This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission – at no extra cost to you.
You all have LOVED this vegan chocolate frosting recipe.
It was originally published in 2017. It has been one of my most popular recipes on the blog.
It’s time to give this recipe the extra attention it deserves.
I have updated the photos, and re-tested and re-written the recipe for a better user experience. Despite re-writing the text of the recipe the ingredients and recipe itself have stayed mostly the same. I have included a few tips I have learned. I have also answered some frequently asked questions in the post.
It’s no wonder this 5 minute vegan chocolate frosting recipe has been such a big hit. It’s rich, chocolate-y, almost fudge-like texture is so luscious that no one will ever guess it only took you 5 minutes to make, and only required 4 simple ingredients.
Reasons why you will love this vegan chocolate frosting recipe:
- It’s got a rich dark chocolate taste – this recipe is for serious dark chocolate lovers only.
- It has a thick, ganache-like texture – (with an option for a slightly thinner consistency).
- It only requires a spoon and a mixing bowl to make it – (however, if you like to speed things up a bit an electric hand mixer is nice).
- It only takes 5 minutes to whip up
- Only uses 4 ingredients – (plus one extra ingredient, depending on your desired consistency)
- It’s vegan, dairy free, and gluten free – great for sharing.
- This chocolate frosting doesn’t contain any powdered sugar!!!
- It can be spread on so many desserts!
Ingredients for vegan chocolate frosting:
- cocoa powder – for that delicious chocolate taste
- melted coconut oil – this is the base of the frosting, which keeps it vegan/dairy free while giving it a great texture.
- pure maple syrup – the sweetener. No powdered sugar in this frosting recipe.
- vanilla extract – for that complex sweetness we all associate with desserts.
A few optional ingredients:
- kosher salt – just a pinch for balance.
- Milk – just a teaspoon or two to thin out the frosting if you want more of a runny consistency versus a thick ganache consistency.
The milk is only there if you want a slightly thinner frosting. It just depends on what you are spreading this frosting on.
How to make vegan chocolate frosting:
- grab a mixing bowl.
- Add the ingredients to the bowl.
- Grab a spoon and mix together until smooth. – Or, to make things just a little faster you can use an electric hand mixer (totally not necessary though).
- Spread onto your favorite baked good, while trying to resist the temptation to just eat it with a spoon. 😋😂
So EASY!!!
What can I spread my frosting on?
SO many things!!! Here are a few ideas:
- cakes
- cookies
- cupcakes
- muffins
- sweet breads
- brownies
- bars
- doughnuts
Literally the possibilities are endless. Wherever you need some creamy, smooth, rich chocolatey goodness this vegan chocolate frosting is there for you.
I have photographed the chocolate frosting spread on top of some delicious no bake brownies.
OMG the combo of the brownies and this thick ganache frosting is sooooo goood!!!
Literally when I take a bite every thought and care I previously had melts away and the brownie has my full attention. So excited for you to make it!
I know you’ll love this vegan chocolate frosting recipe as much as I do. It’s meant for all my chocolate fanatics out there.
It’s so good you’ll want to lick the bowl you made it in.
Seriously.
Does the frosting taste like coconut because of the coconut oil?
No. Not to me.
The rich chocolate taste from the cocoa powder covers any coconut flavor up.
Mmmmayyyybbbbeeee on occasion I have tasted the slightest hint of coconut when the coconut oil is still warm. As it cools down the coconut taste goes away. Even if you do happen to taste the coconut, I think coconut and chocolate are a match made in heaven.
So it’s a win win in my opinion.
However, if you really detest the taste of coconut, then maybe this isn’t the frosting for you.
Can I use melted butter in place of coconut oil?
Maybe.
I haven’t personally tried this recipe with butter. But, I had a few readers comment and said they had success using melted butter.
I bet it would be delicious. It could be a great option if you’re not a fan of coconut.
Can I reduce the amount of cocoa powder in this recipe?
No.
The cocoa powder is what helps to bind and make the frosting thick. Without that much cocoa powder the frosting will be too runny, and the consistency will be off.
If you prefer milk chocolate because you aren’t a fan of rich, fudgy, dark chocolate, then this is not the frosting recipe for you.
Can I pipe this frosting?
Maybe.
I haven’t personally tried to pipe this frosting. I also don’t have a lot of experience piping frosting in general.
That being said, a few readers have commented that they had success piping this frosting.
My guess, is that it will work best for piping when you omit the milk. The consistency of the vegan chocolate frosting, without the milk, is very much like a traditional ganache that has cooled, which is often used for piping.
If you give it a try please leave a comment down below and let me know how it goes.
Recipes to spread this vegan chocolate frosting on:
- favorite black bean brownies
- thin and crispy chocolate cookies
- no bake brownies (the very brownies that are in pictured in this post)
More frosting recipes for you to love:
- yogurt cream cheese frosting
- vegan “buttercream” frosting
- cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar
When you make this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment below along with a star rating. This helps my recipes to rank higher in google and be seen by more people. Also, I really love hearing from you. Thanks, friends.
