Friends! It’s frosting time because I have a cake coming your way soon that needs it BIG TIME. Shall we?
This frosting is not only simple – 8 ingredients required – but it also comes with 2 flavor variations: “Classic” and “Tangy Cream Cheese.”
The first is great for instances when you want a vegan buttercream for things like Funfetti Cupcakes, and the second is preferred for cakes that call for cream cheese frosting like Zucchini Cake!
I know. It’s so exciting I can hardly stand it.
The base for these frostings is soaked cashews.
For the classic, I go with coconut milk and lemon juice. And for the tangy, I go with coconut yogurt (!!) and apple cider vinegar, which provides that cream-cheese-like flavor.
Both versions are naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and they get even more flavor from vanilla extract. The result is a creamy, dreamy cashew cream that chills perfectly into frosting texture!
Your cashew cream just needs some time in the freezer with occasional whisking and then blending to get that quintessential buttercream texture. The transformation is magical.
I hope you all LOVE this frosting! It’s:
Thick
Creamy
Rich
Decadent
Naturally sweetened
& So delicious
This would make the perfect frosting option for things like cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and more! I think it would be especially delicious on my Vegan Sugar Cookies, 1-Bowl Pumpkin Bread, and my Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
Cashew Buttercream Frosting (2 Ways!)
Ingredients
CLASSIC CASHEW “BUTTERCREAM” FROSTING
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked in hot water 1 hour or cool water 6-8 hours)
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk or cream
- 3-4 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil* (adds richness and helps firm up)
- 1/4 tsp lemon zest
- 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
TANGY CASHEW “CREAM CHEESE” FROSTING
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked in hot water 1 hour or cool water 6-8 hours)
- 2/3 cup Coconut Yogurt or Coyo Coconut Yogurt (OR sub 1/2 cup (120 ml) full-fat coconut milk or cream)
- 3-4 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil* (adds richness and helps firm up)
- 1 1/2 – 2 tsp apple cider vinegar (more for tangier frosting)
- 1/4 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Soak cashews in very hot water for 1 hour or in cool water for 6-8 hours. Drain thoroughly and add to a blender. To the blender, also add remaining ingredients, depending on which style of frosting you’re going for.
- Blend until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed. It's important to get the frosting as creamy and smooth as possible, so blend on high with a high-speed blender until the texture is silky and smooth.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more maple syrup for sweetness, vanilla for vanilla flavor, or (if making the tangy frosting) more apple cider vinegar or lemon zest for tang.
- Transfer frosting to a medium mixing bowl (with room to blend / whisk) and cover. Place in the freezer and chill for 45 minutes. Then remove from freezer and whisk. Freeze for another 45 minutes – 1 hour and whisk again. Then leave in the freezer until semi-firm to the touch (cheesecake texture // ~ 2-4 hours) and use a hand mixer (or whisk) to blend until creamy and smooth. Depending on how firm your frosting is, this may take a little work at the beginning as it softens. If too thick, microwave in 15-second increments until blendable (or leave out at room temperature to soften).
- Your frosting is ready to use! Or it can be stored in the refrigerator up to 5-7 days (or the freezer 1 month). The nature of this frosting is like most other frostings in that it will soften out of the refrigerator. So, if serving a cake with this frosting, it’s best to keep the cake refrigerated. Once ready to serve, it is fine staying out of the refrigerator for several hours.
- These frostings would be great on cakes like my Vegan Apple Gingerbread Cake, Vegan Birthday Cake, Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake, Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Roll, or even in my Vegan Whoopie Pies!
Video
Notes
*Because the recipes are very similar, I included one nutritional information estimate for both. It is a rough estimate for 1 quarter-cup serving calculated with full-fat coconut milk and lesser amount of maple syrup.
*Recipe makes ~2 cups frosting.
