The Best & Easiest Vegan Frosting Recipe for Cupcakes

Mar 14

Whether you’re making cupcakes as a vegan yourself or you’re making a cake or cupcakes for someone else who is either vegan or has dietary restrictions or allergies that require a vegan cake, the usually dairy and egg-packed fillings and frostings can be the most challenging part of the whole process. Finding the right vegan cupcake frosting recipes isn’t an impossible task, however.

This vegan chocolate ganache recipe is perfect for any non-dairy chocolate fans. It’s decadent, rich, silky-smooth, and elevates any dessert it’s added to.

Whether you’re just on the hunt for any dairy-free frosting recipe or you’re specifically trying to find the best of the best when it comes to chocolate vegan cupcake frosting recipes, this one won’t disappoint.

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Cupcake Frosting Recipe

Rich and decadent: There’s nothing more chocolatey than this vegan frosting. It’s about as close to just melted chocolate as you can get.
Couldn’t be easier to make: You don’t need any special tools to make this vegan cupcake frosting. No stand mixer, no hand mixer, just a whisk. (If you do use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, though, you can whip this ganache into a light and fluffy frosting dream).
So incredibly versatile: You can layer it between cakes, pour it over the top of a single-layer cake, slather it on cupcakes, sandwich it between cookies, and more.
Made with simple plant-based ingredients: This ganache is made with kitchen staples like vegan chocolate chips, oat milk, and salt.

Ingredients

1200g vegan chocolate chips
20g vanilla extract
5g salt
600g oat milk (or another dairy-free milk)

Instructions

Weigh out your ingredients: Use a kitchen scale to weigh out the chocolate, vanilla, and salt. Place them into a metal bowl (you can use a large mixing bowl for this!).
Warm the oat milk: Scale the oat milk into a large saucepan. Bring the milk just to a boil (don’t let it boil away!) over medium heat and immediately pour it over the chocolate mixture in the metal bowl.
Whisk the ganache: Whisk the chocolate mixture together, letting the hot oat milk melt the chocolate and salt.
Blend it until smooth: Using an immersion blender (or blender), blend the ganache until it’s smooth and velvety.

Another Great Vegan Frosting Option: The Best Vegan Buttercream Frosting

If you're looking for an alternative to this rich, chocolatey dream, consider ECBG’s Dairy-Free Buttercream—a total game-changer for vegan cupcake frosting recipes. This little gem gives you that classic, fluffy buttercream texture without a drop of dairy. It pipes like a dream, holds up beautifully on cakes, and yes, it actually tastes like the real deal.

Why Our Vegan Vanilla Frosting is a Must-Try

Light and fluffy: Perfect for piping intricate cupcake swirls.
Super customizable: Want vanilla? Lemon? Espresso? You can flavor it however you want!
Holds its shape: Unlike some vegan frostings that just don't hold up all that well, this one stays put.

Whether you go for this luscious chocolate frosting or ECBG’s smooth and fluffy buttercream, one thing’s for sure—your cupcakes are about to steal the show.

Ingredients

112g Earth Balance or Fieschmann's unsalted Butter

96g Violife Plant Butter

380g powdered sugar

3g salt

10g vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Prep the ingredients: You need to work with room temperature vegan butter for this recipe, so make sure all of the butter you're using is softened a bit.

2. Sift the powdered sugar: Scale your powdered sugar, sift it to remove any lumps or clumps, set aside.

3. Beat the butter in a stand mixer: Scale both Butters to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the electric mixer on low speed and beat the butter until blended.

4. Add in the powdered sugar: Add the powdered sugar, about a cup at a time, blending on low speed until it's all incorporated.

5. Finish the frosting: Add the vanilla extract and beat just until light and fluffy

NOTE: Do not microwave for reheating. Mix well to incorporate if it separates.

Our Best Tips for The Best Vegan Cupcake Frosting

Let it chill: After you’ve blended your ganache, pop it in the fridge for a thicker consistency or let it set briefly at room temperature for a thinner, more glaze-like consistency.
Want something fluffier? Chill the ganache down, then use a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whip the ganache until light and fluffy.
Give it some shine: If you want to make the ganache a bit glossier, add a tablespoon of melted coconut oil when the mixture is still warm.
Switch up the color: If you're using the buttercream recipe, use a gel food coloring to make it any color you'd like.
Make a classic vegan chocolate frosting: Looking for a vegan chocolate buttercream frosting? Make our vegan buttercream recipe and add cocoa powder or melted vegan chocolate to make it chocolatey.
Add peanut butter: Want a vegan peanut butter frosting? Add some peanut butter to our vegan vanilla buttercream for the most delicious cupcake or cake.

How to Use This Vegan Frosting Recipe

Once you’ve made this frosting recipe (with just a few simple ingredients), it’s time to put it to use. This frosting is so delicious when used in so many different ways. Consider this next-level frosting on:

Vegan vanilla cake or cupcakes
Chocolate cake
Layer cakes for a rich, fudgy finish
Vegan brownies that need a little extra something
Sandwiched between two cookies for a twist on a classic

FAQs

You definitely don’t have to use oat milk if you don’t want to, though it does give the frosting a rich, creamy texture. If you want to use something else, try almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk or coconut cream. Make sure that whatever you use is unsweetened and unflavored (though many of those nut milks, for example, will add a little nuttiness).
Sure, you can! Pop the finished ganache in the fridge for about 30 minutes to an hour before using it or let it sit for longer before whipping it with a mixer.
Absolutely! Make this ganache all the way through, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. When you’re ready to use it, take it out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes to soften up, then give it a whisk or stir to bring back the right consistency.
Because it’s a ganache, it’s not the best for piping right after you make it. If you want a version of this frosting that pipes well, chill it for a few hours, then transfer it to your stand mixer (or use a hand mixer) and whip it until light, fluffy, and thickened. Whipped ganache pipes much better than fresh room temp ganache.
You definitely can freeze it. Store it in an airtight container or freezer-safe plastic baggie and freeze for up to three months. When it’s time to use the frosting, pull it out of the freezer and transfer it to the fridge to thaw overnight, then whisk, stir, or blend it until smooth.
Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let them sit out at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before serving to give the frosting a little time to warm up.

If you’re looking for new vegan cupcake frosting recipes, you have to try this one. Rich, luxe, and so easy to make, it’s the perfect frosting for your next batch of cupcakes—or anything else that needs a coat of frosting. You’re going to love it.

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Hey, I’m Erin

I’m wildly in love with my friends and family, super into the Chicago restaurant and comedy scene, and obsessed with exploring the cake and pastry world.

You’re browsing Cherry on Top, a little slice of all my favorite things — from cake decorating tools to my go-to beauty products to playlists I’ve got on repeat.