How to Make Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
3-ingredient Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting perfect for cakes, cupcakes, quick breads, cookies, and more!
Servings 8 (1/4-cup servings)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (softened to room temperature // such as Earth Balance // butter sticks are best, not the spreadable tub // 1 stick yields 1/2 cup)
- 1 8-ounce container vegan cream cheese (slightly softened // such as Tofutti or Trader Joe’s brand // out of the fridge for 1 hour)
- 3 – 5 cups sifted organic powdered sugar
Instructions
- To a large mixing bowl, add softened butter and beat or whisk vigorously to combine. Then add vegan cream cheese and mix again until creamy and smooth.
- Add sifted powdered sugar in 1 cup (100 g // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) increments until thick and spreadable and to desired sweetness.
- You want this frosting to be pretty thick so it won’t slide around, so keep adding powdered sugar until it reaches the right consistency.
Notes
*Recipe makes ~2 cups frosting.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition (1 of 8 servings)
Serving: 1 quarter-cup servings Calories: 280 Carbohydrates: 41 g Protein: 0.3 g Fat: 13 g Saturated Fat: 4.6 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 163 mg Fiber: 0 g Sugar: 37.3 g
Sophia says
Total disaster for me. 4 hours of cooking a rainbow cake down the drain because the frosting has melted. The layers have disintegrated and basically no more rainbow in the cake. Tomorrow is the birthday and there is no back up…
Oh no! We’re so sorry your cake got ruined, Sophia. Did you wait for the cake to cool before frosting it? What brand of vegan butter and vegan cream cheese were you using? What temperature was the room? How long was it out before it melted? Coconut oil melts above ~78 F, so if the coconut oil content was high in the brands used and the temperature/time was too high/long, that’s likely the reason.
Sophia says
Many thanks for your reply. It was a warm in the kitchen and may be the température of the last 2 layers was not cool enough. It seems that I kight have overbeaten the sugar too. Finally I managed to save 4 layers and present the cake with a wrapping around. The other two layers were happily eaten by everyone for breakfast before the party. And actually guests at the party gave a lot of compliments to the taste of the cake and the frosting. In the end of the day, I will try once more and I will be careful with the temperature. Thank you again.
Adina cain says
What can i sub for the vegan butter filled with oils i cant eat? Is the butter for taste or …
Helppp 😊
Hi Adina, we’d suggest trying out our cashew cream cheese frosting for an option without vegan butter. Hope that helps!
Donna Schaffer says
I absolutely love this frosting with the carrot cake. The frosting came out thick but when I took it out of fridge to put on cake it melted… cake was cool. Any help??
Love your recipes!!!
Thanks,
Donna
Thank you for your sweet words, Donna! We’re sorry the frosting melted on you. What brand of vegan butter and vegan cream cheese were you using? What temperature was the room? How long was it out before it melted? Coconut oil melts above ~78 F, so if the coconut oil content was high in the brands used and the temperature/time was too high/long, that could be the reason!
Donna Schaffer says
Thanks for getting back to me.
Used earth balance vegan butter and
Kroger vegan cream cheese … I’d say room temp. And it’s cool in the house.. 60s.
It was still very yummy..
thanks again
We’re glad it was still tasty! Our recommendation would be to try another brand of vegan cream cheese next time to see if that helps.
Nicole Lashever says
Beat it longer. Maybe 10-15 mins. The butter will whip into shape and not melt
Donna Schaffer says
Thanks!!
Sarah Tickell says
While this tastes delicious my frosting split! I’m wondering what I did wrong, or if I should have used cold from the fridge instead of room temp? I’m fairly new to using vegan butter and vegan creamcheese. I used the brands – Violife Butter and Oatly Cream Cheese if that makes a difference. Thanks so much for all of your content!
Oh no! We’re so sorry that happened, Sarah. The most common reason is if the butter is too cold, but it doesn’t sound like that was your issue? None of the ingredients in those two products are striking us as problematic. Is it possible the cream cheese was cold?
Megan Carrillo says
So delicious but it didn’t seem to harden at all. Is that the standard experience with this recipe?
Hi Megan, we’re not sure what you mean by “harden”. The texture of this frosting should be thick and spreadable!
Megan Carrillo says
It is spreadable but it’s never fully dry so that I could stack cookies on top of each other for packing to take somewhere.
Ah, okay! You’ll want to use more powdered sugar in that case.
RJ says
Hi! Can you sub with regular non-vegan cream cheese and butter at the same proportions?
Yes, that would work!
Kassandra says
So good! One thing I’d missed since going vegan was a good cream cheese frosting. I made this recipe with my go-to vegan chocolate cake last year around Thanksgiving. I used Miyoko’s cream cheese and added some cocoa powder & melted chocolate chips to modify it to a chocolate cream cheese frosting. It was sooo good and approved by my non-vegan friends! I wish I had written down just how much cocoa powder and melted chips I’d used but will be attempting a repeat today!
