Oh hey! Looks like you’re here to learn how to make dairy free cream cheese frosting. The creamy frosting recipe that I’ll be sharing below is one my kids and taste testers have loved for years. It’s pretty comparable to regular cream cheese frosting that uses dairy products. Now, if you’re a cow’s milk cream cheese connoisseur, you’re going to know the difference.
On the other hand, if you just really enjoy delicious cream cheese frosting, I think you’ll be happy with the results.
Note: If you’re here looking for a delicious dairy free frosting recipe that’s not cream cheese based, make this homemade dairy free frosting recipe here on my site instead. It’s a classic vegan vanilla buttercream style frosting that’s super versatile.
A Word on Allergens and Vegan Cream Cheese Brands
Until 2025, coconut was slated as a major allergen here in the United States, so having a top 9 free option was legally not possible. Now that coconut is no longer considered a major allergen, Never Better Foods, Philadelphia, Violife, and Wayfare would all be considered top 9 free and top 14 free.
Whilst the Kite Hill Cream Cheese is almond based, the general public does seem to like it a good amount. If you avoid a lot of additives for health reasons, the Kite Hill brand will be the best choice. I’ve heard good things about the Violife cream cheese from vegan friends, and my tasters seem to prefer the Tofutti brand.
If you have coconut, tree nut, soy, and dairy allergies (as in, all four combined), you will not be able to make a dairy-free cream cheese frosting. All of the current commercial brands contain at least one of those ingredients.
Current Brands of Vegan Cream Cheese (all Dairy Free) in the United States:
- Kite Hill Plain Cream Cheese (almond based, contains legumes)
- Miyoko’s Creamery Vegan Cream Cheese (cashew and coconut based)
- Never Better Foods Better Than Soy Free Vegan Cream Cheese (coconut based, contains potato, legumes)
- Philadelphia Plant-Based Original Cream Cheese (coconut oil based, contains potato, legumes)
- Tofutti Dairy Free Cream Cheese (soy based, contains palm)
- Treeline Cashew Cream Cheese (contains cashew, seeds, rice)
- Violife Original Dairy Free Cream Cheese (coconut oil based, contains potato)
- Wayfare Foods Dairy Free Cream Cheese (white bean, coconut, sunflower base)
This list does not reflect shared equipment or shared facilities. If you can’t tolerate trace amounts of what you’re allergic to, you’ll need to contact brands for making purchases.
Recipe Allergy Status (Does Not Include Cream Cheese of Choice)
Free From: Wheat/Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Tree Nuts, Peanut, Fish, Shellfish, Sesame, Top 9 Allergens, Top 14 Allergens, Alliums, Apple, Avocado, Banana, Beans & Lentils, Berries, Buckwheat, Carrot, Celery, Cinnamon, Citrus, Coconut, Cruciferous, Garlic, Legume, Lupin, Mushroom, Mustard, Nightshade, Oat, Onion, Pea & Pea Protein, Potato (Nightshade Variety), Poultry, Red Meat, Rice, Seeds, Squash & Gourd, Stone Fruits, Strawberry, Sweet Potato & Yam, Tapioca/Cassava/Yuca/Manioc, Tomato, Yeast
Friendly To: FPIES, Vegan
Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Video
If you’d like to see these simple ingredients come together, check out the video below. I’ll show you how easy it is to make a dairy free version of classic cream cheese frosting.
Tools to Make Milk Free & Vegan Frosting
- Stand Mixer OR Handheld Electric Mixer
- Large Mixing Bowl or Stand Mixer Bowl
- Paddle Attachment
- Flexible Spatula (don’t use a wooden spoon as it will be much harder to scrape down the bowl)
- Measuring Spoons
- Disposable Piping Bag
Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
Part 1 Ingredients
- 225g Dairy Free Butter (8 ounces)
- 225g Dairy Free Cream Cheese of Choice (8 ounces)
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
Part 2 Ingredients
- 1.35KG Organic Powdered Sugar (48 ounces) also called icing sugar
- 6 – 8 TBSP Water (room temperature)
- 4 tsp Organic Vanilla Extract
Directions For the Best Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
To make frosting, I use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. You can use an electric hand mixer with a large bowl if needed.
Place your empty mixing bowl on your kitchen scale, tare to zero, and add the Part 1 Ingredients.
