This frosting is quite possibly one of the best to come out of my kitchen. It’s dangerous in the best way possible – creamy and rich without being overly sweet. I really don’t know how I was able to save enough for the chocolate cupcakes.
Best of all, it’s just two simple ingredients: Full-fat coconut milk and chocolate. That’s it.
Yes, you really can make a luxurious, creamy frosting without butter or shortening! Unlike regular frosting, there’s no fussing with icing sugar messing up your kitchen. Don’t you hate it when the icing sugar leaves a coating of powder over all your appliances and counter? I sure do.
With this recipe, the only thing that got messy was my face because I couldn’t stop eating it.
The flavour and sweetness of this frosting will vary depending on the chocolate you use. Most chocolate should work just fine, although I would caution against using a super bitter variety. Stick to under 70% cocoa and you should be safe. If worst comes to worst, you can always add a bit of sweetener if need be. I threw in a pinch of fine grain sea salt at the end to enhance the sweetness.
Insert face into bowl here.
2-Ingredient Chocolate Fudge Frosting
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Yield: 1 & 3/4 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 can (400 ml) full-fat coconut milk
- 1 bag dark, non-dairy chocolate chips (approx 285 grams)
1. Chill can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. When ready, flip can over and open with can opener. Pour off the water (you can save it for a smoothie or discard). Scoop only the solid white coconut cream into a pot. Add the chocolate chips into the pot as well and gently melt the coconut cream and the chocolate chips together over low heat. Stir frequently and be careful not to burn.
2. Transfer this mixture into a bowl (cover with wrap) and then into the fridge for 2-3 hours (or overnight) until it firms up enough to whip into frosting. You really just have to eyeball it as I expect the timing for individual batches will differ depending on how cold your fridge is. I put it in the fridge overnight and then left it on the counter for the entire morning until I was ready to frost the cupcakes in the afternoon.
3. When it’s firmed enough to your liking, whip it with electric beaters until smooth and creamy. If it’s still too firm, you can leave it out on the counter for a bit longer. I didn’t need to add any milk to thin it out or any sugar to sweeten – it was just perfect as is! If your batch tastes bitter, you can always add a bit of sweetener to your taste. I also like to add a small pinch of fine grain sea salt to make the flavours pop.
Note: On a hot day, this frosting could melt. Be sure to keep frosted cupcakes in the fridge until ready to enjoy.
Looking for a vegan cupcake recipe? Find my favourite chocolate cupcakes here.
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A note on coconut milk:
Many of you have had trouble making whipped coconut cream with certain brands because some cans don’t always separate. A reader let me know that Thai Kitchen has changed their formula so that it doesn’t separate anymore. Apparently they are coming out with small cans of pure coconut cream instead. Be on the look out! I used Native Forest with decent result, although I have had some duds.
Happy Victoria Day to my fellow Canadians!
I think I need to make cupcakes right away to smother this frosting all over the top.
Oh my, this frosting looks delicious!!! Can’t wait to try it.
Just a heads up about the coconut milk — Thai Kitchen brand used to always separate for me, but the last several cans I’ve had didn’t, no matter how long I left them in the fridge. I know others have had this problem as well in recent months. :( Not sure if the company changed something or ??? I’m going to give Native Forest a try next time and keep my fingers crossed I don’t get a “dud”. :)
Happy Victoria Day to you, Angela!
Aw, what a bummer about Thai Kitchen. Hopefully, that isn’t the norm!
I contacted Native Forest a while back and apparently they source their coconut from two different places…and this can produce different results in the cream. I wish I could find that email because I forget what all they said. Will look for it again…
The coconut milk NF sources from Thailand will usually separate – the Sri Lanka variety typically does not. ;(
Ok, I just found the email from the parent company of Native Forest (Edward & Sons). I had contacted them a few months ago. This is what they said about their coconut milk sources:
“We used to have two sources for our coconut milk, however, now we only source from Thailand. We used to also have coconut milk from Sri Lanka, which is what the Amazon reviews refer to. Our cans will always state their country of origin on them.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any more questions.”
Interesting…Going to check my can now :)
Don’t know if that is just for NF brand but my coconut milk from Sri Lanka works perfectly. In fact, it is the only one I’ve found in my area that does the trick (and of course the most expensive one out there ;) ) This recipe looks amazing! Will definitely try it over the weekend.
Just wondering how much cream should be going into the recipe. I didn’t get very much and am wondering if it will be enough.
I use the regular full fat Thai Kitchen coconut milk.I haven’t had any problem with it not separating,although their organic coconut milk won’t separate when chilled.
that whipped cream looks yummy!
This is perfection. I can’t wait to make it!
Woah, I’ve been waiting for a frosting without powdered sugar!
Woohoo!!! This is my favorite frosting too!! :)
Discovered it a couple of weeks ago, just in time for my birthday cake! :D
Thanks for sharing, and Happy (belated) Birthday to you too!!
OH. MY. GOODNESS!!! This is genius! I can’t wait to slather this on cupcakes, brownies, my finger…oops, did I say that?