Print
5 Minute Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: about 3/4 to 1 cup 1x
- Category: Dessert, frostings, chocolate, baking
- Method: mixing
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Our favorite vegan chocolate frosting uses simple wholesome ingredients. It is sweetened with maple syrup instead of powdered sugar. This frosting is thick and fudgy. It is a dark-chocolate-lover’s dream. Spread it onto cakes, cookies, brownies, and more.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted, if there are lumps
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted, still warm, but not hot
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Optional: pinch of kosher salt
- Optional: 1 to 2 teaspoons unsweetened non-dairy milk, room temp – see notes
Instructions
- Mix: To a medium mixing bowl add the cocoa powder, use a spoon to make a well in the cocoa powder. Add the melted, but not hot coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt to the center of the well of the cocoa powder. You can either use a spatula, fork, or, an electric hand mixer to gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until well combined, and smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides, and the bottom of the bowl to make sure all of the cocoa powder is incorporated. The frosting should be nice and thick.
- Taste: Taste the frosting and adjust as needed. You can add a little more maple syrup if you want it to be sweeter, but not too much otherwise it will become too thin. This frosting is forgiving to an extent. If it gets too thin on you then you can add more cocoa powder. (see notes on options for an even thinner frosting by adding milk).
- Spread: Quickly spread this frosting onto cooled cookies, cakes, muffins, cupcakes, brownies, or sweet breads. Keep in mind that since the base of the frosting is made using coconut oil, the frosting consistency will vary slightly depending on the temperature of your kitchen or other surroundings. If it’s colder then it will stiffen up rather quickly, whereas if it’s warmer it will stay more spreadable a little longer.
- Store: The frosting can remain at room temperature since the ingredients won’t spoil. However, depending on what you spread the frosting or, what the temperature of your surroundings are might determine weather you want to put the frosted dessert in the fridge or not. The frosting itself will last for at least 4 days, maybe up to 1 week.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Clean and Delicious.
Consistency of this frosting/option to add milk: The consistency of this frosting is very dark chocolate, rich. It is thick, and a little goes a long way. Without the milk it is very similar to the consistency of a traditional ganache. If you want the frosting to be a little bit more runny, then add 1 to 2 teaspoons of room temp milk (can be any unflavored milk) to the frosting at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Keep in mind that the taste of the frosting is still very dark chocolate, and not on the sweeter side.
Maple syrup: In my original recipe I gave the option to use 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup honey or agave nectar instead of maple syrup. You can still use either of those ingredients, however I do recommend using pure maple syrup for the best consistency.
Honey is not vegan. Stop advertising this recipe as vegan when it isn’t. People who don’t know better are trusting your recipe to make vegan food.
It’s unfortunate that you didn’t give Emily the benefit of the doubt and couldn’t write the same thing more kindly. I hope you’ll try the recipe using maple syrup and change your rating. It’s simple and delicious.
I almost didn’t try this recipe because of your one star rating. I can tell you, I have never met a single vegan who does not understand that honey is not vegan.
Take care.
Only 3 stars registered even though I chose 5. I don’t see how to edit it.
COULD NOT AGREE MOOOOORE!!!!!!
No matter ‘how Vegan’ you are- you still cant make friends with Bees using Vinegar, Nanu…
😉
Agave is JUST as tasty in this recipe might i add!! CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH for posting this Emily- I made the whole Cupcake batch, without realizing i had no Animal Friendly Powdered Sugar left 🙁
*much rejoicing ensues*
Aww thanks so much Catie. It’s so nice to hear that you enjoyed the frosting! 🙂
LOVE this frosting recipe and I am vegan. 🙂
I use pure maple syrup and love that I can adjust the sweetness, texture, etc. Too many frosting recipes are overly sweet and this is perfect.
I actually use cacao powder rather than cocoa.
That’s awesome that you used cacao powder. I agree that other frostings are often way too sweet. Glad to hear that you’re liking this recipe 🙂
Nanu,
I’m not sure why you had to be so hateful. She clearly says honey “for non vegans.” Don’t ruin someone’s ratings based on your lifestyle preference.
Thank you Emily for posting this. Can’t wait to try it.
You’re so welcome Samantha. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for sharing and for the kind comment! 🙂
Nanu…are you really vegan???
First of all be nice to ALL human beings, and acknowledge Emily’s work, she had the best intention in sharing her delicious chocolate defrost.
Thanks Gladys! Hope you enjoyed the recipe!! 🙂
Be kind. The recipe says one can use organic maple syrup or honey. A vegan will know they need to use the maple syrup for this recipe. It’s a delicious recipe for my vegan chocolate mint cake Are use fresh chopped mint for the cake and this icing with a little bit of peppermint and vanilla extract is perfect!
Yum! The addition of peppermint sounds awesome!
There’s no such thing as “Vegan Food” for the record. Back in earlier civilizations, people didn’t worry about such things because they just ate food.
Only in modern times when government tries to control and harm its people do we experience such harms from food including animals. You also deserve to know the facts from someone who’s done the education(MS Clinical “Functional Medicine” Nutrition, Precision Nutrition Certified) that proves Animal foods are “essential” to providing absorbed amino acids, minerals that limit chronic ailments that plants can not provide on their own(Iron Deficiency Anemia, DHA, Zinc, Arginine, Taurine, Leucine, Glutamine…)
It’s the grass-fed/pasture-raised eggs, dairy, meat that provide the Superfood element missing in Autism, ADHD, and other Brain degenerative/learning disabilities! So if parents care about their children and if we care about our parents/grandparents who are aging, we need to teach everyone how to bake with locating the right healthy Animal foods that have been around in baking since our grandmother’s were a kid that is “cost-effective” at local groceries around America!
