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    Home » Desserts

    Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

    Published: Aug 1, 2019 Updated: Nov 26, 2021 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

    Vegan chocolate buttercream frosting that is rich, velvety, silky and smooth with maximum chocolate flavor. The best thing on cakes or cupcakes! 

    Frosted chocolate cake on a white cake stand.

    This vegan chocolate buttercream frosting is extremely versatile and can be used for spreading onto cakes or cookies or piping onto cupcakes. 

    It makes enough to very generously frost a three layer 8-inch cake or a two layer 9-inch cake. It will also be enough to pipe frosting very generously onto 12 cupcakes or a bit less generously on up to 24 cupcakes.

    It’s flexible and versatile and you can make it super thick, or thin it out a little depending on what will work best for your needs. 

    And if you want the vanilla version of this recipe then try out vegan vanilla buttercream frosting.

    Ingredients You’ll Need For This Frosting:

    Photo of the ingredients needed to make chocolate buttercream frosting.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Vegan butter – you can use the stick version of vegan butter like Earth Balance buttery sticks or you can use tub style but it’s ideal if it’s as firm as possible. The very soft tub-style vegan butters may be too soft to work well in frostings. Alternatively you can even use our homemade vegan butter.
    • Non-dairy milk – you can use any non-dairy milk that you have on hand.
    • Instant espresso powder – you can replace this with any instant coffee powder or you can omit it completely. It doesn’t make the frosting taste like coffee at all, it just enhances the chocolate flavor.
    Vegan chocolate cake with frosting on a white cake stand.

    How to make Vegan Chocolate 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.

    This frosting is a simple mix of vegan butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, non-dairy milk and a little surprise ingredient in the form of some instant espresso powder. 

    Now I usually have a method for frosting where I throw ALL ingredients into the bowl of the stand mixer and just go for it! But I thought I’d be more professional this time and do it ‘properly’.

    The proper way to make frosting is to beat the butter first until very soft and creamy and then gradually add in the powdered sugar and the cocoa powder until folded into the butter and then you add your other ingredients. 

    To be honest, I don’t find any difference in the final result which is why I usually choose the easiest route which is throw it all into the bowl and then go for it.

    However, especially if you have a small mixer like I do (I’m dreaming on that Kitchenaid upgrade!), then doing it the ‘proper’ way does mean you have less chance of your mixer throwing stuff out the bowl as it starts mixing.

    But you can do it either way really. The end result is the same. 

    Step by step process photo collage of making vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.

    Pro Tips

    Once you’ve made your frosting, don’t put it into the fridge. It will get too firm and will be hard to spread onto your cake or pipe onto cupcakes. So keep it at room temperature until you’ve used it, and then the frosted item can go into the fridge to firm up if needed. 

    Be flexible with the amount of non-dairy milk you add. The amount you need will depend on the type of vegan butter you use. If you use a stick variety, then you may need more, as the sticks have a lower water content. Whereas if you use the type in a tub then you may need less, as those usually have a higher water content. So be flexible with how much you add.

    If you do still end up with frosting that is too thin, then add more powdered sugar. If you end up with frosting too thick, add non-dairy milk a very small amount at a time until you reach the right consistency. You want it to be silky and smooth and spreadable and not too thick to pipe. 

    Chocolate cake on a white cake stand.

    Storing and Freezing

    Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 week. It is also freezer friendly so if you have more than you need, feel free to freeze it. 

    Chocolate cake on a white cake stand.

    More Vegan Frosting Recipes

    1. Vegan Buttercream Frosting
    2. Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
    3. Vegan Chocolate Ganache
    4. Vegan Vanilla Frosting
    5. Vegan Chocolate Frosting
    6. Vegan Chocolate Ganache Frosting

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Cake frosted with vegan chocolate buttercream frosting on a white cake stand.

    Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

    Vegan chocolate buttercream frosting that is rich, velvety, silky and smooth with maximum chocolate flavor. The best thing on cakes or cupcakes!
    4.94 from 15 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert, How To
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 286kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    • 1 ¼ cups Vegan Butter (290g)
    • 3 ½ cups Powdered Sugar (420g)
    • ¾ cup Cocoa Powder (63g) Unsweetened
    • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
    • 2-4 Tbsp Non Dairy Milk
    • ½ tsp Instant Espresso Powder Optional
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add the vegan butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat it for a couple of minutes until very creamy.
    • Gradually add in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder until properly mixed in with the butter. Then add the vanilla and slowly add the non-dairy milk, only as much as needed to get to the right consistency. If you end up with frosting too thin then add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add more non-dairy milk a drop or two at a time until you reach the right consistency.
    • Lastly, add the instant espresso powder (if using) and mix in.
    • Keep the frosting at room temperature and then spread onto your cake or pipe onto cupcakes.

    Notes

    1. The amount of non-dairy milk you need will depend on how thick you want your frosting to be, but also on the water content of the vegan butter you use. So add it in slowly and carefully and only as much as you need. If you are using a very firm vegan butter (stick type) you may even need a little more.
    2. We used soy milk but any non-dairy milk will work fine.
    3. This recipe makes enough to generously frost a three layer 8-inch cake or a two layer 9-inch cake. It will also pipe frosting onto around 12-24 cupcakes depending on how generously you pipe it.
    4. Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 week. It is also freezer friendly so if you have more than you need, feel free to freeze it. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serve | Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.2g | Protein: 1.1g | Fat: 15.3g | Saturated Fat: 6.2g | Sodium: 89mg | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 34.3g
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jen says

      August 05, 2022 at 2:09 am

      Wonderful recipe! Thank you! We LOVED it and I honestly can’t wait to bake another cake so I can whip this up again. Perfect 10!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 05, 2022 at 10:43 am

        Thanks so much Jen!

        Reply
    2. Kim says

      February 27, 2022 at 5:46 pm

      Best frosting vegan or otherwise. Simply Delicious!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        February 28, 2022 at 9:06 am

        Thanks so much Kim!

        Reply
    3. Louise says

      December 08, 2021 at 1:12 pm

      I plan on making this cake and instead of store bought vegan butter I will be making my own. Should it be used from the fridge, or should I bring it to room temperature before mixing it. I can’t wait to try this recipe. It sounds absolutely delicious. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        December 08, 2021 at 3:38 pm

        Hi Louise, you can use it from the fridge if you beat it first before adding in the powdered sugar and cocoa etc. All the best! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Angela says

      July 09, 2021 at 6:57 pm

      Hello, I was hoping you could advise me please, I don’t have a stand mixer so will a normal electric whisk do?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 10, 2021 at 9:52 am

        Yes sure that will work fine. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Val says

      November 28, 2020 at 12:13 am

      I made this cake before it’s amazing and so easy! Making it again without a stand mixer..do you think I can make frosting with just a whisk?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        November 30, 2020 at 2:20 pm

        Hi Val, I think you can but it will take a bit of arm power to get it smooth. Make sure the vegan butter is softened and sift the powdered sugar to make it as easy as possible.

        Reply
    6. Heidi says

      November 13, 2020 at 12:07 am

      This frosting is soo good! The espresso powder says it’s optional but i think it is mandatory – really does bring out the flavour of the chocolate. I ended up not using as much powdered sugar as i prefer it to be less sweet, but still turned out amazing! My new go-to. Thank you for this beauty!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        November 13, 2020 at 9:02 am

        Awesome Heidi! Thanks so much for the wonderful review!

        Reply
    7. Dana says

      July 23, 2020 at 5:06 pm

      Okay, I never rate recipes after I make them, but I had to get back on here and leave a five-star review! My son is sensitive to dairy, so I was looking up dairy-free cakes for his first birthday and stumbled across this. I am not much of a baker and this recipe was SO easy and came out perfectly! No one at the party knew that it was a vegan cake- it tasted perfect. The frosting is also incredible. People were shocked when I told them. It is so soft and fluffy and moist and chocolatey- this will be my new go-to cake recipe.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 24, 2020 at 9:12 am

        So glad you enjoyed the chocolate cake and the frosting! Thanks so much for the great review Dana!