Liza says
I made this frosting for my mom’s bday cake and it was successful :) The frosting did firm up. I used a small can of coconut cream but there wasn’t enough cream to make it to 1/2 cup but it still worked! We kept the frosted cake in the fridge until ready to be served. It was a 9 inch round cake and i only frosted the top; still have lots of leftover frosting for when i make other desserts soon. Loved the lemon zest flavour. I highly recommend this recipe. Your website is my go-to for making healthy and delicious desserts! Thank you, Dana!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Liza! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Marna Oettle says
Hi, this looks amazing! I want to use it for a birthday cake. I have a few questions:
1. Will I be able to colour it with food coloring?
2. Could I use date syrup to sweeten instead of maple syrup?
3. Can I use cashew nut butter instead of cashews, and how much would you recommend? I have a ton of cashew nut butter…
4. Could i use butter instead of coconut oil? I’m not vegan, just love the idea of a cashew nut frosting!
Thanks in advance!
Hi Marna! We haven’t tried it with food coloring, but it should work! Date syrup should also work. We don’t think cashew butter would work because it might not be thick enough. We don’t think butter will solidify enough. We hope you enjoy it!
Kate says
Hi! I want to make this for my friend’s birthday cake, but I don’t have a whisk or a mixer. Do you think I could whisk the frosting with a fork instead?
Hi Kate, good question! It might not be as smooth or fluffy, but we’d say it’s worth a try!
Gile says
Hi, so just a couple questions before i get started with the frosting. When you wrote freezer, did you mean the one we keep ice cream in or the fridge? Also – do i need to put 30 ml of the required lemon juice to get the right texture, or is it just a taste thing? Thank you so much!!
Hi Gile, you’ll put it in the same freezer where you keep ice cream. The lemon juice is more for taste and will have a minimal impact on texture. We hope you enjoy this frosting! xo
Brenda Hankins says
Would this work for both a big birthday cake and a smaller smash cake? I’m sad I could never get the dairy free frosting consistency correct to make my son’s cakes homemade for his first birthday in June and ended up giving up and booking a baker instead. Shame, the cake itself I made was so good. Son needs dairy free because of an actual allergy to casein and whey, and we eat gluten and mostly grain free.
Hi Brenda, Yes, it would work for both! Sorry to hear the first frosting recipe didn’t work out. We hope this one goes better for you!
Michele says
Hello, I would love to make this but I don’t use coconut oil, or butter, can this be made with olive oil? Thank you!
Hi Michele, We wouldn’t recommend olive oil, but you can omit the oil. The frosting should still firm up, but it won’t be as creamy.
Antonia Sattler says
Is this frosting pipable?
Hi Antonia, It can be used in piping if it’s thick enough! But it can’t stay out of the refrigerator too long as it’s prone to melting more than traditional buttercream.
Antonia Sattler says
Hi, is the lemon just for taste? :)
And I have seen a recipe where they use coconut butter? Is that better? Or coconut oil is fine to. I’m after the frosting to be pip able!
Hi Antonia, Yes, the lemon is for flavor! It adds a little brightness. We think coconut butter would make it gritty, but we haven’t tried it.
Bruna says
Hi :) I made this recipe twice now and after applying to my cake it doesn’t hold and melts like ice cream :( The taste is delicious but the texture doesn’t work.
Any tips on what I might be doing wrong? Is there any video available?
I’m making the CLASSIC version.
Thanks!
Bruna
Hi Bruna, are you storing it at room temperature or in the fridge after frosting the cake? If your room is above ~75 F, the coconut oil is likely causing it to melt.
Bruna Milanez Moreira says
Ah! It must be it then. I’m currently in Portugal and temperature is definitely above 75F :P Thanks for answering.
xx
Bruna
Sety says
Hi, I’m wondering how much of the coconut taste comes through?
Hi Sety, we wouldn’t say it’s strong, but if you don’t like the taste of coconut, you probably won’t like it!
