Cookie Dough Frosting – Easy & Vegan!

Whip up this dreamy vegan cookie dough frosting that’s made with no wheat flour, so completely safe to eat! Made with almond flour and lots of crunchy chocolate chips, this dairy-free frosting pipes beautifully and tastes just like the real deal – perfect for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, or eating by the spoonful!

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I have a weird obsession with cookie doughs – especially chocolate chip cookie dough, it’s my favourite! It just tastes so good eating cookie dough by a spoonful, doesn’t it?! If you are like me, then this vegan cookie dough frosting is about to become your new baking obsession! Now let us just imagine all the nostalgic flavour of eating raw cookie dough, the yummy melty goodness, but this time in a safe, pipeable frosting that’s perfect for decorating cakes, filling cupcakes, topping brownies, or simply enjoying straight from the bowl, if you wish!

I achieved that perfect balance between rich cookie dough taste and fluffy frosting consistency by creating a cookie dough base and whipped butter and cream combo. Plus! It comes together in just minutes, is super easy to make, with just less than 10 simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

Main ingredients and substitutions

*Use room temperature ingredients unless otherwise instructed.

Almond flour: I used almond flour to create the cookie dough base in this recipe. Why not use regular plain flour? Plain flour is actually not safe to eat raw! This is because it can contain some bacteria that cause food poisoning. Ouch! You can substitute it for coconut flour for a nut-free version.

Soft & fine brown sugar: You may be wondering why I used brown sugar – this is because I use a brown sugar and caster sugar combo in my cookie recipes often and wanted to make it authentically cookie doughy! You can just use caster sugar alone or other brown sugar like coconut sugar if you don’t have brown sugar. It does give a little grainy texture in the frosting like cookie dough, which I intended to create in this recipe, but if you prefer a smooth texture, then you can swap it with icing sugar.

Caster sugar: Just like crown sugar, I used caster sugar to make the texture close to cookie dough! You can just use all brown sugar if you don’t have caster sugar, or swap with icing sugar for a smooth texture. I do not recommend using granulated sugar because it creates a sandy texture as the grains are bigger than caster sugar.

Vegan butter: Vegan butter is one of the bases for this frosting recipe! It creates a rich and smooth texture and helps the frosting hold its shape. I used Flora, and it worked wonderfully. Take the butter out of the fridge about 10-20 mins before making this recipe, so that the butter is still cold but slightly softer for easy mixing.

Soy whipping cream: I like using plant whipping cream instead of plant milk to adjust the consistency as it creates a light, airy texture when whipped. I used Alpro soy cream, but other plant creams are fine to use in this recipe too.

Other ingredients: vegan chocolate chips, icing sugar, and aslt.

Note: Substitution may change the final taste and texture of this recipe.

*I use bone char-free sugars for all of my recipes. I cover the topic in my article Vegan Baking 101. Go to the “Is sugar vegan?” section to learn more!

Recommended equipment for this recipe

Stand mixer or hand mixer: I used my stand mixer for creaming the cookie dough base and vegan butter together to perfect consistency. A hand mixer works perfectly fine too.

Silicone spatula: A Silicone spatula is essential for scraping the side of the mixing bowl and gently folding the vegan chocolate chips to maintain the fluffy texture.

Fine mesh sieve: Icing sugar can be lumpy, so use a sieve for a silky smooth texture.

*The ingredient list and measurement for this recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

How to make vegan cookie dough frosting

Step 1: Create the Cookie Dough Base

Let’s start making the frosting! First things first, take your vegan butter out of the fridge and cut it into cubes so that it blends smoothly. Ensure that the butter is still cold but a little bit softer than rock solid so that it whips well.

In your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or a bowl with a hand mixer, combine the almond flour, brown sugar, caster sugar, vegan butter, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until it forms a buttery dough-like consistency, scraping down the sides as needed. This is our cookie dough base!

Step 2: Whip whip!

Add half of the icing sugar and beat further until fully incorporated, then add the rest and repeat. The mixture will be quite thick at this stage and will look like butter cream frosting. Now add the soy whipping cream and beat further for about 2-4 mins until the frosting is paler in colour and fluffy and airy. Nearly there!

Step 3: Add chocolate chips

Fold in the vegan chocolate chips just until evenly distributed. I recommend chilling the frosting for 3-6 hours to allow the almond flour to absorb moisture, but you can use the frosting straight away too! For piping, you may want to use a star tip that’s big enough for the chocolate chips to come through. Round one is perfect for this recipe!

Serving tips and ideas

• A classic use of this recipe is to pipe it on cupcakes and frost layer cakes! I recently used this frosting recipe for my vegan chocolate chip cake.
• If you want to make a cookie sandwich, the frosting can be used as the filling too!
• You can also top your pancakes or waffles with a scoop or 2 of this frosting. Dessert for breakfast, why not!
• This recipe would be great for stuffing some homemade doughnuts too! 

Expert tips and tricks

Adjust consistency

If your frosting seems too thick after mixing, add a tablespoon of plant milk at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. If the frosting looks too thin, chill it for 30 to 60 minutes in the fridge or add a tablespoon of icing sugar at a time before rewhipping gently. 

Piping tip

For picture-perfect cupcake swirls, use a large open round tip and hold your piping bag straight up from the cupcake. It’s always best to start from the centre to create a solid base. If using a star tip, ensure that it’s big enough for the chocolate chips to come through the tip. 

Use a digital scale to weigh ingredients

Always use a digital scale rather than measuring cups when you are baking. It’s so much more accurate and measuring correctly is very important to achieve the best result.

Recipe variations

• Chocolate and mint pair perfectly, and I guess you can agree with that too! Add some drops of peppermint extract and a teaspoon of matcha powder for natural colouring or plant-based green food colouring. 
• Making a birthday cake? Make it extra fancy by mixing in rainbow sprinkles!
• If chocolate chip mocha sounds like your cup of tea, add 1-2 teaspoons of powder espresso to the frosting. Perfect for chocolate cakes!

How to store

• Room temperature: This is a butter base frosting so do not leave at room temperature as it can start melting and spoil the texture and quality.

• Refrigerator: You can store unused frosting in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days for the best freshness. If the frosting is too thick to frost or pipe, rewhip it with a splash of plant milk. It will be as good as the day you made it!

• Freezer: Having events in a few weeks or a couple of months? This recipe freezes well too. Put the frosting in a freezer-friendly airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and re-whip before using. Add a splash of plant milk as needed to get the consistency you like. 

*Although you can store this recipe in the fridge or freezer, it’s always best to consume it fresh and as soon as possible.

Q and A

Want to master the basics of vegan baking?
Check out Vegan Baking 101 – the beginner’s guide to vegan baking for you to become an excellent vegan baker and familiar with the basics of vegan baking, ingredients, and techniques with useful tips!

You will LOVE this vegan cookie dough frosting because it is:

• easy and simple to make
• made with less than 10 ingredients
• ready in less than 10 mins
• great for any cakes and cupcakes

Want more recipes like this?

Try my other delicious frosting and dessert recipes you might enjoy!

• caramel frosting
• cream cheese frosting
• coconut frosting
• vanilla frosting
• Almond buttercream frosting

Visit the cake and cupcakes page and recipe page for more delicious recipes!

Please leave a comment and rate this recipe with 5 stars in the comment section below if you like the recipe! Let me know and tag me @thechestnutbakery on Instagram too. Thank you for making my recipe, friends!

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