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My 2 ingredient dairy-free frosting is thick and creamy yet fluffy and full of rich chocolate flavor. No oil or powdered sugar is needed.
Looking for more frosting recipes? Try my healthy frosting and keto frosting next!
Everything is better with frosting. Well, maybe not everything. I mean, could you imagine scrambled eggs with frosting? Um, no thank you.
I used to think buttercream was a non-negotiable to produce a thick and creamy chocolate frosting. That, or actual cream. It wasn’t until I experimented with coconut cream that I could make the most incredible chocolate frosting sans-dairy.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Yes, you actually only need 2 ingredients. And once you make my frosting recipe, they’ll become pantry staples.
- Naturally diet-friendly. 99% of frosting recipes call for butter or dairy, but not mine!
- No powdered sugar. Yet you still get that fluffy, sweet texture.
- You can make it on a whim. Nothing is sadder than baking a gorgeous tiered cake only to realize you forgot to buy frosting. Never again!
Ingredients needed
- Coconut cream. Don’t skimp here! Stick with canned, full-fat coconut milk from a can, NOT a carton. Chill it until the cream solidifies, then drain the excess juice (and use it for coconut smoothies!).
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips OR chocolate. I made my own vegan chocolate chips, but any kind of dairy-free chocolate can be used. Alternatively, use a chopped-up dairy-free chocolate bar.
How to make dairy free frosting
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Assemble. Add coconut cream to a mixing bowl (discarding the liquid). Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl.
Step 2- Mix. Pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl and stir until glossy and smooth. Chill until firm.
Step 3- Mix again. Use a stick mixer to beat the mixture until it’s light and fluffy, then use as desired.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Skip the microwave. Melt the chocolate and coconut in a glass bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water (AKA the ‘double boiler method’).
- Microwave the chocolate in batches. I’ve tried to cut corners and microwave the chocolate for 2 minutes, and let’s just say it became VERY burnt.
- Swap the chocolate. Whatever flavor of chocolate you choose will be the predominant flavor of the frosting. That means you can use dairy-free white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips (70% cocoa content and above is dairy-free), or even peanut butter chips.
Storage instructions
To store: The frosting will keep fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 hours or in the fridge for 5 days. Let it sit at room temperature briefly to soften.
To freeze: Place leftover frosting in a shallow container and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let it thaw to room temperature, then re-beat until fluffy.
Recipes to use this frosting
2 Ingredient Dairy Free Frosting
Video
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup coconut cream chilled * See notes
- 1 1/2 cups dairy-free chocolate ** See notes
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the chilled coconut cream and set aside. In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate and melt in 20-second spurts until melted.
- Add the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl and whisk together with the coconut cream until thick and glossy. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least two hours, to thicken.
- Remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Using a stick mixer, beat together the firm frosting until light and fluffy. Add on top of cakes, brownies, or pipe onto muffins or cupcakes.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published August 2021, updated and republished October 2024
Uh so only 2 ingredients? I can eat dairy but I am interest how it will taste!
Excellent, I don’t like buttercream, it’s much too sweet for me, but THIS……WOW!!!!
If I put it in the fridge for two hours, it completely hardens. Is it supposed to? Am I supposed to then take it out of the fridge and let it sit in room temperature until I can blend it? A little worried I’m doing something wrong? Thank you! Love this recipe:)
Love this recipe, I’ve made it a few times so far, but it always needs tweaking which can become quite frustrating; it could be due to the fact that cup measurements may differ i.e. US ones are different than the UK ones. Could you perhaps post the weights in grams as well, please?
Thanks.
I cannot believe you do not have these two ingredients in GRAMS. Using measuring cups (with all the opportunities for error) is so archaic! I may give this recipe a try, however— your almond flour chocolate cupcakes look INCREDIBLE! Thanks so much!
It’s as simple as a googling it, just as if the recipe were in grams and you wanted to use standard measurements or better yet, use a scale. There’s no need for the rudeness, and yet turn around and compliment on the photo🙄.
My daughter is allergic to coconut. I used avocado instead and it came out fantastic!
How much frosting does this recipe make? Enough for your Death by Chocolate Cake – to frost between layers AND over the top/sides? Thank you!
Hi Kim! I’d honestly make close to 3 cups worth just to be safe. If there’s leftovers you can turn it into fudge 🙂
That is a great idea! How would I go about turning the leftover frosting into fudge, please and thank you?
Chill it and/or add more chocolate
Hi, I saw that it’s 12 servings but what is the serving size? I try to keep my saturated fat down also besides sugar for diabetes. That’s for all your recipes.
Love this frosting so much!! Thanks for sharing . If I frost my cake a day in advance should I refrigerate overnight? Or can I leave it at room temperature?
this was the best frosting ever! made it to go with your chocolate cake, which was also amazing! thanks for the great recipes!
Looking forward to adding more vegan recipes into my diet…
Awesome recipe!!! We don’t own a donut pan, so made them in a cupcake pan. They turned out perfect and fluffy. Also, I made them GF by using Bobs red mill GF flour blend and added baking powder and salt. Additionally, I added 1tsp of vanilla and Ceylon cinnamon for more flavor. Thank you!!
Tastes good.
Used bars of chocolate and ended up needing to adjust the ratios given I had less chocolate than the recipe required. Not an issue though given I had enough icing for the cake.
For reference 2 x 80g blocks yields just over 1/2 cup when melted, meaning I only used 1/4 cup of coconut cream.
I’d suggest a grams or ounces for the chocolate in the recipe rather than cups.