I’d be happy to continue a conversation or provide insight for any health, dietary concerns anyone may have since I know information is confusing much of our people these days on the worldwide web. I did rigorous science education on health for nearly 2 decades, so I know what I’m talking about and think it’s sad how people hang on every latest article, blog, or study which seems to override common sense of our ancestors.
Dude shut up.
Gabriel must feel high and mighty. Sheesh. I feel sorry you need to be superior, maybe get a hobby to fix your ugliness?
Frosting was excellent, I have many food allergies and this fit for me! 😊
Glad to hear that you enjoyed the frosting. 🙂
Calm down vegan police, there’s no need to be so aggressive. It’s a recipe, not world war 3… Clearly you can substitute maple syrup
Hi Nanu, I apologize for any confusion. The recipe does in fact call for maple syrup (which is vegan).
However, I do say that you can use honey instead if you are not vegan and only have honey on hand. And I do recommend maple syrup in this recipe, I preferred the texture.I will make a note in the recipe so that it is clear to anyone who may not know that honey is not vegan. Thanks for pointing your concern out. I hope that clears things up. 🙂
Hi Emily! I replied to Nanu with the following, below. I want to let you know I chose 5 stars but it only registered 3. This is an awesome, easy, yummy frosting to make. Thank you!
Nanu,
It’s unfortunate that you didn’t give Emily the benefit of the doubt and couldn’t write the same thing more kindly. I hope you’ll try the recipe using maple syrup and change your rating. It’s simple and delicious.
I almost didn’t try this recipe because of your one star rating. I can tell you, I have never met a single vegan who does not understand that honey is not vegan.
Take care.
Fiona, Thank you so much for your kind comment. I am so glad that you tried the recipe and that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Thank you for the 5 star rating review, it does help people decide if they are going to make the recipe or not (and with google rankings). Don’t worry about the 3 star rating from before. unfortunately I don’t think there is a way to edit it once you submit the comment. I really do appreciate that you commented again to give it a 5 star rating! 🙂
Thanks so much for your support!
People have to learn to READ the recipe of its entirety. You explained that honey was not vegan and to use maple syrup instead, if you are a vegan.
Yes, so true, Sharon. People don’t always read a recipe thoroughly lol, unfortunately. Thanks for the comment.
Tried this for my daughter’s friend who is lactose intolerant. Turned out fabulous, I will use this as frosting for everything from now on!! Doesn’t have that sickening sweet taste and is nice and smooth. I frosted the brownies while still warm and it turned out soooo good. Great recipe!! Wouldn’t let me give you 5 stars 🙁 but it is definitely a five star recipe!
Cheryl, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I agree, I love how it’s not overly sweet like a lot of frostings are.
Thanks for sharing that you tried it on warm brownies, I will have to give that a try!
That’s weird that it would only let you give the recipe 5 stars, not sure why. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Made this frosting today and it came out sooo good! Was searching for a simpler vegan recipe than what I had and so glad that I did.
Thanks Mona! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! ?
Super easy and extra delicious. I couldn’t believe how rich and chocolaty it tasted when I licked the bowl clean. I used virgin coconut oil so I also had that subtle coconut taste which goes so well with chocolate.
I love that the ingredients are super clean and that it’s so easy to make. No need to turn to complicated and time-consuming frostings. This one will do the job 🙂
Forgot to add that the splash of plant-based milk is highly recommended to make the frosting creamier and more spreadable.
Thanks Sandy! I’m so glad you enjoyed the frosting. So simple and so good! 🙂
I am thinking to use this frosting for the cake I want to make for my grandpas birthday. The only question I have, can I use this frosting for a cake which will be on a table for quite a few hours in a room without aircon. Or would it become too runny once out of fridge?
Hi Kristina, I am thinking you will be okay at room temperature for quite a few hours because the coconut oil won’t melt anymore since it’s already melted when you make it. My only concern is that it tends to stiffen up and get a little dried out when it’s left uncovered for a while. If there is a way to keep it covered, like with a cake cover I think it to hold be fine. I hope that helps. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
This was delicious, thick and creamy. I let it sit in the fridge for 5 minutes right before I iced a double layer cake so it would stick better. Tastes like rich fudge. Thank you!
Yaay So glad you loved it! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
This recipe was simply delicious! I did it with Honey and I absolutely Loved it! Thanks so much Emily! Very quick and easy unlike other recipes! Thanks for sharing will definitely make again!
Yaaay Lucy, I’m so glad you enjoyed the frosting! Thanks for sharing :).
Brilliantly quick, simple and tasty, perfect for our cake, thank you.
You’re welcome Tracey. Glad you enjoyed the frosting! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Do you think this can be made in advance? Hoping to make it at home and bring a jar of it when I vakeat my sisters.
Looks great!
Hi Sally, I think it will be fine to make in advance. It does tend to thicken up as it sits, if it does I would stir in a splash of the almond milk right before you use it to make it a bit more spreadable. Also let it sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes to soften up a bit before using it to decorate. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Fabulous frosting. Not gross sweet like other frosting recipes. Meow at those who snapped at you saying “honey is not vegan”, as you basically clearly stated that.
Thanks Marianna. Glad you enjoyed the frosting. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Can I use liquid coconut oil in this recipe?
