The Best Allergy-Friendly Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (Top 8 Free!)

This decadent, yet perfectly balanced, dairy-free “buttercream” is the kind of frosting that truly elevates any dessert. It’s so good, you’ll find yourself eagerly anticipating those cake edges! Crafted with care for those with sensitivities, this frosting is completely free of common allergens: gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts. Yes, it’s vegan and top-8-free! Expect a soft, incredibly creamy, and easily pipeable texture that’s ideal for decorating or simply enjoying by the spoonful.

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Today marks a special milestone: my youngest’s 2nd birthday! (Sniff, sniff… he’s growing up so fast!) For his celebration, I knew exactly what he’d want: chocolate cake smothered in luscious chocolate frosting. This little guy has impeccable taste when it comes to chocolate, and I can’t blame him! Once you try a bite of this vegan chocolate buttercream frosting, you’ll understand why it’s a family favorite.

Crafting the Perfect Milk-Free Chocolate Buttercream: Essential Ingredients

This incredibly easy recipe for milk-free chocolate buttercream requires just seven simple ingredients. If you regularly cook or bake dairy-free, chances are you already have most, if not all, of these pantry staples on hand!

Vegetable Shortening: Provides structure and a wonderfully creamy mouthfeel, ensuring your frosting holds its shape beautifully.
Refined Coconut Oil: Adds richness and helps achieve that silky-smooth texture without a coconut flavor (make sure it’s refined!).
Powdered Sugar (Confectioners’ Sugar): The base for sweetness and structure, dissolving easily for a smooth finish.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: The star ingredient for that deep, rich chocolate flavor. We’ve had excellent results with both Nestle and Hershey’s brands.
Vanilla Rice Milk: (or plain rice milk) Acts as the liquid component, thinning the frosting to the perfect consistency. See our FAQ section for more alternative milk options.
Vanilla Extract: Enhances the chocolate flavor and adds a touch of aromatic sweetness.
Pinch of Salt: Crucial for balancing the sweetness and deepening the overall flavor profile.

Essential Tools for Your Dairy-Free Chocolate Frosting

Gathering the right tools will make preparing this delicious dairy-free chocolate frosting a breeze. Here’s what you’ll need:

Measuring Cups and Spoons: For accurate ingredient proportions, which are key to perfect frosting.
Large Mixing Bowl + Handheld Electric Mixer: A great option for home bakers. Ensure your bowl is large enough to prevent ingredients from splattering.
OR a Stand Mixer with the Paddle Attachment: I personally prefer using the paddle attachment over the whisk attachment for frostings, as it creates a creamier texture and incorporates air more evenly, preventing an overly airy or crumbly result. However, feel free to use whichever you are most comfortable with. A stand mixer is truly a worthy investment, especially if you have specialty dietary needs and often prepare items from scratch.
Rubber Spatula: Essential for scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, ensuring all ingredients are thoroughly combined and no pockets of unmixed cocoa or sugar remain.
Piping Bag: For professional-looking decorations. Alternatively, a sturdy Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off works perfectly in a pinch.
Frosting Tip of Choice: For decorative piping. In the photos, I used a Wilton #2 tip. If you’re simply frosting cakes, an offset spatula will give you smooth, even coverage.

This Allergy-Friendly Frosting Made One Little Boy’s Birthday Extra Special!

Last night, around 11 p.m., my husband and I made a spontaneous decision. We’d wake up early, prepare a delightful breakfast, allow our son to stay home from school for a bit, and have his cake and candle-blowing celebration first thing in the morning. After this special start, we’d take him to school a little late, and my husband would head off to work. It was a bit of a juggle and definitely non-traditional to have cake before noon, but it was incredibly important for us to all be together to celebrate our little man’s 2nd birthday.

Needless to say, you never have to convince a little boy that eating chocolate cake first thing in the morning is a bad idea! Bed head and all, he was absolutely thrilled to be serenaded with “Happy Birthday” at 8 a.m., as you can clearly see in the photos!

On a more serious note, while my youngest’s allergies are limited to peanuts and tree nuts, I always strive to cook to the “lowest common denominator.” This means I account for my older son’s broader allergies, which include wheat, milk, and eggs, in addition to peanuts and tree nuts. This ensures that our entire family can safely and joyfully enjoy every treat, especially during holidays, creating cherished, lasting memories together. Therefore, this dairy-free chocolate frosting recipe is designed to be free of the top eight allergens: wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, fish, shellfish, peanut, and tree nut. This means it’s suitable for a wide range of dietary needs and truly inclusive.

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby, and to anyone else who uses this fantastic vegan chocolate frosting recipe to celebrate their special moments! May this year bring you much happiness and delicious treats!

Looking for Other Dairy-Free Buttercream Frosting Recipes?