Wow, that sounds incredible, Kassandra! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Tina ✿♡✧ says
Perfectly delicious and easy !!!
Whoop! Thank you for the lovely review, Tina! xo
T says
This is a great recipe. It is so easy to adjust for finished volume. This recipe was used for a two layer carrot cake (no icing on the side of cake). Thank you for notation that final product should be thick in consistency. Tastes delicious.
We’re so glad it turned out well! Thank you for sharing!
Fran Rotondo says
Can normal granulated sugar be used instead?
Thanks.
Hi Fran, That won’t work, unfortunately! But you could blend up granulated sugar to make powdered sugar (check the internet for instructions/guidance on that). Hope that helps!
Laura Newton says
I used Miyokos cream cheese frosting, 2.5 cups of sugar, and about a tablespoon of lemon juice. Love the sweet tangy frosting to go on my carrot cake.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Laura! Thanks so much for your lovely review. xo
Ingrid says
Delicious and simple, thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Ingrid! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Suzzanna says
I made this recipe using margarine and vegan cream cheese. I added 1 cup chopped pecans and 2 teaspoons vanilla, which my regular cream cheese frosting recipe calls for. After I mixed everything together, the frosting separated and was too runny to frost my layer cake. I’ve never had that happen using my regular cream cheese frosting recipe. I improvised and added 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum, which worked very well, so I was able to salvage the frosting. Whew! I would have hated to throw it out, since vegan cream cheese and pecans aren’t cheap! Do you think the vanilla and/or nuts made the frosting runny?
Hi Suzzanna, it’s possible that the margarine and vegan cream cheese were just more “watery”, or that they tend to not do as well at room temperature? Glad you were able to salvage it!
Udoka says
This recipe worked great! I used it as a base and added passion fruit pulp and a hint of yuzu to flavour it. I didn’t have enough vegan cream cheese so I just subbed with a little extra vegan butter and it worked fine.
That sounds SO delicious, Udoka! Thank you for sharing! xo
Jenny says
OMG SO PERFECT
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jenny. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Keren Warner says
I have made this twice now, both times for the Crazy Carrot Cake recipe. It all got rave reviews. I do add a bit of orange zest to the cake and the frosting recipes and found it gave just the right bit of something extra. Thank you.
Love it! Thanks so much for the great review, Keren, orange zest would be so lovely in this!
Sammie says
LOVE this recipe. I’ve made this about 5-6 times now (with your carrot cake recipe). People rave about it for days on after. Only thing is it’s always a little runny — though it’s so tasty people say they don’t even mind. On different attempts I’ve tried adding more sugar, some corn starch, some tapioca starch, refrigerating before using. It’ll comes out ok when frosting. But then the cake sits out for 30-60 mins and it starts to get drippy. I use violife (out for an hour) and earth balance (room temp), with a paddle attachment. Thoughts?
So glad this is a staple recipe for you, Sammie! You’re right to add more sugar/starch for a thicker, sturdier texture, but even traditional cream cheese frosting gets a bit “weepy” when out at room temperature, unfortunately it’s just the nature of frosting!
Tania says
Hi, just wondering if maple syrup instead of sugar would work in this recipe? Or if you have a sugar alternative? Thanks :)
Hi Tania, this recipe might be more in line with what your looking for!
Nooshin says
I was wondering the same thing. I feel like I did this last time and used tapioca or coconut flour and maple syrup instead? I’m trying to recreate but don’t remember exactly what I did.
Rosalie says
This is an excellent recipe. I used slightly less than 3 cups of sifted powdered sugar and added a pinch of vanilla as suggested by another commenter, and I used it to top the first vegan chocolate cake that I made from scratch for my daughter’s birthday. Thank you so much for this easy, delicious recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Rosalie. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Donna Schaffer says
Absolutely delicious!! The best vegan cream cheese frosting! Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Donna! xo
Mack says
I added lemon zest of one lemon and about a tablespoon of lemon juice and with this addition, it was FANTASTIC.
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modification, Mack!
Octavia Stokes says
I made this for cinnamon rolls and it was amazing. I added some vanilla extract for some flavor depth.
Yum! Thanks for the review, Octavia!
Liz says
This is my go-to cream cheese frosting!!! I just made a batch tonight; Violife Cream Cheese and Country Crock vegan (I prefer Myokos, though). Since I was topping pumpkin spice muffins, I added some ginger powder for a little zing – it’s fantastic!!! I love your recipes-thank you so much for all of your hard work!! Om shanti!🙏🏻
Yum! We’re so glad you’re enjoying it. Thank you for sharing, Liz! xo
Mindy Bence says
Oops I just realized I made an error. The second time I made this, I added 3 scant tablespoons of tapioca flour/starch (I keep a 2 tablespoon scoop in the bag) and 1 1/2 cups swerve confectioners and I added 1/2 tsp of vanilla bean paste. I love vanilla, but I was nervous to add anything else that was a liquid for fear it wouldn’t get thick. Worked great!