Hi Louise, I have not worked with liquid coconut oil, so I can’t say for sure how the consistency will turn out. BUT from doing a quick research about liquid coconut oil the type of fat that makes the oil harden at cooler temperatures have been removed which is what makes it stay in liquid form. In conclusion I think part of what helps to make the consistency of the frosting hold up is that the coconut oil will firm up when it’s colder. I would recommend trying regular coconut oil that has been melted for best results. However, if you are in a pinch give the liquid coconut oil a shot and see how it goes. Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Being summer here my coconut oil has turned into liquid. I cannot wait to try this recipe tomorrow Emily. How can I access more of your recipes? Thanks so much. Regards, Maryanne
Hi Maryanne, I hope you love the frosting! Let me know how it goes! Also, I’m very jealous that it’s summer where you are right now, we have had a super cold winter here so far in Iowa lol! Enjoy! 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that you want to access more of my recipes. To see my recipe index just click on the “recipes” tab right under my Robust Recipes header. Or if what you mean is to receive notifications of new recipes you can sign up for my email newsletter on the right hand side of the screen (or on the very bottom, if your on mobile) to receive an email every time I publish a new post. I am also on Pinterest and Instagram, my handle for both is robustrecipes. I hope that helps. Happy cooking! 🙂
This was super delicious and fast. I added too much almond milk and ran out of cocoa powder so I added pb powder and it was so delicious! I used it in vegan Oreo cupcakes I just made and it was off the chain delicious!!! Thank you.
Oooh peanut butter sounds like a delicious addition, Maria! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the frosting! ?
This was AMAZING! I used honey as I am not Vegan. Used it as a chocolate ganache for my coconut flour donuts!
Oooooh, it would be delicious on donuts! Yum! Glad you enjoyed the frosting Maria, and thanks for sharing! 🙂
I don’t have coconut oil. Can I sub in some 365 Organics Shortening instead?
Hi Rebecca, I’m not sure because I have never used shortening before. I would recommend using the coconut oil for best results. If you do try the shortening, let me know how it turns out. 🙂
I love this recipe. I like that it’s not too sweet and so simple to put together.
YAAY! I’m so glad to hear that you love it Lillian! 🙂
Very simple and tasty!!! Love no refined sugar aspect
Thanks Liz, glad you enjoyed the frosting! 🙂
Very nice indeed. Nice change to traditional frosting and so easy to make. Added to my recipes ? thanks for sharing
Glad you liked it! 🙂
This was my first time making vegan frosting and I’m SO happy I tried your recipe! This is truly delicious. Simple and terrific. I had to make more for my actual cupcakes, because my “tastings” used up the first batch. This will be my go-to recipe. Thanks so much!
haha that’s awesome, Kris! Glad you liked it so much that you needed to make more! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂 🙂
Could I replace the melted coconut oil with an equal amount of melted butter? I like coconut oil, but it turns my son’s tummy and this is for his bday cake ?. Love that it doesn’t require powdered sugar!
Hi Marie, I think you could use melted butter – it does stiffen up similarly to coconut oil when cooled. BUT I don’t know for sure because I haven’t tested it with butter. Is there a way you can try it out first before you put it on your son’s cake?! Make sure you use unsalted butter though lol. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
And happy birthday to your son!!! 🙂
It turned out wonderfully, he loved it:) Thanks!
Awesome! So glad it worked for you. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Hi, did you use coconut butter or dairy butter?
I need to try this as frosting on a 2 layer by 2 tiers cake. I need it to become firm enough to hold.
Thank you.
Hi, I can’t say for sure, but since she said that coconut oil upset her son’s stomach I am assuming that she used dairy butter rather than coconut oil or coconut butter. I also had another reader who said that they used vegan butter and it worked. Hope this helps.
Great frosting! Did not have vanilla extract, used instant coffee. Did not have maple so local honey did superb. Simply delicious. Thank you
Yaay glad you liked it Maria!!! Instant coffee sounds like a great addition, yum! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
This looks so rich and creamy, but love that it doesn’t sound too overly sweet. Amazing recipe!?
Thanks Ashley! 🙂
I had to frost brownies this morning before I left for work – you weren’t joking! This came together in under five minutes. It was perfect. I used carob in place of cocoa powder and eye-balled the amount I dumped into the bowl because I was in a hurry to get out the door this morning, and added a little full-fat coconut milk to thin it out. It was soooo rich and creamy. No one at work could tell it was vegan/paleo friendly. Thank you!!
That’s awesome, Heather. I’m so glad to hear you and your co-workers liked the frosting! That’s good to know that carob powder and full-fat coconut milk work too. Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂 🙂
OMG it’s awesome!!!!!!
Thank you. I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂
holy cow! this was delicious and is now my new go-to recipe for any ganache type frosting. i got a little overzealous with the beaters so i had to thin it with some almond milk but it was so smooth and glossy and deep dark chocolatey. thanks so much for the recipe!
Glad to hear that you enjoyed it, Amy! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
i have just made this wonderful frosting,i love that it is not made with icing sugar,and so not too sweet, i am going to use this from now on instead of other icing recipes,its excellent,you can also just loosen it up with a little hot water if it become to hard to work with.
Yaaay glad you’re enjoying it, Toni. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I’m sorry, it’s not for me. So strong. No need at all for this much cacao just a tablespoon is plenty!
Hi Candi, sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy the frosting. It is a very dark chocolate/not very sweet frosting. If you reduce the coca powder from 3/4 cup to 1 tablespoon than the frosting will be too runny – the cocoa powder is what makes this frosting thick.
