This really is the best Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe ever! Use this on cakes, cupcakes, brownies or sandwiched in between cookies! The combo of vegan butter and shortening makes for a beautiful white frosting that isn’t overpowered by a chemical butter taste. It also holds up well at room temperature.
VEGAN VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
The key to the perfect vegan vanilla buttercream frosting is using a combo of vegan butter and shortening. It is the perfect frosting for these Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes. I don’t love the taste of vegan butter, so using it combined with shortening not only gives the best flavor, but also the whitest frosting. Additionally, the structure is more beautiful and it pipes amazing. I first used this buttercream in this wedding cake (when I originally wrote the recipe) and these wedding cupcakes. I have since used it on these Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes and wanted it to have its own post so it’s easy to find for you.
I originally wrote the frosting recipe for these Best Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes 6 years ago, but back then, I used all butter, so I simply replaced half the butter with shortening and it’s the best frosting ever!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN VANILLA FROSTING
First, you will need to gather these 5 ingredients:
- vegan butter stick
- shortening:
- powdered sugar
- coconut milk or milk of choice
- white vanilla powder for the whitest frosting or vanilla extract
Step 1: You’ll need to set out the vegan butter on the counter so that it is soft and at room temperature before making the frosting. Cold vegan butter will not beat properly.
Step 2: To a large bowl, add the vegan butter and shortening and beat on low until just blended.
Step 3: Add the sugar about a cup at a time, blending on low, until fully mixed and smooth.
Step 4: Add the milk and vanilla and beat just until light and fluffy. Just a few more seconds.
This frosting will frost a dozen cupcakes or an 8 inch double layer cake just perfectly! It pipes beautifully and will hold its shape at room temperature for days. It is the perfect frosting for wedding cakes or cupcakes! It would be amazing on this Vegan Gluten-free Vanilla Cake!
OTHER VEGAN FROSTINGS TO TRY
- Vegan Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Vegan Chocolate Espresso Truffle Frosting
- Vegan Coconut Cream Frosting
- Funfetti Coconut Butter Frosting
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If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (The BEST!)
Ingredients
- One 4oz vegan Earth Balance butter stick (1/2 cup, 112g)
- 1/2 cup (96g) Spectrum shortening (SEE NOTES)
- 2 1/2 cups (380g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15g) coconut milk or milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon white vanilla powder for a white frosting or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use this white powder.)
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Make sure to set out the vegan butter so that it is soft and at room temperature before making the frosting.
- To a large bowl, add the vegan butter and shortening and beat on low until just blended.
- Add the sugar about a cup at a time blending on low until it is all incorporated.
- Add the milk and vanilla and beat just until light and fluffy.
- Cover with plastic wrap to keep it moist until ready to frost the cake if frosting the cakes/cupcakes the same day you make the frosting. Otherwise, store the frosting in the fridge and set out an hour before ready to use, as it will firm up and get hard in the fridge and needs to soften before frosting/piping a cake or cupcakes. This frosting will hold it's shape beautifully at room temperature.
My mom made your vanilla cupcakes paired with this buttercream for my birthday this past weekend. Everyone loved them! We appreciate that you test every recipe thoroughly and we follow the ingredients and steps 100% as written. Thank you!
I have made this recipe and am very happy. However, I cannot use the frosting because of the Palm Oil in Spectrum Shortening. What other topping would you recommend?
I love your recipes and have had great success with your white cake. I’ve had a hard time with this frosting the last couple times I’ve made it…it’s just too tough / thick for me to pipe? I’m using a kitchen aid mixer and a scale to measure the ingredients. Any ideas on how to soften it up for easy piping??
I love how the texture turned out, but oh my, it is tooth aching sweet.
Is there any way to make the frosting less sweet?
Hi! Well since it’s a frosting, I created it to mimic traditional buttercream frosting so it’s going to be sweet. Ironically it has significantly less sugar than other vegan buttercream frosting recipes still. The sugar is also what helps stabilize the texture so it’s not going to hold as well with less sugar. You can try doing more shortening and less butter and then less sugar should work. You’ll have to experiment.
Delicious (and easy!) frosting! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I haven’t made this recipe yet. My client does not want sugar in her vegan frosting. Do you think I can sub maple syrup? Or does the powdered sugar add structure to the frosting?