Patience says
I made this, but substituted 3/4 of the coconut oil for coconut butter. I needed it to be quite firm for some wedding cupcakes. It worked like a charm. At this point I omitted the coconut milk accidentally…late night baking brain! I may still add it in although I am tempted to leave it because it tastes pretty amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Alexandra says
What a tasty frosting! I’m working on refined sugar-free desserts and this one works perfectly. One question: After whisking it with a hand mixer, I can store it in the fridge and it won’t change the consistency? Do I have to whisk it again if I plan on using it for a layer cake the day after I made it?
Thanks in adavance for your advice!
Hi Alexandra, you shouldn’t need to whisk it or do anything else the next day, but if it looks separated a bit, you could!
Caitlin Hitch says
Hello! I’m just wondering if I could use cashew butter here instead of raw cashews soaked? Thanks!
That might work! Maybe 1/2 cup? Let us know if you try it!
We aren’t sure if it will be thick enough though!
Alina Belousova says
For a few years now I was looking for a vegan frosting recipe that didn’t use powdered sugar (nor erythritol, or xylitol as sugar replacements), that used natural sweeteners and that would be still stiff enough to pipe and taste great.
Well, I think I’ve found it!!! I’ve made a ripple raspberry effect with raspberry goo and it was awesome. Tastes like raspberry yoghurt of some sort, but I don’t mind that at all! I think I might start using it as my go to frosting recipe and experiment with other flavours (unless I find a more stiff and stable version that ticks all other boxes). I want to try something like a peanut-date caramel ripple (already drooling). Thank you, Dana, for taking all the experimenting and testing work upon yourself.
Next time I would get coconut whipping (!) cream to see if it will help it even more.
Aw, thank you so much for sharing, Alina! Stay tuned for another one coming soon that you may also enjoy :)
Raven says
Best Vegan icing ever! Then I took the leftovers, added some egg substitute and coconut flour, and baked it for a vegan cheesecake. So good!
Whoop! We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Raven. Thank you for sharing! xo
Veronica says
Such an interesting recipe! I am doing my daughter’s cake smash cake and just wondering which recipe (this vs the other buttercream you have posted) you would recommend. We need something that would hold up well enough for car transport and photoshoot. Thanks!
Hi Veronica, we think the other recipe will be more suitable for transport. However, if it all possible, frosting when you get there is best!
Lungowe Sinjwala says
I just absolutely love your recipes. So so easy and just simply delicious all the time. I love the classic cashew cream frosting always a hands down winner whenever I use it. Will give the tangy cheese cream frosting a try next time. Looking for something to pair with my carrot cake.
Thank you for sharing your recipes. God bless you. I’m your number fan. Made my vegan journey a lot easier.
A huge shout out from Zambia, Africa. ♥️💞
We hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for your kind words and support, Lungowe! xo
Atara Dahan says
Looking for an icing for your vanilla triple layer cake that doesn’t involve butter or cream cheese (I don’t eat them, and the vegan versions are often less healthy and have a ton of oil).
1. What’s the difference between the 2 in flavor and texture?
2. Can I use a different non-dairy milk, or it needs to be coconut?
3. Can I use regular yogurt?
4. If I leave out the oil, will it still be firm enough to ice the cake?
5. Once put on the cake, how long will it last in the fridge?
Thanks
1) The 2nd one is more tangy
2) You want a thick, dairy-free milk and coconut is best. Cashew would be the next best option.
3) That should be fine, but we haven’t tested it.
4) See the notes section.
5) It’s best to frost just before serving, but should be fine up to 24 hours in advance.
Bel says
Oh no! I’m running out of time.
I’ve made the frosting and it’s sitting in the freezer for the first 45min. That is really all the time I have before I have to leave the house with my cake!
Will it be ok if I just keep the icing seperate (chilled in an icebox) and put it straight onto the cake when serving? I’m ok with it not having the real buttercream texture, as long as it tastes good!
Thanks
Hi Bel, the texture might not be as thick if it hasn’t had the full chilling time, but should still taste yummy! Hope it goes well!
Jennie says
Hi! I’m wondering if roasted cashews would work as well?
Hi Jennie, We haven’t tried it and the flavor will be much different, but it should work if you’re okay with the “roasty” taste. Hope this helps!