For a sweeter chocolate frosting you could try my vegan “buttercream” frosting made with cashews. It’s a vanilla frosting, but you could easily add cocoa powder to our liking to turn it into a chocolate frosting. I hope you find this helpful. Let me know if you give the cashew version a try! Thanks! 🙂
https://robustrecipes.com/healthier-vegan-buttercream-frosting/
Hi Emily! Thanks a lot for this recipe! I can’t wait to try it out. I am planning to use this to frost my vegan brownies. I have a question though… I want to frost the brownies the day before and refidgerate it. And also it would be left open at work for people to enjoy! Would it still be good?
Love
Sruthi
Hi Sruthi,
I’m so glad you’re going to make the frosting! To make it ahead of time I would suggest covering the frosted brownies and keep them in the fridge. They will be fine uncovered at room temperature for a few hours. However, the frosting does dry out after a few hours so keep an eye on it. Also if it’s really hot than you will want to also keep an eye in it because the coconut oil will melt when warm. I think it will be less of a concern because you are frosting brownies which are flat, unlike if you were frosting a cake on the sides. Hope this helps, and let me know how it goes for you.
Thank you! 🙂
Delicious! Sophisticated dark chocolate taste. Love it.
Glad to hear you like it Lisa! 🙂
Hello! Can you PIPE this frosting onto cupcakes??
I hope someone responds within two days, just finding this recipe and want to try it for a birthday this weekend. Thank you.
Hi Saphena, sorry for not getting back to you earlier. I haven’t personally tried piping this frosting mostly because I am not good ad piping lol. BUT based on other frostings that I have seen people pipe I think this frosting would have the right consistency. The only thing is that the frosting does get softer as it sits out at room temperature and stiffer as it gets colder so you might want to play around with the temperatures of the frosting to help you achieve a good piping consistency. I hope that helps. Let me know how it works out for you, I think others would probably want to know the same question. Thanks!
I piped mine on tonight after I made the recipe and it piped and stayed very nicely 🙂
That’s good to know that it worked nicely to pipe the frosting. My piping skills aren’t great so it’s good to hear from someone a little more experienced that this frosting works for piping lol. Thanks again for sharing, Courtney! 🙂
I love this recipe, as it’s the most healthy, simple, delicious, quick and easy vegan (or non-vegan) chocolate frosting to whip up at home to top almost any baked good — no need for a hand mixer! I’ve also made this with drippy almond butter (Trader Joe’s Raw Almond Butter works great!) in place of the coconut oil.
I’m so glad to hear that you like the frosting Denise. The almond butter sounds like a great option too. I will have to give that a try. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
I read all the comments looking for a coconut sub—so glad you posted! I have homemade almond butter, did you sub it 1:1? I also have cacao butter, but we have a coconut allergy.
I haven’t tried subbing almond butter for the coconut oil myself yet, but I would think the ratio would be 1:1. This is a very forgiving recipe. If it ends up being to thick simply add a little milk (I use almond milk), or if it’s too runny add a little more cocoa powder and play around with it until you get the right consistency. I hope that helps. Let me know how you like it. 🙂
Just made this. It tastes so good! Thank you for an easy, refined sugar free icing! Will be my go to icing.
Awesome! I’m glad to hear that you loved it, Cristin! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Omgggggg I tried this tonight with a vegan chocolate cupcake recipe and I went to the party with 3 dozen cupcakes and came home with 2 whole cupcakes. This recipe was amazing! I did need to add a bit of vegetable oil to smooth it out but it worked perfectly. This is definitely A recipe I am reusing in the future. ♥️
That’s awesome Courtney. I am so glad to hear that everyone enjoyed your cupcakes! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
This is such a healthy, fun, kid like frosting that my teacher and friends enjoy ,so much. I gave you a five stars that is how much I enjoy it. Thank you for the delicious recipe.
Hi Samantha, Glad to hear you and your teacher and friends enjoy the frosting so much. Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
Great recipe! Used Agave instead of honey
Glad to hear you liked the frosting Tori. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thanks for this great simple recipe. I would rather be kind than be vegan anyday. I do not eat any animal products except for honey. The health benefits are numerous and y’all should read “Medical Medium. Apparently spirit says honey is very good for our bodies.
I just made a chocolate coconut flour cake and was looking fior a quick frosting. Thank you 🙂
That chocolate coconut flour cake sounds delish. Glad to hear you liked the frosting recipe! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
This is a delicious frosting! The measurements are perfect. I wasn’t up for the taste of coconut oil tonight so I used 1/4 cup butter and wow is it amazing!!! The texture is just right. I”m going to use it for everything. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome glad to hear you enjoyed the frosting. Also good to know that butter works well too. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
This is a delicious recipe.. i substituted the maple syrup for golden syrup (as much cheaper) and it was lovely, lots of compliments from my colleagues.
Awesome, it’s great to hear that you liked it Chloe! 🙂
Thanks soooooo much for this recipe!!! It was THE best! I can’t believe it! I used miokos vegan butter, Costco brand maple syrup, whole foods bulk pure cocoa powder which is very intense and I ended up using less than half a cup, I also added a splash of cognac 🙂 I used my hand mixer to beat the butter and syrup together then added the cocoa powder, then added the cognac and a drizzle more of the maple syrup at the end. It came out fluffy just like frosting but after I frosted the cake I didn’t put it in the fridge and in my warm apartment it turned to a ganache and was sooo delicious on the simple mills chocolate cake which I made with flax eggs. Thanks again!
