This smooth and velvety vegan buttercream frosting will take your cakes and cupcakes to the next level of amazing! It’s light, creamy, and perfectly sweetened!
This week I’ve been on a roll with sweet treats for spring! I started by sharing my bird’s nest cookies, followed by my vegan chocolate peanut butter eggs, then my vegan lemon cupcakes! Although some of these recipes don’t quite fit into my plant-based desserts, every so often it is nice to splurge on a sweet treat! With the warmer temperatures and the sunny skies, I’m ready to jump right into spring!
While making my lemon cupcakes I realized that I didn’t have a simple buttercream frosting recipe to share with you. I’ve shared my vegan chocolate frosting that uses coconut cream, but no simple buttercream frosting recipe.
Well, all that’s about to change! This super easy vegan frosting is made in minutes. It turns out light and fluffy, and perfectly sweetened! It’s also a versatile recipe you can use as a base to create numerous frosting flavors.
💗 Why You’ll Love This Vegan Buttercream Frosting
- 4 simple ingredients
- 10 minutes from start to finish!
- Versatile recipe!
- Numerous flavor combinations!
- Smooth and velvety!
- Great for piping, or frosting cakes and cupcakes!
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Vegan Butter: You will need one stick of vegan butter, or about ½ a cup. Make sure your butter is softened at room temperature.
Powdered Sugar: I use organic powdered sugar to make sure that it is vegan-friendly.
Flavored Extract: When making a simple vanilla-flavored buttercream you’ll use vanilla extract. However, if you decide to try one of the other flavor combinations, you’ll use a different type of extract. You’ll either need a lemon, strawberry, peppermint, or raspberry extract.
Soy Milk (optional): I add a touch of soy milk if my frosting seems too thick. You may or may not need to add it.
📋 Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Add the room temperature butter to a large bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter for about 1 minute or until butter is creamy and fluffy.
Step 2: Add your flavored extract. Then cream together until combined.
Lemon Buttercream Frosting: If you are making lemon buttercream, add the lemon zest and lemon extract at this time.
Peppermint Buttercream Frosting: If making peppermint buttercream, add the peppermint extract.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting: For the strawberry buttercream, add the strawberry extract.
Raspberry Buttercream Frosting: For the raspberry buttercream, add the raspberry extract.
Step 3: Add the powdered sugar a half cup at a time, creaming together on high speed with a hand mixer until all the sugar is incorporated. You will need anywhere between 2 ½ to 3 cups of powdered sugar until a thick frosting forms. If the frosting seems too thick, add the soy milk one tablespoon at a time.
Lemon Buttercream: If your buttercream seems too thick, instead of adding soy milk, add 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Peppermint Buttercream: If you’d like to have a green tone to your frosting, add 3-5 drops of natural green food coloring, and whip them together until combined.
Strawberry Buttercream: After adding the powdered sugar, add the freeze-dried strawberries. Whip together until combined. If frosting seems too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of soy milk.
Raspberry Buttercream: After adding the powdered sugar, add the freeze-dried raspberries. Whip together until combined. If frosting seems too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of soy milk.
💭 Expert Tips
- Make sure you’ve whipped the butter well before adding the powdered sugar.
- Don’t add all of the powdered sugar at one time. Add about half a cup of powdered sugar until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Depending on the butter and sugar, you may need a bit more or a bit less powdered sugar.
- You want your texture to be silky and smooth, yet firm enough to pipe. I like my frosting on the firmer side.
- If you feel that your frosting is too thick, then add the soy milk or non-dairy milk one tablespoon at a time to help thin it out.
- Add the flavorings to the butter before you add the powdered sugar, and whip to fully incorporate.
👩🏻🍳 Ways to Use this Vegan Buttercream Frosting
Cakes and Cupcakes: This frosting is perfect on cakes and cupcakes! A vanilla buttercream will pair nicely with virtually any type of cake. Try the other flavors too!
Brownies: Frost your brownies with this easy frosting recipe.
Cookies: This frosting is firm enough to use on top of sugar cookies, and is great for decorating!
Cinnamon Rolls: If you’ve got a cinnamon roll recipe, feel free to use this easy buttercream to slather on top for an extra special touch.
❓ Recipe FAQS
I prefer to use Earth Balance baking sticks to make this frosting. Another popular brand I often use is Miyokos. However, there are many different brands of plant-based butter on the market today, so use your particular favorite if you cannot find the two mentioned above.
This frosting will last for about a week or more when kept in the refrigerator. If not kept in the fridge, the frosting will be good for 3-4 days at room temperature.
I do not recommend substituting coconut oil or coconut cream in this frosting recipe. The texture and flavor will be off.