Elizabeth says
This was excellent. The coconut cream and the coconut oil made a huge difference (I’ve seen other recipes where it was omitted.
In all honesty, I’ve made several recipes that I found here and they’ve all been great.
Thank you for sharing.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Elizabeth. Thank you so much for your kind words and support! xo
Elizabeth says
As a new vegan, I’ve found my way with your help.
Also lowered my cholesterol a whopping 40 points within two months.
Jessica says
Congrats!
Enah says
hi, if i want it flavored like lemon, strawberry, bb, etc for things like donuts or muffins should i just add the fruit on top of this recipe?
Hi Enah, that would probably be best! We think adding a fruit purée to the frosting itself might make it too liquidy.
Enah says
do you have any other vegan recipe for flavored cashew coconut buttercream, like if you wanted to make it strawberry flavored with natural strawberries for example?
Hi Enah, we don’t, unfortunately!
Alina Belousova says
I’ve made this recipe with a raspberry reduction. Just cooked up raspberries with some natural sugar (like rapadura, same as sucanat, or you can use coconut sugar) and reduced it to an almost jammy consistency, then strained it through the sieve. I’ve made like a ripple effect with the buttercream by folding the cooled mixture into the buttercream. The colour changes over time and becomes more pale, but you can still taste it in the final product.
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Alina!
May says
You might be able to use dehydrated/dried and powdered fruit to keep the fruit flavor without making the frosting too runny.
Chrissie says
You could try adding freeze dried strawberry powder?
Erna Sambajon says
I make the classic cashew buttermilk frosting and its soo good. Everyone loves it. Thank you so much for sharing ur recipe
Amazing! We’re so glad to hear it, Erna. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
As says
What can I use in place of the coconut oil in the cashew tangy cream cheese frosting? Would light olive oil work? Only other oil I have…
Hi there! The coconut oil is pretty essential to the frosting as it helps it firm up, which olive oil will not do. If you have vegan butter, that would work, but we haven’t tried it with any other oils and cannot guarantee results.
cc says
i also understand 1 cup cashews is about 150g? how is 1.5 cup = 180g per your recipe above?
Hi, our metric calculations show 1 cup cashews is 120 grams, but it’s an estimate as we primarily use cup measurements and make conversions.
cc says
hello!
if i replace cashews with seeds, would that be gram per gram or cup per cup?
Also, can i use melted butter instead of coconut oil? And i’m wondering why the above do not use icing sugar to help firm up the frosting?
Hi! Cup for cup on the seeds, but it may require some adjusting as cashews will likely absorb the liquid better than seeds. See our reply to your other comment for the other questions =)
cc says
Many thanks for your prompt reply.
what do you mean by adjusting? how should i be adjusting it if i’m substituting cashews for sunflower seeds?
Hi, you may need to use slightly more sunflower seeds.
cc says
hello! im wondering why the above recipes do not contain icing sugar to help firm up the frosting? would adding it change the flavour by alot?
and also, can i use melted butter instead of coconut oil? im guessing butter will firm up in the fridge over time?
thanks :))
Hi, this recipe is an alternative to more traditional recipes that use icing sugar. If you’re looking for a more classic buttercream frosting, we’d suggest this recipe instead. In this recipe, using melted butter should work in place of the coconut oil. And we’re not sure about adding icing sugar, but it might work!
cc says
Many thanks for your prompt reply!
Corinda says
Any possibility you can use roasted cashews for this recipe?
Hi Corinda! We haven’t tried it and the flavor will be much different, but it should work if you’re okay with the “roasty” taste. Hope this helps!
Connie says
Hi, is it possible to add some gelatin into the buttercream? If so how much? If gelatin doesn’t work, what else can I do to stabilize the cashew buttercream? Cos I live in a tropical country, the temp is about 88F or higher daily plus very high humidity
Hi Connie, we haven’t experimented with gelatin. Omitting the coconut oil and using coconut cream instead of coconut milk should help it be more stable. Hope that helps!
