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    How To Make The Best Vegan Buttercream Frosting

    July 15, 2023 by Lauren Hartmann 3 Comments

    *This post may contain affiliate links in the recipe card*

    People asking me often how to make the best vegan buttercream frosting. I have heard it won’t get thick enough, it won’t stand up to decorating. I have made this vegan buttercream recipe thousands of times. So much so that I have it memorized, no matter what flavor I want. I thought it would be great to share with you guys, this back pocket frosting recipe. That way you always know how to frost a cake whenever you are in need! This recipe starts with a base that is the perfect vanilla buttercream. Then with a few additions to that base recipe, you can make peanut butter, strawberry or chocolate frosting!

    What You Need For This Fluffy Vegan Frosting:

    • Vegan Butter: I like to use Country Crock Plant Butter, it needs to be room temperature.
    • Vegetable Shortening: This is very necessary. While normal buttercream is just made with butter, vegan butter doesn’t hold up and needs this extra ingredient.
    • Powdered Sugar: Most organic powdered sugar is vegan. I usually get mine from Trader Joe’s.
    • Non-dairy Milk: I like to use oat milk, this is just as needed to thin out the frosting.
    • Vanilla: I add this no matter what flavor I am making.
    • Salt: A pinch of salt makes this recipe so much more amazing.
    • Peanut Butter, Freeze Dried Strawberries, Cocoa Powder: These are the optional add ins for different flavors.

    I have been teaching kid’s cooking classes recently! A few weeks ago, we made mini berry cakes and I showed them how to make this vegan buttercream frosting. Just in a large bowl by hand. It was so simple, they even remembered how to do it when I was done and one of them was 5. I suppose that is all to say, this is fool-proof.

    Step 1:

    You want to whip the vegan butter and vegetable shortening together. I recommend doing it with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Using a whisk attachment. Whip together until smooth.

    Step 2:

    Start to add the powdered sugar, a little at a time. Continuing to whip together.

    Step 3:

    When the frosting starts to get thick, begin adding the non-dairy milk. Then continue to whip, adding the rest of the powdered sugar until it is fully incorporated.

    Step 4:

    Add the vanilla and salt. Whip for another minute until the frosting is totally smooth and fluffy!

    Step 5:

    If you’re making vanilla frosting, you’re done. For making peanut butter frosting, you add that in with the vegan butter and shortening. If you are making chocolate or strawberry, at this point you can whip in the cocoa powder or a freeze dried strawberry powder. Then you’re done!

    This vegan buttercream is balanced in flavor, so fluffy and creamy. You’ll never need another frosting recipe again. You can honestly use this base recipe to make any flavor you want. Add different extracts and powders, you can replace the vanilla with other extracts or the cocoa or strawberry powder with other fruit powders!

    How To Make The Best Vegan Buttercream Frosting

    Print Recipe
    The easiest, creamiest and fluffiest vegan buttercream frosting recipe that can made vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or peanut butter.
    Course Dessert
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 5 minutes mins
    Servings 12
    Calories 199
    Author Lauren Boehme

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 Cup Vegan butter, room temperature
    • 1/2 Cup Vegetable shortening
    • 3 Cups Powdered sugar, vegan
    • 3-4 Tablespoons Non-dairy milk, unsweetened I used oat milk
    • 3 teaspoons Vanilla
    • Pinch of Salt

    Optional Flavors

    • 1/2 Cup Cocoa powder
    • 1/2 Cup Freeze dried strawberry powder*
    • 1 Cup Peanut butter, creamy

    Instructions

    • Put the vegan butter and vegetable shortening into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Begin to whip together either with a hand mixer or the whisk attachment of the stand mixer.
    • Once they are smooth, start adding the powdered sugar, a little at a time. Continuing to beat together.
    • When it starts to get thick, add the non-dairy milk, continuing to whip together.
    • Then add the remaining powdered sugar.
    • Once the frosting is very smooth and fluffy, add the vanilla and salt. Whip again until fully combined, very thick and fluffy. If you are making vanilla frosting, you're done!
    • If you are making chocolate or strawberry, now is the time to add either the cocoa powder or freeze dried strawberry powder! Whip again until fully combined.
    • If you are making peanut butter frosting, you want to add the peanut butter in step number one, with the vegan butter and vegetable shortening. Whip that to combine. Then proceed with steps 2-5!
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    Video

    Notes

    *To make the freeze dried strawberry powder, I just put freeze dried strawberries in my food processor and pulse until they turn into a powder.
    I recommend frosting my Easy One Bowl Vegan Chocolate Cake with any combination of these flavors!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 367IU | Vitamin C: 120mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 3mg

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    Filed Under: Desserts, Easy

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. laurie

      July 18, 2023 at 3:45 pm

      What is your preferred Vegan Butter for the frosting?

      Reply
      • Lauren Hartmann

        July 21, 2023 at 2:11 pm

        I usually use Country Crock Plant Butter!

        Reply
    2. Penelope

      August 6, 2023 at 12:55 pm

      5 stars
      I made chocolate and strawberry frosting and they were the best I’ve ever made! Highly recommend this recipe.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Lauren! Welcome to the magical land of delightful vegan comfort food. I'm the Creatrix of Rabbit & Wolves and I'm thrilled to have you here.

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    © Lauren Hartmann and Rabbit and Wolves, 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Lauren Hartmann and Rabbit and Wolves with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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