Hi Allie! Sorry, the sugar is crucial here to the texture! It won’t work with syrup, it would be a runny mess.
This recipe was so easy to follow and quick to make. But better than that, it tasted absolutely amazing! I uses the brands recommended and the icing held up even better than non vegan icings I’ve used in the past. This will now be my official “go to” for icing! All of my family loved this and the non vegans never had a clue.
This is the first (and actually only) vanilla buttercream icing ever made. I made it for the first time about a ago, and I’ve made it 5 or 6 times since. I reckon it’s the only one I’ll ever need to know, it’s everything you could want for a buttercream icing!
Yay, so very happy to hear this!!
Do you use canned full fat coconut milk or drinking coconut milk in container?
I used the lite coconut milk from a can. But carton should be fine, or any other creamy milk. It’s such a small amount, it’s not a big deal. In fact, I would try blending your frosting first to see if the milk is even needed, as it can vary per environment or type of butter used.
Hi I don’t have vegan Earth Balance butter stick and Spectrum shortening can I use Trex as shortening
I have never heard of that type of shortening, so I can’t say how it will perform. You can always try it! Maybe skip the milk unless needed.
Just an FYI, regular powdered sugar is not vegan.
Trying this recipie for my daughter’s birthday cake.
Thanks
Yes, I’m aware! I use the wholesome sweeteners brand. It’s vegan.
Hi, is there any replacement I can use for Vegan butter? It’s a struggle for me to get it where I live.
Thank you!
I used this icing on a giant vegan chocolate chip cookie cake, and it was trulY BEST vegan buttercream I have tasted in 5 years. You nailed this one!
I do a lot of baking. This is the BEST vegan buttercream recipe I’ve found to date!
Yay!! SO happy to hear that, thank you Megan!
Hi. Do you know how long the frosting will last/ hold up at room temperature?
Hi, it keeps it’s shape for hours, even overnight for me. Just as long as you use the correct ingredients and it’s not sitting outside or in the heat, it should be fine. I never have any issues with it. The shortening is what helps keep its structure.
THANK YOU for this recipe! I’ve been struggling finding a delicious vegan frosting that doesn’t change shape upon frosting it. I used Melt brand vegan butter, thick coconut milk, kirkland vanilla extract, and everything else I kept the same.
This frosting was absolutely perfect!!!!
👊👏👏👏❤
So wonderful to hear this frosting worked out perfectly for you! Yes, all those brands will yield the same thing as the brands I used! Yay!
How long will this icing keep if stored in the fridge? Can the icing be stored in the freezer and how should it be stored?
Since it’s just butter and sugar basically, it should last a few weeks in the fridge and of course months in the freezer! Just thaw to soften again at room temperature on the counter. Always store frosting in the fridge. It’s okay on a cake at room temperature for a day or two but I wouldn’t go past that.
This is helpful, I’m planning to make these for my daughters birthday coming up. We will need about 3 dozen but I’m going to make 4 for snacks later on, I can’t believe these are only about 100 calories a piece! That’s like 1/3 of what store bought cupcakes are usually. We are following an oil free starch based vegan lifestyle but even with the palm oil I think it will work great for us for special occasions, it’s better than using vegetable oils/crisco bleck! so I’m excited to have these in my repertoire.
This is a fantastic recipe!! The taste and texture is amazing. I used Miyokos Vegan Cultured Butter and Spectrum shortening. There is no funky aftertaste or weird mouthfeel. The recipe is generous for a dozen cupcakes. It is so easy to make. I’m in love. This will be my go-to from now on.
That’s so wonderful to hear Katie, so glad it was perfect for you!!
Hi Brandi,
Can you link the white powder you use to your recipe? Thank you!
Hi Judy, so sorry, I’m not sure why the link is not showing up, here it is! https://www.spicejungle.com/vanilla-powder
I bought some vanilla powder from
Vita cost, you can also find the spectrum shortening there.
Please send me this recipe, to my email address. Vegan Buttercream Frosting I do not have a printer !!
Thank you
annetteegenlauf@gmail.com
Hi Annette, sure thing will do!
I copied and pasted to my recipe file
Just hold finger on it and copy then go to notes and paste. Hope that helps😁