Transform your basic vanilla buttercream into a deliciously luscious & fruity strawberry buttercream with fresh or frozen berries and simple ingredients! No added food coloring or expensive freeze-dried strawberries needed!
A Few Things to Know About This Strawberry Buttercream Frosting Recipe
- It’s made with fresh strawberries.
- While freeze-dried berries is great if you’re in a rush, they can be a bit pricey and tricky to find in store. This recipe allows you to make the most out of strawberry season by starting with fresh berries.
- FYI – frozen berries work too! Just make sure to thaw them first.
- While freeze-dried berries is great if you’re in a rush, they can be a bit pricey and tricky to find in store. This recipe allows you to make the most out of strawberry season by starting with fresh berries.
- Start by blending or finely dicing the berries.
- Break down the berries first by blending or chopping to increase their overall surface area so the water in the berries evaporates faster.
- Make sure to simmer the berries into a thick, tomato sauce like consistency.
- The trickiest part is making sure you simmer the berries long enough to reduce most of the water. Keep an eye on the stovetop as they cook and stir the pot every so often. If you didn’t blend them first, mash the berries as they cook.
How to Make Strawberry Buttercream Frosting with Fresh Strawberries
Make the purée: Blend (or finely chop) fresh strawberries then simmer in a small pot until thick & reduced (about 1/4 cup).
Cream the butter: Beat room temperature butter for about 2 minutes on medium speed until smooth.
Add sifted sugar: Sift the powdered sugar to get rid of clumps then add to the beaten butter.
Beat butter & sugar: Start mixing on a low speed until the sugar is fully coated in butter then increase speed & beat about 5 minutes until smooth & creamy.
Add the reduced berries: Add the reduced berries. The berries should be fully cooled to room temp so it doesn’t melt the butter, but not too cold or it will break the frosting.
Combine & finish: Mix once more on a medium-high speed (1-2 minutes) until combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
↳Tip: Strawberry purée Temperature
Make sure the berries are room temperature (not too hot & not too cold). If your strawberry mixture is too warm, it will melt the butter in the frosting. If you put it in the fridge to cool down and didn’t give it enough time to warm up, you may end up with a split frosting (grainy texture).
Recipe Questions
Do I HAVE to blend the berries?
No. Blending just helps to speed up the simmering process and do most of the work to help the berries breakdown into a smooth puree.
If you prefer not to blend the berries for whatever reason just finely dice the berries before simmering. While they simmer, use a potato masher or a fork to break down the berries as much as you can.
Frosting made with unblended berries will have a few streaky red-bits and some visible seeds. Blended berries will create a smoother, more uniform frosting look and texture.
Visual comparison: I didn’t blend the berries used to make the frosting in the pictures here, but I did blend them when making this frosting for the pics in my gluten free strawberry cake recipe. 
Do I need to strain the puree for seeds?
Not if you’re blending the berries and not if you don’t mind the look of a few seeds.
If you’re blender is strong enough they’ll disappear after blending.
If you’re dicing/mashing the strawberries you’ll see a few seeds mixed in, but they’re hardly noticeable. Unless you want a really smooth frosting, don’t worry about it.
Can I use store-bought jam or strawberry preserves instead?
Yes, but this comes with a disclaimer!
There is a chance that your buttercream might split if you use jam in place of the reduced berries. Additionally, frosting made with jam/preserves might not pipe as easily into cute little shapes and patterns due to the excess water content.
If you’re just baking a cake for fun and/or you don’t mind the look, then go for it! Start with 2 tablespoons frosting and add an extra 1-2 tablespoons as you see fit. If you want to ensure that your frosting it pipeable and won’t split then I recommend you stick with this recipe.
Can I use freeze-dried strawberries instead?
Yeah, totally! You’ll need about 1/2 cup ground freeze-dried strawberries (25g) and add about 3-4 tablespoons of milk or cream
Make sure to use freeze-dried berries, not dehydrated berries.
Unless you’ve bought freeze-dried strawberry powder you need make sure to grind them up first as they won’t dissolve into the frosting. Use a coffee grinder or spice grinder if you have one.
Blending in a blender or food processor can be tricky in small amounts. If needed, consider doubling the amount you need and saving the rest to use another time.
Taste Difference: Keep in mind that freeze-dried strawberries have a more tart and intense strawberry flavor which will show up in the frosting. 
How Much Does This Make?
about 3 cups – enough frosting for:
➡ 9×13 inch sheet cake
➡ two layer 8 or 9-inch cakes
➡12-16 cupcakes
Enjoy!
Let me know if you try this homemade Strawberry Buttercream recipe! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Transform your basic vanilla, American buttercream into a deliciously luscious & fruity strawberry buttercream with fresh or frozen strawberries!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup whole fresh strawberries, hulled (230g | 8oz)
- 2 tsp lemon juice (10ml)
- 1 cup salted or unsalted butter, room temperature (226g) - cut into chunks
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted (440g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (5ml)
- ½ tsp fine grain sea salt + more to taste - only add if using unsalted butter
Instructions
Strawberry Reduction/Paste
- Blend or chop: Add strawberries to blender and blend on high about 30-seconds or until smooth.
- Simmer & reduce: Add the blended or chopped berries and lemon juice to a small sauce pan and cook over a medium-low heat. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the puree has reduced to about ¼ cup (65g). Make sure to stir the pan often to keep the berries from burning. The final texture should be like a thick, pizza sauce.
- Cool: Transfer the reduced berries to a shallow, heat-safe bowl or container. Leave uncovered and cool fully to room temperature before making the frosting (about 30 minutes, but cooling times will vary).
Frosting
- Add the butter to a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar to the bowl. Mix on a low speed until mostly combined then increase to a medium-high speed and beat for 2 minutes on thick and creamy.
- Add the cooled strawberry paste and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix on a medium-low speed until the ingredients are well combined. Be sure to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing. If you want a slightly thicker frosting, add another ¼ cup powdered sugar. If you want to thin it out a bit you can add a tablespoon of milk or more as needed. Add a pinch of salt if it's a bit too sweet.
- Use immediately to frost whatever you like or transfer to and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week or 3 months in the freezer (thaw in the fridge). I recommend you re-beat the frosting on a medium speed for a minute or two after refrigerating/freezing to make it creamy and easy to spread again. If it's too thick, add a splash of milk to help thin it out.
Notes
- Prep ahead: You can make the strawberry reduction and store in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days in advance. Just make sure to take it out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before using it so it has time to warm up to room temp. If it's too cold when added to the frosting, it can cause the buttercream to split.
- If you want to use frozen strawberries: thaw first then, blend & reduce. Since frozen fruit holds on to more water, add an extra 10-15 minutes to the total time when cooking the strawberries.
- No blender: Finely dice the strawberries before adding them to the saucepan. While they cook, use a potato masher or a fork to mash the berries up until you have a thick, mostly smooth mush.
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