What!? This sounds amazing! Now I’m kicking myself for not buying coconut milk at the store yesterday. I’ll definitely be trying this soon!
Is there such a thing as too much chocolate?! This looks delicous! I love to make my own sugar-free ice cream topping with coconut oil, stevia and cocoa powder. Or a peanut butter version… or both… ;)
Like a DIY magic shell! Love this stuff on ice cream
Looks delish! I know I won’t be the only one who wonders this, but can you use the lower fat coconut milk for this or do you need full fat? Thanks!
Hi Tania,
I would worry that the light coconut milk would make it too thin? Not sure though. Report back if you try it!
I’m so relieved as all I’ve had was dud coconut milks on 3 occasions but never thought it was the brand that was the issue. Going to try Thai Kitchen brand. I just gave up on the whole thing really. I’m stoked about the endless possibilites!
Do you have any ideas for coconut milk alternatives? So many of your yummy-looking recipes use coconut milk, but I’m allergic to it, as well as all tree nuts.
Hmm…In this recipe whipped avocado might work, but I haven’t tried it yet. I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.
Great idea! I’ll give it a try. Thanks :-)
Let me know how it goes if you try it! You might need to add sweetener too since the avocado flavour can be a bit strong.
I was told that when you use avocado for fudge to microwave it first for a little bit so you can’t taste it as much. I made HH’s avocado fudge and nobody else in my family would eat it because you could taste the avocado. I plan on making it again after getting this tip!
Interesting tip! I’ll have to try that sometime too. I always heard cooking avocado made it bitter? Now I’m curious… :)
Avocado, raw cacao and a sweetener such as maple syrup work well. I often add a bit of chia and it becomes a pudding. You may want to add some liquid if it is too thick.
i havent tryed it, but i think that carob powder would do jut perfect as sweetner, when doing a chocolate frosting, also, adding a riped banana will stabilize the flovour of the avocado :)
I could make a meal out of that frosting :)
It looks so fudgy, fluffy, and perfect! Coconut milk is such great stuff! I recently just made vegan bread with coconut milk and coconut oil and love baking with coconut oil!
Do you think this method would work with peanut butter? I love coconut milk-based frosting, but have yet to find a good peanut butter frosting recipe.
I too was thinking about chocolate PB version…I think it could work!
I’ve only tried to make whipped coconut cream once, and it failed. It was separated into fat and liquid in the can, and was well chilled. I figured my problem was that I whipped it to heck in the Vitamix, and got curds of coconut butter. Next time I plan to try a gentler method. I bet avocado and melted chocolate would make yummy icing, too.
I’ve made frosting using avocados (didn’t have any butter that was soft enough). I could taste the avocado so I added mint. Everyone loved how creamy the frosting was, couldn’t believe it was avocado. I will need to try the heating sometime.
I believe when you make whipped coconut cream, after you refrigerate it you pour off the liquid and just use the coconut cream.
Mouth…watering….outta control….looks delicious!
Love this! I’m making cupcakes today and will try it. Keep in mind you can get cans of coconut cream, so just the thick stuff, and use that right from the can. It’s available at Trader Joe’s on the cheap, maybe $1.19 or so?
Yes, Andrea! I was just about to post this same thing. We use the TJ’s coconut cream for any recipe that calls for chilling a can of coconut milk. It is the only one I’ve found that is actual coconut cream, not coconut cream + a bunch of sugar and other nasties. Are there Trader Joe’s in Canada?
I also use Trader Joe’s Coconut Cream. 95% of the can will solidify when cold, leaving just a trace of liquid. Plus, it’s only $1.49 a can! My nearest Trader Joe’s is 2 hours away, but I drive up every 8 weeks to stock up on many things that I get there, as well as from Costco. Hands down, the best cream for whipping into frosting or using for ice cream, has been the Trader Joe’s version.
Is a can of coconut cream equivalent to [a can of coconut milk minus liquid]? That is, would I use the whole can of coconut cream for this recipe?
Sarah,
I weighed the coconut cream from my last can of coconut milk and came up with 224 grams. I imagine it varies a bit from can to can. Depending on how large your can of coconut cream is and how much of it is liquid, you may want to save some or use more chocolate chips and have extra frosting for eating straight from the bowl! :)
hi sarah,
i saw your comment and i was wondering if the coconut cream worked for you? i want to try it but i want to make sure it works first.
thank you!
julie
Thank you for posting this. I also bought trader Joe’s coconut cream and was going to experiment to see if I got more volume that from coconut milk. Can’t wait to try it!
Simple recipes are the greatest, especially for something like frosting, which is usually made in addition to having to bake something. Long ingredient lists always deter me! This recipe is awesome, and I love that is uses coconut milk instead of something more processed like soy creamer.
I LOVE the simplicity here! Coconut and chocolate are two of my favorite food ever, so I’m all over this. Now I need to whip up a batch of cupcakes!