Whip on medium speed for 45 seconds to combine, as well as to add a little air to the mix. Turn the mixer off, and scrape the sides of the bowl down.
Add your sugar, vanilla, and 4 TBSP of water to start. Pulse the mixer (to prevent a mess). Once the sugar is wet enough, turn the mixer on low speed to combine.
As your frosting starts to form, add the next Tablespoon of water, then increase the speed to medium.
This is where you’ll start to eyeball your frosting. Generally, I use 7 – 8 Tablespoons of water for this frosting recipe, however, the temperature of your vegan butter and cream cheese will affect how much water is needed. Continue to add water a little at a time until a frosting has properly formed.
Take note of the photo and that my frosting is on the soft side. Be sure to use the least amount of water possible if you’d like a very firm texture.
I’ll talk a little about consistency below. You’ll need to have a final use in mind when making your frosting, especially if you’re application calls for a less-runny cream cheese frosting.
Best Ways to Use Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting
It’s important to note that dairy-free cream cheese frosting has less applications when compared to something like vanilla frosting, and that’s because of the natural tang from the dairy free cream cheese. Note: Traditional cream cheese frosting has the same issue.
With that in mind, here are the best foods that will pair well with this dairy-free version of a classic:
- Brownies
- Carrot Cake (and all carrot cake adjacent products like a carrot cake cookie, etc.)
- Chocolate Cake
- Cinnamon Cookies (or cardamom)
- Cinnamon Rolls & Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- Lemon Cake (and lemon adjacent products)
- Pumpkin Bread (and some pumpkin adjacent baked goods like pumpkin cake)
- Red Velvet Cake & Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Zucchini Bread & Vegan Zucchini Bread
How to Store Leftover Cream Cheese Frosting
OK, you’ve made this vegan frosting recipe, you’ve decorated some might tasty cupcakes, and now you need to store the leftover frosting. You have a few options.
For best results, store leftover frosting in the fridge in an airtight container. Personally, I never freeze whole blocks of frosting, but I have a free-from friend that does it and she swears by it. I think for me, the extra thaw time isn’t worth it. This is the container that I use for leftover frosting.
Also for best results, if you make a dessert that’s freezer friendly (vegan cakes and cupcakes, brownies, and so on), decorate the baked goods. Then, freeze them frosted. You’ll need to make sure your treats are well covered in your freezer, and an airtight container is ideal.
You can also store your extra frosting on top of pumpkin or spice cakes, leave that on your counter in a cute cake stand with a lid, and eat it all week long.
A Few Tasty Recipes For You to Try
Your homemade vegan cream cheese frosting would be the perfect topping for these awesome recipes. All gluten free, vegan, and super allergy friendly. Remember, cream cheese frosting can be used on a range of different desserts, and this is only scratching the surface.
- Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes (also a gluten + top 9 free carrot cake recipe)
- Fudgy Brownies (Gluten Free, Vegan, Top 9/14 Free)
- Carrot Oatmeal Cookies (use this frosting + a chocolate frosting to make cute cookie sandwiches)
- Vegan Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake Recipe
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How to Add Flavor To Your Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
Just how you can have flavoured frostings (cinnamon, chocolate, etc.), you can do the same thing with dairy free cream cheese frosting. Here are some simple ways you can tweak this icing recipe to have completely different results.
- Add cacao powder to the butter and cream cheese mixture (not the same as cocoa powder). 40g of cacao powder is a great starting point.
- Add organic food grade lemon oil along with lemon zest to the cream cheese and butter mixture (don’t add lemon juice).
- Add warm spices to the cream cheese and butter mixture (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, etc.)
- Add crushed freeze dried fruit powder to the cream cheese and butter mixture (this makes it easier to create strawberry, etc, etc, without throwing off the moisture and overall ratios)
- Add organic maple extract to the butter and cream cheese mixture (not maple syrup). This will add a huge pop of flavour. You’ll need to reduce the amount of water you use if you go this route.
Tip: Generally, you’ll add the flavouring agent to the dairy free butter + dairy free cream cheese mixture. This will ensure an even distribution of your flavouring agents.
