Vegan Maple Coconut Buttercream Frosting (Refined Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free)
This Maple Coconut Buttercream Frosting is gluten-free, refined sugar-free and has a vegan option, too! Using only 4 ingredients, it is super easy to make and TASTY!
In preparation for my little one’s first birthday, I came up with this recipe when I wanted something tasty but not full of processed sugars for the frosting on his cake. And, oh my, is this delish! It stores & spreads well, too!
Tips for making this refined sugar-free vegan Maple and Coconut Buttercream Frosting:
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Instead of coconut butter for the vegan version, you can also use any vegan / non-dairy ‘butter’ spread with great results.
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You can replace the maple syrup with raw honey, agave syrup or a sugar-free alternative such as this monk fruit sweetened syrup.
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Due to the unique nature of coconut flour, I do not recommend you replace it with anything else.
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The coconut oil is vital part of the texture and flavor of this buttercream frosting so I do not recommend you replace it.
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When stored and refrigerated, this frosting will harden quite a bit, but do not fret, as soon as you re-mix/whip it will soften and smooth back out to its original state.
If you try this recipe please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, share this post, use Pinterest’s “tried it” feature, or take a photo, & tag me on Instagram and I’ll share it! Thank you so much! <3
Easy Vegan Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter or for vegan option use coconut butter find my recipe below
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 4 tbs coconut flour
Instructions
- In a food processor or mixer, blend all ingredients until smooth & the consistency that you prefer.
- Use right away or store in fridge & soften/re-whip before using.
- Enjoy!
Does the butter need to be room temperature or melted ?
Hi, Sabrina! Thank you for visiting. No, it does not need to be room temp or melted. Straight out of the refrigerator works best!
Hello!! Can I freeze de frosting??
Hi, Ivanna! Thank you for visiting. You can freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Then you want to thaw it to room temperature and re-whip it. I hope this helps!
Hi! In your recipe you say “refined” but your coconut oil that you link says “unrefined”. Why is that? I did it with a liquid coconut oil and it hasn’t thickened up. What are your tips
Hi, Penelope! Either refined or unrefined will work in this recipe – the primary difference will be in flavor as unrefined adds more of a coconut taste than refined. Can I ask where in the recipe you see it specify refined? To troubleshoot, did you make any adjustments to the recipe? If you did not, I would pop the mixture into the refrigerator to allow the coconut oil to solidify a bit before blending it again. I hope this helps!
How would this do on a cake made and frosted the day before a party? Would it be a weird texture if I used it to frost the day before the and kept the cake in the fridge overnight?
It should be just fine. The frosting will harden some in the fridge, but it will begin to soften as soon as it is pulled out to room temp. I would recommend pulling it out of the fridge at least an hour before serving for the best results. I hope this helps!
At room temperature my coconut butter and coconut oil is solid. Would you recommend melting them? Or warming them up slightly?
If you are talking about prior to whipping, that isn’t necessary. They will soften quickly when being whipped. I hope this helps!
Would I need to store whole cake in fridge if there are leftovers?
From my experience it does just fine at room temperature for quite some time, but I would say it depends on the environment. If you are in a super warm climate, then I would say yes, but if it is a cooler environment, it should be just fine.
Would the flavour work with carrot cake?
How many batches do I need to frost a cake?
Thank you for sharing your recipe
Hi – Yes, it works great with carrot cake! One batch will frost approximately one 8″ two-layer cake. I hope this helps. 🙂
Hello, does this have to be coconut flour, or will any other flour work please , thank you 🙂
Hi Katie – I haven’t tested this with any flour, so I can’t say for sure. Coconut flour works very differently than other flours and really adds flavor, as well as thickens this frosting. If I were to swap it out for something else, I would try a starch (tapioca, corn, arrowroot, etc.) and add a little at a time until a frosting consistency is reached. I hope this helps!
OK thank you so much from your reply, I will get some coconut flour to be on the safe side and to get the best results, thanks 🙂
How much does this make? Is it enough to frost 12 cupcakes? Can you use it to pipe?
Hi! It makes approximately 2 cups and yes, it is enough to frost 12 cupcakes and it does pipe well so long as it is freshly whipped. I hope this helps! 🙂
Can this be used to fill macarons? How will it hold up being frozen and then thawed later? How strong is the coconut flavor?
Hi! It would work well for filling macarons. I’ve never froze it before, but it does refrigerate well. You simply re-whip it to use once removed from the fridge. I think something similar would work if frozen, then thawed. Surprisingly, the coconut flavor is not strong..you get maple tones over the coconut. I hope this helps! 🙂
I’d love to try some lemon juice in this recipe. Do you think the texture will still be nice and spreadable, and will ot still harden a bit.
I want to use it over a banana bread 🙂
Hi! Yes, I think using lemon juice would be just fine in this recipe! Enjoy. 🙂
Would this frosting work to put on sugar cookies? Will it harden enough?
Yes! It most definitely will harden enough! Just leave them out for a bit or pop in the fridge for a few and it will harden even quicker. 🙂
Could you add a flavoring extract to this, such as vanilla?
Yes, most definitely!
How long will it stay good in the fridge for?
Hi Alyssa,
This keeps in the fridge covered for up to 5 days, just keep in mind you will need to re-whip it before using. I hope this helps!
-Kristen