This 4-ingredient Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting is pipeable, spreadable, and just plain perfect! Use it for vegan carrot cake, red velvet, cupcakes, and more.
This is the best vegan cake frosting for my Vegan Carrot Cake and my Vegan Lemon Cake. You can even pipe it onto my Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes!
Some cakes call out for cream cheese frosting, am I right? I’ve tried making it the same way you’d make a typical cream cheese frosting, but it would always be too runny and slippery. One time, I even frosted a double-layer carrot cake for Easter, and the top layer slipped off and broke right before serving! 😣
But my Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting? I tested the recipe many, many times until it was thick, spreadable, and perfect for layer cakes. Making it is a little different from other frostings (like this Vegan Buttercream Frosting), but I promise the tiny bit of extra effort is totally worth it for this tangy, sweet, pipeable frosting.
My Vegan Carrot Cake and my Vegan Red Velvet Cake just wouldn’t be the same without this frosting. No slipping included!
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“LOVED this icing! Used it on the carrot cake and got so many compliments from everyone, including non-vegans.” – Dorea
Why this is the best vegan cream cheese frosting
- Pipe it or spread it – I tested this recipe until I had a thick and creamy frosting I could spread between layer cakes or pipe onto cupcakes. It’s seriously the best!
- Sweet and tangy – I love the subtle pop of tang in cream cheese frosting. It gives classic desserts, like cakes, cupcakes, and even my Vegan Cinnamon Rolls, a little something extra special.
- 4 ingredients – All you need is vegan butter, vegan cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar.
How to make vegan cream cheese frosting
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Add the softened vegan butter to a large mixing bowl and beat with a handheld mixer until creamy and smooth.
Drain any liquid from the cream cheese container, then add it to the bowl. Beat the butter and cream cheese together for 1 minute.
Next, mix in the vanilla, then gradually add and beat in the powdered sugar (1 cup at a time) until the frosting is stiff and spreadable.
The frosting will be ready to spread on a cake by this point! You can also keep it covered in the fridge until it’s time to use it or if you need it to thicken.
For pipeable frosting…
It’s always a good idea to keep the vegan cream cheese frosting in the fridge until you’re ready to transfer it to a piping bag. This will help it thicken up really nicely. If it’s still not quite stiff enough, freeze it in 15-minute increments, stirring in between, until it’s at your desired consistency.
Helpful Tips
- To only slightly soften the vegan butter and cream cheese, take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before making the recipe.
- Cold frosting = thick, spreadable frosting. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it, and after spreading it/piping it onto cakes and cupcakes.
- Make sure your cake layers are completely cool before you add the frosting!
- Cakes frosted with cream cheese frosting should be refrigerated until it’s time to slice and serve. Most of the vegan cream cheese is made with coconut oil, which isn’t very stable at room temperature. You don’t want the top cake layer to slip off (trust me, I’ve been there!).
Frequently asked questions
I’ve had the most consistent results with Tofutti Vegan Cream Cheese. Some commenters also had good results with Kite Hill, Violife, Nuts for You, and Philadelphia Plant Based Cream Cheese. Honestly, there are so many brands of vegan cream cheese out there these days that I can barely keep up!
The only brand I wouldn’t recommend using is Daiya because I think it leaves an odd aftertaste.
I do not recommend using homemade cream cheese, like my Vegan Cream Cheese or my Tofu Cream Cheese. They’re usually too thin and won’t give the frosting the same thick consistency we need. You can use it if needed, but it won’t be quite the same.
The frosting is quite sensitive to heat, which can cause a freshly made batch or one that’s been sitting in a warm kitchen to become soft and runny. The best way to fix this is by placing the bowl of frosting in the freezer for 15 minutes. After, give it a stir and either use it or place it back in the freezer for 15 more minutes.
Yes, you can make the frosting 1 to 2 days ahead. Keep it covered in the fridge and take it out 20 minutes before you need to use it.
This recipe makes a lot of frosting, so you’ll likely end up with extras! Luckily, it will stay fresh for about 1 week in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw the frozen frosting in the fridge overnight, then re-whip it before using.
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, slightly softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar, more if needed
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the slightly softened vegan butter and beat with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until creamy and smooth.
- Drain any extra liquid in the vegan cream cheese container, add it to the bowl and beat for 30 seconds to 1 minute to combine with the butter. Do not over beat at this point, or your frosting may be too runny.
- Beat in the vanilla to combine. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until thick and spreadable. I used 4 cups, but you may need a little more.
- At this point, if your frosting still seems a bit too soft and runny for spreading, stick the bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes. Take it out, stir, and put it back in the freezer for another 15 minutes if needed, until a thick consistency is reached. If planning to pipe onto cupcakes, place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to thicken up.
