonderful and I love how gorgeous color they gave to the frosting. This is mind-blowing frosting.
Jar of Lemons says
My mind is blown that you used freeze-dried strawberries for this! So so smart! This looks super easy to make as well! Will have to try it!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
Using the freeze-dried strawberries in this is genius! It turned out perfectly and my family loved it. So good!
Stine Mari says
Great idea to use freeze-dried strawberries, although they are not readily available in my country. That’s why I love that you added a paragraph on using fresh or frozen berries! It looks so good and I love the color.
Taleen says
I’ve never made strawberry buttercream, but it sounds surprisingly easy! It’s such a pretty frosting, too!
Sondra Barker says
I love buttercream frosting and how easy it is to make! I’ve never thought about using freeze-dried fruit but excited to try!
Lesli Schwartz says
I need to make this strawberry frosting for my daughter, who loves strawberry cake! Wouldn’t this be amazing on top? Love it!
Marta says
I LOVE using freeze dried fruits in my buttercream. They give that strong flavor without watering down the icing.
Wendy says
We love buttercream frosting in our household. This strawberry buttercream had the perfect amount of strawberry flavor. It was great on chocolate cupcakes!