Whip up Magic: Divine Vegan Frosting for Scrumptious Cookies

Whip up a batch of this dreamy vegan frosting for cookies, and watch your baked cookie creations become the talk of the dessert table! Made with purely plant-based ingredients, this velvety vegan buttercream frosting uses a blend of vegan butter and vegetable shortening, creating a vegan buttercream that holds its shape beautifully atop any cookie canvas. It’s the kind of sweet treat that’ll have everyone reaching for seconds, vegans and non-vegans alike. So, get ready to spread the joy—and the frosting—generously!

As a home baking enthusiast, I love to whip up vegan sweets that everyone can enjoy, regardless of their dietary or ethical preferences. Two of my favorites are vegan soft sugar cookies and vegan cutout sugar cookies with topped with this yummy vegan buttercream frosting. We are not expert bakers or cookiers in my house – but we sure have fun trying!

That's why I'm excited to share my vegan frosting for sugar cookies—a luscious, dairy-free alternative that doesn't skimp on flavor. It's a common misconception that a rich, creamy frosting needs dairy, but I'm here to prove that's not the case! Buttercream frosting doesn't need dairy ingredients to be delicious. Dairy-free cream cheese frosting demonstrates just that along with vegan lemon frosting and vegan cashew buttercream frosting (coming soon).

With vegan butter, vegetable shortening, and the right flavorings, you can create an indulgent, velvety topping that’s perfect for any cookie. This vegan buttercream frosting is proof that a little ingenuity in the kitchen can lead to delicious results, and super cute cookies, no matter the season!

Ingredients needed to make vegan frosting for cookies

Creating a yummy vegan frosting that is sturdy enough to stay on top of your cookie without melting off requires some specific plant-based ingredients:

• vegetable shortening – Shortening serves as a key base element, providing a structure perfect for stability – even with a few peaks and swirls! The shortening also contributes to a smooth texture that’s delightfully satisfying on the palate.
• vegan butter – Please use the stick variety, not the tub for it’s higher fat to water ratio. It offers richness and a buttery taste reminiscent of traditional frostings, without using dairy products. It’s the backbone of flavor that rounds out the shortening’s neutral profile.
• vanilla extract – I use clear vanilla extract so that my frosting colors aren’t influenced by the color of the extract.
• (¼ teaspoon) butter extract – As you see we aren’t using a lot of butter extract, but just enough to give your vegan buttercream frosting that perfect buttery flavor. If you don’t want to use butter extract then leave it out. Don’t skip this recipe just because you don’t have it on hand. Most vegan buttercream recipes don’t use it. (But go ahead a get some for another time, you won’t be sorry!)
• a generous pinch of salt
• powdered sugar, the backbone of most frosting recipes.
• 2 Tablespoons of plant milk is our secret to achieving the ideal spreadable consistency. This slight addition allows us to fine-tune our frosting’s thickness for that just-right feel that glides over cookies yet holds its shape when spread or piped. You may or may not need the full amount.
• (optional) gel paste food colors – Gel food colors work best when coloring frosting because they won’t dilute the texture of the frosting. Most gel food colorings are vegan. Watch out for carmine in red food dye because it’s not vegan.

You’ll also want the following preparation tools

To craft the ideal vegan frosting with a silky-smooth texture, begin by gathering your implements. A sturdy set of mixing bowls, an electric mixer—whether stand or handheld—silicone spatulas, and accurate measuring tools are indispensable. These will help you blend the ingredients uniformly and achieve that luxurious consistency.

Step-by-step vegan frosting for cookies creation

The exact ingredients with measurements can be found in the recipe card below along with more concise abbreviated instructions. Read on for more details, tips, and tricks so that you will feel confident making this recipe.

Gather Ingredients

Before starting, you’ll want to gather your ingredients and soften the vegan butter. Again, please use high-fat vegan stick butter because the tub butter probably has too low of a fat content and the frosting won’t set up enough. It’s also important that you actually like the taste of the vegan butter you are using because the flavor will come through.

For flawless frosting, the temperature of the vegan butter is really important. This fat component must reach a soft state, neither melted nor solid. Softening the vegan butter allows it to integrate seamlessly with the vegetable shortening, creating a base that whips up light and airy.

You should be able to poke your finger on the top of the softened butter and get a little resistance. It shouldn’t easily go all the way through. If you forgot to set your butter out to soften then cut it into slices or smaller cubes and it will be ready to go in no time at all.

Step one: Cream the Shortening and Butter

In a large bowl, blend the shortening and vegan butter with a hand mixer or stand mixer until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

Step 2: Add Flavors and Salt

Mix in the vanilla extract, butter extract if using (and I highly recommend you use it!), and a generous pinch of salt to the creamy base.

Step 3: Incorporate Powdered Sugar

Gradually add powdered sugar, two cups at a time, to avoid a cloud of sugar. After each addition, mix well to ensure everything combines evenly.

step 4: Adjust the frosting consistency

Thin the vegan buttercream frosting with plant milk if it is too thick. Add just a bit of plant milk at a time until reaching a thick yet spreadable consistency. You may not need all the milk suggested. You can use any type of plant milk you’d like for this recipe.

Final Step (optionally) color your vegan buttercream frosting

If you desire colored frosting (and why wouldn’t you!), now is the time to fold in your choice of gel food coloring until your preferred hue is achieved. I recommend gel coloring because it won’t affect the consistency of your icing.

Add a little at a time because you can always add more but it’s nearly impossible to dilute a color once you’ve added too much. I always reserve half of my frosting and leave it white. This way I can use it to dilute the color if I’ve been too heavy-handed with my colors. It’s best to add the colored frosting to the white frosting a little bit at a time until you achieve the color and hue you want rather than white frosting to the overly colored.

Final Texture Check: Give your frosting one last mix to guarantee that it’s smooth and ready for piping or spreading onto cookies.

Storing for future cookie decorating fun

You’ve mixed your vegan frosting to perfection, now let’s preserve that velvety smoothness for your next batch of cookies. First, scoop any unused frosting into an airtight container, ensuring minimal air exposure. Slide this container into your fridge, where the cool temperature will maintain its creamy consistency. This yummy vegan buttercream stays fresh for up to a week when refrigerated. You can freeze it too! Just take it out of the freezer and thaw when you are ready.

Decided to prep way ahead? No problem. Your frosting can be frozen for extended shelf life. To do so, place the airtight container in the freezer, and rest assured, it’ll be ready when you are. When it’s time for cookie decorating, remember, patience is key. Transfer the frozen frosting to the refrigerator a full day before you plan to use it. This slow thawing process prevents any textural sacrifices. Once thawed, give it a good stir or fluff—your frosting will spring back to its original luscious state, ready to grace your baked creations.

And I’d love to see your creations! Like I said, I’m not a cookier but have a blast trying – and guess what? You don’t have to be an expert to make super fun tasty cookies. I’ll bet you can come up with some pretty beautiful cookies too!

The printable recipe card