- Frost your cake or cupcakes or use anywhere else you like. Enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend using sticks of vegan butter, not the tub. Make sure the butter is not close to melty, or the frosting won’t work. Just slightly softened is what we’re going for here.
- This recipe makes enough for about 12-18 cupcakes or a double 8 or 9-inch layer cake.
- Freeze the leftover frosting, then let it thaw before using.
Great recipe!!
I had a lot of leftover frosting, we don’t like a lot of frosting. I would like to save the frosting for another cake but I don’t know the best way to store it, so I can use it In a month or so. Do you have any tips?
Thanks in advance.
You can freeze the leftover frosting. I freeze it in a freezer friendly container, usually glass, with a tight fitting lid of course. Hope that helps, thanks!
Hi when I mix the butter and cream cheese together everything was fine. But once I added the vanilla and sugar everything started to separate can you tell me why this happens.
I’m sorry you are having trouble with the frosting. Vegan cream cheese frosting can be a little tricky, which is why I included as much advice as possible, to help you troubleshoot. Often it will become too runny or even separate if your vegan butter was too soft or melty to start with, or if you over mix it. Try sticking the whole thing in the freezer for 15 minutes, then re-stir or mix. Continue doing this if necessary until it’s thicker and comes together. It should be salvageable! Hope that helps.
Used this on a red velvet cake ?
This was perfect! I used an earth balance stick and kite hill cream cheese! I made it with your carrot cake recipe and it was delicious with rave reviews from some picky eaters in my family! I will definitely make this again and again. Thank you!
Thank you Carolien!
EXCELLENT. Thank you for the recipe. It’s a keeper.
Thank you, Hailey!
This recipe could not have been more perfect. The cake was moist and delicious. I felt like I outdid myself with this one! Thank you.
Hi Ronee. I’m so glad it turned out wonderful for you! Thank you for sharing!
Delish! I used Miyokos vegan butter and Tofutti cream cheese., Thanks for such a a easy and delicious buttercream.
Hi Regina. Thank you for using my recipe, and for sharing! I’m glad you like it!
Looking forward to making this carrot cake receipt for Christmas….could I use a Bundt cake pan.??Thank you in advance… Merry Christmas..
This is fantastic! If there is too much, can the excess be successfully frozen and used later?
Yes, it freezes well.
This is delicious and very easy to make. I used earth balance sticks and kitehill original cream cheese and it turned out super good for me and the 3 year old I’m babysitting ?
That’s great!
Help! My consistency is off, runny. And it’s already pretty sweet so I don’t want to add more sugar. Would whipping up more butter and incorporating help solve this?
What brand of vegan cream cheese did you use? The best solution at this point would be to stick it in the freezer for an hour or so to help it get firm. If you keep mixing and mixing it will actually make it worse. Some brands work better than others; I really like Kite Hill, Trader Joe’s and Tofutti. Adding more butter will not help I’m afraid.
Hi, I’ve tried this recipe and used a vegan butter & vegan cream which is found in our local supermarkets. I needed double the amount of cream for a 2 layered 9″ cake. With 115 gr room temperature butter I used 400 gr cold cream and reduced the amount of sugar to 150gr. After mixing all the ingredients, one after the other, starting from the cream as it is very stiff and hard, I did not obtain a smooth consistency. Visually it was very lumpy, however it tastes perfectly good. Do you think maybe it needs less butter? What do you recommend to avoid this result in texture? Thanks.
Did you use cream cheese or just “cream”? It’s a little hard for me to know went wrong without more information. If it was too thick, I would suggest adding just a little bit of non-dairy milk until it is not so stiff.
I used cold vegan cream cheese, which is quite hard, but when it’s whisked, it becomes soft and creamy. I then added the room temperature, softened vegan butter to the cream cheese followed by the powdered sugar. The end result was lumpy and not as creamy as it should be. I am thinking that there’s something wrong with the temperatures of the cream cheese & the butter when they are mixed together.
Oh okay, I think I might know the problem. You are actually supposed to beat the softened vegan butter BEFORE adding the cream cheese, and it sounds like you are doing the opposite of that. Get the softened butter creamy first, then add the cream cheese. Hope that helps!
Can I use real butter in this recipe?
Thank you for a reply.
You could yes, but then it wouldn’t be dairy free.
Oops my question was for the carrot cake
Sure, you can make it a day ahead but definitely refrigerate it because the frosting is a bit sensitive to heat and may melt.
