This vegan cream cheese frosting is airy, light, and fluffy with a slightly tangy flavor without being overly sweet.

Made with just 4 ingredients and in one bowl. Made with real vanilla bean and whipped for an almost mousse-like consistency.

This delicious cream cheese icing perfectly complements so many vegan cake recipes like vanilla chai cake and cupcakes such as these pumpkin cupcakes and vanilla cupcakes.

close up of dairy free cream cheese frosting.Pin
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💭 What to expect from this recipe

In this vegan cream cheese frosting recipe, non-dairy butter is whipped until light and airy before incorporating any of the other ingredients. This makes this dairy-free frosting irresistibly smooth and delicate while still being suitable for piping.

This recipe calls for less sugar than a lot of other cream cheese frosting recipes you'll find. That's because well, personally I don't like overly sweet buttercream and I'm pretty sure that I'm not alone on that. I also find the additional sugar unnecessary, once the butter is whipped up correctly it creates an emulsion that is soft and airy yet perfect for piping straight from the bowl.

🗒 Ingredients needed

ingredients for vegan cream cheese frosting.Pin

Ingredient Notes

  • Vegan Butter - I usually use Flora unsalted plant butter, which works perfectly for any vegan buttercream recipes I've tried.
  • Vegan Cream Cheese - I use violife, but you can use any vegan-friendly cream cheese that’s available to you
  • Powdered Sugar - Regular icing sugar does the job here, make sure you sift it to remove any lumps before adding it to the frosting.
  • Vanilla - I highly recommend using a real vanilla pod to get the best results for this particular vanilla cream cheese frosting. You can however use a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste in its place if you have it to hand. Vanilla extract is also an option, but it won't give you those gorgeous vanilla specs!

🥣 How To Make Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. Add the room temperature vegan butter to a bowl and whisk it for five minutes, yes five full minutes! You want it to become whipped, airy, and light.
  2. Add the vegan cream cheese in 3-4 parts, and whisk it into the butter each time until fully incorporated.
  3. Now slowly start adding in the icing sugar, I recommend a tablespoon at a time whisking in between one.
  4. Lastly, add in the vanilla and mix that through.

Variations

  • Pumpkin spice: Add one teaspoon of pumpkin spice to the frosting when adding the vanilla for a fall-inspired buttercream.
  • Chai spice: This can also be added (one teaspoon) with the vanilla during the last step of the recipe.
  • Cinnamon: For cinnamon cream cheese frosting, add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon with the vanilla.
  • Lemon: Add half to one teaspoon of lemon extract depending on your taste to create a lemon cream cheese frosting.

🍰 Ways To Use It

💬 FAQs

How should vegan cream cheese frosting be stored?

Keep this dairy-free cream cheese frosting in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Will vegan cream cheese frosting harden in the fridge?

If you want to pipe it on cupcakes or muffins, do so straight after it's whipped up as it will firm up once chilled.
Be sure to take your cake or cupcakes out of the fridge for a few hours before serving to allow time for the frosting to soften. I've had no issues with keeping this cream cheese frosting out at room temperature for a full day, however, this may vary depending on climate.

Can I use this vegan cream cheese frosting to frost layer cakes?

Absolutely, it makes a great vegan buttercream for vegan carrot cake, chai cake, red velvet cake, and more.

easy vegan cream cheese frosting in a bowl.Pin

☁️ More Vegan Frosting Recipes

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Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

4.66 from 29 votes
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes
Servings: 20
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Description

Creamy, light and airy vanilla vegan cream cheese frosting that's not overly sweet. Made with real vanilla bean and whipped for an almost mousse-like consistency. Perfect piped on top of cupcakes, spread on sheet cakes or used to frost layer cakes.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • First make sure your butter and cream cheese are taken out of the fridge 2-3 hours before making the frosting to allow them to come to room temperature. Cut the butter into small chunks and place in a large bowl. Use an electric whisk or stand mixer to whisk the butter for 5 minutes. It will become light and airy.
  • Add the room temperature cream cheese in 3-4 parts and whisk each time to incorporate it into the whipped butter.
  • Slowly add the icing sugar in 1-2 tablespoon increments, whisking for a few seconds between each one to incorporate the sugar into the mixture.
  • Lastly scrape the inside of the vanilla pod out with a sharp knife and add to the bowl. Whisk for another minute or so to combine.
  • If using to frost a cake, cupcakes or muffins, place the frosting into a piping bag or simply use a pallet knife to spread it on, and use immediately. Alternatively you can keep this frosting in an airtight container in the fridge and allow it to come to soften slightly at room temperature before using.

Storage

  • If you want to pipe it on cupcakes or muffins, you can do so straight after it's whipped up as it will firm up once chilled.
    Otherwise, keep in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week. Allow it to come to room temperature before frosting cakes or cupcakes.

Notes

  1. Vegan Butter - Block-style butter, not margarine from a tub. Take this out of the fridge 1-2 hours ahead of time.
  2. Vegan Cream Cheese - Take this out of the fridge 1-2 hours ahead of time.
  3. Yield - This recipe will yield approximately 3.5 cups of frosting which is enough to frost about 20+ cupcakes or a large cake. You can half the recipe if needed.
  4. Pumpkin spice, chai spice, or cinnamon: Add one teaspoon of spice to the frosting when adding the vanilla for a fall-inspired buttercream.
  5. Lemon: Add half to one teaspoon of lemon extract depending on your taste to create a lemon cream cheese frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 574IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
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