Oh YUM!! I hope you had plenty of this while celebrating your birthday, Ange!! As you know, I don’t do a ton of baking but I want to now, just so I can make this frosting! In the past, I haven’t been a huge fan of coconut but it seems to be making its way into my meals in all forms lately, especially coconut milk. One thing I didn’t know was that coconut cream is actually sold in bars – like solid ones! I thought it was just the really really thick bit on the top of the can of coconut milk. Guess you learn something new every day!
I love making that kind of frosting too. It’s like a ganache, and then when whipped – ta-dah! a frosting! Your pics make me want to make it today!
What an amazing idea! After you frost the cake, does it need to stay in the refrigerator until serving, to prevent melting? Thanks so much! :)
Hi Joanna, On a hot/humid day, I would say yes keep it in the fridge. When I made it, it was quite cool in here so I didn’t find it melted much though.
Genius! Thank you, Angela!
Wow, I love it! It’s so hard to find a good vegan frosting recipe, and this one looks so thick and easy. Pinned!
I love frosting! This recipe sounds amazing! I can’t believe it’s only two ingredients and vegan…perfect!
Definitely going to put this on my make this list!!! Love the simple ingredients!
This just made my day. Here I am, slogging away in my windowless office and feeling generally shitty about the fact that it’s Monday, and then I take a break from work and see this recipe. Case of the Mondays? CURED. :)
I love vegan frosting! I think it is i the BEST and I now know how to make my own. Score!
Holy cow! I’m craving this right now! Haha
I can’t wait to try this. It’s going to be a while, since I currently live in a coconut-free house. (LOTS of restrictive food allergies for one of my housemates – she’s away for the week, but I don’t want to risk it.)
I’ve never had a “dud” can either! This looks INSANE!!!! You are a genius! It really looks frosting-like! Yummmm
This looks AMAZING!! Thanks for sharing! :0)
Whoa girl, just whoa. Face plant and lick the bowl clean!
Holy cow! I’m restraining myself from licking my computer screen LOL. My youngest son’s birthday is coming up soon – maybe I will have to make a “test batch” to prepare. :)
Can’t wait to try this! So simple!
Brilliant! I’ll have to try this. I’m not a fan of powdered sugar in icings anyway… leaves a coating on your tongue gives it a weird mouth-feel. That leaves me making stuff like swiss meringue buttercreams, which can’t really be done with shortening or anything besides real butter… so this is a great vegan option. Love it! :)
It’s usually the type of shortening that leaves that nasty coating on your tongue.
This looks delicious! I’m a newbie in the cooking department, so I have a couple questions about coconut milk. First off, does it taste like coconut? I’ve heard that it doesn’t. And secondly, what exactly is the part that’s used in the recipe? Is it a cream or solid or what? Thanks!
Hi Macy – yes it’s the solid white cream part – the murky water is discarded (or saved if you want to use it elsewhere). I find it does taste like coconut, but I don’t notice it as much these days as I’m pretty used to the flavour. The chocolate in this recipe tends to mask the flavour anyway.
I’ve used Wholefood’s 365 brand for whipped coconut cream and had great results. The full fat version separated very nicely.
wow! that looks absolutely amazing
I’ve had a few “dud” cans as well as a few that worked fantastically! I love that you made frosting without powdered sugar or shortening, that makes it healthy right? Coconut & dark chocolate for the win!!
This looks absolutely delicious! What a lovely, simple treat. And thank you for the extra info on the coconut milk.
Seriously? This is AWESOME!! Thanks for sharing! :)
Think I need to whip up some of this to put on my oatmeal tomorrow morning!
I just made this to frost some basic vanilla cupcakes and it turned out delicious! A few weeks ago I bought the coconut milk from T&T (Asian grocery store in some provinces in Canada), it’s super cheap (I think they had it on special for 69 cents/can!) and so far every single can I’ve used solidified completely, just make sure to give it a shake before putting in the fridge.
The only problem I had was as soon as I started frosting, everything started getting really soft and runny. But I think it was because with this weather the house was at 28 degrees with no A/C on. Fixing that and putting the frosting back in the fridge for a little while longer solved the problem.
So glad you enjoyed the frosting! Great tip about the heat – I will have to add that into my recipe note! :)
Amazing! Thanks so much my daughter’s birthday is next week and I was in desperate need of a really good frosting!
Angela, this looks so yummy and so easy.
I am a huge fan of quick and easy recipes.
I love the fact that it is made with coconut milk and not cream or butter. With there being so many allergy issues this is an added bonus.
Have you tried making it in any other flavors? I was wondering how it might be with butterscotch chips.
Also, have you ever added orange zest or any other flavorings? It seems like there could be a variety of options for this.
I think I might find the need to bake a cake very soon!
You are truly a sweet genius! AMAZING!
i use this frosting all the time .. i love ittt!!!
Seriously!??? This is the most beautiful frosting I’ve ever seen.
Does this frosting need to be refrigerated?
Why I’m asking is, because I’m wanting to sell it on cupcakes under Florida’s Cottage Food Law, but the law prevents me from selling food items which need refrigeration. :)
Yes I do suggest keeping it in the fridge once you’ve frosted the cupcakes (unless enjoying right away)