        Reply
    8. Verónika says

      March 03, 2020 at 6:11 pm

      Could I use a mix of the vegan butter, here I find MELT in buttery spread ( Try it with this and is to soft) and “vegan margarine” to make it harder instead of adding more sugar?

      I also tried the versión with only margarine and it was to intense, I want to go for the vegan butter flavor but with the margarine texture

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        March 04, 2020 at 12:50 pm

        I definitely think you could do that!

        Reply
    9. Jim Goodman says

      February 15, 2020 at 6:10 pm

      I made this recipe to take to a dinner whose host is lactose intolerant. It was just enough to frost a two layer 8-inch cake. Instead of using non-dairy milk, I used a little brewed coffee to thin it a bit, which worked just fine. I used vegan sticks, and I was glad that I let them warm up to room temperature before I mixed everything up. I found that this frosting sets up quite quickly, even at room temperature. I added fresh raspberries to the top immediately after I frosted the cake, and the frosting was already set by the time I was done. Tastes very good – I would recommend using the instant espresso to bring out the cocoa flavor.4 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        February 17, 2020 at 10:18 am

        Thanks Jim! 🙂

        Reply
    10. Joanna says

      November 02, 2019 at 8:37 am

      Hi!
      Should this butter be in room temperature, cold or should I heat it in the microwave?
      Thanks!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        November 03, 2019 at 10:37 am

        Hi Joanna, if you are using a very hard brick style vegan butter/margarine then let it soften at room temperature for a bit before using. However, most vegan butters are spreadable, from a tub, in which case you can just use them straight from the fridge.

        Reply
    11. Angela says

      August 15, 2019 at 11:54 pm

      This cake looks pretty yum Alison : ) Thank goodness it doesn’t have coconut cream frosting – not really a fan…up there with coriander : ( Thanks for another lovely recipe Alison.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 16, 2019 at 11:04 am

        Haha thanks Angela! 🙂

        Reply
      • Ann says

        December 13, 2020 at 12:13 am

        This is the best vegan chocolate frosting I have ever made! I will make this again and again and again! I do not like buttercream frosting, but this is exceptional. Thank you for this recipe.5 stars

        Reply
        • Alison Andrews says

          December 14, 2020 at 10:52 am

          Thanks so much Ann!

          Reply
    12. Claudia Hamilton says

      August 13, 2019 at 11:29 am

      Alison,
      I’m finding the buttercream frosting is still a little to sweet for me, is there a way I could make it less sweet?

      Reply
    13. Carla says

      August 13, 2019 at 2:38 am

      My daughter just had her first baby….Girl named Inara…9lb 11oz ouch. She has been vegetarian for years and is exclusively breast feeding. Found out Inara had allergies to soy, eggs, and dairy. She had been drinking almond milk which was great. Mom has THANKFULLY found your site and am being a Super Nana by learning to make her some of your wonderful dishes. She was really craving something sweet ( who doesn’t. .right). I made your chocolate cake & buttercream frosting. She was ecstatic. She ate the entire cake in 24 hours and fought her husband for the last piece. Thank you for helping me to be even superer Nana. Loved it.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 13, 2019 at 9:15 am

        Oh that is wonderful to hear! Inara is such a lovely name! You are definitely the superest Nana. Thanks for sharing and the wonderful review. xo

        Reply
    14. Anna Andrews says

      August 05, 2019 at 10:16 am

      A delightful, eye catching, mouth watering recipe – just love it!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 06, 2019 at 12:27 pm

        Thank you! xo

        Reply
    15. Claudia Hamilton says

      August 01, 2019 at 4:31 pm

      This looks very good, I must try it. One question: Where do I get xanthum Gum?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 02, 2019 at 1:30 pm

        Hi Claudia, this recipe doesn’t need xantham gum. But in general you should be able to get it at a health food store. 🙂

        Reply

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