Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting – Easy!

This easy vegan vanilla buttercream frosting is perfect for cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and more. The luscious and velvety texture is the ultimate sweet finishing touch to any baked goods with a creamy and rich vanilla flavour!

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If you are looking for simple classic vanilla buttercream frosting with no dairy or eggs, this recipe is for you! This buttercream frosting recipe is so easy that you can whip it up in under 5 mins. I made this vegan frosting for my Banoffee cupcakes and funfetti cupcakes, this recipe will elevate any of your cakes, cupcakes, and any other baked desserts to a whole new level! Perfect for frosting cookies too if you are making some fancy cookies. It’s a great recipe to have in your recipe book when you need a simple frosting recipe.

Main ingredients and substitutions

*Use room temperature ingredients unless otherwise instructed.

Vegan butter: I used the vegan butter from Naturli. Naturli works for my buttercream recipes every time!

Icing sugar: Icing sugar/powdered sugar is for sweetening the buttercream. Feel free to use sugar-free icing sugar like monk fruit icing sugar.

Soy whipping cream: Soy whipping cream is essentially a soy single/double cream. It adds a creamy and fluffy texture to the buttercream. You can also use other plant-based whipping cream as well such as coconut, oat, etc.

Vanilla extract: Use vanilla extract with vanilla beans for the best result. You can also use vanilla oil.

*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 a stand mixer but you can also use a hand mixer as well. 

Mixing bowl: I like using glass bowls as metal ones can be scratched by the mixer and I feel it’s not healthy to have traces of metals in the buttercream.

Silicon spatula: Use a silicone spatula to scrape the side of the bowl when mixing the buttercream.

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

How to make this vegan vanilla buttercream frosting

Step 1: Cream the vegan butter

Let’s cream the butter first! In a stand mixer with a balloon attachment or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the cubed vegan butter until smooth, creamy, and fluffy. This step is important to make the creamy butter base!

Step 2: Add icing sugar and beat

Add the icing sugar 1 cup at a time and continue to mix on high speed until it’s very well combined and creamy and smooth. Scrape the side as needed. 

Step 3: Add soy whipping cream and vanilla

We are almost there! To achieve a creamy and fluffy texture and lovely vanilla flavour, add the soy whipping cream and vanilla extract to the buttercream and beat it until it becomes light and fluffy. Once the frosting is smooth and velvety, it’s ready to be used for your cakes and cupcakes. Enjoy!

Serving tips and ideas

• Simply frost your favourite vegan cupcakes or cakes. Vanilla buttercream will pair amazingly with any classic dessert!
• Use it as a buttercream filling for cookie sandwiches! 
• If you have a bunch of fruits like strawberries, apples, pears, bananas, etc. this vanilla buttercream is perfect for dipping them in! It would make a healthier dessert to prepare for home parties.
• Top your waffles and pancakes with buttercream to make them extra decadent and indulgent.
• Add a spoonful to your dessert crape with other fruits, caramel syrup, etc.

Expert tips and tricks

Use room-temperature cubed vegan butter 

Make sure your vegan butter is at room temperature and cubed for easy creaming! I was using butter straight from the fridge and gosh it’s a tough thing to blend! Softened butter blends a lot more easily with the icing sugar and helps create a creamy and fluffy texture.

Adjust soy whipping cream

Feel free to adjust the amount of soy whipping cream to your desired consistency. If you like a  lighter and fluffier frosting then add 1-2 tablespoons more and if thicker and stiffer consistency is desired add less soy whipping cream or more icing sugar.

Whip it well!

It does look like it’s all well combined after 1 min of whipping but whip the frosting for at least a few minutes to achieve a  light, fluffy, creamy, and rich texture. Whipping well will incorporate air and create a smoother texture!

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

• Add a handful of chocolate chips to make vanilla chocolate chip buttercream frosting! It would be great on chocolate cakes like my brownie cake.
• Add a touch of lovely almond flavour with some drops of almond extract. The nutty undertone is perfect for cupcakes and cakes with warm and cosy spices.
• One of my favourite things to add to sweet buttercream, a pinch of salt! Salt will enhance the sweet vanilla flavour even more. Salty vanilla buttercream would work on baked goods with nuts, vanilla, and more!

How to store

• Refrigerating: Store any leftover frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. When frosting your cakes and cupcakes, bring the frosting to room temperature and whip it again before using it to make it fluffy and creamy again.

• Freezing: You can also freeze it in a freezer-friendly sealed container for up to 2-3 months. When using, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and whip it again before using. It’s great to have buttercream frosting ready in the fridge for whenever you need them!

*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

Can I use other non-dairy milk instead of soy whipping cream?

Yes, if you don’t have soy whipping cream you can use other plant milk such as almond milk, coconut milk, or oat milk as a substitute. However, because plant milk doesn’t have the consistency to become fluffy and airy when whipped, the texture of the buttercream will be thinner than whipping cream.

How can I fix a frosting that is too runny?

If your buttercream is a little too runny, add some additional icing sugar a tablespoon at a time and whip with a stand mixer or hand mixer until you get your desired consistency.

My buttercream is too thick?

If your buttercream feels too thick, add plant-based milk a teaspoon at a time and mix well at each time until the desired consistency is achieved. This will help thin the buttercream gradually and make it easier to spread or pipe.

If your buttercream is too thick because you kept it in the fridge, you can try gently warming it up over a pot of simmering water (double boiler method) and quickly stirring the buttercream until it starts to soften a little. Be cautious not to overheat! Overheating can melt the butter in the buttercream which makes it then too runny.

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 buttercream recipe because it is:

• creamy and fluffy
• rich texture that goes amazingly with any baked desserts
• sweet vanilla taste and smell
• easy and quick to make

Want more recipes like this?

Try my other delicious frosting and cake/cupcake recipes you might enjoy!

• caramel buttercream frosting

Visit the cakes ad 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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