Vegan Buttercream Frosting (Only 4 Ingredients) - Easy Vegan Recipes (2024)

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posted by Jessica Hylton on Mar 22, 2021 28 comments »

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5 (from 21 ratings)

This Vegan Buttercream Frosting is my go-to frosting for cake recipes! It only has 4 ingredients and is super fluffy, creamy and decadent. This vegan frosting is perfect for any cake or cupcake recipe and for all of your special occasions!

Vegan Buttercream Frosting (Only 4 Ingredients) - Easy Vegan Recipes (1)

Vegan Buttercream Frosting

This frosting is heavenly! It truly melts in your mouth and is so simple. It will soon become your favourite frosting recipe. I have been making this frosting recipe for years and can assure you all your friends and family will love it. If you’re in the mood for some chocolate, check out my vegan chocolate frosting recipe!

This buttercream frosting is so versatile – you can add it to any birthday or special occasion cake (like my vegan vanilla cake). Spread it on cupcakes or a sheet cake! The possibilities are truly endless with this delicious vegan buttercream frosting.

Notes on the Ingredients

Vegan Buttercream Frosting (Only 4 Ingredients) - Easy Vegan Recipes (2)
  • Powdered Sugar: You can decide how much you want, depending on how thick you want the frosting. You’ll need between 3 and 3 1/2 cups.
  • Vegan Butter: Let it soften first. If you are using unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon sea salt.
  • Vegan Milk: You should only need about a tablespoon, but you can definitely add more if the frosting is too thick.
  • Vanilla Extract: to make itvanillabuttercream!

How to Make Vegan Buttercream Frosting

This frosting won’t take you more than 10 minutes to put together!

Vegan Buttercream Frosting (Only 4 Ingredients) - Easy Vegan Recipes (3)

Beat the butter and vanilla together for about 2-3 minutes with a handheld or stand mixer, until the mixture is fluffy.

Add in the powdered sugar and vegan milk until it reaches the consistency and thickness you want.

Vegan Buttercream Frosting (Only 4 Ingredients) - Easy Vegan Recipes (4)

Now all that’s left is to let the frosting set, and then decorate your cake or cupcakes with it! Try not to eat it all from the bowl (I know, it’s hard not to). Enjoy the delicious frosting!

Vegan Buttercream Frosting (Only 4 Ingredients) - Easy Vegan Recipes (5)

Expert Tips for Success & FAQ

Let Cakes and Cupcakes Cool Before Frosting: Frosting too quickly might make the cake and cupcakes crumble. If you want a pretty cake, wait to frost until it’s cooled.

Sift Your Powdered Sugar: Make sure to sift your powdered sugar before mixing, so that the frosting is the ultimate creamy consistency.

Soften Your Vegan Butter: Be sure that your vegan butter is soft enough to spread before mixing it. You don’t want it runny though!

If Too Thick, Add Milk: The ideal frosting is not runny, but not too thick either. If yours becomes too thick, add a splash of milk until it reaches the desired consistency.

Whip It: For super fluffy frosting, you’ll want to keep whipping it. I prefer using a stand mixer for my frosting so I can whip it for about 5 minutes.

How to Store Leftover Frosting

You can store this buttercream frosting at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want to keep it longer for future baking, keep it in the fridge for a couple weeks, or the freezer for up to 3 months.

Can You Freeze Buttercream Frosting?

You can freeze it! If you do, let it thaw in the fridge overnight beforehand so that it’s back to it’s smooth consistency.

  • Vegan Chocolate Frosting
  • Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Vegan Vanilla Cake
  • Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake

Enjoy friends! If you make thisVegan Chocolate Frosting, please snap a photo and tag#jessicainthekitchenonInstagram! We’d also love if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!

Vegan Buttercream Frosting (Only 4 Ingredients) - Easy Vegan Recipes (7)

Vegan Buttercream Frosting (Only 4 Ingredients)

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 0 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

This Vegan Buttercream Frosting is my go-to frosting for cake recipes! It only has 4 ingredients and is super fluffy, creamy and decadent. This frosting is perfect for all of your special occasions!

5 (from 21 ratings)

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Ingredients

  • 3-3½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup vegan butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon vegan milk, add more if needed
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt, only if using unsalted butter

Equipment

  • Stand mixer

Instructions

  • Beat the butter and vanilla for about 2-3 minutes with a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, until fluffy.

  • Add 1 cup of powdered sugar. Fold it in with a spatula so it doesn’t fly everywhere, then beat for about 1 minute. Add the rest of the frosting in small increments too, until fully incorporated.

  • Add in a ½ tablespoon of vegan milk at a time until it reaches your preferred volume and consistency. Add that last ½ cup powdered sugar if you desire.

  • Then beat for about 5 minutes, using the spatula to mix everything together every other minute, until the frosting is fluffy, white, smooth and creamy.

Notes

Let Cakes and Cupcakes Cool Before Frosting: Frosting too quickly might make the cake and cupcakes crumble. If you want a pretty cake, wait to frost until it’s cooled.

Sift Your Powdered Sugar: Make sure to sift your powdered sugar before mixing, so that the frosting is the ultimate creamy consistency.

Soften Your Vegan Butter: Be sure that your vegan butter is soft enough to spread before mixing it. You don’t want it runny though!

If Too Thick, Add Milk: The ideal frosting is not runny, but not too thick either. If yours becomes too thick, add a splash of milk until it reaches the desired consistency.

