Vegan Chocolate Frosting
April 10, 2012
This vegan chocolate frosting tastes just like traditional chocolate buttercream frosting, but is gluten-free and dairy-free for vegan baked treats.
Vegan Chocolate Frosting
This vegan chocolate frosting tastes just like traditional chocolate buttercream frosting, but is gluten-free and dairy-free for healthy vegan baked treats.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons mashed steamed orange-flesh sweet potato
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 20 drops alcohol-free vanilla-flavored liquid stevia, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
- Pinch of Celtic sea salt
- 1/4 cup carob powder
- 1/4 cup cashew butter (or tahini for nut-free)
- 2.5 oz (65g) unsweetened dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoons melted virgin coconut oil
Instructions
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Place the sweet potato, coconut sugar, stevia, vanilla and salt into your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and mix until well combined. Add the carob powder and process until combined. Set aside.
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In a small, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the chocolate, cashew butter and coconut oil over low heat. Stir constantly until chocolate melts; remove from heat.
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Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of the stand mixer, and process until smooth and creamy. (If the coconut oil begins to separate (the mixture will appear oily and a bit curdled), or if the mixture is too thick, add one tablespoon more of the sweet potato purée, and mix again. It should come together in a silky, spreadable frosting.)
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Use this fudge-style frosting immediately, or chill in the fridge until firm, then beat again in the stand mixer until fluffy and light for a “buttercream” frosting. This frosting can also be frozen. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature and beat in your mixer before using.
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Frosting makes enough for one cake or 12 mini cupcakes.
Recipe Notes
Recipe from Ricki Heller
Photo by Trent Lanz; styling by Alicia Buszczak
Comments 58
Tess–I’m speechless (and believe me, that’s a tough trick to pull off)! Thank you SO much for this amazing write up and for making me sound so good. 😉 Can’t wait to meet you, too–very much looking forward to hugging and lots of gabbing! 😀
It was EASY PEASY to convey how amazing you are, because you had already done all of the work! Your fabulousness translates without ANY work from me! Yes! SOO much gabbing and hugging to do this week.
3 more sleeps! I cannot wait xxx
This is such a creative recipe! Gotta love Ricki’s kitchen expertise. 🙂
I know! Isn’t she AMAZING Hallie?!
Like YOU! (wink)
Thanks so much, Hallie! 🙂
I don’t know….I’m not sure if I have the resources for step #9 😉
LOL! Oh Christine you make me laugh…
I almost couldn’t complete step 9 either!
This is SOOOO good. RIGHT up your alley.
Can’t wait to hear what you think xx
I know–it can be very challenging! 😀
Oh my goodness! Do you have any idea how many times we get requests for sugar-free, grain free frosting? I can’t WAIT to try this frosting – it looks simply MARVELOUS!
Squealing over to store now… for ingredients. I’ll try to follow “Step 9” directions, but it looks tough! 🙂
Cheers!
LOL! It IS tough once you taste this!
YES! Jen! This is RIGHT up your alley!
RICKI ROCKS!!!!!!
Thanks so much! Just curious about those requests–do you mean customers? 🙂
Hi Ricki!
Yes, sometimes we get special order requests for cakes and cupcakes without sugar. Up until now, I have always said no and didn’t know where to send them if they wanted to make their own. Now I know I can send them to your site – YAY!!! I can’t wait to try this frosting! It looks so yummy! Thank you!
Jennifer
I saw the word CHOCOLATE and was hooked. Can’t wait to make this!! I agree with Christine – #9 is silly!! 🙂 Ain’t gonna happen! I am currently on a candida cleanse and her website will be perfect for me to visit and indulge in. Ricki sounds like a wonderful, beautiful person (she covers all her bases in her 3 D’s) – those are important aspects in my life too. Thanks, Tess and Ricki. You girls ROCK!!! XOXO
LOl! I love it! Yes! #9 is SILLY for piggies!
Yes! Kibby – DEFINITELY check out Ricki’s website. She will be a LIFELINE for you while you are on your candida cleanse.
She is SO amazing and generous.
Just email her with any questions.
Thank you so much, Kibby. I’d say that the three D’s are probably 3 of the most important things in my life! 😀 And yes, you’ll find all kinds of candida-friendly recipes on my site (I’m on the anti-candida diet, too).
What an ingenious recipe created by an extremely brilliant lady! And it accommodates everyone’s needs, particularly the sugar factor. Sounds like a real show stopper – must try asap!!!
Lisa
Thanks, Lisa! Hope you like it. And I’m so glad to be able to accommodate so many different dietary needs with this! 🙂
That frosting sounds unbelievable! I unfortunately cannot use cashew or sesame due my child’s food allergies. What do you think about using sunflower seed butter as a substitute? Thank you!!!
