Real Mom Nutrition
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Inside: Here’s a pink frosting without food coloring! This strawberry frosting is made with just a few simple ingredients.
Yes, you can achieve a pretty pink color without food dyes! (Wondering if artificial colors are safe? Read my take here: Is Artificial Food Coloring Safe For Kids?)
This pink color comes from blending fresh (or frozen) strawberries, and using the puree in a zingy buttercream frosting.
This frosting is perfect for frosting a layer cake, cupcakes, or batch of sugar cookies. (Try my soft and buttery Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies.)
This pastel pink is an ideal shade for Valentine’s Day, baby showers, or just everyday.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Whole Wheat Heart Cookies with Raspberry Buttercream
Ingredients You Need For This Pink Frosting
- Fresh strawberries: You can also use frozen. Defrost or microwave them before blending.
- Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioner’s sugar.
- Butter: Softened to room temperature.
- Lemon juice: Try to use fresh if you can, you only need a teaspoon (less than a half lemon’s worth), but bottled works too.
- Shortening: This is optional and helpful f you plan to put the frosting in a piping bag and want it to keep its shape.
How to Make Naturally Pink Frosting
Blend the strawberries until smooth. I like the idea of using the whole berries in the frosting, and my high-powered blender pulverizes the heck out of strawberry seeds. But if your puree looks too seedy, pour it through a fine mesh strainer.
Cook the strawberry puree on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 15 minutes. During this time, it will cook down a bit and thicken. You’ll use this puree in place of the milk that’s typically called for in buttercream frosting recipes.
To make the buttercream: In a large bowl, place 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, butter, lemon juice, and 4 tablespoons of the strawberry puree. Blend with an electric mixer for 30 seconds on low until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue beating, adding more powdered sugar or puree until you achieve a consistency thick enough for spreading or piping.
This recipe makes enough to either very generously frost a dozen cupcakes or spread more conservatively on 24 cupcakes.
Questions About This Strawberry Frosting
I’d prefer a dark pink shade. What other ways can you achieve a natural pink color?
This recipe does deliver a pale pink color. For a darker pink, try my Raspberry Buttercream. You can also buy beet powder–or make frosting with fresh beets. Or you can pulverize freeze dried strawberries or raspberries and blend that into your frosting.
What do I do with leftover strawberry puree?
Eat is with a spoon, toss it in a smoothie, or swirl it into plain yogurt.
Do you have recipes for different colors besides pink?
Yes! To make naturally green frosting, you can use fresh spinach. Get my easy recipe for Naturally Green frosting.
Naturally Pink Frosting Made With Strawberries
Yield:
Enough to frost 24 cupcakes (or 12 generously)
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
15 minutes
Total Time:
30 minutes
This pink frosting get its pretty pastel pink color from blending fresh or frozen strawberries.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound fresh strawberries
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons shortening, optional–this is helpful if you plan to pipe out the frosting and want it to keep its shape; I use Spectrum Organic shortening
Instructions
- Rinse and slice strawberries, then place them in a blender and puree until smooth.
- Cook strawberry puree in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes or until mixtures starts to cook down and thicken. Remove from heat.
- Place 4 cups powdered sugar, butter, lemon juice, and 4 tablespoons strawberry puree in a mixing bowl and blend for 30 seconds on low until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue beating, adding more powdered sugar or puree until you achieve a consistency thick enough for spreading or piping.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 120Sodium: 21mgCarbohydrates: 23gSugar: 22g
