*This post may contain affiliate links. Read more »
If you've ever eaten at my food trucks or restaurants and had our donuts and pastries, you know I am somewhat addicted to vegan cream cheese frosting in all its luscious forms. This recipe is super-dialed in and is heaven-on-Earth for pound cakes, cupcakes, donuts, and more.
Recipe tips tailored to what matters most to you:
Nothing in this frosting has wheat anywhere near it, so it's already gluten-free as written.
Make a double batch and freeze half for up to 3 months. We did this constantly in my food truck prep kitchen. Thaw overnight in the fridge and stir.
Store-bought vegan cream cheese is pricey for 8 ounces. Make a batch of my cultured vegan cream cheese instead and save a bundle.
Hold back some of the 3½ cups of powdered sugar and thicken it with a small amount of cornstarch or tapioca flour instead, which won't make it sweeter.
Vegan cream cheese is the only thing you might have to hunt for, and my cultured vegan cream cheese is made with only 4 ingredients.
A little more powdered sugar can thicken it up, while a splash of plant-based milk can thin it out.
Make sure your vegan cream cheese and butter are at room temperature before you start. Cold ingredients can lead to a lumpy frosting.
Let the frosting chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Make sure your cake is cooled to at least room temperature so it doesn't melt the frosting.
Oodles more tips, step-by-step recipe photos, info on weird ingredients, and FAQs are all still here. I just tucked 'em out of the way so you can start cooking sooner.
From the elderflower version I make for our lemon-scented vegan pound cake, to the citrus-kissed vibe I give it from my vegan gingerbread loaf, to spreading it on a hot slice of vegan cinnamon babka, I am 100% ok with you pushing me out of a hot air balloon at the edge of the earth's atmosphere into an ocean of the darned stuff below.
Buttercream frosting? It's dumb. Store-bought stuff? What are you trying to make a gaggle of clowns cry themselves to sleep? No mommy, just imagine the perfect balance of tangy and sweet, ready to upgrade your vegan carrot cake to hyper-levels of deliciousness.
And guess what? It's all yours with just seven simple ingredients and zero hassle.
You want it easy-to-make? Check. You need it fast? Double check. And the taste? It's so good, it'll have you questioning whether it's actually vegan (spoiler alert: it most certainly is). Stop frosting things with melted airplanes and boiled-up silly putty. Just whip up this perfect formula I have been using personally and professionally for DECADES and get ready, set, frost!
Jump to:
- Recipe tips tailored to what matters most to you:
- 🥰Why you'll adore this vegan cream cheese frosting recipe
- 🍋 Ingredients for vegan cream cheese icing
- 🤯Variations
- 📖 How to make this vegan cream cheese frosting recipe
- 💡Serving Ideas
- 👉Top tips
- 🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
- ✌️My faves to serve vegan cream cheese frosting on/in:
- Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
🥰Why you'll adore this vegan cream cheese frosting recipe
✊ Vegan AF and GF: Like all of the vegan dessert recipes I share, this frosting is guilt-free, cholesterol-free, and made without harming a single adorable creature. Need it to use in one of your gluten-free recipes? Well, it's that too!
🙅♀️ No Cholesterol: Unlike traditional cream cheese frosting, this vegan frosting recipe doesn't cause any cruelty to animals, and it's full of healthy fats instead of artery-clogging cholesterol too!
🍋 Zesty Lemon Lift: Alright, unlike some vegan recipe developers, I honestly don't think that lemon alone makes things taste like cream cheese. BUT coupled with the vegan cultured cream cheese and other ingredients in this frosting, the addition of lemon zest brings a bright, tangy twist that cuts through the sweetness. It's part of the story here, just not the whole story ok? End of rant.
Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of the vegan recipes I create, this frosting has been put through its paces and perfected with feedback from a vast network of recipe testers who work with me across the globe, guaranteeing success in your kitchen on the first try.
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🍋 Ingredients for vegan cream cheese icing
Vegan Cream Cheese
Listen. Come closer. I have a small secret to put inside of your gorgeous, bejeweled golden ear… THIS FROSTING COMES OUT SO DAMNED GOOD WITH MY CULTURED VEGAN CREAM CHEESE.
Yes, you can use store-bought instead, which might be more like traditional cream cheese, and then you don't have to wait a painful couple of days for the cream cheese to ferment and ripen… but, while Tofutti, Trader Joe's, and Kite Hill all make good enough to use vegan cream cheese, I'm not gonna name names, but some store-bought vegan cream cheese brands taste like radioactive waste that was found in a dank smelling basement. So be warned.
Mine is made from just four ingredients including raw cashews, and It is a great introduction to easy home vegan cheese making.
White Vinegar
A teaspoon of white vinegar boosts the cream cheese-like flavor, and also helps balance and cut the sweetness of the frosting, making it easy to go heavy with this on cupcakes, without turning them into an overly-sweet chore to eat. Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice can be used as substitutes.
Vanilla
Vanilla extract adds an important aromatic vibe to the frosting. I am all about using vanilla powder instead of the extract, because I love the little black specs of vanilla it adds to desserts like vegan panna cotta, Filipino suman, and the vanilla custard I stuff bomboloni with. You can use extract instead, or even freshly scraped vanilla beans from the pod. I just find the powder to be convenient.
Salt
Salt? In frosting? YES, yes and 100 times yes. A tiny bit is important in a cream cheese frosting.
Powdered Sugar
Not all powdered sugar is vegan. A lot of it is made using sugar refined using a bone char filtration system. If you want your cream cheese frosting to be plant-based and completely vegan, use cruelty-free powdered sugar! Got some leftover from this project? Well it's sorta essential on homemade zeppole and to make the apple cider glaze I use to coat my vegan apple fritters with!
