This vegan lemon buttercream frosting is creamy and rich with just enough tang to offset the sweetness. Perfect for spreading on cakes or piping onto cupcakes.
Oh my word – THIS frosting recipe! Soooo good.
When you want a frosting that is sweet yet with just enough lemony tang to offset the sweetness, then you want this vegan lemon buttercream frosting.
It’s made with 4 easy ingredients and works beautifully whether piped onto cupcakes or spread onto cakes.
And if you love all things lemon then you will love our vegan lemon cake, vegan lemon cupcakes and vegan lemon cookies. You’ll also love our classic vegan vanilla buttercream frosting.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make This Frosting:
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan butter – for the best results in making vegan frostings choose a vegan butter that is firm. You can use a stick-style or tub-style but if you’re using the tub-style, choose one that is as firm as possible, not one that is super soft straight out of the fridge. If you’re using a stick-style vegan butter then you can let it soften out of the fridge before using.
- Lemon juice – you can use freshly squeezed lemon juice or bottled lemon juice. Freshly squeezed has a brighter flavor but it’s a very small difference so bottled is also fine to use.
- Lemon extract – really makes the lemon flavors pop. If you don’t have it on hand, you can just use extra lemon juice, but for maximum flavor, lemon extract is recommended.
How To Make Vegan Lemon Buttercream Frosting
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Add powdered sugar, vegan butter, lemon extract and lemon juice to the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Starting at slow speed, gradually increase speed until the frosting is thick and smooth.
- And your frosting is ready to be used on cakes or cupcakes or cookies.
Recipe Tips
You may need to sift the powdered sugar. I don’t usually sift the powdered sugar, but if it’s looking very lumpy then that can be a good idea to just make the whole process quicker. Otherwise you may just need to whip it for a bit longer.
Lemon juice. The amount of lemon juice you use will depend on the brand of vegan butter you’re using. If you’re using a stick-style you will likely use more, if you’re using a tub-style you will likely use less. Add it slowly and only as much as you need to get your frosting to the right consistency. It’s a lot easier to add in a drop or two more lemon juice to thin out your frosting, than it is to fix it when it’s too thin (you can add more powdered sugar, but it can take a LOT of added powdered sugar to fix it if it’s already too thin).
Storing and Freezing
Leftover frosting can be stored in the fridge (covered) for up to a week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge and then whip it again to get it to a good consistency.
More Vegan Frosting Recipes
- Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- Vegan Vanilla Frosting
- Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- Vegan Chocolate Ganache
- Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar (480g)
- ½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Add powdered sugar, vegan butter, lemon extract and lemon juice (*see notes) to the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Starting at slow speed, gradually increase speed until the frosting is thick and smooth.
- And your frosting is ready to be used on cakes or cupcakes or cookies.
Notes
- Vegan butter – for the best results in making vegan frostings choose a vegan butter that is firm. You can use a stick-style or tub-style but if you’re using the tub style, choose one that is as firm as possible, not one that is super soft straight out of the fridge. If you’re using a stick-style vegan butter then you can let it soften out of the fridge before using (not necessary when using tub-style vegan butters).
- Lemon juice – The amount of lemon juice you use will depend on the brand of vegan butter you’re using. If you’re using a stick-style you will need more and if you’re using a softer tub-style you will need less. Add it slowly and only as much as you need to get your frosting to the right consistency. It’s a lot easier to add in a drop or two more lemon juice to thin out your frosting, than it is to fix it when it’s too thin (you can add more powdered sugar, but it can take a LOT of added powdered sugar to fix it if it’s already too thin). We used a tub-style (that is nevertheless pretty firm) and used 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Lemon extract – really makes the lemon flavors pop. If you don’t have it on hand, you can just use extra lemon juice, but for maximum flavor, lemon extract is recommended.
- You may need to sift the powdered sugar. I don’t usually sift the powdered sugar, but if it’s looking very lumpy then that can be a good idea to just make the whole process quicker. Otherwise you may just need to whip it for a bit longer.
- Storing and freezing: Leftover frosting can be stored in the fridge (covered) for up to a week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge and then whip it again to get it to a good consistency.
- This recipe has been updated with new photos and an improved recipe.
