Lemon Coconut Milk Buttercream Frosting (No Butter)
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Jump to RecipeThis lemon coconut milk buttercream icing is totally plant-based, great to top any cake or dessert! A light and creamy vegan buttercream icing made with canned coconut milk, powdered sugar, and lemon juice.
This is a great light icing that works well with almost any kind of cake!
I decided to have a little fun decorating a vegan birthday cake, and wanted to experiment with making a vegan buttercream icing to frost the cake with. Instead of making a traditional buttercream with real butter, I used coconut milk which has a great consistency.
This was a fantastic and flavorful alternative to canned frosting. It was sweet and had a really nice tang, which paired well with my cake! Even my frosting-loving husband gave it a 10/10!
This Lemon Coconut Milk Butter Cream Frosting Is:
- Bright
- Fresh
- Creamy
- Sweet
- Airy
- Vegan, Gluten Free, and Dairy Free!
One of the BEST Pantry Staple Buttercream Recipes
This vegan coconut milk buttercream recipe is a fantastic pantry-staple meal! It uses almost all ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards. You probably already have a lot of these ingredients on hand! Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious meals using a few staples you can rotate.
I made a list of my Top 125 Plant-Based Pantry Staples that always keep on hand. And you can check out all my favorite pantry staple recipes. By stocking up on whole ingredients you can cook delicious recipes without a trip to the store!
What’s In This Dairy Free Buttercream Icing?
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
- Coconut Milk: I used a unsweetened full fat coconut milk. You need a coconut milk that has a lot of the thick condensed coconut milk that settles on the top of the can of coconut milk, not the liquid coconut water. Make sure to use an unsweetened coconut milk for this, not sweetened… it will make the buttercream too sweet.
- Powdered or Confectioners Sugar: which gives the icing the perfect fluffy consistency and sweetness.
- Lemon Juice: use fresh if you have it, or bottled if you don’t have fresh lemon juice. If you are using a fresh lemon, make sure to measure out 1 tablespoon of the juice first before adding to the mixture… or else your icing might become too thin.
- Vanilla Extract: use the real deal 100% vanilla extract and not fake baking vanilla. The flavor of pure vanilla extract will make all the difference in the frosting!
How Do I Make This Vegan Buttercream Icing?
- In a large bowl, add the coconut milk, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- Whip with a hand mixer for 3 minutes until the icing is light and fluffy.
- If the frosting is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar until buttercream begins to thicken.
Recipe FAQs
If the frosting is too thin, you can add more powdered sugar, a bit at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Or you can try chilling the frosting in the fridge for 15-30 minutes to help it firm up.
Store any leftover frosting you have in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let it come to room temperature and re-whip it before using to restore its fluffy texture.
Yes, this coconut milk frosting holds its shape well for piping and decorating cakes or cupcakes. If the frosting is too soft for detailed designs, chill it for a bit in the refrigerator to firm it up.
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Coconut Milk Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Coconut milk full fat
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the coconut milk, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- Whip with a hand mixer for 3 minutes until the icing is light and fluffy.
- If the frosting is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar until buttercream begins to thicken.
Nutrition
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The instructions say to measure out 1 tablespoon of lemon, but the recipe says 1 teaspoon. Which is accurate? Excited to try this on a dairy free carrot cake for a friend’s birthday.
Hi Joanne,
Start with one teaspoon and see how the texture works – if you need more you can add another teaspoon or two (up to a tablespoon!)
Does the can of coconut milk have to be chilled to separate the cream from the coconut water? It was mentioned in the post in passing but the instructions don’t clarify.