Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Jun 22, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Frostings fillings toppings Origin: Ugandan Vanilla: Extract Easy

Cupcakes piped with vegan chocolate buttercream frosting

A classic vegan chocolate buttercream frosting for cakes and cupcakes. Best with Ugandan vanilla (bold, chocolatey, smoky); any pure vanilla works. Makes about 3 cups; frosts 24 cupcakes or a two-layer 8-inch cake.

Prep 10 min

Cook —

Total 10 min

Yield 24 cupcakes

Diet Vegan, Dairy free

Ingredients

Adjust yield

cupcakes

1.0 cup (227.0 g)plant-based butter, stick-style, softened
3 ½ cups (420.0 g)confectioners' sugar, sifted
⅔ cup (57.0 g)unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
¼ cup (60.0 ml)oat milk, plus more as needed
⅛ tspfine sea salt
2.0 tsp (10.0 ml)VanillaGoods pure vanilla extract

Make it at home

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Instructions

Beat the plant-based butter on medium-high until creamy, about 2 minutes.
On low speed, add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and salt, then the oat milk and vanilla. Beat on medium-high until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add more oat milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed.

Tips

Tub-style vegan spreads are too soft for frosting; use sticks. Some confectioners' sugar is processed with bone char, so choose one labeled vegan if that matters to you.
Vanilla swap: use vanilla bean paste 1:1 in place of the extract for visible specks, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean for each tablespoon of extract.
Best vanilla for this: Ugandan (bold, chocolatey, smoky), or Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy). Any pure vanilla works.
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 1 week; bring to room temperature and rewhip before using.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vegan chocolate buttercream frosting?

Plan on 10 minutes of prep. It makes about 3 cups; frosts 24 cupcakes or a two-layer 8-inch cake.

How should I store vegan chocolate buttercream frosting?

Refrigerate for up to 1 week; bring to room temperature and rewhip before using.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

use vanilla bean paste 1:1 in place of the extract for visible specks, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean for each tablespoon of extract.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 24 servings this recipe makes.

143 Calories / serving

7.9g Fat

19.1g Carbs

0.5g Protein

17.3g Sugar

Whole recipe (24 servings): ~3432 cal · 190g fat · 458g carbs · 12g protein · 415g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 143 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 27 min·1.6 mi·~3150 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 19 min·1.0 mi·~1900 steps
Moderate cycling 15 min·3.0 mi
Swimming laps 20 min
Jogging 14 min·1.2 mi·~2250 steps
Stair climbing 13 min·~1150 steps
Dancing 23 min
Bodyweight circuit training 15 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 33 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.

Made with VanillaGoods

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