I’ve never tried it with sunbutter, but it should work–the texture is very similar. If you do give it a try, please let us all know how it turns out! I’d love to be able to add that option to the original recipe, too. 🙂
Ha ha!! Yes, it can be challenging! 😀
It’s crazy how challenging it can be!! Fingers crossed that the sunflower seed works. I LOVE cashews!!!!! 🙁
Ha ha!! Thank you! 🙂
Tess I can say this frosting is amazing! I have made it a few times, and it wows me every time. This is a reminder that I need to make it again! Your description of Ricki is bang-on. She’s definitely one of a kind! We’re so lucky to have you two on board at The Balanced Platter. Sadly, I won’t be able to make it to Nourished. Can you have someone videotape that hug you’re going to give Ricki? xo
Maggie, we will miss you at Nourished!! And as I said on FB, so glad that you love this frosting as much as I do! And yes, you need to make it again. 😉
Thankyou Maggie!
I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of TBP with all of you lovely and talented ladies.
I am so sorry we will miss you in Chicago this week. I will definitely take a photo when Ricki and I first meet!
I have been looking for a dairy free ‘buttercream’ for a long time. I’ve been dairy free since my twins were born and I have to continue because if I let the diary in eczema flares up! I’m going to have to try this! Thanks!
Hope this suits your needs, Allissabeth! I think the texture is incredibly close to “real” buttercream (in the whipped version). Enjoy! 🙂
Brilliant, Ricki, just brilliant (as always)!!!
Aw, thanks, Lexie. (Takes one to know one!). 😀
What a gorgeous picture! My mouth is totally watering over this one. And what a great website! Everything looks delish.
Thanks, Cheryl! I love Tess’s site, too–as she might say, she ROCKS! 😀
Totally mouth watering. I’ll try really hard to follow your step 9. There is a white and yellow sweet potato. Just wondering if both will taste the same?
Vegetarian,
Thanks so much! I always use the yellow (orange) sweet potatoes–the ones that are more moist. Over here, we call the white ones “yams” as far as I know. When I do encounter a dryer potato, though, I simply add a tablespoon or two of water to the food processor to ensure it’s creamy and a bit moist. Hope that helps! 🙂
This looks amazing — going to try it soon!
Thanks so much! Hope you like it. 🙂
This frosting looks divine! Thank you so much for sharing your great recipe on Allergy-Free Wednesdays! In order to be featured, please provide a link back to an AFW Hostess. Be sure to check back next week for recipe highlights (including the top 3 reader choice submissions and hostess favorites).
Be Well!
Thanks Laura,
Ricki’s frosting rocks and she was kind enough to share it here and on your linky.
We will check back next week to see what you have!
yummy!!!! this sounds amazing!!! can’t wait to try it!
Anna! This is SOOOO amazing.
You will LOVE it 🙂
Thanks so much, Anna!! Hope you love it! 😀
This looks AMAZING! Any idea if powdered stevia can be used in place of liquid?
Hi Raechel,
Yes, you can use powdered stevia, no problem! I prefer the liquid because I find that the powdered sometimes has an aftertaste, but if you’re okay with powdered, go ahead. Use the same volume (ie, about 1/4 teaspoon). Thanks so much! 🙂
thanks, ricki! can’t wait to give it a try! : )
Ricki I NEVER would have thought of making icing this way… this is GENIUS!!! I cannot wait to try this the next time I need chocolate icing! thank you so much for making a lower sugar icing that is beautiful!
Aw, thanks, Carrie! Glad you like it. I try not to make it too often. . . too easy to just eat it off the spoon 😉 Loved your muffin recipe, too!! 😀
LOL! Yes! I would agree with that!!!
Hee hee! 😀
Ricki, what an amazing recipe! I’m allergic to coconut, but looking forward to giving this a try with pure palm oil. Won’t have the coconut flavor, but…
I’m a big fan of your work. Keep it up, you gluten free star!
Carla, I couldn’t be more thrilled to see your comment here! Thank you so much for your kind words. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out with palm oil! 🙂
Yes! I want to hear about that too 🙂
Just another excuse to make it AGAIN!
Oinkedy Oink!
Yes, you can leave out the stevia and use more sugar, or just use semisweet chocolate instead of the unsweetened, and that will work, too.
Thanks Ricki. Don’t miss making this recipe Lindsay – it is AMAZING.
Hi, I don’t like stevia, will it taste the same without or should I just put in a little bit more coconut sugar
Add a little bit more coconut sugar to taste.
Amazing recipe !! You think ,
could I use butternut pumpkin instead of sweet potato?
I think you could. It may be a little bit more watery, so you may have to tweak the other ingredients slightly.
Hi, how long can you keep it in the fridge? Sounds great, can’t wait to try it out 🙂
It should keep in the fridge for about five days. But, it never lasts that long.