How to make frosting without butter or cream cheese

This easy butter FREE powdered sugar frosting is soft but stiffens up nicely making it ideal for topping cupcakes, cakes, soft sugar cookies or brownies. It's made without butter so it can be made dairy free OR vegan!

Table of Contents Show

No butter frosting for cake or cookies
How to make your frosting super smooth:
🧈Butter Free!
Other delicious sweets you will LOVE:
Reader Interactions
What can I use instead of butter in frosting?
What can I use instead of cream cheese in icing?
Can you use milk instead of butter for icing?
Do you need butter for cream cheese icing?

📝Note* There are TWO versions of this frosting recipe. See notes in recipe card at the bottom!

Homemade frostings are super easy to make! Most recipes are made with sugar, butter, milk (or cream) and vanilla extract.

This recipe is made without butter and can also be made without DAIRY!

To do this, we want to use dairy-free milk, water, cream, or juice.

This type of icing is known as a "quick frosting" because it takes minimal time to whip up. For flavoring, I like to use almond extract instead of vanilla extract because of it's unique flavor which is very tasty!

Liquids you can substitute the dairy for to make your frosting dairy-free:

Any nut milk
Freshly squeezed juice (orange juice, lemon juice or lime juice)
Alcohols (vodka, Kahlua, whiskey, bourbon, champagne, etc.)
Coffee or espresso

Extracts you could use to flavor your frosting besides vanilla:

almond
coffee
orange
mint
hazelnut
lemon

No butter frosting for cake or cookies

This confectioners frosting is great if you want a thick but soft icing for those soft sugar cookies we've all come to love around the holidays. Whether frosting Christmas cookies or cupcakes for a birthday party, this frosting is inexpensive but tasty.

My favorite thing is how nicely it stiffens up so once your frosting is set, you can stack them or cover your cupcakes without worrying they will smear everywhere.

Note* This frosting is on the SWEET side. If you want a less sweet frosting, you should look into a frosting made with BUTTER known as a buttercream frosting.

How to make your frosting super smooth:

One thing I LOVE about this confectioners sugar frosting recipe is how forgiving it is! If you mess up the frosting or dent it, you can easily fix it with some hot water and an offset spatula. Read more about smoothing frosting here.

Smooth out your frosting with a butter-knife!

Heating the icing sugar will cause it to melt again. So pressing a hot spatula or knife against the icing will cause the sugar to melt just enough to help it to smooth out evenly giving a clean presentation.

Pro Tip: Dip an offset spatula or butter-knife into hot water to easily smooth out your frosting!

🧈Butter Free!

There is no butter in this frosting because it not a buttercream frosting but there IS cream cheese. Without either of the two your frosting will just be too sweet. It needs one or the other to take that sweetness level down a bit.

If you're frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Have you checked out my desserts page yet?

FAQ's

"Will this frosting get hard?"

Yes, it will harden up enough for you to stack your cookies or take your cupcakes on the go without smearing everywhere. Depending how thick your frosting is, it will take anywhere from 30 minutes-2 hours as it cools and the moisture evaporates.

"How long will this frosting stay fresh?"

Your frosting will stay fresh for up to 1-2 weeks sealed in the fridge.

"Can I hand mix my frosting?"

Yes. Just make sure to mix it very well!

"How can I make my frosting smoother?"

Sift your powdered sugar before mixing in your cream and extract. Sifting the sugar will remove many small clumps that you don't want in your frosting creating a softer, smoother texture.

"Can I stack my frosting coated cookies?"

Yes! Just allow your frosting to harden. The time will differ depending on how thick it is. It should take 30 minutes - 2 hours to fully harden.

"How do I spread my frosting after it has hardened?"

Warm your frosting up in the microwave in 15-30 second intervals until it softens enough to spread.

Spread onto sugar cookies with sprinkle with choice of sprinkles!

Tools to make frosting desserts a bit easier:

Other delicious sweets you will LOVE:

Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

Mocha Pudding Cookies

Sea Salt Chocolate Covered Potato Chips Recipe

BAKED Mini Churro Bites w/ Quick Chocolate Sauce

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Follow me on Instagram @alekasgettogether and tag me if you make this recipe! 🙂

Non-Dairy Frosting

▢ 2 cups powdered sugar
▢ 2 oz. cream cheese
▢ 2 tablespoon cream
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
▢ ½ teaspoon salt

Dairy Free Frosting

▢ 4 cups powdered sugar
▢ ¼-⅓ cup non-dairy milk, water or juice
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
▢ ½ teaspoon salt

Standard Frosting

Sift your powdered sugar if you want a smoother frosting.
Add your sugar, heavy cream, extract and salt to a bowl and mix well until smooth. A standing mixer or hand mixer works best.
Add to a piping bag or smooth onto cupcakes, cookies or cake using an offset spatula. Read notes below*

Dairy Free Frosting

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix using a hand mixer or standing mixer. (Mixing by hand is tough to do.)
If frosting is too thick, add 1 tsp. of liquid at a time until desired consistency is reached. Too much and you will need more powdered sugar.
Add to a piping bag or smooth onto cupcakes, cookies or cake using an offset spatula. Read notes below*

Yield: frosts 5-6 cupcakes

NOTE* The standard version will have a fluffier consistency and is less sweet compared to the dairy free version.

**This frosting is made without butter so it is SWEETER than your typical buttercream recipe. I highly suggest leaving out half of the sugar in your cookie/cupcakes recipe to balance the sweetness in the frosting.**

Have a bowl of hot water on the side for dipping your spatula into before smoothing out your frosting. This is so useful!
Add a few drops of food coloring to get the color you desire if you want a colored frosting.
You can use milk, water or juice to make your frosting. The amounts will vary based on what you use.
The frosting will harden between 30 min to 2 hours.
Store frosting in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
To use frosting after its hardened, heat the frosting in the microwave for 15-30 second intervals until you can spread it easily.

Reader Interactions

What can I use instead of butter in frosting?

Margarine, butter-flavored shortening, coconut oil, vegan butter, cream cheese, heavy cream and whipped cream are all suitable substitutes for butter in frosting recipes.

What can I use instead of cream cheese in icing?

To use as a cream cheese substitute in baked goods and dips, blend one cup ricotta with one cup plain yogurt to equal two cups substitute. For frosting and cheesecakes, blend one cup ricotta with one cup heavy cream to equal two cups substitute.

Can you use milk instead of butter for icing?

Cream Vs Milk: Although milk will work just fine to make buttercream, chilled whipping cream is recommended. It adds not only creaminess, but it also helps keep the frosting cool allowing the cream to whips with the butter, resulting in a light, fluffy, and creamy buttercream.

Do you need butter for cream cheese icing?

You can actually make cream cheese frosting without butter AND without too much sugar. You can replace the butter with another ingredient as long as it's high in fat. Some butter substitutes for cream cheese frosting are margarine, mascarpone, heavy cream, and milk powder.