Toria says
Hi Dana,
We have a French toast casserole for breakfast every Christmas, but I am dairy free and attempting to make it so! It calls for 1 block of cream cheese – do you think this tangy recipe minus the maple syrup and vanilla would be a good replacement for cream cheese? Do you think it would behave well in the oven?
Hi Toria! We haven’t tried using this as a cream cheese substitute so we really cannot guarantee results. We’d suggest using a store bought vegan cream cheese if you can find one, we like Miyoko’s (tangier!) or Tofutti for the most dairy-like taste!
Rose says
Wanting to make a chocolate ripple cake and wondering if I could substitute the heavy whipping cream with this healthier option.
Hi Rose! We don’t have much experience with chocolate ripple cake, but we think that would work. Let us know how it goes!
Amy says
Love love loved this the first time I made it (the tangy cashew cream cheese frosting) but this time I think my melted coconut oil seized up and I ended up with little clumps in the frosting for my carrot cake. Soooo sad. Will it still taste okay?
Aw, sorry that happened, Amy! That does sound like it might have been the issue. If it got that way after blending for a while, it’s possible it was over-blended. Otherwise, for next time, we’d say leave the coconut yogurt at room temp for 15-30 minutes so the mixture isn’t as cold when you add the melted coconut oil. Hope that helps!
David Lum says
Is it possible to use the cashew buttercream for piping detailed flowers? I normally make Italian meringue buttercream to decorate, but would love to try your cashew frosting recipe. Any suggestions on the amount of liquid I should decrease to make the frosting more stable? Thank you in advance!
Hi David, We haven’t tried that, but it can be temperature sensitive. You may need the full amount of liquid to get it to blend, but you could try starting with half the amount of coconut cream and work your way up from there! Let us know how it goes!
Jackie says
I made the original buttercream and it did not taste like icing at all. It was not sweet, even with added maple syrup. I tried adding a couple cups of powdered sugar to make it taste more like icing, and all it did was ruin the consistency.
Oh no! So sorry this was your experience, Jackie. Can you tell us more? Did you happen to make any modifications?
Hi says
NO MORE TRADITIONAL ICING!!! I am overjoyed to have found this recipe!! I quick soaked the cashews, used 1/3 cup of maple syrup for sweetness, the recommended coconut oil, no lemon, no vanilla extract, and twice as much milk which was vanilla almond milk instead and WOW!! IVE NEVER TASTED ANYTHING SO DELICIOUS! DEFINITELY GOING TO MAKE THIS FOR ANY ICING NEEDS! After two freeze and whip steps it was a thick, creamy, fluffy dream, perfect for my own adaptation; COCOA POWDER!! Adding 1/4 + 1/8 cups of cocoa powder turned it into theeeeeee BEST chocolate frosting I have EVER had!! I could tell that with less liquid it could easily become a decadent chocolate mousse which will absolutely be my new not guilty pleasure! Thank you minimalist baker!
Amazing! Thank you so much for the lovely review, we are so glad you enjoyed!
Laura says
I made the classic buttercream and it turned out incredible!! I added a 1/4 cup of powdered sugar to make it slightly sweeter, but I don’t think it’s totally necessary. The recipe calls for coconut cream or coconut milk – I used the former which worked great, but I’m surprised this recipe considers them interchangeable, given how liquid-y coconut milk is. And if you’re looking for a thick buttercream consistency, do not skip the freeze & whip steps.
Also, I tried this recipe after having made the minimalist baker’s vegan cream cheese frosting that uses vegan butter and vegan cream cheese and this one is WAY better. The other one had a bitter aftertaste (surely due to the brand of vegan cream cheese & butter I used). If you’re choosing between the two recipes, choose this one!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Laura! We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe! xo
Alicia says
Delicious! 10/10 would make again
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Alicia!
Alexandra says
I made the buttercream frosting and it was not good.
We’re so sorry you didn’t enjoy the frosting either, Alexandra! Was there anything in particular that wasn’t good about the frosting? Again, we’re here to trouble-shoot if you’d like. Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with us!