This recipe is enough to frost 12 cupcakes. If you’re making a recipe with 24 cupcakes, you’ll need to double the recipe. If you are not using as much frosting on your cupcakes, you may be able to stretch it further.
You will be able to frost a 9-inch two-layer cake or an 8-inch two-layer cake. If you like a thick layer of frosting, you may want to double the amount.
Pair this Buttercream with These Vegan Cakes!
If you made this recipe, please comment below and leave a ⭐️ rating. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more family-friendly vegan recipes!
Vegan Buttercream Frosting 5 Ways
Ingredients
Vanilla Buttercream
- ½ cup vegan butter 1 stick
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoon soy milk optional
Vegan Lemon Buttercream
- ½ cup vegan butter 1 stick
- 21/2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice optional
Vegan Peppermint Buttercream
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 2 ½-3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 3-5 drops natural green food coloring
- 2 teaspoon soy milk optional
Vegan Strawberry Buttercream
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 2 ½-3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon strawberry extract
- ¼ cup freeze dried strawberries
- 2 tablespoon soy milk optional
Vegan Raspberry Buttercream
- ½ cup vegan butter 1 stik
- 2 ½-3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp raspberry extract
- ¼ cup freeze dried raspberries
- 2 tablespoon soy milk optional
Instructions
Vanilla Buttercream
- Add the room temperature butter to a large bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter for about 1 minute or until butter is creamy and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract. Cream together until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar a half cup at a time, creaming together on high speed until all the sugar is incorporated. You will need anywhere between 2 ½-3 cups of powdered sugar until a thick frosting forms. If the frosting seems too thick, add the soy milk one tablespoon at a time.
Lemon Buttercream
- Add the room temperature butter to a large bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter for about 1 minute or until butter is creamy and fluffy.
- Add the lemon extract and lemon zest. Cream together until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar a half cup at a time, creaming together on high speed until all the sugar is incorporated. You will need anywhere between 2 ½-3 cups of powdered sugar until a thick frosting forms. If the frosting seems too thick, add the lemon juice one tablespoon at a time, and beat together until desired consistency is reached.
Peppermint Buttercream
- Add the room temperature butter to a large bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter for about 1 minute or until butter is creamy and fluffy.
- Add the peppermint extract. Cream together until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar a half cup at a time, creaming together on high speed until all the sugar is incorporated. You will need anywhere between 2 ½-3 cups of powdered sugar until a thick frosting forms. If the frosting seems too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of soy milk at a time, and beat together until desired consistency is reached. If you'd like your mint frosting to be green, add a few drops of natural green food coloring, and beat until incorporated.
Strawberry Buttercream
- Add the room temperature butter to a large bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter for about 1 minute or until butter is creamy and fluffy.
- Add the strawberry extract. Cream together until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar a half cup at a time, creaming together on high speed until all the sugar is incorporated. You will need anywhere between 2 ½-3 cups of powdered sugar until a thick frosting forms. Add the freeze dried strawberries, and incorporate. If the frosting seems too thick, add the soy milk one tablespoon at a time.
Raspberry Buttercream
- Add the room temperature butter to a large bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter for about 1 minute or until butter is creamy and fluffy.
- Add the strawberry extract. Cream together until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar a half cup at a time, creaming together on high speed until all the sugar is incorporated. You will need anywhere between 2 ½-3 cups of powdered sugar until a thick frosting forms. Add the freeze dried raspberries, and incorporate. If the frosting seems too thick, add the soy milk one tablespoon at a time.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you’ve whipped the butter well before adding the powdered sugar.
- Don’t add all of the powdered sugar at one time. Add about half a cup of powdered sugar until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Depending on the butter and sugar, you may need a bit more or a bit less powdered sugar.
- You want your texture to be silky and smooth, yet firm enough to pipe. I like my frosting on the firmer side.
- If you feel that your frosting is too thick, then add the soy milk or non-dairy milk one tablespoon at a time to help thin it out.
- Add the flavorings to the butter before you add the powdered sugar, and whip to fully incorporate.
- Frosting will keep at room temperature for about 3 days.
- It will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week or more.
- Nutrition facts are calculated based on vanilla buttercream ingredients.
Katherine
Oh wow I can’t decide which flavor to try first! Maybe peppermint…..
Tracy
My vegan buttercream dreams have been answered. Thank you!
Beth Sachs
This buttercream looks so creamy and smooth. I’ll be using this recipe to ice my daughter’s birthday cupcakes as quite a few of her friends are vegan!
Gina
I’ve been baking more and more vegan and gf so it’s great to have a simple go-to frosting that works with that now. Can’t beat a classic buttercream!
Kay
Lemon is my go-to flavouring for butter icing! But your other ones have got me interested especially the peppermint one!