Can I make this a day ahead? If so should I refrigerate? should I frost it last minute or just let it all sit overnight? Thanks
I am making a wedding cake for a friend who is vegan so the top layer needs to be vegan. She has requested carrot cake and I am looking for a cream cheese frosting that will be able to sit out for a couple of hours. My question is does this frosting get too soft if it sits out for a couple of hours? I would refrigerate it before but being on a wedding cake it will be out for awhile before it is cut. Thank you
I would be very nervous using it for a wedding cake, unfortunately. It gets very soft after an hour or so, shorter if it’s in a warm place.
Hi Nora, would I be able to use margarine in this recipe instead of butter?
It should work fine, yes.
Hi Nora.
I have a similar situation for birthday. Will vegan cream cheese frosting soften faster than vegan vanilla frosting? or both would be same at room temperature ?
Thanks.
Yes, the cream cheese frosting will soften faster than the vanilla frosting. Hope that helps!
I almost always substitute any type of butter with coconut oil….so I’m wondering for this frosting if I’d be able to use coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
You could try it, but I’m afraid it won’t hold up and will instead be very melty and soft.
Awesome one , loved every one.
Hello! Would it mess up the consistency to cut the amount of powdered sugar? Like in half? I just don’t like my frosting too sweet, but am planning on making this for a party and don’t want to mess it up! Thank you!
It should be fine to use less powdered sugar. Just make sure everything is very cold. Hope that helps!
I used less sugar. The frosting just needed a little extra time in the fridge but even at less than half my family felt it was too sweet
Nora you often recommend Trader Joe’s vegan cream cheese, but I cannot find any on the Trader Joe’s site. I used to live in Hillsboro and I didn’t see it in the store there either. What is the best alternative in your opinion?
Oh weird, I am still finding it at Trader Joe’s in Hillsboro. It is by the vegan butter and regular cream cheeses. I have used Kite Hill several times and am really pleased with it.
Delicious! I made this for your carrots cake, did 3 8 inch cakes and did not stack them, just frosted the tops of each with this frosting (made 1.5x original amount). Living in New Hampshire I can’t always get cream cheese from the local market, so I improvised with sour cream and it worked great! Would not hold up for a layer cake I am sure as it is more runny than cream cheese would have made it, but delicious and no one would know its vegan. Brought the cakes to my family’s omnivore thanksgiving and it went over wonderfully!
That’s so cool that it worked with sour cream, so glad you enjoyed!
Just a note here.
I used ‘Tofutti Vegan Cream Cheese’ but whichever brand you use— put it in cheese cloth.
A regular strainer will suffice as well.
I drained this overnight and collected approximately 1/2 cup of water/liquid from an 8 oz container.
It will definitely yield a ‘drier consistency’ for recipes where stability is an issue. It may also make room for moist ingredients to be added in such as a few tablespoons of pineapple or strawberry for flavored Vegan Frosting.
I am not promoting ‘Tofutti’, I just prefer to use after research last year for vegan desserts.
My advice for the best consistency possible— to do the same with ANY brand you so choose, where you see liquid collected when you open.
This recipe was very good Ms. Nora. Very good indeed.
Thanks for the tip! I’m glad you enjoyed the frosting!
Trader Joe’s carries their cream cheese by their cheeses! Not by the butter ?
Souns incredible but4 cups of powdered sugar is alot, I try to avoid sugar. Do you have any alternative sweeteners suggestions?
I try to use local honey when feasible.
I don’t know of a way to make this frosting sugar free, I don’t use artificial sweeteners but if you can find a powdered sugar type alternative that would be best. You may be able to cut the sugar in half, but it will be more runny, depending on the brand of vegan cream cheese you use. For a healthier frosting you might want to consider the cashew vanilla frosting from this recipe: Oil Free Chocolate Cake.
I’ve made this just now with swerve powdered sugar which is erythrotol sugar substitute. My cousin hated it because there was a weird aftertaste and she said when it dissolved in her mouth it had a strange consistency. She is sensitive to aly sugars in general and not a fan. I thought it was ok. But I think maybe doing half and half regular sugar may have been better. I’ve also tried powdered monkfruit sweetener but used wayyyy too much as it’s 2x sweeter than sugar. So that didn’t come out either. I have one other alternative I’m going to try but so far, not a hit.
Made this frosting yesterday to use on the carrot cake recipe. It is amazingly delicious, but this recipe could EASILY frost two (or more!) 8 inch cakes! I’ll definitely be using this in the future.
So glad you enjoyed the frosting! It does make quite a lot. It freezes well, too. 🙂
I‘m planning on trying out your recipe but it will probably be too much for my cake. How can I freeze the frosting?
I would freeze leftover frosting in a freezer safe container. I have done this and it works well.
OMG!! This is the recipe I’ve been waiting for! Thank you for such detailed instructions. I will be using this often!!