Top your favorite desserts with this delicious three-ingredient Vegan Cream Cheese frosting! You can skip the store-bought kind because this recipe is truly dairy-free, incredibly easy, and has endless flavoring possibilities!
Such a decadent icing that is absolutely the best! It's sweet, with an amazing tangy edge to it!
This dairy-free cream cheese frosting is perfect for your favorite cakes, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, cookies, fruit pizza... you name it!
You can firm it up by chilling it for a few minutes before piping it onto desserts as in my Carrot Cake Cupcakes, or keep it soft for drizzling onto your warm Cinnamon Rolls.
I love to use this icing for anything red velvet, especially my craveable Red Velvet Cookies!
You can spread it with a knife, drizzle it over treats, or chill it for a few minutes before piping it onto anything you please.
This frosting recipe is so tasty as it is, but it’s also a great base for other flavors you might want to add.
I add almond extract to my carrot cake frosting, while maple syrup or vanilla extract goes very well with cinnamon rolls.
You can easily add food coloring for parties and celebrations.
Reasons To Love This Recipe
- Gluten-free
- Ready in minutes
- Just 3 ingredients needed
- No dairy, no cashews, no tofu
- Lasts in the refrigerator for days
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Vegan Cream Cheese - Use your favorite brand of regular vegan cream cheese. You’ll want one that will cream well and that doesn’t have too much of an enhanced cheesy flavor. Some good options include Kite Hill, Trader Joe’s, Simple Truth (Kroger,) or Miyokos.
- Vegan Butter (Salted) - Even though we soften the butter before mixing it with the cream cheese, you want to use butter that’s pretty firm when cold. The kind that comes in sticks is best. Avoid buttery spreads because they are typically softer. I like Miyokos or Earth Balance here. Miyokos salted butter is perfect for this frosting because it doesn’t have too much of a yellow tint to it. If your butter isn’t salted, add ⅛th of a teaspoon of salt when mixing the frosting.
- Powdered Sugar - To keep this delicious frosting vegan, choose powdered sugar that either says “vegan” or “organic” on the packaging. Here is one that you can order from Amazon: Organic Powdered Sugar.
- Optional Add-Ins - Just a splash of other flavors can add an interesting dynamic to your frosting. Some ideas include vanilla extract, almond extract, maple syrup, orange extract, lemon juice, fruit preserves, or warm spices.
How to Make Homemade Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
Here are some quick visual steps. Find the full recipe with exact measurements on the recipe card below.
Take the vegan butter and vegan cream cheese out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes before you plan to make the frosting so they can start to soften. Press the vegan cream cheese with a napkin to squeeze out any excess liquid.
In a large bowl, mix the vegan cream cheese and vegan butter together until they are fully combined. You can use a stand mixer, hand mixer, or even just mix them together with a fork!
Add in the powdered sugar. I like to add a little bit at a time to prevent a dusty cloud from getting everywhere. I highly suggest shaking it through a sifter to work out any clumps in the sugar before it joins the other ingredients.
The frosting is done once it’s smooth and lump-free. You can either use it as is or add optional flavoring.
You can also spread it now or chill it for a little while to firm it up. Do this by placing the bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. The frosting will soften at room temperature and firm up when cold.
*Tip! If you want a really firm cream cheese frosting, mix in 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Related Sweet Vegan Recipes
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Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter, salted, softened
- 4 ounces vegan cream cheese (half of a standard-sized container)
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, organic
Instructions
- Soften the vegan butter and vegan cream cheese by taking them out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before you plan to make the frosting. Press the vegan cream cheese with a napkin to absorb any excess liquid.
- Cream the vegan cream cheese and vegan butter together in a large bowl. Use a stand mixer, hand-mixer, or simply cream them together with a fork!
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time. I suggest shaking it through a sifter to work out any clumps before adding it to the other ingredients.
- Mix the frosting until it's smooth and lump-free. Keep it as is or mix in optional flavorings such as maple syrup, vanilla, or lemon juice. You can also add in food coloring if desired.
- Either use the frosting now or make it firm by chilling it. Do this by covering the bowl and placing it in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Select a firm vegan butter (sticks) so that the frosting holds its shape when chilled.
- Add ⅛th of a teaspoon of salt to the frosting if your butter isn’t salted.
- Use a sifter when adding powdered sugar to help decrease clumps.
- Before piping the chilled frosting on any dessert, make sure the baked dessert has fully cooled down.
Storage
Store the vegan cream cheese frosting in the refrigerator for 5 days. It will stay firm when cold and soften as it comes to room temperature.Flavor Add-In Ideas
Start mixing in a small amount until you've reached your desired flavor.- Lemon Juice
- Maple Syrup
- Vanilla Extract
- Orange Extract
- Fruit Preserves
- Almond Extract
- Ground Cinnamon
- Concentrated Fruit Juice
Nutrition
The nutrition information is estimated and can vary depending on brands and measurements used.
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