I am a chocolate lover to the core, so when I decided to create a vegan version of my favorite chocolate buttercream recipe, I was extra careful to make sure that not an ounce of flavor was sacrificed in the process. Rest assured, this Vegan Chocolate Buttercream is every bit as delicious as the real deal – it’s the kind of buttercream that I have to hide from myself so I don’t end up eating spoonful after spoonful! Whether you enjoy it straight out of the bowl or pair it with a cake (this Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe is it’s soul mate), it’s a frosting that’s sure to satisfy.
This Vegan Chocolate Buttercream recipe could not be easier to make, yet the results are outstanding – super silky, ultra decadent, and packed with chocolatey flavor goodness. It’s perfect for filling and frosting cakes, piping onto cupcakes, and pairing with anything that would be made better with chocolate buttercream. All it takes is five simple ingredients and about ten minutes of your time.
It all starts with a good quality vegan butter. I love Earth Balance sticks for this recipe, but you can use whatever brand that takes your fancy. Just be sure that you like the flavor of the vegan butter you’re using, as it will end up flavoring the buttercream. Another ingredient that will impact the overall flavor of this Vegan Chocolate Buttercream is the non-dairy milk you choose. I absolutely love this recipe with unsweetened coconut milk and soy milk the most, but any non-dairy milk will do.
This Vegan Chocolate Buttercream goes with anything that pairs well with chocolate, but my all-time favorite pairing is with this Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe. It is irresistible for a chocolate lover, vegan or not. Whatever you’re making this Vegan Chocolate Buttercream for, just beware – you’re gonna want to eat the extra by the spoonful. Consider yourself warned!
Vegan Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 Cup (227g) vegan butter, softened to room temperature I use Earth Balance sticks
- 3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 Cup (42g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened non-dairy milk, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the vegan butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light in color. About 5 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, unsweetened non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium-low for a minute or two, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed, until fully combined and silky smooth.
Notes
- Frost 12-15 cupcakes with a piping bag
- Fill and crumb coat a three-layer 6-inch cake or two-layer 8-inch cake. To have enough for frosting and decorating as well, double the recipe.
Did you make this Vegan Chocolate Buttercream? I want to know what you think and how you used it! Let me know in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco in your Instagram photos to show me. I love seeing what you create!
I wanted to like this butter cream and I followed the recipe to the t but it’s not great. Unfortunately you can leave this outside of the fridge for more than 5 minutes before it gets too soft. This case it was used on top of cupcakes for a school function.
Hi Timi! I’m sorry the buttercream turned out too soft for you. What kind of vegan butter did you use and how was it softened? From what you’re describing it sounds like the butter was too soft to begin with or your kitchen environment was too warm. Both of those can be troubleshooted if you want to try again. I do recommend using vegan butter sticks, softening by leaving out on the kitchen counter (not the microwave).
Hi Whitney!
I can’t find earth balance butter sticks where I live 🙁 I did find other vegan butter though! Would you recommend adding salt to the recipe if they’re unsalted and if so how much?
Thank you in advance!! 🙂
Hi Blanca! You can use any vegan butter and if it’s unsalted that’s great! I would wait till the end of the recipe to do a quick taste test and see if it needs a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness. Hope that helps!
This frosting is absolute divine! My entire family loved it plain and on the cake I made. I honestly love it better than all the dairy frostings I’ve had in the past. This is now our go-to chocolate frosting. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Yay, Amanda! I’m so happy this recipe was a hit!
Is this firm enough for underneath fondant to give sharp corners please?
It’s a crusting buttercream so it should totally work under fondant!
The icing recipe was I’m sorry but horrible, I did all the steps and it’s just way way way to sweet. Definitely too much icing sugar!!
Hi Ellie! I’m sorry you felt it was too sweet. This recipe actually uses less icing sugar than most American buttercream recipes but if you want to try it with less icing sugar you should be able to decrease it by about 1/2 Cup without losing too much stability. If you’re looking for a really non-sweet frosting I’d recommend searching for “vegan chocolate ermine frosting.” Hope that helps!
Howdy again! Would a single batch be enough for 24 cupcakes or should I make 2 batches of this frosting? Thank you!
I would double the recipe for 24 cupcakes
Do you know if the earth balance spread in the tub is different from the sticks? I can’t seem to find the earth balance sticks…
Hi Naomi! After reading the ingredients on both I don’t think there’s a huge difference. You could use the spread with this recipe and be just fine.