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!
Awesome, I’m tired of margarine and icing sugar frosting, thank you Angela! The uses for coconut milk solids are endless!
Thanks for posting this delicious recipe! I love cooking/baking with organic coconut milk. I learned so much from this post and especially reading the comments. Pretty impressive that you spend so much time not only posting these recipes, but also taking the time to answer questions.
Glad to have found your site and look forward to learning more. Time to check out the breakfast and desserts sections ;) haha. Thanks for all that you do!
Thanks for your kind words! :)
You had me at no powder! I love baking, but is there anything that spreads EVERYWHERE quite like powdered sugar?
I think even I could handle this!
xx
Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
New to this blog and what a godsend, as I just decided yesterday to go vegan. I am a Foodie with a recipe obsession, and I cannot wait to try your recipes. I feel more confident in taking my first steps!
Congrats Sher – I hope you enjoy them!
LOVE this! I love simple recipes that are DROOL worthy! I can’t wait to test this out at my next dinner party! Thanks for sharing :) Love + Shine CourtStar
Hi Angela, I love your blog!
I’m a bit obsessed with your sticky toffee pudding haha ;)
I’m definitely going to try this out because I hate how most frostings require so much bad fat and sugar!
xxx
Thats great and amazing. I will try this..!!!
This looks super yummy. I’ve just started using the full fat coconut cream/milk in my cooking. It makes such a luscious whipped cream! I can’t even imagine how good chocolate would be added to that!
This looks so amazing, I want to put my face in it! What a great idea, thanks for sharing!
Oh Dear God, this stuff could be dangerous! ;-)
I love using coconut milk or even avocado with dark chocolate for a quick frosting. Thanks for sharing your variation :)
i have had good luck with the GRACE brand coconut milk.
I’m not quite sure if it’s any healthier for you, but I have been making a frosting recipe from the new Engine 2 book (My Beef with Meat) and it only has three ingredients: Silken tofu, vegan chocolate chips and vanilla. It’s incredible! It doesn’t have the saturated fat of the coconut milk, but I know some people don’t love the idea of tofu (for whatever reason), so there is a place in the world for all variations of vegan frosting made with simple ingredients!
I made a chocolate cake last night and this frosting would have been amazing on it!! Next time for sure!
You had me at “frosting” Ang! But 2 ingredient…oh heck yes. I will make sure to try the right kind of cocount milk as I have tried dud cans before.
Thanks for sharing!! :) Match made in heaven!
Wow, I love the recipes. It’s tricky with kids to keep them loving food knowing that they are eating veggies too.
WOW WOW WOW! Looks like chocolate heaven if you ask me :D YEEES PLEASE!!!
THANK YOU Angela – great recipe! And so glad to hear that it is not just me with the coconut milk not always separating. I have made your cake balls a couple times (maybe the most loved recipe so far from the responses I get from anyone who eats them!). I also have to have several cans of milk on hand as it does not seem to work the first time (which can be a bummer since you have to fridge it overnite!). I will try the other kind once I am out of what the native forest I have now. Thanks for another great recipe
Well, this is brilliant! I can’t wait to try it. Now I just need an excuse to bake a cake.
LOL! This would NON be safe around me either :) oh the cupcakes that would go undecorated :o haha
oh wow…cannot wait to try this!!
I made this, and it definitely needs a good long time to re-set, but it is sooooo worth it! I almost couldn’t stop eating it off the spoon, it’s so good! I actually used a can of chilled Aroy-D coconut cream, which I buy at asian supermarkets here in Toronto. Much easier, imo.
You can buy coconut cream from Asian supermarkets. Then, you don’t have to worry about the coconut milk separating or not. I always go to a local Asian market to buy the coconut cream for coconut whipped cream or anything else I just need the cream for, and it works great! Doesn’t matter which brand so long as it says coconut cream on the front.
Thanks for the tip!
I’m glad i’m not the only one that had this problem with the coconut cream! Thanks for the suggestions, will try it again!
How strong is the coconut taste? I’ve had a can of coconut milk chilling in my fridge for about three weeks… was going to make thai food but I could try this!
I could detect the coconut taste but it wasn’t overpowering to me.
i too bought a can of coconut milk that was all liquid but bought 2 brands so now i know which one to get …….was the best icying i have ever made and not over sweet , fluffed up super…..thanks
I really want to try this… strawberry season is soon here in denmark, so do you think it will work just the milk with strawberry?? No chocolate. Thanks a lot
Hi, Angela – A few people have mentioned simply buying a can of coconut cream. If I did that, how much of the can should I use for this recipe?
Im not sure Ive never used it before – sorry! Maybe 3/4 cup or so?
Sarah,
I posted a reply on page 1 which may be helpful, however, I have not tried coconut cream either.
