What if I told you this was a healthy icing that you could enjoy guilt free? What if I told you it contained no butter or shortening and not the traditional sugars? Well, it’s true. This is NOT buttercream icing, but a Vegan Maple Cashew Frosting. It is sweet, creamy and bursting with maple flavor. It does NOT taste like buttercream, so you may or may not be as in love as I am. It is, however, delicious and thick and decorates beautifully.
Don’t get me wrong, I love buttercream icing..but I’m shooting for a different, much healthier icing here..without sacrificing flavor.
Cashews are used a lot in vegan cooking/baking to achieve the creaminess in sauces, pestos, frostings, etc. but I have used a couple of ingredients to make mine a little different than you may have seen. I used maple extract, maple syrup and maple flakes. This gives them a wonderful, no-way-to-doubt-it, maple flavor! I discovered these maple flakes online and they are amazing, sweet and crunchy and come from 100% pure maple syrup. I add them to my oatmeal for breakfast, yum!
This icing is spread over Best Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes. It could also be used as a fruit dip, over blondies, brownies, oatmeal, whatever you want!
This is the creamy texture you are looking for after processing.
Sweet, creamy, delicious…..guilt free!! Let me know below what you think of this Maple Cashew Icing. Leave feedback after you make it!
Maple Cashew Icing
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews soaked for 1 hour in boiling water drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar optional
- 1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon pure maple extract
- Maple flakes for garnish optional-I ordered mine here
- Tip: If using to frost cupcakes store the cashew icing in the fridge first to firm up some and then use a piping tip and bag for an easy application.
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a strainer and rinse well. Add them to a small bowl covered with boiling water and soak for one hour. Drain and rinse well. Add them to a food processor and pulse until they are in small pieces. Scrape the sides, add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until smooth and creamy with no more bits of cashews. It may take a minute or so. Scrape the bowl as necessary. That's it! Spread over pancakes, cupcakes or oatmeal. Store any extra in the fridge. It will firm up in the fridge some. It's good for a few days.
How many cups does this yield?
Hi, I don’t recall exactly since I wrote this recipe so many years ago, but I believe about a cup or so.
Hi, love this recipe for Baby’s First Birthday Cake! Can it be iced and sit on the counter for a day or two until cake is finished? I don’t want to put in the fridge or it will dry out the cake. Thanks!
Hi! Yes that’s fine!
This is truly the absolute best vegan frosting I have ever made!! Thank you so much for giving me a healthier alternative that is absolutely delicious!!
This was delicious! I basically ate half like it was pudding while attempting to frost cupcakes! Thanks for giving me a new option to celebrate with this yummy frosting!
Haha, that is awesome, thank you Gwen!
Deliciousness! I used water instead of milk and I didn’t have the maple extract, I did add some maple cream, and it was yummy, thanks again for another great recipe:)
Heavenly! Love cashews!
Thank you Judy, it sure was!
I knew that you were busy creating a new recipe with the lovely creamy cashews & I was right!: Yummy looking & really appetizing too! 🙂
Thank you sweet Sophie!!
Oh and you are the cashew queen, haha! 🙂
Hello!! Going to try this delicious sounding cashew buttercream I heard it was very good for piping flowers but it looks very creamy and hints☺️☺️ Thank you
Yes, it’s going to be too runny for flowers I’m afraid, it’s quite soft!
YUM that frosting looks absolutely delicious!! And I happen to have JUST purchased some raw cashews. I am pinning this to remind myself–so excited to make this sometime soon!
Thank you Erika! It is so creamy and delicious! Very different from buttercream though. I hope you’ll try it and like it too!
Oh wow a healthy and such a delicious icing – spooning time!!!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks Uru! Spoon away….I sure did 🙂
OMG! Beautiful!!!! Looks soooo good!
Awww thank you so much for that Alice!! 🙂
I love the idea of cashew butter icing. The maple is the perfect way to sweeten. The idea of a healthful indulgent dessert is fantastic.
Thank you so much!! It was DELICIOUS!!