Vegan Frosting Without Butter (Low Sugar, No Oil)

Almond flour frosting on a two-layer vegan carrot cake.

Vegan Frosting Without Butter (Low Sugar, No Oil)

Prep Time 15

Soaking and Chilling 7

Total Time 7 15

Servings:10 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

This dairy-free frosting contains no vegan butter and is the the perfect healthier alternative to traditional buttercream! It's fluffy, rich, and delicious, and much lower in sugar and fat. Enjoy the simple vanilla-almond flavor, or make healthy vegan cream cheese frosting with 1 additional ingredient! No butter, oil, coconut, or powdered sugar, and only 5 ingredients!

Yield: Makes 2½ cups (20 fl oz), enough for a 2-layer 9-inch cake as pictured

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

2 cups blanched almond flour, packed
1 cup almond milk - Or other non-dairy milk; see Notes
¼ cup maple syrup, agave, or simple syrup - See Notes
½ teaspoon vanilla extract - Or vanilla powder or paste
pinch of salt
1 to 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, optional
1 to 2 Tablespoons erythritol or comparable sugar substitute, optional - See Notes
2 teaspoons lactic acid powder, optional - For cream cheese flavor

Instructions

Planning: For convenience and for the best flavor, prepare the frosting a day in advance.
Whisk together the almond flour, non-dairy milk, syrup, and vanilla in a bowl. Cover and set aside to soak for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
Add the mixture to a high-speed blender along with a pinch of salt and the lemon juice. Slowly increase the speed, stopping as needed to stir (use patience!). Add another tablespoon of syrup and milk if necessary. Once you're able to slowly increase all the way to high speed without needing to stop, blend until completely smooth.
Taste the frosting and add the dry sugar substitute and lactic acid, if using. The frosting will be warm after blending. Transfer to a shallow dish or bowl, and refrigerate uncovered until cool. Once cool, cover and refrigerate overnight or until cold, at least 4 hours.
The frosting firms up as it chills, but due to the lack of saturated fat is not firm enough to pipe. Spread it on your favorite healthy cakes and cupcakes and enjoy!

Notes

Milk: I haven't tried a sweetened milk yet, but that could be a good way to incorporate more sweetness without needing the sugar substitute.

Sweetener: The syrup you use affects the color and flavor of the frosting. For the lightest color and most neutral flavor use a basic simple syrup. I used a combination of maple syrup and simple syrup for the batch in the photos.

As mentioned above, sugar substitutes boost the sweetness without thinning the frosting. I rarely use them and purchased erythritol specifically for this recipe, so I understand if you need a sub! If you don't mind a slightly thinner consistency, use another 2 tablespoon syrup. Avoid regular or powdered sugar since they dissolve in liquids and make it too thin—unless you actually want icing.

Low- or No-sugar: use a sugar-free syrup for an entirely sugar-free frosting.

Lemon adds nice contrast, even if you're not going for cream cheese flavor. Additional milk may be used instead.

Keep frosted desserts chilled until ready to serve. The frosting is fine at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours but will soften in warmer environments.

Store the frosting in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for longer storage.

Nutrition