Learn how to make sweet and tangy Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting with this super easy recipe. It's creamy and thick, holds its shape and tastes incredible on carrot cakes, vegan ginger cookies, and so much more! You need only 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to whip up a batch!
Cream cheese frosting is my all time favorite, and I can't help myself from eating it straight out of the bowl! If you love it too, I've got good news - just because you can't eat dairy, doesn't mean you can't enjoy a decadent, tangy-sweet, cream cheese icing. This vegan version is buttery, creamy, totally luscious, and super fast! Taste and texture is a 10/10! No one is going to guess this frosting is vegan - trust me.
I've been making this frosting for years to decorate everything from carrot cakes and pumpkin spice muffins to vegan snickerdoodles and vegan ginger cookies and everything in between! It's the best tasting (seriously best!) vegan frosting recipe. Plus it's super versatile, make-ahead friendly, perfectly spreadable and pipable, and it swirls beautifully. Grab your ingredients, and let's whip up a batch together!
Only 5 Ingredients Needed!
This vegan cream cheese frosting recipe needs only 5 ingredients:
- Vegan brick cream cheese: My favorite vegan cream cheese for this frosting recipe is a brick of Violife or Miyoko's. They are nice and firm and have great flavor. Use brick cream cheese not the spreadable cream cheese in a tub.
- Dairy free butter: Again use butter (or margarine) sticks not the soft spreadable kind. Also, use the best tasting plant based butter you have since its flavor will heavily impact your final frosting flavor.
- Confectioners' sugar: AKA icing sugar or powdered sugar.
- Vanilla extract: Adds depth of flavor.
- Salt: To make all the flavors pop!
- Lemon extract: Optional add in that cuts sweetness and tastes incredible. I always use it and lemon zest.
How to Make Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
This easy, 5 ingredients vegan cream cheese frosting recipe is great for icing cakes, cupcakes, quick breads, cookies and more! Plus it's super versatile and customizable to your personal taste. Here's how to make it in just 5 minutes!:
- Start with room temperature ingredients: Take the butter and cream cheese out of the fridge an hour or two before making the frosting.
- Cream the ingredients together: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together on high until creamy and smooth (~2 minutes). Add the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Beat to incorporate.
- Add the sugar: Add the icing sugar (powdered sugar) in batches (~½ a cup at a time) beating the mixture between additions until you get the desired frosting consistency.
- Store frosting (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. When ready to use, bring the frosting up to room temperature then re-whip until light and creamy.
Expert Tips & FAQ
This vegan cream cheese frosting is a cinch to make. Here's a few helpful tips so your icing turns out perfect:
- Room temperature ingredients matter: Room temperature ingredients bond together better and become light and fluffy for a perfect frosting.
- Butter:cream cheese ratio: I like the flavor and texture of a 50/50 split. If you enjoy a tangier cream cheese frosting or a more buttery frosting, play around with the ratios keeping within a total of 8 ounces.
- Mix slowly: Once you add the powdered sugar, mix on a low speed and work up to medium-high or you'll have powdered sugar everywhere - trust me, I know!
- Play with flavor: Have FUN with flavoring this vegan cream cheese frosting. I love to add lemon extract. But you can add chai spice, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, chocolate or any other flavor you enjoy. Simply add ½ a teaspoon (more to taste) to the recipe below.
- Frosting texture options: Make your cream cheese frosting thicker (sturdier) by adding more icing sugar. Thin it out by stirring in a teaspoonful (or more) of plant based milk. The frosting firms up (a lot) in the fridge. If your brand of cream cheese is a bit watery, you can always add a tablespoonful or 2 of cornstarch/tapioca starch to help thicken the frosting, but I've never had to.
- Can this vegan cream cheese frosting be piped?: This cream cheese frosting holds its shape very well. If your frosting is a bit loose, load a piping bag with frosting and chill it for 20-30 minutes. Then pipe onto your baked goods. Cream cheese frosting is less stable than buttercream so the fridge is your friend. I recommend keeping your frosted items in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Make ahead: Make your vegan cream cheese frosting several days in advance - the flavor really improves after a couple days. For best results, bring the frosting to room temperature before applying.
Uses for Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
Of course, cream cheese frosting is classically paired with carrot cake, and red velvet cake; but don't stop there! This dairy free frosting is super versatile and adds a tangy sweet pop of flavor to everything (it's dang delicious straight off the beaters too!). Let's go:
- Vegan Banana Bread
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- Decadent Chocolate Muffins (vegan version)
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Vegan Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Did you make this Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe? I'd love to see what you're decorating with it! Please leave a rating, and let me know what you thought below.
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5 Minute Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting (Really Delicious!)
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Equipment
INGREDIENTS
- 4 ounces vegan cream cheese
- 4 ounces non-dairy butter
- 3-4 cups icing sugar (confectioners' sugar, powdered sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, more to taste
- pinch salt
Optional Add In
- ½ - 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract, more to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium size, deep mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat the room temperature vegan butter and non dairy cream cheese together on high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add the vanilla, salt (and lemon extract if using). Beat to mix in.
- Add the powdered sugar ½ a cup at a time, start beating on low speed until the sugar is incorporated then turn the beaters up to medium and mix until the frosting is smooth and creamy (~1 minute). Once you've added enough powdered sugar for the frosting consistency you need, stop adding sugar (you don't have to use all the sugar written above). If you need a stiffer frosting consistency for piping, add more powdered sugar 2 tablespoons at a time. Remember that the frosting will firm up A LOT in the fridge.
- Cover and store the frosting in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Remove from the freezer, thaw the frosting in the refrigerator, then re-whip it until light and creamy again.
NOTES
Optional add in: You can also add a tablespoon or two of cornstarch or tapioca starch to make the frosting more sturdy if necessary. I haven't had to. See all the pro tips in the recipe post above!
This recipe is from simplyceecee.co food blog. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images or republish this recipe without prior permission. Thank you.
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