I tried 2 cans of Arroyo D and didn’t work either time
I made this amazing frosting last week to top my son’s double layered cookie cake for his birthday. We all love cookie cake, but this frosting made it AWESOME! I have bragged to everyone about how delicious and easy it is. Can’t wait to make something for the church bakesale utilizing this frosting. Thank you for sharing your talents with us!
can’t wait to try this- looks AMAZING!!!!!
hi there! i was just wondering if i can freeze this and use it later?? or how long do you think it will keep in the fridge?
love from istanbul!
Hi Belkis, I do think this could be frozen and thawed, but I don’t think it would stay good in the freezer for longer than a week or so? Just guessing here. Let me know if you try it out!
I think it would stay good in the fridge for a week in an air-tight container. good luck!
I made the whipped coconut cream the other day to have with strawberries – so ridiculously good!
If you don’t have a bag of chocolate chips and can’t have coconut I found if you take 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon oil of any type and mix together well. Sometimes I add a little bit of maple or brown rice syrup if I want a sweeter taste of chocolate. The ratio for cocoa powder and oil is 3-1 if you are looking for more amounts.
Thank you.
Just made this for my dad for Father’s Day! I made it into a cake instead of cupcakes. I also made the 2- ingredient chocolate frosting! It’s soooo good! Definitely will be making it again! I used oat flour and coconut sugar.
Made this with your cake recipe for Father’s Day! So good! I used ghirardella dark chocolate cooking chips. I also used oat flour and coconut sugar instead in the cake recipe
All I can say is WOW!! How does one from eating the whole batch : ) Can’t wait to make this!!
Oooh, love the idea of not using shortening too–and powdered sugar! Brilliant!
I use Aroy-D brand (from our local asian markets) and it’s almost ALL cream- maybe 1/4 cup of coconut water :) Yum!
Oh my gob, this looks so good! I may have to do some baking despite the summer heat just to try out this recipe.
This is fantastic!
I was trying of a way to make this into a vanilla frosting (not the vanilla whipped coconut cream)
Any ideas?
Thanks!
hmm maybe use vegan white chocolate chips? not sure…
Hi! I used a can that wasn’t a “dud” – full fat and the cream separated really well. I gave it about 6 hours in the fridge once it was melted with the chocolate, and it came out really firm. But it seems that no matter how long I whipped for (using a machine) it would stay soft and wouldn’t get a frosting consistency!
Do you whip yours for a very long time? I whipped for at least 15 minutes at high speed.
Yes, it’s supposed to have a soft texture (think similar to regular whipped cream or even cool whip) I recommend only whipping it for a minute because whipping it heats it up and makes it even softer. Best to use a chilled bowl too.
Angela, I’m making this frosting right now to top Divvie’s vegan chocolate cupcakes. Super excited! Thanks for this! :)
This has got to be the most interesting, or let me say the yummiest recipe I have come across this year: 2-ingredient chocolate fudge frosting!
By the way, you also attested to the awesomeness of this wonderful recipe by saying that it is one of the best things to have emerged from your kitchen.
I have no problems at all with the recipe, I love it, it is very simple and not tasking in any way, just two ingredients and that is all.
However, I still have my fears. One, how does one balance the whole thing to ensure that it does not come out too sweet like a bowl of sugar?
Then two, you mentioned that the coconut milk should be ‘full-fat’. Is that not going to be too much calories? With the choco?
I use Thai Kitchen most of the time, but if I am making whipped cream I only use Safeway Organics Coconut Milk. I think it has to be the fattiest out there and it has never ever failed to separate for me. On the special occasion days I don’t want to chance it with other brands.
Whoops! I of course meant to add that this recipe is a wonderful idea and I have it on the stove right now!
Does this have a very strong coconut flavor or does the chocolate mask it well? I’m making lavender cupcakes and would prefer them to stay lavender/chocolate instead of lavender/chocolate/coconut! The frosting looks beautiful though and is exactly the texture I was looking for so I was really hoping to be able to use this recipe :)
Hi,
I have also noticed a product in supermarkets called Coconut Cream. Could it be substituted for the coconut milk? And if so, would you still need to refridgerate overnight? It looks delicious!
Hi Sarah, Im sorry I don’t know – I haven’t tried it before! Maybe someone else can comment :)
Someone above has said they used coconut cream and left it in the freezer (as they still got a little liquid out, and that you would need more chocolate as you end up with more cream at the end :) Only repeating what Ive read though!! Have just put my coconut cream in the fridge to give it a go :)
Hi! I am about to make this with the coconut cream — any tips?
Really looking forward to trying this! When I saw ‘2 ingredients’, I figured one of them would be something really hard to get hold of but no!
I wanted to ask though, have you tried to make any other flavour frosting this way, such as vanilla?
Thanks
Emma
No I havent tried that yet, but I wonder if it would work with vegan white choc chips? mmm
I was so excited about this recipe. I got the same brand coconut milk that is pictured and let it set in the ice box for 3 days. Opened it last night and it was a dud :(.