If you love this vegan chocolate buttercream, you’ll be thrilled to know we have other fantastic allergy-friendly frosting options:

The Best Dairy-Free Vanilla Frosting (GF, Vegan, Top 8 Free)
Dairy-Free Lemon Frosting (Part of a delicious lemon cupcake recipe!)
Dairy-Free Eggnog Frosting (A festive favorite!)

Why Shortening is Key to this Creamy Chocolate Frosting

Let’s talk a little bit about one of the stars of this frosting: shortening. I know, when you see shortening in a recipe, you might immediately think of overly sweet, sometimes greasy, store-bought frostings. I used to feel the same way! However, in this recipe, the shortening is thoughtfully tempered with coconut oil, creating a perfectly balanced texture that is neither too rich nor too greasy. The blend is just right!

The real magic of shortening in this dairy-free chocolate buttercream is its ability to create an incredibly creamy consistency and provide the ideal structure for piping and spreading. It’s what gives this frosting its luxurious mouthfeel and prevents it from being too soft or too hard. This combination ensures a stable frosting that holds up well, whether piped onto cupcakes or spread smoothly over a cake. I genuinely look forward to eating the edges of the cake, often saving them for last so my final bites are rewarded with that thick, satisfying outer layer of this amazing chocolate frosting. I truly hope you love it as much as I do!

Commonly Asked Questions About This Vegan Chocolate Frosting:

Why do I need to keep this frosting covered?
Due to the coconut oil content, this vegan chocolate frosting will naturally firm up and get quite hard if left exposed to cooler temperatures. Conversely, if kept in a very warm environment, it could melt. To maintain its delightful softness and creamy texture, it’s essential to keep it covered. I recommend storing it in an airtight container or sealing it tightly with plastic wrap. If you’ve frosted a cake or cupcakes, be sure to cover the entire dessert with plastic wrap or place them in a cake saver to prevent the frosting from becoming too firm.
I don’t want chocolate frosting, do you have an allergy-friendly vanilla frosting?
Absolutely! If you’re not a choc-o-holic like me, or simply prefer a classic vanilla, you can certainly use my popular recipe for The Best Dairy-free Vanilla Frosting (GF, Vegan, Top-8-free). It offers the same great texture and allergy-friendly benefits.
Where do I find the cupcake recipe shown in the picture?
The delicious cupcakes pictured are from my go-to birthday cake recipe! You can find my favorite allergy-friendly chocolate cupcakes recipe here: allergy-friendly chocolate cupcakes. This versatile recipe can be adapted to make a 13×9 sheet cake, a double-layer cake, or even a show-stopping triple-layer cake. If you opt for additional layers, simply double the frosting recipe to ensure ample coverage.
Can I use regular shortening?
Yes, absolutely! If you do not have a soy allergy or are not vegan, you are welcome to use any type of shortening you prefer. For those requiring an allergy-friendly shortening, I recommend Spectrum shortening, which is typically soy-free and suitable for vegan diets.
Why do you combine the oils with the cocoa first?
This is a crucial step for achieving a rich, smooth, and lump-free dairy-free chocolate frosting. I’ve found that if I add the cocoa powder at any later stage, it becomes significantly harder to incorporate evenly and often results in a less silky-smooth texture. By thoroughly creaming the shortening and coconut oil with the cocoa powder from the start (and being diligent about scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl multiple times!), it really helps to develop a deep, consistent chocolate flavor and an incredibly smooth consistency. This ensures the cocoa is fully hydrated and dispersed.
Why don’t you just use all coconut oil, or all shortening? Why do you use a combo?
The combination of shortening and coconut oil is the secret to this frosting’s perfect texture. If I were to use all shortening, the frosting could feel quite greasy in the mouth. On the other hand, using all coconut oil makes the frosting very temperamental to temperature fluctuations; coconut oil has a relatively low melting point, so the frosting could easily become too soft or even melt at room temperature. The precise combination of these two fats provides an excellent, stable texture that is creamy, pipeable, and holds its shape beautifully without any greasiness.
Can’t I just sub in vegan butter for regular butter?
While you certainly *can* use vegan butter as a substitute, I generally prefer the combination of shortening and coconut oil for a few reasons. Vegan butter sticks can sometimes be difficult to find, often more expensive, and some brands can leave a slight aftertaste. My goal is to keep recipes both budget-friendly and easy to make using readily available pantry staples. Shortening and refined coconut oil have much milder, neutral tastes (just be sure to use *refined* coconut oil to avoid any coconut flavor, unless you specifically desire it!). If you do choose to use vegan butter, be sure to omit both the coconut oil and shortening, and use a full 6 tablespoons (or 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) of your preferred vegan butter or dairy-free margarine.
Does this recipe use chocolate chips?
No, this recipe relies solely on unsweetened cocoa powder for its rich chocolate flavor. I find that good quality cocoa powder delivers an equally delicious taste and is typically much more affordable than specialty dairy-free chocolate chips. Plus, by using cocoa powder, you completely eliminate the need to worry about melting chocolate and the often finicky process of tempering it, simplifying the recipe significantly.
What dairy-free milk do you use?
All buttercream frostings require a liquid to achieve the right consistency, as oil and powdered sugar alone would be far too thick to spread or pipe. For this recipe, we use rice milk. I personally find that rice milk has the most neutral flavor and the least aftertaste compared to many other plant-based milk alternatives. Nut milks, such as almond milk, can sometimes impart too much of their own flavor, but if you enjoy almond milk, feel free to use it. Soy milk is another popular option, though I find it can also leave a slight aftertaste, but it works well in a pinch. Creamier alternatives like full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream can also be excellent choices, adding an extra layer of richness. Oat milk would likely work very well too due to its neutral profile.
Is this frosting paleo?
For my paleo readers, I apologize – technically, this vegan chocolate frosting is not considered paleo because it uses powdered sugar, which is a refined sugar. However, rest assured that it is entirely dairy-free, vegan, and wonderfully allergy-friendly, meeting strict dietary needs in many other aspects.
What if I have a coconut allergy?
No problem at all! If you have a coconut allergy and cannot use coconut oil, simply substitute the coconut oil with additional shortening. So, instead of using 3 tablespoons of coconut oil and 3 tablespoons of your chosen shortening, just use a full 6 tablespoons of shortening. The frosting will still be delicious and hold its texture.
How do you store this frosting?
As mentioned earlier, this frosting can be sensitive to extreme temperatures. To keep it at its best, store it in an airtight container or cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap at room temperature. One of the wonderful advantages of this recipe being milk and butter-free is that you don’t have to worry about it spoiling quickly, giving you more flexibility for storage.
What do I do if I have leftover frosting?
Well, my first suggestion is always to grab a spoon and dig right in! But if straight frosting isn’t quite your thing (like it is mine!), I have a classic trick: break a graham cracker in half, spread a generous layer of this delicious chocolate frosting on one side, and place the other half on top. I grew up eating these “chocolate frosting graham sandwiches,” and they remain a beloved treat my entire family enjoys to this day. If you need gluten-free graham crackers, I highly recommend Schar for a fantastic option.
What else is this frosting good on?
Beyond cakes and cupcakes, I wholeheartedly recommend using this vegan chocolate buttercream frosting in my Mississippi Mud Brownies – it’s another incredibly popular and delicious recipe that pairs perfectly with this frosting!