That’s so awesome that you enjoyed the frosting, Cat. Love that you added cognac, I bet that was delish! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. 🙂
I truly don’t get this comments. 3 tablespoons would have been sufficient. In fact I use less cocoa in brownie recipes. This was SOOOOO bitter I had to start dumping more vanilla, maple syrup & finally sugar which I was hoping to avoid!! Then peanut butter powder to cut the nasty bitter taste finally!!! I don’t get how people are raving about this and I’m annoyed having you use so many extra ingredients to salvage it.
Hi Abbey. Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy the frosting.
It is meant to be a very dark chocolate frosting that isn’t very sweet. As I stated in a reply to a previous comment, if you were to reduce the cocoa powder from 3/4 cup to 3 tablespoons the frosting would be too runny and not hold up. the cocoa powder is what acts like the thickener in place of the powdered sugar.
If you are looking for a sweeter, less intense dark chocolate recipe you might enjoy my vegan cashew frosting and add some cocoa powder to taste. I have had a reader who has commented saying she enjoys it with cocoa powder. Let me know if you give that one a try.
https://robustrecipes.com/vegan-cashew-frosting/
I made this to top on my pancakes! Wow it is just delicious!
That’s awesome, Mariana. I wouldn’t have thought to use it on pancakes, what a good idea! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Sounds great. Is this enough for an 8-inch round cake? I’ll rate the recipe once I’ve tried it. Thank you.
Hi Lucy. The recipe makes 3/4 to 1 cup of frosting. It would certainly frost a 1 layer 8 inch cake. If you are making more than one layer of cake you may want to double the recipe – of course this all depends on how much frosting you want on your cake lol. That being said, the frosting is so quick and easy to make that you could start out with one batch of frosting and if you end up needing more you could easily make more.
Let me know how you like it. 🙂
Hi! I’ve made this frosting before and it’s SO good!! I was wondering if you think vegan butter (like Smart Balance) could possibly work in place of coconut oil?
Thanks Rebekah, It’s great to hear that you like the frosting.
I have had one reader who used melted butter in place of the coconut oil and she said it worked great. I am not familiar enough with how vegan butter stiffens up when it’s melted and then refrigerated again – if it does stiffen up similar to regular butter or coconut oil then you should be fine. Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
WOW! This frosting recipe is AWESOME. I went looking for a coconut oil frosting recipe because I don’t have any butter or cream cheese, and when I saw the comment that it doesn’t use any powdered sugar either, my curiosity got the better of me. We have a lot of honey, but no maple sugar, so it was a serendipitous find. I figured even if it doesn’t work, it’s worth a shot, because what if it does?!! I am not an exact measurer, so when I threw together the first round of ingredients, it was super. I added some additional coconut oil, thinking maybe I had gone light on it. The resultant mixture was kind of grainy and oily. Figuring I was wrong about the oil, and after tasting it for sweetness, I added more cocoa. It didn’t fix. I added some honey to no avail. At that point, I figured since I was stirring with a spoon, I would try going to the stick blender and add milk. Voila! It came out SOOOOOO chocolaty, so perfect, and so wonderful, that I decided I HAD to post. Reading everyone’s feedback, I was very surprised that so many vegans had kittens over the honey/maple syrup thing. All I know was, by the time I found the recipe, it clearly stated the options. Whatever. I think a vegan should be responsible for double checking the accuracy of the vegan-ness of what they put into their bodies. I don’t think you are vegan for very long before you must surely understand how vegan honey is or isn’t. Also, as I am making my comment for you and looking back over the recipe to see how misleading it might have been, I notice that I didn’t read it very carefully or thoroughly, as I only just now saw the bit about playing with the ingredients and how flexible it is. I *totally* agree. This is one of the highlights of the whole deal, after the chocolatiness, that it uses honey instead of powdered sugar, and that it spreads!
So finally, I made this frosting to go with the Brooklyn Blackout Cake recipe, which you can look up on the Internets yourself. OMG. OMG. Did I say OMG? WOW. This is my new go-to recipe. I have to go right now and share it with my mom! 5 stars and I mean every star of it!
Julie, Thank you so much for the wonderful review. It’s so great to hear that you enjoy the frosting so much, and that it turned out so well for you. I have not heard of Brooklyn Blackout Cake lol. I will have to check it out and give it a try with this frosting recipe!
Thanks again! 🙂
This recipe is da bomb! I give it 5 stars. So quick, easy, and delicious. Thank you.
Thank you Lucy! It’s great to hear that you enjoy the frosting recipe so much! 🙂
This is an amazing and simple recipe! The last time I made a vegan chocolate mint cake with fresh mint, I resorted to a traditional icing that used to butter. It was very good, but it defeats the purpose of being a vegan dish.
Are used honey in the recipe but I could’ve used maple syrup as I had both on hand. I love it. Simple and delicious and avoid the confectioners sugar! This is a low glycemic recipe! Spread easily in the cake is delicious! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you
Wish I edited my comment after I dictated it!
That’s great! I am so glad to hear that you are enjoying the frosting!!! 🙂
I will be trying this soon as i am beginning to turn vegan, i am so excited to try this recipe!
Although i do have a question, will this work with refined or unrefined coconut? Or does it matter?
Thank you!
You can technically use either unrefined or refined coconut oil, I highly recommend always using unrefined, virgin coconut oil, if you can. Unrefined coconut oil is healthier for you because the coconut oil is left in it’s purest form allowing you to benefit the most from the healthy fats.
Hope that helps. 🙂
Try using macadamia milk, it has a thicker and creamier quality!
Good idea Cynthia, thanks for sharing! I have never had macadamia milk before. Is there a brand you recommend?
