Vanilla Vegan Buttercream Frosting

This 4-ingredient vegan buttercream frosting is quick & easy, super fluffy, creamy, light, and decadent – perfect for piping or spreading over vegan cakes, cupcakes, cookies & brownies in just 15 minutes!

Light, Creamy, and Decadent Vegan Buttercream Frosting

Want to learn how to make the very best vegan buttercream frosting that even non-vegans will adore? Let me introduce you to this easy 4-ingredient vegan vanilla frosting. It’s creamy, dreamy, fluffy, with vanilla flavor throughout, and perfectly melts in the mouth without a single drop of dairy.

Instead, this dairy-free frosting recipe uses simple dairy alternatives to create vegan vanilla frosting you can easily adapt to pipe, spread, or fill baked goods (once you’ve finished eating it directly from the bowl). Honestly, when it comes to adapting, flavoring, and using this dairy-free icing, the possibilities are endless.

The Vegan Vanilla Frosting Ingredients

• Powdered sugar: (confectioner’s sugar/icing sugar) Use organic or vegan labeled powdered sugar to ensure it’s vegan.

Alternatively, make your own by processing the granulated sugar in a coffee/spice grinder and then sifting it.

• Vegan butter: Use a softened vegan butter block (around 80% oil/fat, not margarine/ spread), like Miyoko’s, Earth Balance, or Flora plant butter. Unsalted is best (to maintain control of the sodium), but salted will work if that’s all you have.
• Vanilla extract: Use pure, natural vanilla for the best flavor (and no artificial aftertaste). Vanilla paste will also work.
• Plant-based milk: A little of your favorite dairy-free milk creates a creamier, lighter dairy-free frosting. A plant-based cream will also work.
• Salt: (optional) This is only needed if you’ve used unsalted butter, as a pinch of salt helps to enhance the overall flavors and balance in this vegan vanilla frosting recipe.

How to Make Vanilla Vegan Buttercream Frosting

• 1) First, add the softened vegan butter to either the stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment or a large bowl (if using a handheld electric mixer) and beat it at medium speed for 2 minutes.

• 2) Then, gradually add the confectioner’s sugar, a few spoonful’s at a time, while beating the vegan butter. Continue until the sugar is well combined.

Pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

• 3) Then, add the vanilla extract and plant-based milk. Continue to beat at medium for around 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

This dairy-free buttercream frosting is the perfect, thick consistency for piping. If you’d prefer thinner frosting, add more plant-based milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.  

FAQs

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• Sift the powdered sugar: To avoid lumps or grittiness in the frosting.
• Use softened vegan butter: It must be at room temperature to beat quickly and smoothly into light and fluffy vegan vanilla buttercream frosting.
• Adjust the consistency: If the frosting is too thick, add dairy-free milk/cream (one teaspoon at a time – add too much, and the vegan frosting may split). If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
• If it’s over-whipped: Use a wooden spoon to knock out excess air in the dairy-free buttercream.
• The yield: This recipe should make enough for about 24 piped cupcakes (depending on how much you add) or more when spread with a knife, a 9×13-inch sheet cake, or a small 2-layer 8-inch cake.
• For the best piping: Chill the vegan frosting (in the piping bag) for just 10-20 minutes (not much longer, or it will become too firm).
• Frost-cooled bakes: Otherwise, the vegan buttercream will melt into the vegan cake or slip off the side.

Storage Instructions

In the fridge: You can store the dairy-free buttercream in a covered bowl or a piping bag for 5-7 days. Before using, allow it to sit at room temperature for a short while until it’s the correct piping consistency.  

In the freezer: Transfer the non-dairy buttercream frosting to a freezer-safe, airtight container and freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready, bring it back to room temperature (in the refrigerator overnight) and re-whip it until light and fluffy.

How to Use Vanilla Vegan Buttercream Frosting

To say this vanilla buttercream frosting is versatile is truly an understatement. Once prepared, you can use it as a delicious vegan cupcake frosting, for layered dairy-free cakes, vegan sheet cakes, vegan brownies, plant-based macarons, and to sandwich between vegan cookies such as:

• Vegan vanilla cupcakes
• Vegan raspberry cupcakes
• Carrot cake muffins
• Funfetti cupcakes
• Lemon blueberry cookies
• Super fudgy vegan brownies
• Vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
• Keebler-style chocolate chip cookies

How to Flavor Vegan Buttercream Icing?

Though there are practically endless ways to adapt this vegan buttercream frosting recipe, here are just a few simple ways to play with its flavor and color.

• Color: Use natural food coloring (we prefer gels over water-based as they won’t change the texture of the vegan buttercream). Start with just 1-2 drops and increase.
• Funfetti: Fold in about 2 tablespoons of vegan sprinkles to the vegan frosting.
• Natural extracts: i.e., peppermint, orange, almond, coffee, etc. Add to taste (usually ¼-1 teaspoon). Use them instead of or alongside vanilla in this vegan frosting.
• Spices: I.e., cinnamon, gingerbread, chai spice, pumpkin pie spice, etc. Add between 1-2 teaspoons of spice to the vegan buttercream recipe.
• Citrus: Follow our vegan lemon frosting recipe, optionally with lime/orange instead.
• Dairy-free caramel: Fold in about ½ cup of vegan caramel for delicious vegan caramel frosting.
• Cocoa powder: Replace ¼-½ cup of sugar with unsweetened cocoa powder and optionally, add a pinch of instant coffee powder. Use more for mocha frosting.
• Coffee: Add about 2 tbsp instant coffee/espresso powder to the non-dairy frosting.
• Berry frosting: Blend freeze-dried berries into a powder (¼-½ cup) to mix into the frosting (strawberries, raspberries, etc.) and/or mix in fruit preserves or jam.

Photos by Alfonso Revilla