Chocolate “Buttercream” Frosting (GF, DF, Egg, Soy, Peanut, Tree nut Free, Top 8 Free)

Yield:
Frosts 12 cupcakes

Prep Time:
10 minutes

Total Time:
10 minutes

This chocolaty, but not too rich, dairy-free “buttercream” is the kind of frosting that makes me look forward to eating the edges of the cake! Allergy-friendly, this frosting is free of: gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanuts & tree nuts. It’s vegan and top-8-free too. Soft, and pipeable, this is great for piping or just eating with a spoon!

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
2 and 2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup vanilla rice milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the oil and shortening with the paddle attachment. Once combined, add the cocoa. Incorporate completely. You’ll find the cocoa really adhere’s to the bottom of the bowl, so use a spatula and make sure everything is scraped and incorporated before moving on. Then, add the vanilla and salt. Mix. Then, alternate the rice milk and powdered sugar until you’ve used them all. Feel free to add more powdered sugar if you need it stiff, or a bit more rice milk if you want it thinner. I find this frosts 12 cupcakes great, but if you want to frost a double layer cake, I’d make one and a half batches. Keeps well in the fridge, covered.

Notes

*Our allergies, while severe and that get re-tested yearly, are such that we can go strictly by what’s on the label. I do not call companies to see what things are derived from, or call manufacturers to see about potential cross contact. If your allergies require you to do so, please do your own homework. I cannot assure you of any ingredient’s safety, only you can do that. I simply share what works for our family

**If you are going to feed this to someone with food allergies, and you yourself do not have food allergies, I HIGHLY recommend having them check every single brand and ingredient you are using, to ensure they’re OK with each part of the recipe. And, to make sure you’ve talked to them about how to avoid cross contamination in your kitchen.

Adapted from: “The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook” by Cybele Pascal

DON’T FORGET TO PIN IT, SO YOU DON’T LOSE IT! ALSO, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER ALLERGY-FRIENDLY PINTEREST BOARDS.

Craving More Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Treats?

Check out some of my other favorite recipes that are perfect for chocolate lovers with allergies:

Chocolate Sheet Cake (Gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut & tree nut free; top-8-free; vegan)

Gluten-free and Vegan Double Chocolate Baked Donuts (Gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut & tree nut free; top-8-free)

Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake (Gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut & tree nut free; top-8-free)