Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

A recipe for smooth, creamy, fluffy vegan chocolate buttercream frosting that’s perfect for icing your favourite cakes and cupcakes. This easy recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, and very simple to make, plus, all you need is SIX ingredients and ten minutes from start to finish. (Oh, and try your best to resist eating it straight from the bowl!)

After almost six years of creating recipes for this website, I don't have any for buttercream frosting, cupcakes, or even celebration cakes. This is VERY confusing to me since cake, cupcakes, and frosting are some of my favourite things! (I hope you love them as much as I do!)

While I have plenty of recipes for cookies, doughnuts, and muffins, icing, cupcakes, and cakes are nowhere to be found, until now.

Starting with this recipe, I'm going to fix that, and this ridiculously simple, delicious, from scratch vegan chocolate buttercream frosting (aka chocolate American buttercream) is just the beginning!

So let's get started! I've outlined everything below that you'll need to know to make this recipe perfectly, every single time. You're going to be a vegan chocolate icing making pro in no time!

Ingredients You'll Need

SIX ingredients is all you need to make this creamy frosting:

• Vegan Powdered Sugar (not sure if your powdered sugar is vegan? Buy organic, it will be 100% vegan.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (you'll need to sift it to get all the lumps out, don't skip this step! Dutch-processed or natural cocoa works best)
• Vanilla Extract (to add even more amazing flavour)
• Salt (to balance out the sweetness)
• Unsweetened non-dairy milk (to make your icing smooth and soft, any type of dairy-free milk will work)
• Unsalted Vegan Butter (use sticks, not the type that comes in containers / tubs, they will be too soft and will result in a very soft frosting.

How to Make It

(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step on how to make this recipe here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions at the end of this post.)

I like to use my stand mixer with the paddle attachment to make my vegan buttercream icing, but I know everyone doesn't have a stand mixer, most people have an electric mixer, so I'll be using that to show you how to make this recipe.

Using your mixer, mix the butter for a minute or two until it's soft and creamy.

Next, add the powdered sugar. Make sure that you use low speed or the sugar will fly everywhere and make a big mess! Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of your bowl.

Once the butter and all of the powdered sugar have been mixed together thoroughly, add the sifted cocoa powder, the salt, and the vanilla and mix again at low speed until there are no more spots of dry powdered sugar or cocoa powder left. Again, stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of your bowl.

After everything has mixed together, it will be very thick, so it's time to gradually add your dairy-free milk if you want a softer icing.

If you use a butter brand that is very soft, you will need to use less milk, if it's more firm, you will use more. Add the milk, one teaspoon at a time.

After each milk addition, keep mixing until the buttercream reaches the consistency you're going for.

If you'll be using the frosting to pipe decorations onto your cake, it's best to make your buttercream a little more firm. The more you mix, the fluffier and more light in colour it will get.

Is There a Difference Between Making It with an Electric Mixer vs. a Stand Mixer?

The main differences are that the stand mixer is, of course, hands-free and the stand mixer gets the job done quicker and can result in a darker coloured buttercream, if you'd like, since it doesn't have to be mixed as long (see the image below).

If you want a lighter frosting and you're using a stand mixer, simply mix until it lightens up.

With an electric mixer, you'll be mixing a little longer than with a stand mixer so you will naturally end up with a lighter coloured frosting.

What to Put It On

Other than on a spoon for "sampling" (ha!) it pairs up perfectly with cupcakes (especially my chocolate cupcakes, chocolate cake, chocolate peppermint cupcakes, and even these pumpkin cupcakes), cakes, brownies, cookie sandwiches, sugar cookies, macarons, and more.

Tips for Success

• Always make sure your butter is slightly softened before starting. To make sure your butter is at the right temperature, lightly press your finger into it. If it leaves a shallow indent, your butter is at the perfect temperature. If your finger sinks into the butter with barely any effort, your butter is too soft. Refrigerate it until it has firmed up.
• Always sift your cocoa powder to get rid of the lumps, they will not go away on their own while preparing the frosting.
• Because of the butter I use, I find that at least a few teaspoons of non-dairy milk are needed to get it to the consistency I like, but if you find that after you add all the ingredients (except the milk) and mix for about 3-4 minutes that the consistency is good, then no need to add any milk. Milk makes the buttercream smoother and softer, so if a stiff, more firm buttercream is what you want, then feel free to omit the milk.
• If you prefer a more light and fluffy frosting, add a few teaspoons of milk and mix for about 5-6 minutes.

Tips for Success (continued)

• If you find that you’ve whipped too long and the icing is too fluffy for your liking, give it a few good stirs with a spoon to knock out some of the air pockets and make it a little less fluffy.
• Don't be afraid to use a piping bag and tips to decorate your dessert. They may seem intimidating, but they aren't difficult to use. I used a Wilton piping tip 2A to decorate the cupcakes you see in the images on this page. I recommend investing in this inexpensive cupcake decorating kit (Amazon Link).
• Read this post from beginning to end before making the recipe, it contains lots of tips and tricks on how to make the perfect lemon buttercream frosting, every single time!
• For the very best results, follow the recipe exactly as it's written and don't reduce the amount of powdered sugar or butter called for. The recipe can be halved if you need just a very small amount, or doubled if you need more.

How to Make In Advance and Store for Later

• If refrigerating for later use, store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week. When ready to use, bring it to room temperature, add to a bowl and mix with your electric mixer or stand mixer to freshen it up before frosting your cake or cupcakes.
• If freezing for later use, store in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw the frozen frosting in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, bring it to room temperature, add it to a bowl and mix with your electric mixer or stand mixer to freshen it up before frosting your cake or cupcakes.

If You Make This Recipe...

Please let me know how things went in the comments below or you can post a picture on Instagram and tag me (I'm @delightfuladventures) so I can see YOUR vegan chocolate buttercream!

And If You Like This Recipe...

You may also like these other buttercream recipes:

• Vegan Strawberry Frosting
• Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
• Vegan Buttercream Frosting
• Lemon Buttercream Frosting
• Peanut Butter Frosting
• Cream Cheese Frosting