The Perfect Vegan Buttercream Icing

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Fun fact: years ago I actually had my own home based bakery. I have loved decorating cakes as long as I can remember, but once I started having babies and homeschooling all of that went out the window. With all that being said, once we decided to go gluten free and vegan, I had to make a recipe for buttercream icing that was just as delicious (if not better) than before. Enter this recipe. Light and fluffy, but still strong enough to hold its shape, this icing is (as far as I’m convinced) the PERFECT vegan buttercream. Whether you use it for icing a cake, or filling for a cookie sandwich, this icing tastes amazing to even non vegans. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

Ingredients Needed for Vegan Buttercream Icing

• Crisco- Vegetable shortening
• Vegan butter sticks
• Powdered Sugar
• Oat Milk
• Vanilla Extract

How to Make Vegan Buttercream Icing

This recipe really is so simple. I would HIGHLY recommend using a stand mixer for this. A hand mixer works as well but if you have a stand mixer (ex. Kitchen Aid) I would use it. I LOVE my kitchen aid. I’ve actually had it since 2010 and never had a single issue with it, so if you are in the market for one I would highly suggest it. Ok back to the recipe, allow your vegan butter to sit out at room temperature for an hour or so or unwrap and microwave until SLIGHTLY softened (NOT melted). Combine one cup of crisco and 2 cups of butter in the bowl of your mixture and turn on. Allow the crisco and butter mixture to cream for a minute or so until mixed together well and no longer clumpy. Next, pour in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 3 Tablespoons of oat milk and continue to whip for an additional minute. Turn off your mixture and add in half the powdered sugar. I would suggest starting low and slow, otherwise you are going to end up with a face full of powdered sugar (been there!). Slowly turn up your speed until combined and again, turn the mixture off. Add in the rest of the powdered sugar and repeat until fluffy and all ingredients are combined, scraping the bowl as needed. Depending on your location and humidity levels you might need to add in an additional tablespoon of oat milk to soften. You can use it as is or add food coloring. I highly suggest using natural food dye other than artificial. Perfect for decorating cakes, piping beautiful designs, or filling yummy cookie sandwiches. Enjoy!

Perfect Vegan Buttercream Icing

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Equipment

• Stand mixer or handmixer

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup crisco vegetable shortening
• 2 sticks vegan butter
• 2 lbs (32 oz) powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp Oat milk any plant based milk is fine but be careful if using a nut milk if making for people with allergies.
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract pure (if adding food coloring I would suggest using a clear extract)

Instructions

 

• Allow your vegan butter to sit out at room temperature for an hour or so or unwrap and microwave until SLIGHTLY softened (NOT melted).
• Combine one cup of crisco and 2 cups of butter in the bowl of your mixture and turn on.
• Allow the crisco and butter mixture to cream for a minute or so until mixed together well and no longer clumpy.
• Next, pour in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 3 Tablespoons of oat milk and continue to whip for an additional minute.
• Turn off your mixture and add in half the powdered sugar. I would suggest starting low and slow.

  Slowly turn up your speed until combined and again, turn the mixture off.
• Add in the rest of the powdered sugar and repeat until fluffy and all ingredients are combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
• Depending on your location and humidity levels you might need to add in an additional tablespoon of oat milk to soften.
• Use to decorate cakes, pipe beautiful designs, or fill yummy cookie sandwiches. Enjoy!