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This vegan buttercream frosting is made with coconut oil, giving it a lighter taste and a pleasantly fluffy consistency. Use my foolproof method and you’ll never have a grainy frosting ever again.

Have you ever made frosting using coconut oil that turned out grainy and, well, wrong? It happened to me, once…

So I have developed this recipe for vegan buttercream frosting that’s fluffy – yet holds it’s shape when piped – so that you never have to make bad frosting again. It’s my favorite vegan frosting for cake and it’s perfect for piping.

How To Make Vegan Frosting

In order for this frosting to turn out right, you need to melt your coconut oil and chill it in the freezer before you start making it into frosting.

This process of liquifying and quickly solidifying the coconut oil helps the final result be smooth and buttery, instead of grainy.

I recommend doing this melting and cooling process every time you make coconut oil-based frosting, even if using a brand new jar. It reincorporates the more solid compounds that have separated in the coconut oil, and it makes a huge difference!

Other Vegan Dessert Recipes

A fluffy white vanilla buttercream-style frosting – veganized with coconut oil.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut oil *see instructions
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2⅓ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • 3-4 tsp agave syrup (maple syrup or corn syrup OK)

Instructions

  • Melt the coconut oil in the microwave for about 1 minute, then stir it until all the solid bits are dissolved. Place it in the freezer for 25 minutes or until it has solidified.
  • Allow the coconut oil to come to room temperature before proceeding. If it is too cold/hard, breaking it up with a fork and a hand mixer will help it soften.
  • Whip the room-temp coconut oil with a hand mixer until it's creamy. Check for any chunks and crush them up.
  • Cream the vanilla extract with the coconut oil.
  • Mix in the powdered sugar in 3 goes, then add in the syrup and oil and whisk until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.

Notes

  • If you put the completed frosting in the fridge, it will harden, so it’s best to make it on the same day that you need it. 
  • Use clear imitation vanilla extract to get a more true white frosting. 
Course Dessert, Vegan Desserts
Cuisine American, European
Keyword vegan buttercream frosting, vegan buttercream recipe, vegan frosting, vegan frosting recipe, vegan frosting vanilla
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 0 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 12 servings (2 cups)
Calories 131
Author Shannon Hakala

Nutrition

Serving: 30g | Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1mg | Sugar: 27g | Iron: 1mg
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17 comments
  1. 5 stars
    Yum! Added cocoa powder and used agave syrup. Melting then freezing the coconut oil is a new method that I’ll keep using in the future.
    Thanks for the great recipe!

  2. 5 stars
    My sister and I are coconut-o-philes, and we have a deal that we make a coconut cake on each of our birthdays. So, over the 60 years we’ve been making, we’ve made hundreds of cake and frosting recipes. When we discovered this one, all trials were cancelled. This is THE ONE. We will never look back! It is that extraordinary. We had made for my birthday a 4-layer coconut cake (with fresh coconut) and doubled this frosting recipe, topped with toasted well, you know what. Our spouses, who claim not to like cake or sweets, ate the cake for dessert, then for breakfast, then for lunch. It only lasted 2 days. We all agreed that it was the frosting. WARNING: Addictive.

  3. 4 stars
    I used golden syrup thinned with water as it was all I had. I then added almond milk to thin it more and it split 😭.
    Still tasted amazing and will definitely use this as my go to vegan frosting so much easier than the coconut cream one I usually use. Just make it properly next time

    1. Yes, it should be fine as long as the room temperature is under 77 degrees or so and kept covered up so it doesn’t dry out. If it’s just frosting I would probably give it extra whipping just before frosting in case it has separated under its own weight. After I have frosting on the cake I leave it on the counter, covered up, for up to 3 days without issues.

  4. 5 stars
    this is an incredible recipe!! Thank you so much! The freezing trick worked beautifully and was worth the wait, it looked/tasted like velvety smooth regular buttercream. I put it on top of a cookie cake and it held its shape so well when piped! I’m going to come back to this recipe any time I need to make frosting.

  5. Delicious! What’s the best way to thin it though? Add more corn syrup or more oil?

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