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Middle Eastern Vibes: I have an annual pop-up outdoor restaurant thing I do, where every year has a different theme and within that year' s theme, every week has a 100% different menu. It's a fun creative challenge for me. Anyway, for the summer of 2023, my theme was Vegan Middle Eastern recipes. So naturally, whenever I did desserts that used a cream cheese frosting, I would either add a splash of rosewater (like I do for the syrup in my Vegan Baklava), or add some Lebanese baharat, which is what exactly I did when I added a dollop of this frosting on to the mahaleb we served.
Maple Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting: You may or may not know that I have won many awards over the years for my vegan donuts. I've also been featured on the Food Network's show: Donut Showdown, where I made a version of my Korean donut twists and Medhu Vadai!
Around the holidays, I would make donuts stuffed with vegan apple pie filling, topped with a cream cheese frosting that I would mix lightly spiced, maple-roasted pecan bits into. It was pretty damn dope, if I do say so myself, and I would 100% recommend you do it yourself.
📖 How to make this vegan cream cheese frosting recipe
Nail this splendid, glistening goop on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Initial Blend Up:
Start by putting the vegan cream cheese and vegan margarine (my fave brand of vegan butter is Earth Balance, but just about any will work) into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade, or the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix these two ingredients until they're completely combined and creamy.
Step Two
Deepen the flavor:
Next, add the white vinegar, lemon zest, vanilla extract (or vanilla powder), and salt to your creamy base. Keep the mixer going for about 30 seconds to get everything mixed well and uniform in texture.
Step Three
Sift & Mix:
Add the icing sugar to the mixer (or food processor). If working with a stand mixer, start mixing at low speed to avoid a sugar snowstorm in your kitchen. As the sugar starts to incorporate, crank up the speed to medium. This will help you achieve a smooth, creamy frosting. Don't forget to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure no sugar is left behind.
Chill the mixed frosting to thicken it.
Step Four
Perfect Consistency:
Your frosting is ready to spread on your favorite cakes, cupcakes, or cookies. If it feels a bit thick, thin it with a teaspoon of plant-based milk, mixing well after each addition, until it's just right. If you want the frosting to be thick enough to pipe borders or intricate designs, add additional powdered sugar until your desired consistency has been reached.
💡Serving Ideas
This is my favorite type of frosting to slather generously over my vegan carrot cake recipe, and it's no slouch at all spread onto a warm slice of vegan chocolate babka. It can also be used on top of your favorite cupcakes (chocolate cupcakes, red velvet cake, you know the drill), and can be pretty insane on top of steamed caked like Indonesian roti kukus.
Serve a little dollop alongside vegan donuts like Malaysian cekodok pisang, Peruvian Picarones, or Mexican Buñuelos.
👉Top tips
- Temperature Matters: Ensure your vegan cream cheese and butter are at room temperature before you start. This makes a world of difference in achieving that silky-smooth consistency, as cold ingredients can lead to a lumpy frosting.
- Go Slow with Sugar: When adding powdered sugar, patience is key. Add it gradually and beat slowly at first to avoid a messy kitchen and ensure the sugar is fully incorporated.
- Customize the Thickness: If you find your frosting too thick or too thin after adding all the ingredients, remember you can adjust. A little more powdered sugar can thicken it up, while a splash of plant-based milk can thin it out.
- Chill Before Using: If you're not in a rush, let the frosting chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes before using it. This helps it set slightly, making it easier to spread or pipe onto your vegan cake or cupcakes. Ensure your cake is cooled to at least room temperature so it doesn't melt the frosting.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Vegan cream cheese frosting can be kept in the fridge for up to 6 days. Make sure it's in a tightly sealed container to maintain its freshness and prevent it from absorbing other flavors.
Yes, we used to do this ALL THE TIME in my prep kitchen for my food trucks and restaurant locations. You can freeze vegan cream cheese frosting for up to 3 months. Store it in an airtight container, and when you're ready to use it, let it thaw overnight in the fridge before giving it a good stir.
To thicken vegan cream cheese frosting without adding more powdered sugar, chill it in the fridge for a bit. The cold helps firm it up. Alternatively, adding a small amount of cornstarch or tapioca flour (the kinda magical ingredient I always mess with for desserts like klepon and bubur cha cha) can also thicken the frosting without making it sweeter.
Yes! If you have a hand mixer, mix everything with that inside of a large mixing bowl.
✌️My faves to serve vegan cream cheese frosting on/in:
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cinnamon Snail.
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese homemade or storebought, at room temperature
- ½ cup vegan butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
- Either in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, in a food processor with an S-blade, or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, cream together the vegan cream cheese and vegan butter.
- To the cream cheese and butter mixture, add the white vinegar, lemon zest, vanilla extract (or powder), and salt. Continue to beat the mixture on medium speed until all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated and the mixture is uniform.
- Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar to the bowl, beating on low speed at first to incorporate the sugar without causing it to puff out, making a mess in your kitchen. Once the sugar begins to blend into the mixture, increase the speed to medium, continuing to beat until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and give the frosting one final mix on medium speed to ensure that it is completely smooth and no sugar pockets remain.
- This vegan cream cheese frosting is now ready to use. It can be spread on cakes, cupcakes, or cookies. If the frosting is too thick for your preference, you can adjust the consistency by adding a teaspoon of plant-based milk at a time, beating well after each addition until you reach the desired consistency.
Notes
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cinnamon Snail.
Leave a Reply