Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a vegan substitute for butter in frosting? ›

The two main differences between traditional and dairy-free buttercream frosting are: The dairy butter is replaced with vegan butter. The whipping cream or milk is replaced with non-dairy milk.

That's right - you NEED the vegan butter to be room temperature before you start working with it. If you've ever made vegan buttercream and it's split or gone grainy, this is most likely the reason why. Get it nice and soft, then whack your vegan butter in the stand mixer and beat like crazy until smooth.

Two good options for this recipe would be Earth Balance sticks and Country Crock Plant Butter (my personal preference). If you have another butter that's at least 79-80% oil/fat though, it should be fine.

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.

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.

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.

The best way to distinguish frosting from buttercream is through the ingredients. While both contain powdered sugar, fat, flavouring and sometimes milk or water, frosting does not contain any butter whatsoever. Instead, frosting is usually made with shortening or cream cheese.

The ultimate question - is Betty Crocker frosting vegan? Some Betty Crocker Icing products are vegetarian certified, accidentally vegan-friendly and can be found in UK supermarkets. Betty Crocker frostings are made with dairy-free ingredients, such as vegetable oil and natural sweeteners.

Does vegan buttercream need to be refrigerated? ›

It doesn't have butter, but the dairy free milk and vegan butter should still be refrigerated if you are storing it long-term. Personally, if I'm frosting something and I'll be using it within a day or two I don't worry about refrigerating it.

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.

Classically there are four main types of buttercream: Italian, German, French & Swiss.

Dry/thick ingredients like cocoa powder, freeze dried fruit (powder,) and peanut butter will help thicken frosting, while vanilla and brown butter should be added sparingly to make sure it's the right texture.

Vegan butter is a non-dairy butter substitute made from plant-based ingredients. It is typically made from a blend of vegetable oils such as coconut, palm, or soybean and other natural ingredients such as nuts, seeds, and even algae. This makes it a great alternative for those who: Follow a vegan diet.

Heavy Cream

Try thickening it with a bit of heavy whipping cream. You can add up to ¼ cup of heavy cream, depending on how much you need to thicken it. Then whip the frosting until it fluffs up. Heavy cream also works if the recipe instructs you to heat the frosting.

Plant-based butter, also referred to as vegan butter, is a nondairy butter substitute that's typically made by combining water with a plant-derived oil, such as olive, avocado, coconut, palm kernel oil, or a combination of oils.