Whip It: For super fluffy frosting, you’ll want to keep whipping it. I prefer using a stand mixer for my frosting so I can whip it for about 5 minutes.

Calories: 124kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 86mg, Potassium: 3mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 360IU, Calcium: 1mg, Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Cuisine: American, Universal

Course: Dessert, spreads

Author: Jessica Hylton

Recipes

published on Mar 22, 2021

28 comments Leave a comment »

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28 comments on “Vegan Buttercream Frosting (Only 4 Ingredients)”

  1. Patti Reply

    Can I replace the vegan butter with hi-ratio shortening?

    Thanks

    • Jessica Hylton Reply

      Hi Patti,

      I’ve never tried hi-ratio shortening specifically but you should be able to sub 1:1, but the textures will be slightly different due to the fat content in shortening. So it wouldn’t be exactly the same! Hope this helps!

  2. Meliss Batchen Reply

    I made this frosting for my dairy allergic grandson. I used an avocado-based vegetable butter substitute. Not only was the frosting, smooth and creamy, but it was so delicious, my entire family ate it on each of their cupcakes. Thank you for this recipe and my ability to now frost my grandson’s cupcakes without fear.

    • Jessica Hylton Reply

      Thanks for sharing Meliss! So happy to hear this! You’re so welcome!

  3. Tina Reply

    Would violife butter work please

    • Jessica Hylton Reply

      Hi Tina,

      yes!

  4. Karen Reply

    Great recipe, simple and easy. My daughter really enjoyed it! Thank you

Leave a comment »
Vegan Buttercream Frosting (Only 4 Ingredients) - Easy Vegan Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best vegan butter for buttercream frosting? ›

Vegan buttercream frosting ingredients

I recommend Miyoko's vegan butter for the best all around vegan butter. for a nut-free vegan butter option. Other great options include Flora Plant Butter, and Earth Balance. More on which butter brand to use below!

What is vegan frosting made of? ›

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.

Does vegan buttercream frosting need to be refrigerated? ›

If you're planning to use a piping bag to apply the buttercream to a cake, say for my Vegan Birthday Cake Recipe, store the buttercream at room temperature until you're ready to use it. If not, cover the bowl and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

What is a substitute for butter in buttercream frosting? ›

WHAT ARE BUTTER ALTERNATIVES FOR BAKING?
  • MARGARINE. Margarine is a fat that is made mostly from vegetable oil that's flavored to taste like butter. ...
  • SHORTENING. Shortening is 100% fat, made from hydrogenated vegetable oils. ...
  • OLIVE OIL & VEGETABLE OIL. ...
  • COCONUT OIL. ...
  • PUMPKIN PURÉE. ...
  • APPLESAUCE. ...
  • GREEK YOGURT. ...
  • BANANAS.

What do vegans use instead of butter? ›

What are good vegan butter substitutes? In baking, you can use vegan butter, applesauce, dairy-free yogurt, coconut oil, coconut butter, olive oil, nut butter, mashed banana and mashed avocado. In cooking, you can use olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable stock, or avocado oil to replace butter.

Why is my vegan buttercream runny? ›

If you're not adding enough sugar, your buttercream won't be stable enough to hold its shape for long. If you're adding a little plant-based milk to thin the buttercream when frosting a cake, you might be adding too much of it, again, making it too unstable.

Which boxed cake mixes are vegan? ›

Since most boxed cakes require that you add eggs, milk and butter after, most major brands such as Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker are already vegan!
  • Duncan Hines Decadent Carrot.
  • Duncan Hines Red Velvet.
  • Betty Crocker Super Moist French Vanilla.
  • Betty Crocker German Chocolate.

Is Betty Crocker icing vegan? ›

Betty Crocker Icing

Betty Crocker frostings are made with dairy-free ingredients, such as vegetable oil and natural sweeteners. Their vegan options include: Classic Coffee. Indulgent Chocolate Fudge.

What is a cheap alternative to buttercream? ›

Ganache, cream cheese frosting, whipped cream frosting, fondant, and meringue frosting are all excellent options that are easy to make and delicious to taste. With the right recipe and techniques, you can achieve a beautifully iced cake without using buttercream.

What is the trick to buttercream frosting? ›

6 Secrets for Perfect Buttercream
  1. Use the right powdered sugar the right way. ...
  2. Beat, beat, beat the butter! ...
  3. You can use cream OR milk, just use the right amount. ...
  4. Adjust the sugar to your preference. ...
  5. Never add too much liquid to your buttercream. ...
  6. Prevent your buttercream from melting on a hot or humid day.
Jan 15, 2018

What are the 4 types of buttercream? ›

Classically there are four main types of buttercream: Italian, German, French & Swiss. There is another that is actually the simplest buttercream and that is American buttercream AKA simply buttercream or decorators frosting.

What is the best block butter for buttercream frosting? ›

Salted and organic butter is literally the best butter that you can use. It is the salt that really makes this the best buttercream frosting ever. It's actually a myth that salted butter is an inferior quality – it's not. It's the same quality.

Does vegan butter bake the same as regular butter? ›

Even though butter, margarine, and plant butter all have slightly different ingredients, you can still cook and bake with all three equally. The taste will not differ too much, but the texture of the food may change a little.

Does vegan butter taste like butter? ›

The best vegan butter should be smooth, rich, salty, creamy, and, most of all, it should taste like butter—delicate, sweet, and fatty. Plant based butter doesn't have to taste like vegetable margarine. Vegan butters that include almond milk, coconut oil, or olive oil are completely welcome here.

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