If you’ve been searching for the ultimate vegan cream cheese frosting, you’re in the right place! This silky, tangy, and perfectly sweet frosting is as versatile as it is delicious. It spreads beautifully and drizzles smoothly as a dairy-free glaze for cakes, and is the best icing for cinnamon rolls for that perfect slather. The best part? Chill it overnight, and it becomes thick enough to pipe on cupcakes!

This recipe is 100% plant-based, made with simple ingredients, and way better than store-bought frosting. Whether you’re baking a vegan cake and want that perfect drip action on a glaze, dressing up your cinnamon rolls, or decorating cupcakes, this frosting does it all with one overnight magic trick.

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

✔ Rich, creamy, and perfectly sweet
✔ Works as a frosting, glaze, or icing
✔ Chill it for a pipeable consistency for cupcakes
✔ Only 5 simple ingredients
✔ 100% dairy-free & vegan-friendly

How to Make the Perfect Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

Step 1: Beat the Butter & Cream Cheese

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the vegan butter and cream cheese together until smooth and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients

Add the powdered or confectioner's sugar, vanilla and cornstarch

Step 3: Glaze, slather or chill!

You can use your frosting as is as a glaze for cakes or icing for cinnamon rolls, or, you can transfer it to a bowl (if you have a metal bowl even better!) and chill it overnight to pipe on cupcakes the next day.

How to Use This Frosting for Different Desserts

🧁 As a Frosting for Cupcakes

• Chill the frosting overnight and then add straight to your piping bag without re-whipping the next day.
• Pipe onto vegan carrot cupcakes, lemon cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes or your favorites, and do this just before serving them (this is my preferred way).
• If you want to decorate your cupcakes ahead of time, pipe on your frosting and then refrigerate your cupcakes for the frosting to set, then serve when you're ready with all the work already done!
  
  

🍰 As a Glaze for Cakes & Loaves

• For a drizzle glaze, add straight out of your mixer over the cake like we did in our irresistible vegan lemon loaf cake.
• Pour over vegan pound cake, lemon loaf, carrot cake, gingerbread loaf or banana bread for a glossy finish and that perfect drip action that seems like it's frozen in time at just the right spot. Your cakes will look so glossy and professional.
  
  

🥮 As an Icing for Cinnamon Rolls

• Add straight out of your mixer by slathering over your vegan cinnamon rolls for the ultimate gooey topping. 
• The tangy-sweet balance makes it extra delicious!
  
  

Pro Tips for the Best Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

✔ Use dairy-free butter & cream cheese from sticks, not tubs – This makes your frosting firmer than using the spreadable kind that comes in the tub. This is especially important in the case of the non-dairy butter.

✔ The firmer the vegan cream cheese you use, the better. Cashew or tofu based vegan cream cheese works best, and coconut based ones come a close third.

✔ Chill before piping – If you want to pipe beautiful swirls, refrigerate the frosting overnight for a thicker, more stable texture.

✔ Sift the powdered sugar – This prevents clumps and keeps the frosting ultra-smooth.

Serving & Storage Tips

• Use immediately for a creamy, spreadable icing or drippy glaze.
• Chill overnight for a thicker, pipeable texture.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  
  

Ready to Elevate Your Vegan Baking?

This vegan cream cheese frosting is just the beginning! If you’re ready to master plant-based baking and cooking, our online vegan cooking school offers expert-led courses and culinary training that teach you how to create amazing vegan cakes, cupcakes, and more including all your savory cooking too—all from scratch! Professional techniques but catered and taught for the home cook like you.

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FAQs

Can I use coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
Coconut oil will be too soft, especially when it comes to the pipeable frosting, so I prefer using non-dairy butter especially the kind that comes in sticks, not in tubs.

What brand of vegan cream cheese works best?
Brands like Tofutti, Kite Hill or Violife work well for this recipe! The firmer your cream cheese the better.

Are you ready for some serious frosting whipping?! Enjoy the video, printable and recipe below and let's make it!





PDF RECIPE





VEGAN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING – DAIRY FREE FROSTING, GLAZE & ICING

Yield: Enough frosting for 2 loaf cakes, one regular cake, a batch of cupcakes, or a tray of cinnamon rolls | Prep time: 5-8 minutes | Cook time: None | Chilling time: Overnight only when piping on cupcakes

Ingredients:

75 gr (2.65 oz) non-dairy butter (from sticks, not tub)

150 gr (5.3 oz) very cold non-dairy cream cheese (the firmer the cream cheese, the firmer your frosting, soy or cashew based ones work great)

2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 & 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

1. In a standing mixer, using the whipping attachment, whip the butter, and then add the cream cheese, and then the sifted confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract and cornstarch and whip until smooth.

For cake glazes and icing for cinnamon rolls:

1. Use as is to top your favorites.

For piping on cupcakes:

1. Refrigerate the frosting overnight to firm up.
2. When ready to decorate, scoop into a pastry bag (without re-whipping) and pipe on your cupcakes just before serving. Alternatively, you can decorate your cupcakes, keep them in the fridge and take them out just before serving.
   
   Your treats are frosted, glazed, iced and ready so enjoy!

This vegan cream cheese frosting is the only frosting recipe you’ll ever need! It’s smooth, tangy, and works as a glaze, icing, and even pipeable frosting when chilled. Whether you’re glazing a cake, icing cinnamon rolls, or decorating cupcakes, this dairy-free frosting will make your treats absolutely irresistible.

Want to learn more vegan baking skills? Join our online vegan cooking school and start creating bakery-quality desserts with confidence, without eggs or dairy. We cover cooking techniques, knife skills, organizational tips for the home cook, batch cooking and meal planning and of course, all your plant-based savory cooking as well so come meet it!