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This healthy frosting is made with refined sugar free ingredients and makes the most smooth and creamy chocolate frosting! No dairy and no butter needed, it’s perfect for ANY dessert calling for a chocolate frosting!
Frosting without powdered sugar!
Everyone needs a quick and easy frosting recipe to have on hand. It can often be assumed that frosting can be difficult and/or time-consuming to make. This leads to buying pre-packaged frosting, which can be delicious…but not particularly healthy!
Luckily, you can easily make your own healthy chocolate frosting using simple ingredients- just 4 of them!
Now this frosting isn’t like your traditional frostings. There is no butter, no refined sugar, and no milk needed, but you’d never be able to tell. In fact, it uses a secret ingredient to hold everything together- Unsweetened applesauce! Using unsweetened applesauce in a chocolate frosting recipe may sound a little odd, but hear me out.
Firstly, you won’t be able to taste it, as it is super mild and not overpowering. Secondly, it provides a silky and creamy texture, without the need for any butter, cream or sugar. Thirdly, it’s affordable and easy to find. Finally, it ensures this chocolate frosting is made WITHOUT powdered sugar!
This vegan frosting is so versatile, you can add it to anything- flourless fudge brownies would be a good start or perhaps these raw brownies. Granted, you could just eat it straight from the bowl, but maybe even frosting a keto cake or vegan cake would be great, too!
Ingredients for a healthy icing
- Unsweetened applesauce– Be sure your applesauce is completely unsweetened, with no other ingredients in it besides apples.
- Dark Cocoa Powder– I used dark cocoa powder as I love the dark and rich flavor. However, standard dutch processed cocoa is perfectly fine too.
- Coconut Oil– Refined coconut oil, not unrefined coconut oil.
- Maple Syrup– Gives the frosting the sweetness, and the smoother texture.
There are other sweeteners you can use instead of maple syrup. Agave nectar works well, and if you’d like this frosting to be sugar free, use monk fruit sweetened maple syrup.
How do you make a healthy frosting?
Depending on what kind of recipe you are making (a cake or a brownie, for example), you will likely want your frosting to be either thick or a more silky smooth one. They both use the same ingredients but the proportions will differ a little bit!
FOR THICK AND FUDGY CHOCOLATE FROSTING
Start by using only 1 cup of the unsweetened applesauce and stir with the other 3 ingredients. Using a tablespoon or teaspoon, continue to add unsweetened applesauce slowly until the desired consistency is achieved.
Alternatively, if you want a sweeter chocolate frosting, you can replace the extra applesauce with more maple syrup/monk fruit maple syrup.
FOR ULTRA SILKY SMOOTH CHOCOLATE FROSTING
Use the full cup of unsweetened applesauce. Using a teaspoon, add more applesauce until it reaches the silky texture you are after. Please be cautious when adding your extra applesauce, as even a little extra bit can turn the frosting from smooth to soup-like!
Like the thicker option, feel free to swap out the extra applesauce for extra maple/monk fruit syrup.
Can I make this low carb or keto?
This healthy frosting is best made without any substitutions.
For a low carb frosting, try keto frostings.
Storing and Freezing Tips
- To store– Leftover frosting should always be stored in the refrigerator, covered. It will keep for at least 2 weeks, usually longer. Let it sit at room temperature before frosting.
- To freeze– Place frosting in a freezer friendly container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Desserts to use this frosting on
Healthy Frosting (NO powdered sugar!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil melted
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder I used dark cocoa powder
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce See Notes *
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour or corn starch Optional- See Notes **
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your coconut oil, sticky sweetener of choice and cocoa powder. Mix until a glossy liquid chocolate texture remains.
- Add your unsweetened applesauce. Start with 1 cup and depending on what texture you are after, increase.
- Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, to thicken slightly. If you need to use it immediately, add a tablespoon or two or coconut flour/cornstarch.
Hello!
I’m going to try this recipe but want to know why it’s recommended to use refined coconut oil as opposed to unrefined? We use unrefined in cooking which is why we have it already.
Hi Leann- only because there is some coconut flavor with the former 🙂 Use unrefined if you don’t mind the flavor of coconut.
This js definitely my “go to” frosting for any cake.
Will definitiely give it a try!
Hi there ! Super excited to try this recipe especially since Ive had to cut refined sugar and saturated fat from my diet . When making this frosting is there another oil I could use in place of the coconut oil. It has too much saturated fat for me . Thank you
Chris
Hi Chris! Butter is the only thing I can think of that would work!
Ok thank you so much !
Can I replace the coconut oil with something else? Not a fan of coconuts (makes me think I’m eating sunscreen).
Haha Olya- I promise you won’t taste the coconut. If not, you can use heavy cream.
Sorry, I mean, unsalted butter
Maybe baby food applesauce will have a finer grain and use a tad less if it has more moisture? Either case if it is too thick, a fraction of tsp apple juice concentrate at a time might loosen it up without over-sweetening.
Perfect recipe
Unbelievable !!! I’m making my second batch in 3 days.
This is a great recipe I hadn’t thought of using apple sauce. Thanks. Big
Do I have to stir with whisk or may I use a hand mixer?
Hand mixwer works!
Arman Liew is my favorite chef on the cooking channel. Her preparation and presentation is always pleasing to the eye and tasteful to the palate.
One of your reviews mentioned that it is not smooth enough so I ended up putting everything in the vitamix. Amazing!!!
Hi, was the Vitamix able to blend it well? I always have trouble making things with this consistency in the Vitamix…
Does the frosting taste like applesauce? Really wanted to try this, it looks good!
Not at all 🙂
This looks delicious! How much does it make? Like how large is a serving?
Check the recipe card 🙂 Proportions all there 🙂
I want to use this on some gluten free dark chocolate brownies. Will the brownies that aren’t eaten need to be stored in the refrigerator because of the applesauce in the frosting?
I would recommend that!
l love this recipe because i gave up flour,sugar ,and some dairies
(butter and sometimes cheese)and i always wanted to do a one tier cake with buttercream in a healthy recipe .
can it be made vanilla as choc is not my top 10 favorites
You can experiment and see 🙂
Can I use stevia as the sweetener?
I haven’t tried, but feel free to experiment and see ?
I was looking for something healthier to put on top of graham crackers for a quick dessert and this recipe did the trick. I ended up adding an additional 2 tblsp of Maple Syrup but it was delicious with 4 tblsp as the recipe suggests. I used the coconut flour along with melted coconut oil and it thickened up surprisingly quick, ready to eat immediately. I’m going to try and immersion blend this frosting after an overnight refrigeration and see what happens.
Made this today and though it does taste good, it has a grainy mouth feel that I don’t really like. I will experiment in future tries to try for smoother results.
No worries- Hope you have better success!
This looks amazing! Do you have anything that you would suggest as a replacement to Coconut oil?
You could try butter, but I cannot vouch for it myself, sorry!
Thanks for this recipe (and your others!). I’ve spent the evening playing around with the icing in preparation for S’s birthday at the end of the year. Exciting to I have a tasty, pipe-able, paleo, GAPS friendly chocolate icing!
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I’ve made little icing roses for cake toppers.
LOVE IT!!!!
Yummmmy! I can probably eat this whole frosting by itself! I mean, it looks like Nutella or chocolate peanut butter, and I eat that by the spoonful. Why not?
I am going to the store today and unsweetened applesauce is now on my list. I can not wait to try this!
Please do! It’s been made and loved by a few already! 🙂
Can this be made with Greek yogurt in place of the apple sauce?