Rich Chocolate Vegan Frosting

Rich Chocolate Vegan Frosting is a decadent and dreamy chocolate frosting recipe, made entirely without dairy!

You don’t have to be vegan to love this rich vegan frosting

I’m not a vegan, but, like most of us, I know people who are, including my sister. I thought it would be fun to formulate a dairy free frosting in anticipation of the holidays, when I’ll be cooking more for others. With two college aged daughters home on break I never know who’ll be hanging around the kitchen or sitting at my dining room table. Of course for right now I’ll just be eating my frosting with a spoon, because I don’t have a reliable vegan cake recipe. I think making a delicious cake without dairy products or eggs is one of the great baking challenges, and I have yet to figure it out. If any of you have, please let me know in the comments!

Coconut cream is the secret to this dairy free frosting

This one is based on my go-to chocolate buttercream, and all I did was swap out the butter and milk for coconut cream. I used coconut cream, not coconut milk, because it’s a little richer and has a little more body. You could use full fat coconut milk as well, (but don’t use cream of coconut, that’s a different product altogether, it’s sweetened, and used for cocktails, etc.)  Yes, this frosting will have e a background coconut flavor, but it’s a nice change, I think. I have a couple of secrets to balance out that coconut and keep it from becoming too dominant, keep reading…

Real chocolate beats cocoa powder for the best flavor

I like chocolate frosting made with real chocolate instead of cocoa powder, it just tastes richer and has a better chocolate flavor. It also works in this frosting because, as opposed to cocoa powder, the melted chocolate is liquid, so less coconut milk is required. The large amount of vanilla and the espresso powder really help to tame the coconut flavor as well. You won’t taste the coffee, but it will enhance and deepen the chocolate. It’s a lovely frosting that even  non-vegans will love.

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3.21 from 34 votes

Rich Chocoate Vegan Frosting

Rich Chocolate Vegan Frosting is a decadent and dreamy chocolate frosting recipe, made without dairy!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Author Sue Moran

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate ~ make sure it is 100% cacao and dairy free.
• 1 cup approximately, of coconut cream (about half of a 14 ounce can) You may need more.
• 1 tsp espresso powder or instant espresso
• 5 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
• 1 Tbsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract

Instructions

• Chop the chocolate into small pieces and put in a microwave safe bowl, preferably a bowl big enough to make the frosting in. Add the coconut milk and the espresso powder.
• Microwave for 1 minute, then give the mixture a stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds and stir again. Keep microwaving in short bursts, if necessary, until the chocolate is melted..Let the heat of the mixture melt the last remaining chunks.
• Start beating in the sugar, adding more as you go to get a nice spreadable consistency. Make sure you beat the frosting until it is smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times. Add more coconut milk if your frosting is too thick, and add more sifted sugar if it seems too thin.
• Use right away.

notes and variations

If you need to keep the frosting for later, spoon it into a large zip lock baggie, remove any excess air, and store in the refrigerator. Then when you are ready to frost, snip the tip off one corner and pipe it out.

The nutritional information for recipes on this site is provided as a courtesy and although theviewfromgreatisland.com tries to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.