Bomb af. I used ~75 g molasses (about 3 1/2 tbsp) and then added honey until I liked the texture, and instead of almond milk I splashed in some coffee. My bf described the taste as “super fancy dark chocolate”. Also it piped beautifully and is nice and shiny ^__^ super win
That’s awesome to hear, Georgi! The molasses and the coffee sound like great additions!!! Glad to know it piped well too! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Awesome frosting recipe. I also discovered that if you thin it out slightly, and spread thinly-ish over some aluminum foil (that may or may not be generously sprinkled with pieces of dried fruit and/or nuts)… and pop into the freezer… it makes delicious chocolate to snack on 🙂
Glad to hear that you’re enjoying the frosting! That sounds like a tasty way to use any leftover frosting. Thanks for sharing! YUM! 🙂
I needed a vegan, GF frosting for a teacher appreciation lunch and found this. I opted to use some sorghum molasses I had leftover from another recipe and it really gives the frosting a nice depth.
That’s awesome Misha. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed the frosting. The sorghum sounds like a tasty addition. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hi, Emily! I’d love to use your frosting recipe as a sort of chocolate “shell” to spread atop a PB silk pie.
1) Do you think the frosting would work for such a purpose?
2) If I want the frosting to be more viscous/fudgey, should I use maple syrup, or honey? Thanks!
Hi Heather, that sounds delicious!
You might actually have better luck using the chocolate layer from my turmeric chocolate snack bars, https://robustrecipes.com/turmeric-chocolate-snack-bars/
The difference from this frosting is that it has less cocoa powder making it a little more pour-able and allowing the coconut oil to firm up when cold, whereas this frosting is really thick and might be hard to spread onto a peanut butter silk pie without getting the layers mixed together.The one from the turmeric bars will be nice and soft, but it will stay in place once chilled. If you want more of a hard crack texture, like a magic ice cream shell would be, you could add more coconut oil.
In the turmeric bar recipe I recommend using maple syrup or agave nectar for it’s thinner texture. The main thing that thickens the chocolate up is the cocoa powder and the coconut oil, when cooled.
I hope this helps. Let me know what you end up trying, I’d love to know. Good luck! 🙂
Thank you so much! I’ll try that and let you know!
You’re welcome! 🙂
Honey isn’t vegan.
Yes, I know that honey is not vegan. As stated in the recipe, you can use either maple syrup or honey. I like to include all options for everyone, when possible.
You are a genius! This is an amazing recipe and so easy to make and spread on the cupcakes. I am rubbish at cooking and even I couldn’t meds it up it’s that easy.
To the two at least blithering brain cramps who said “honey is not vegan” learn to read, she was very clear.
Thank you so much Kristy! I am very glad to hear that you enjoyed the frosting! 🙂
Can you provide a vegan chocolate cupcake recipe? I like try that you use alternatives to refined sugar.
I searched your website but couldn’t find one. If there is my apologies and could you please post a link?
Hi Kristy, unfortunately I don’t have a vegan cupcake recipe. I will add it to my list of recipes to work on making,
I do have some delicious vegan brownies that you could use the vegan chocolate frosting on, if you want to. I know it’s not exactly what you’re looking for but I just though I would let you know in case any type of vegan chocolate dessert would do. 🙂
https://robustrecipes.com/black-bean-brownies/
Hope that helps.
This icing recipe is AMAZING! I love that you can adjust the sweetness to your liking, and it’s a great basic recipe that is easily adapted. For example, I added a pinch of cinnamon (love it with chocolate) and next time I want to try adding a splash of cold coffee instead (also a great friend of chocolate!)
This will be my go-to chocolate icing from this day forward – thanks!!
That’s awesome, Elizabeth! I am so glad to hear that you love the frosting. Cinnamon and coffee sounds like great additions. YUM! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
love the frosting and how simple it is to make! Ready in no time. And easy to adjust sweetness preference. I chose maple syrup and it was delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe!
That’s awesome. It’s great to hear that you enjoyed it. Thank you for the kind review! 🙂
This frosting is incredible! Thank you!
Glad to hear you like it Linz! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
This is fantastic!! So easy, delicious and not overwhelmingly sweet like so many frosting are. I put this on a vegan chocolate zucchini cake and it’s delicious.
Side note: I tried to post a link to this recipe on my own page as well as in a group. Facebook won’t allow me to post or comment the link because it violates their community standards. I have no idea why or how that happened but I thought is let you know. I disputed their decision, for whatever that’s worth. I think everyone should know about this recipe!
I meant to say on my own Facebook* page. I forgot a key word. Sorry!
Thank you so much Danielle, I am glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe so much. I really appreciate that you tried to share it on Facebook. I am not exactly sure why they wouldn’t let you share the link. I am currently having similar issues with Instagram not letting me link to my website because it violates something, but they won’t tell me what. Since Instagram is owned by Facebook now, and since my two accounts are linked I suspect that might be related. Hopefully it ill be resolved soon so you can share the recipe. Thank you for wanting to share it, and for letting me know, that is greatly appreciated.
Also, your chocolate zucchini cake with the chocolate frosting sounds fantastic. yum!
Thank you for sharing something that isn’t packed with sugar, and noting honey isn’t vegan for those that are/need that knowledge. I iced non-gluten brownies with this recipe and it was the perfect consistency (I added more cacao to achieve). Great share!
