This fluffy and sweet buttercream frosting is made without oil or butter, but doesn't compromise on flavor or texture. Rich, luscious, and customizable, this beautiful vegan buttercream frosting is easy to make and a healthier alternative to dairy and oil-based recipes.
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Hey Internet, it's been a hot minute since I posted a frosting and cake--the last I posted was my tofu cream cheese frosting and my carrot cake, which you all seemed to like very much. So I figured it was time for another!
May I present to you my newest science experiment: vegan buttercream frosting with no vegan butter, no cream, and no oil. What the heck is it then?!
This vegan buttercream is actually made of … drumroll please … coconut cream! Yes my obsession with coconut cream has come in handy yet again!
Before you say coconut cream is just whipped coconut oil, it’s not. Coconut cream still retains some of the coconut fiber. Yes it is high in fat--but just as much as vegan butter (or regular butter, for that matter) but,.. We are talking about frosting here ;)
If you’d like a lighter option, try my aquafaba whipped cream!
Anyway. This vegan buttercream only requires 2 ingredients, and you can customize it however you’d like! Add extracts, food coloring, cocoa powder, etc. to flavor and color your buttercream for your baking experiments!
What You’ll Need
As I mentioned before, you’ll need coconut cream. It comes in a can, and there are many different brands.
You can often find coconut cream in the International section of the grocery store--and you might also check the cocktail section, as it can be used in certain adult beverages!
However, you can also just buy coconut cream online. My favorite brand is Thai Kitchen but I also like the Whole Foods 365 brand, though I haven’t been able to find it lately.
Before you ask, no, the buttercream does not taste coconut-y at all. Coconut cream is super mild in coconut flavor, and you don’t use much of it in this recipe.
Note that I’ve tested this with coconut milk and it does not work. It produces a delicious glaze, but not the thick buttercream frosting you can slather or pipe onto a cake or cupcakes.
The only other ingredient is organic powdered sugar / confectioner’s sugar. If you are vegan I recommend buying organic, as non organic sugar is sometimes filtered through animal bone char, making it not vegan.
These alone will give you a great buttercream frosting. Add a touch of vanilla extract for vanilla buttercream that’s out of this world! I ended up adding a bit of coconut extract, since I was making a coconut cake.
I should note that if you would like to use vegan butter it will absolutely work in this recipe. Sodo whatever you’d like :)
How to Make Vegan Buttercream Frosting
I like to make my frosting in my stand mixer because it’s just plain easier. You can also use a hand mixer or a spatula and a strong arm if you’re up to the challenge!
Simply add your coconut cream and powdered sugar to your stand mixer bowl or a large mixing bowl (preferably tall, not wide, to avoid splatter).
Starting on a low speed, start to mix together the frosting. Gradually increase the speed to medium and mix until everything is thick and well combined.
If your frosting is too thin:
Try adding more confectioner’s sugar. If it seems melty you may just need to refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes.
If your frosting is too thick:
Add a touch more coconut cream.
Finally, refrigerate your buttercream until 10 minutes before you’re ready to use it (never try to put buttercream on a remotely warm cake, as it will melt), then let it soften on the counter lightly.
Microwaving is not recommended as it unevenly warms the frosting (it won’t separate, but it just probably won’t be the right consistency).
Other Delicious Desserts
While I do consider myself an amateur baker, I definitely enjoy it! It’s kind of ironic, then, that my most popular recipe is this vegan matcha pound cake. Here’s some of my best desserts!
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies (no chill)
Vegan Carrot Cake (gluten-free)
Chocolate Banana Muffins (gluten-free)
Anything Else?
I know it seems weird to try and make a vegan buttercream frosting with no vegan butter, but for those of us avoiding oil, it works like a charm.
Anyway, I hope you like this recipe. I couldn’t stop tasting it when making it--far past the point I needed to test it for blog purposes, hehe.
This vegan buttercream frosting is:
- Rich
- Sweet
- Luscious
- Thick
- Smooth
- And perfect for cakes like my coconut cake or carrot cake!
Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe or tag me @Zardyplants on Instagram so I can see your beautiful recreations! If you tag me on IG, I will share your post in my stories :)
Also, one quick request: if you love how this recipe looks or tastes, please leave me a 5-star rating and a nice comment–ratings help more people find my recipes which helps me keep providing them! Thank you!
<3 Liz
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Vegan Buttercream Frosting
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This fluffy and sweet buttercream frosting is made without oil or butter, but doesn't compromise on flavor or texture. Rich, luscious, and customizable!
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups organic powdered sugar
- ½ cup coconut cream, room temp. (vegan butter will also work)
- Vanilla or other flextract, optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer or a tall mixing bowl.
- Mix on slow speed at first, then increase speed to medium. Mix until smooth and well-combined.
- If your frosting is too thin:
- Try adding more confectioner’s sugar. If it seems melty you may just need to refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes.
- If your frosting is too thick:
- Add a touch more coconut cream.
- Frost your cake or cupcakes and enjoy!
- Refrigerate frosting until needed.Remove the frosting from the refrigerator approximately 10 minutes before it’s needed and set on the counter to come to room temperature.
- Do not attempt to microwave frosting as it will have an uneven consistency.
- Do not attempt to frost a remotely warm cake as the frosting will melt.
- Prep Time: 6 minutes
- Category: Ingredient
- Method: Mixer
- Cuisine: American
Tia
Would Coconut milk work instead of coconut cream?
💚 Liz
You can but only use the thick heavy part in the can. The liquid part won't work. That means you'll need more cans to get enough usable material.
anna
Do you have experience using this between cake layers? I'm looking for an oil free, not ganache option to go between a three layer birthday cake.
💚 Liz
I've used it for a two tier coconut cake, so I think it should work for your project.