5 from 9 reviews

Paleo "Cream Cheese" Frosting (vegan)

Name: Paleo Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 185 min
Ingredients: ½ cup (115 g) water; ½ cup (130 g) cashew butter (such as Artisana) or other smooth nut or seed butter; ½ cup (120 g) thick coconut yogurt (such as Culina, Cocojune, or Coyo) or try coconut cream from a can; ¼ cup (75 g) maple syrup; 3-4 tablespoons (45-55 g) fresh, strained lemon juice (to your taste); 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (or more to your taste); ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon (60 g) coconut oil, melted and cooled

By Alanna Taylor-Tobin on May 26, 2021 (updated Mar 17, 2025) / 22 Comments Jump to Recipe

Paleo cream cheese frosting that tastes just as luscious and tangy as classic cream cheese frosting but made in a blender with paleo-friendly ingredients in 5 minutes of active time. Cashew butter and coconut oil add body, coconut yogurt gives it a cream cheesy tang, and maple syrup adds sweetness.

Serve this paleo frosting on all your favorite cake recipes including this paleo lemon cake made with coconut flour and paleo almond flour carrot cake.

You likely already know my love of cream cheese frosting. Tangy, salty, and not too sweet, I would gladly forsake every other frosting.

While on a paleo dessert recipe kick, I wanted to come up with a version that fit my criteria: no dairy, no sugar, but still loads of tangy cream cheese frosting flavor.

paleo cream cheese frosting swirled in a white bowl

I'm absolutely thrilled with this version! It tastes like no-bake cheesecake, and it's good enough to eat straight from the fridge with a spoon. But slather it on your favorite cake recipes, and you'll be in cake heaven.

ingredients for paleo frosting recipe on a marble counter

Ingredients and Substitution Suggestions

While many paleo frosting recipes start with soaked cashews, I simplify things by starting with cashew butter. I use raw cashew butter from Artisana, which is silky smooth with a mild, buttery flavor. That said, I think any smooth nut or seed butter would work here. (You know I'm going to try a version with tahini next!) I'm also curious to try this with coconut butter for an AIP-friendly version.
- If you don't have cashew butter on hand, use the same weight of raw cashews, soaked in cool water for 4-8 hours, or in boiling water for 1-2 hours. You'll just need to reduce the water in the recipe to make up for what the nuts absorb during their soak. Blend these to a cream with the water and maple syrup before proceeding with the recipe.
Coconut yogurt adds tangy flavor and richness. Look for a rich coconut yogurt with high fat content and minimal other ingredients. I've made this with plain yogurt from Culina and Cocojune. If you don't have access to coconut yogurt, try using coconut cream from a can. If using a thinner plant-based yogurt, decrease the water in the recipe by a couple tablespoons to make it thicker.
Coconut oil sets the frosting and makes it thick enough to pipe and spread as it chills. I use virgin coconut oil here, and I don't taste a strong coconut flavor in the frosting. But you can use refined coconut oil if you want even less coconut flavor, or try palm oil or cacao butter (which will probably be more firm).
Water softens the frosting and helps it emulsify. You could use other flavorful liquids, such as coffee, tea, or fruit juice for different flavor notes.
Maple syrup gently sweetens the frosting. Use a light maple and you won't taste the flavor much, or go dark for more maple flavor if you like. You could use any liquid sweetener you like in its place, adjusting as needed to your taste, such as honey, date syrup, coconut nectar.
Lemon juice adds extra tang. You could use other citrus juice to vary the flavor.
Vanilla extract adds its lovely floral flavor. Feel free to use other extracts for different flavors.
Salt sharpens the flavors.

How to make it

This recipe makes about 2.5 cups of frosting, which is enough for:

One single-layer 8- or 9-inch square or round cake
6 cupcakes

Double the recipe to cover:

One 8- or 9-inch layer cake
12 cupcakes
One 9x12-inch sheet cake

making cashew cream cheese frosting in a blender — This frosting could not be easier to make. Simply combine all of the ingredients except for the coconut oil in a blender. Blend until combined, then blend in the coconut oil.

freshly made cashew frosting in a jar — The frosting will be very runny at this point. Pour it into a jar, cover, and chill until firm, about 3 hours or up to 1 week.

paleo icing being spread on a layer cake — Once set, the frosting is ready to pipe or spread – or eat with a spoon!

How to use it

In addition to the paleo lemon cake recipe, shown here, I have so many ideas for how to use this frosting!

Slather it on almond flour carrot cake
Spread it on gluten-free pumpkin bread
Layer it into GF or paleo sponge cake with fresh berries
Use it to make gluten-free dairy-free tiramisù
Pipe it on gluten-free vegan chocolate pie
Layer with gluten-free graham crackers and berry chia jam for no-bake cheesecakes in jars or cups

Paleo Frosting for Everyone

This paleo frosting recipe is friendly to lots of different dietary preferences: vegan, refined sugar-free, and paleo. However you dress it up, I hope you love it as much as I do!

Bojon appétit, my sweets! If you make this, I’d love to know. Please leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.

5 from 9 reviews