With just a few ingredients, this silky, fluffy, dairy free and vegan cream cheese frosting can be whipped up and slathered on all your favorite cakes in no time. Try it on this dairy-free & gluten-free carrot cake!
Great vegan cream cheese frosting starts with great vegan butter and cream cheese. I'm lucky enough to live in the same region as Miyoko's, where vegan cultured cheeses and butters are made from all natural organic ingredients. They taste like magic.
Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting
While enjoying Miyoko's dairy-free cream cheese toast for breakfast one morning, I got the idea to try making my favorite type of frosting with Miyoko's products. For my first trial, I used the same ratios as for my favorite dairy cream cheese frosting: 2 parts cream cheese to 1 part butter. But I found that this version was overly tangy with a slightly chalky texture. I switched to using slightly more butter than cream cheese and found that the frosting had a perfect balance of tanginess, while still tasting like regular cream cheese frosting.
How to Make Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
Just soften the cream cheese and butter to cool room temperature, whip them with a judicious amount of powdered sugar, and add in a bit of vanilla and a squeeze of lemon if you like. The result is fluffy, tangy, cream cheesy frosting bliss that vegans and the dairy intolerant can enjoy.
Temperature is Everything
This vegan cream cheese frosting tends to be a bit more temperature sensitive than dairy cream cheese frosting, so keep it a bit cooler than you would the regular stuff. Ideally, have the vegan dairy at cool room temperature when you mix the frosting. After mixing you may need to chill the frosting for 5-10 minutes to make it firm enough to spread around. Once you've frosted your cake, refrigerate until serving time, cut the cake into slices, and let the slices stand at room temperature until the frosting has softened, 15 - 30 minutes depending on the ambient temperature.
Try this dairy free cream cheese frosting on your favorite cakes. Here are a few that I love:
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins (vegan option)
- Dairy Free Gluten Free Carrot Cake (pictured)
- Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Matcha Cream Cheese Frosting
- Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake with Beet Cream Cheese Frosting
- Gluten Free Dairy Free Coconut Flour Banana Cake
- Gluten Free Chocolate Teff Cake
Try this base recipe with any of the variations on my dairy cream cheese frosting recipe:
- matcha cream cheese frosting
- citrus cream cheese frosting
- chocolate ombré cream cheese frosting
- beet ombré cream cheese frosting
- or go sugar-free and make my paleo cream cheese frosting instead
*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this vegan cream cheese frosting, I’d love to see. Tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 3/4 cup (170 g) Miyoko’s vegan butter, at cool room temperature
- ½ cup (113 g) Miyoko’s vegan cream cheese, at cool room temperature
- 1 cup (100 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- squeeze of lemon juice, optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the vegan butter and cream cheese. Beat on medium low to combine, then beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Increase the mixer speed and beat on medium high until light and fluffy, 1-2 more minutes. Taste, adding a squeeze of lemon juice if you like.
- If the frosting is too soft, chill briefly to firm, then stir again. The frosting can be made up to several days ahead and refrigerated. Bring to cool room temperature and stir well before using.
Notes
Nutrition
Joanna says
This frosting is a winner!!! Tastes just like the dairy version when made with Miyoko's. Thank you so much.
Alanna says
I'm so happy to hear that - thanks a bunch for the note!
Joanna says
Quick question - if I wanted to make a chocolate version, do you think I could just add cocoa powder? Any suggestion for how much to start with if I want to experiment?
Alanna says
Hi Joanna! Yes I think that would work! You can make the frosting as directed, then sift in the cocoa powder
Alanna says
Hi Joanna! Yes I think that would work. You can make the frosting as directed, then sift in and mix to combine the cocoa powder 1 tablespoon at a time until you like the way it tastes. You may want to add more powdered sugar since the cocoa powder's bitterness will make it taste less sweet. I usually use dutch-process cocoa but that or regular cocoa should work. Please let me know what you try!
Joanna says
Great, thank you so much! I'll let you know.
Joanna says
Two years later...I finally tried a chocolate version! I ended up using 4 tablespoons dutch cocoa powder and 2 extra tablespoons of powdered sugar. It was delicious, thank you again!