Christa Miller says
I’m looking for a good wfpb frosting for a semi naked cake. Do you think this one would work ok for that?
Hi Christa! We haven’t tried using this frosting for that style of cake, but we think it would work! You may need to do a few thin layers and fully chill the cake in between. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Lail says
Could I use almond yogurt instead of the coconut yogurt?
Hi Lail, we haven’t tried it with almond milk yogurt, but if it’s thick, it might be okay! Let us know how it goes!
Sarah says
LOVED this recipe! I soaked my cashews for 2-3 hours, drained it and popped it in the blender with all other ingredients. They were AMAZING on my vegan cinnamon rolls!!
Ooo – delish! Thanks for the lovely review, Sarah! xo
Nylia Erickson says
The flavor was great, light and not overly sweet. The constancy was thin and runny. I tried adding confectioner sugar and then corn starch, neither made the cream thick enough to spread.
My rating is 2 as it had flavor but was unusable.
Hi Nylia, we’re so sorry to hear it didn’t turn out well! Which version did you make? Is it possible that the coconut yogurt or coconut milk/cream you were using was runny? Or did you make any modifications?
Amber says
Wondering if anyone has tried coloring this frosting & does it work well?
Hi Amber, we haven’t tried it, but think it would work. Let us know if you give it a try!
Catherine says
Can I use non-fat greek yogurt instead of coconut yogurt for the tangy?
We haven’t tried that, but we think it would work. Let us know if you try it!
Angella says
Hi! I would love to try this, but I recently learned I cannot have coconut (or dairy, or soy, or almond ugh.) Is there any other option here? Thank you!
Hi Angella, Another thick, non-dairy milk such as homemade almond might work- though we haven’t tried it. We would recommend this recipe instead for frosting made without coconut: https://minimalistbaker.com/date-sweetened-chocolate-frosting/
Michalina says
Can I add melted dark chocolate to change the flavor? Or would it affect the texture? What about cocoa powder?
Thanks in advance!
Oh I think that would work really well! Let us know if you try, Michalina!
Jessica says
Hi! So I’m making the tangy version of this icing but after the second 45 min stint in the freezer is was basically frozen. Did I do something wrong? Should I skip the 2 hour freeze if its already at this point?
Yes, if it’s already stiff enough for you to whip and frost a cake, then no need to freeze longer! May depend on how shallow your bowl is (the shallower / wider the bowl, the quicker the freeze).
Jessica says
It ended up perfect. I also added the juice of a whole lemon in the “tangy” version and it was delicious.
Wow, yay! Thanks for sharing, Jessica!
Dora Dewsbery says
The flavour of this was delicious but the texture was odd, almost furry, did I do something wrong? I even tried passing it through a sieve but it made no difference.
Hmm, strange. Did you have a high speed blender? Not sure what you mean by “furry.”
Elaina says
Hi! I did step one of the freezer/whisk, I can stay up for the second round after 45 mins freezer/whisk. Could I then leave in the freezer overnight and thaw out in the AM and do the final whisking in the morning? Or would I totally screw this up?
Hmm, that should work but we haven’t tried it! Will you let us know how it goes?
Zarina says
Hi Dana,
I am allergic to all the nuts and seeds . Can only have peanuts. What would be any other substitute for the frosting?
Really appreciate your help.
Peanuts may work! Otherwise, not sure what to substitute other than trying our vegan buttercream?
Elaina says
Also- I just realized I forgot to put the coconut oil in there. Could I still add this I do want to make sure it stays put vs melting at all if left out for just a few hours before eating.
I wouldn’t add it now. It likely will seize and not mix well…
Kp says
Try a white sweet potato as the base instead of cashew. Maybe peel, cube, boil and use that in equal parts 1.5 cups. Then find an oat milk based yogurt to replace coconut milk.
Molly McBride says
Is there an alternative sweetener for maple syrup? I live in Spain and can get the good natural stuff.
Hmm, what about honey or agave or date syrup?