That’s awesome. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe, Erin. Those brownies sound delicious. Thanks for sharing, and for the kind rating. 🙂
This reminds me of a refined sugar free coconut oil fudge I make, but without the almond butter. This is perfect! I recently tried a vegan frosting recipe that used buttery spread and powdered sugar and it was terrible. Today I tried a vegan ganache recipe that used coconut milk and non dairy chocolate chips and that missed the mark too – too much like watery pudding. To save that cake I used your recipe but instead of a splash of almond milk I used a splash of boiling water to thin it so that I could pour it. I used cacao powder because it’s what I had. Real maple syrup marries so well with the other ingredients! Rich, deep chocolate flavor, a bit of richness from the oil and sweetened to preference. SO glad I found this! It should be a go-to for everyone, vegan or not, as a quick option using pantry staples. Thank you!!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Simone. Thanks so much for sharing, and for the kind review. 🙂
For me, I found this frosting to be way too bitter. (3/4 c. cocoa powder is a lot for maple syrup to sweeten!) I ended up adding about 1/2 c. powdered sugar. I used it between a 2-layer cake, then drizzled glaze on top, then decorated with fresh strawberries.
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the dark chocolate frosting. Glad you made it work for you. And, it’s good to know that powdered sugar works in this frosting too, if desired. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Great ingredients, however mine kinda separated and was clumpy… any thoughts on what I did wrong?
Hmmm that’s weird. This has never happened to my before. Was your coconut oil really hot when you added it? This is the only thing I can think that would have caused separating.
Or, maybe it could have separated and clumped up if your coconut oil was too cold, along with your bowl and kitchen being really cold. My thought on this is that the coconut oil could have started to solidify again if it got too cold on you.
You don’t want the coconut oil to be super hot, yet you don’t want it to be cooled down to room temp either. It should be warm, but not hot. (especially if your kitchen happens to be on the colder side).
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have anymore questions. 🙂
Thanks for this great recipe! My husband can’t eat dairy, and I wanted to find something that didn’t rely on coconut oil for the fat. Someone’s suggestion to use almond butter was genius! This frosting added just the right amount of sweetness to our super-low sugar cake, and even the dairy-loving among us enjoyed it. I have added it to my recipe collection.
I am so glad to hear that you enjoy the recipe, Karen. I love the almond butter idea, I will have to give that a try. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I made this frosting yesterday and decided to add some melted dark chocolate to it. It tastes great! Thank you 😀
I made this frosting yesterday and decided to add some melted dark chocolate to it. I love the ganache-type element of it! Thank you 😀
The melted chocolate sounds like a great addition. Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
This frosting was amazing!! OMG it definitely deserves the 5 stars. It was so chocolatey and decadent. It was also very easy and it uses simple ingredients that most people already have on hand. This is my new go to chocolate frosting recipe. I don’t like using canned frosting even the “healthier versions”. I’ve used Mrs. Jones frosting on a pinch but now I don’t even have to do that because this frosting is simple to make and it taste delicious. My mom tried it too and she loved it. I like that it uses coconut oil in place of butter and maple syrup in place of powdered sugar. Thanks for creating this recipe.
Hi Nicole, I am so happy to hear that you and your mom enjoyed the frosting recipe. Thanks so much for the super kind review and rating. 🙂
Made it with carob instead of cocoa powder, came out well
That’s awesome! Good to know that it works with carob. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Not sure what I did wrong but my version came out lumpy not matter what I tried to make it smooth. This seemed so simple and impossible to mess up. We ended up calling to rocky road icing because it was so lumpy. Thoughts?
Hi, sorry to hear that this happened. That is so strange, I have never had that happen before.
My first thought is: was your cocoa powder really lumpy? If it was, did you sift it first to remove any clumps?
My second thought is: was your melted coconut oil really hot, and your milk cold from the fridge? If this is the case, maybe the two contrasting temperatures caused the coconut oil to cease up and get lumpy? If this is a possibility then, I would suggest making sure your coconut oil is melted, and slightly warm, but not hot – and that you’re milk is at room temp, next time you make the frosting.
I hope this helps.
Let me know if you have any more questions. 🙂
I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for awhile. My son is vegan, and I can adapt this recipe to suit him.
Very nice recipe.
Thanks!
Ray
So glad to hear that you found the recipe helpful. Thanks for the kind review, and comment. 🙂
I tried it with carob powder and agave. My kids loved it. Thanks for a simple recipe. So thick, love it.
So glad to hear that you liked it. The carob sounds like a great swap, glad it know it works. thanks for the kind review:)
Hi! There are so many posts / replies, I couldn’t read through them all. So, sorry if this was already mentioned! I subbed out half the coconut oil for PB and it worked perfectly. (I also used agave because it’s what I had on hand.) It had a delicious dark chocolate, PB flavor. I also wasn’t sure how much it would make, so just letting people know it covered an 8×8 brownie pan perfectly.
Hi Jen, the peanut butter substitution sounds great. I love peanut butter and chocolate, so I will need to have to give that a try. So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing, and for the kind rating. I appreciate it. 🙂
This frosting rocks! This year, and last year, I made my own birthday cake (no refined sugars or flours) and used this recipe for the frosting. I love it! I am not a vegan, so I used melted butter in place of the oil. It made a smooth, fluffy, chocolatey icing. (I doubled the recipe and have some left over.) It will always be my go-to for rich icing without refined sugar.
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed the frosting so much. The butter does sound like a delicious way to go!!
Happy Birthday!!! Hope you had a great day!!!