Great recipe!! We loved it for our lemon cake!
Awesome! Thanks Christina!
I made this using a lemon that my dad and I picked from our tree yesterday 🙂 it tastes amazing
Hi, can I use ghee instead of the vegan butter?
I don’t think so!
Hello Alison,
I just made this frosting for my carrot cake and it tastes great! I only used 3 cups of icing sugar and substitued 1 table spoon of lemon for 1 table spoon of apple cider vinegar. I can’t wait for my guests to taste it and tell them afterwards that this is vegan.
I want to freeze the leftovers of my carrot cake with this frosting. Can it be freezed for a couple of weeks without any problem ?
Thanks a lot for this easy and delicious recipe!
Lucy
Hi Lucy, yes this should be fine to freeze! So glad it tastes great! 🙂
Olá! Essa cobertura de limão,aguenta firme ,sem desmanchar?? ? Gostaria de fazer para uma festa,no dia anterior. Grata
Sure, you can keep it in the fridge overnight or frost the cake and then keep the cake in the fridge (covered) overnight.
Hi Alison,
Can you make this frosting day before and store it in the fridge?
Yes!
How far ahead can I make this vegan buttercream? How long does it hold on the countertop, fridge, freezer? Thank you.
If the weather is cool it can hold up on the countertop for 2-3 days. If the weather is warmer though then better in the fridge and it will keep for up to a week. Freezer friendly for up to 3 months.
Hey can we use coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
Some readers have commented that they have used coconut oil successfully in place of vegan butter for frostings, but vegan butter is definitely my preference.
Hi! Can I use agave syrop instead of powered sugar? 🙂
Hi Karolina, no, that definitely won’t work here.
I’m not sure if it was the amount of lemon or what but this was more like a cookie icing and not a cake buttercream. I could NOT frost my cake at all. It was far too sticky and would not spread around. Threw the whole thing away.
Hi Danielle, sorry you had a bad experience with it! If it wouldn’t spread it sounds like it was much too thick. A little more lemon juice (generally just a few drops at a time and then re-mix it) until you reach the right consistency is the way to fix it.
This is the best frosting vegan or not that I’ve ever made. I frosted a huge vegan carrot cake with this recipe, but I doubled it. I served a large church crowd, and everyone kept raving, “wow this frosting just melts in your mouth”. Nobody believed that the cake or frosting was vegan. I was so pleased. I’m making another one this weekend for church (Pastor’s request). Thanks so much. I appreciated the fact that I didn’t have to use vegan cream cheese in this recipe. Love it. Love it.
That is so totally awesome! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Hi, thanks for posting so very nice recipes. About the buttercream frosting , what do you mean “vegan butter”? I had no idea that exist one ! Can you please tell more about it? I guess you do not mean margarine?!
Thank you very much for all your lovely recipes.
Hi, you’re very welcome! Vegan butter is just a buttery spread like Earth Balance in the USA or Nuttelex in Australia/UK. You can just do a search for what is available in your area. Margarine is also completely fine to use, but many of them use whey so are not vegan, but usually you can find one that is vegan if you look. As long as it says it’s good for baking, then it’s great to use.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! FREAKIN’ DELICIOUS!!!
Haha, you’re very welcome! So glad you liked it. Thanks for posting! 🙂
Hi, do you use a balloon whisk or the paddle attachment when mixing up the buttercream? I seem to always get a grainy mixture, despite being careful to add the icing sugar in increments, as well as sifting the sugar first.
Hi Lucy, if you watch our video for how to make vegan vanilla frosting: https://lovingitvegan.com/how-to-make-vegan-vanilla-frosting/ you’ll see the kind of stand mixer I’m using. I don’t even sift my powdered sugar and just throw it all in at once and there is no graininess.
Great lemon frosting option for dairy-free folks! I did like it, though for me it was a tad too sweet. But our son thought it was perfect.:) If I were to make it for myself in the future, I would reduce the sugar by 1/3 to 1/2. Delicious.
Cool! Thanks for posting Irene! 🙂
Omg this was so lemony and tart just what my lemon cupcakes needed!! The recipe came together perfectly..easiest icing ever!!!
Yay! So good to hear Erin! Thanks for posting! 🙂