Thanks for sharing!
Mindy Bence says
Hi. I have a weird diet because of chronic health issues, so I’ve had to “mix and match” recipes on lots of sites. I can’t have cashew, but I can have almond; I can have eggs, but not dairy, etc. So I’ve successfully made this recipe twice. I use palm shortening (both Nutiva and spectrum with and without coconut) and Kite Hill almond cream cheese. I have a hankering for cake every once in a while, and I’m totally in love with the gluten free palate’s recipe for grain free hummingbird cake (uses fruit and a bit of maple syrup for sweetening) that I’ve used this frosting for (and I made that recipe into muffins without frosting). I have been successful with adding 2 T tapioca flour and 2 cups of swerve confectioners (or erythritol that I’ve put in my Vitamix). Today, I went with 1 1/2 T of tapioca flour and 1 1/2 cups of swerve confectioners (I measure it into my sifter and sift it over the frosting bowl). The last time I made this cake and used this frosting (with the 2 cups of swerve), my husband raved over it – that is saying a lot without real sugar, or without real cream cheese! Even before I put the frosting in the fridge, a heavy tablespoon can stand up in the bowl! Sorry I tried all the ways I know how to include my pic.
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Mindy! Sadly you can’t attach pictures with comments, but you can always tag us on Facebook or Instagram @minimalistbaker. xo
Megan says
Hello, Should I double the recipe to frost and fill a 3-layer carrot cake where I will also be piping decorations? Also, if doubling, should it be done in separate batches to avoid it breaking/splitting or one batch okay?
Thank you.
A double batch is probably safe so you have more than enough, and depending on the size of your bowl making it in one batch should work fine!
Megan says
Thank you!
David G says
I made this per directions and it split. Tasted really buttery as well and was a little bit of a turn off. Any tips in getting it smooth?
Hi David, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out right! What brand of vegan butter and vegan cream cheese did you use?
David says
Violife for the cream cheese and earth balance butter. I looked at another site and it’s probability because the butter was too warm.
Jae says
I added a tsp of Pure Vanilla Extract. I think that may help you next time.
Alina says
Hi there! If using a stand mixer, do you recommend the whisk or paddle attachment?
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Alina, we’d suggest the paddle. Hope you love it!
Cara says
Hi there, I made this for a party next weekend and put it on the tiered vegan carrot cake and froze the whole thing then saw this frosting says not freezer friendly. Is there a reason why? Thanks!
Hi Cara, we haven’t tried freezing it and we suspect that results will vary depending on the type of butter and cream cheese you used. Vegan substitutes tend to have a high water content, so that could affect the final texture, but if you thaw it in the refrigerator it should be okay. Hope this helps!
Rich says
I used Myoko’s vegan butter and Violife cream cheese.
It’s amazing!
I haven’t frosted the cake yet, but so far, so good!
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review, Rich!
Raven says
I doubled this recipe using the Toffuti vegan cream cheese and the consistency and sweetness level was perfect. I personally regret using Toffuti brand cause it tasted like cardboard and kind of affected the taste of the frosting, but it turned out still yummy mixed with the flavor of a vegan red velvet cake I made. Would 100% recommend!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Raven! We’re glad to hear it turned out well overall! xo
Leanne says
I used this frosting for carrot cake and it was perfect. Fluffy, creamy, not too sweet. I did add a pinch of salt and some vanilla powder which enhanced its flavor.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Leanne. Thank you for sharing! xo
Christine says
I am going to try this recipe, but I am a very limited sugar diet for health reasons. Is there another sugar I can use to make the frosting besides the powdered sugar. Can I also use home made cream cheese instead of store bought. Thank you for making ppl like me enjoy making meals which are tasty and easy to do. God bless you.
Hi Christine, we think this recipe could be more in line with what you’re looking for. Hope that helps!
Shannon says
Tried this for some cinnamon rolls I made. It was perfect! Reminded me a bit of cinnabon! I used Sheese original for cream cheese and Earth Balance for the butter. Amazing recipe! Thanks for sharing ☺️
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Shannon. Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Maddie says
This is one of those recipes that people say, “Wait, what? This is vegan?” The first time I used it was with the gluten free, vegan cinnamon rolls. People were shocked. My son has all kinds of food allergies, a something that is brand new to our family, and we are continually blown away by (and so grateful to) minimalist baker for providing recipes that make our lives feel normal again.
Woohoo! So glad you can all enjoy this together! Thanks so much for the great review, Maddie!