Best Tips for Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting + Layered Cakes
You may be wondering if this delicious vegan cream cheese frosting can be used for a layer cake. The answer is: maybe. If you make super soft vegan cream cheese frosting, the answer is no. If your frosting is on the firmer side, the answer will be yes. Here are my top simple tips for you on the matter.
Start with 1 Tablespoon Less
Dairy free cream cheese frosting, in my humble free-from opinion, is a little harder to work with when compared to a straight vegan vanilla buttercream frosting. That’s because of the cream cheese and how the softness can change on you.
To compensate, start with 1 Tablespoon less of the water that I call for, then do a test spread. If your frosting is already workable, stop. If you’re struggling to get it spread, keep going.
The reasoning here is simple: you can always add more water, but you can’t take it away. Once you’ve put it in your mixing bowl, that’s it. You’re committed.
Work With Frozen Cakes
Did you know I owned and operated an award winning gluten free, vegan, top 9 free+ bakery? Yup, I did. I made a LOT of cakes and cupcakes and here’s what I can tell you…
Decorating frozen cakes is quite literally, a million times easier than their thawed counterparts. Even for the crumb coat if you go in that direction, work with a frozen cake. Why do more hard work if you don’t have to, right?
The caveat is that the temperature of your cake will affect your frosting. The good news is, the learning curve is small. Once you’ve decorated frozen cakes a few times, you get the hang of things and learn how to move quickly.
Don’t Overfill Your Piping Bag
If you’re trying to pipe cute decorations and the bag is super full, you won’t be able to grip it properly and your designs will come out wonky. It’s also hard to apply even pressure when the bag is too full.
These disposable piping bags have a fill line on them, and it’s a pretty good stopping point.
Do NOT Use This as a Filling Layer
Because of the soft nature of this dairy free cream cheese frosting, using it as a filling between two layers of cake is asking for trouble. You’re better off using this to decorate the top and sides of your cake, rather than have it in the middle of cake layers.
For a sturdy filling, use this vegan vanilla buttercream frosting recipe instead (and watch the helpful video on the page whilst you’re there). You could also do a fruit filling instead of frosting, which would compliment the cream cheese frosting beautifully.
I’ll also add this. You can use this between cake layers with some planning. If you skip the planning though (you know how some people get on the internet), there’s a good chance it will fail, especially if your cake is at room temperature.
- Bake and cool cakes.
- Freeze cakes solid.
- Pipe the dairy free cream cheese frosting on top of the cake(s).
- Place the cake layers in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to the frosting starts to set up.
- Take the layers out, stack, and decorate.
- If you’re not eating the cake the same day or the next day, put your decorated cake in the freezer (covered), until you need it.
The refrigerator step is important, since it ensures you’ll have a firmer filling. Also, when you do enjoy your cake, don’t let it sit out at room temperature all day.
Consider Your Audience
Not everyone is a fan of the tang that comes with cream cheese. If you think you’ll have a split audience, use a dairy free vanilla buttercream frosting as the main frosting, then use your cream cheese frosting for decor elements. You can use it as the footer for the cake, and to decorate the edge of the top of your cake.
This allows people to have a little cream cheese flavor without being blown away by said flavor. It’s also a lot easier for people who are anti cream cheese to pick that part of the frosting off of their cake slice.
Delicious Dairy Free, Gluten Free Vegan Cake Recipes
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Answering Your Questions About This Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Does dairy free cream cheese taste like real cream cheese?
I’m pretty certain dairy farmers would tell you, but in reality, it depends on who you ask. If you do a side by side comparison, you’ll absolutely be able to tell the difference, especially with the coconut based cream cheeses. My taste testers who aren’t allergic to milk can absolutely tell the difference. My tasters allergic to milk think it’s fine because they have no point of reference.
Here’s the thing, dairy free foods don’t taste exactly like dairy foods, and if that’s what you’re expecting, you’ll be disappointed. However, dairy free options can stand in for dairy foods pretty well, especially for people with food allergies. If you go into it thinking, this is a “great alternative” rather than “I want a replica”, I think you’ll be OK.
Companies work hard to get the taste and texture as close to dairy foods as possible, but there’s only so much food science can pull off. If you’re concerned about the taste, I’d encourage you to purchase as many options sold in your area and see which one really hits home for you. Also, if none hit home, skip cream cheese frosting. No point in making something you won’t love, yanno?
Can I use coconut oil in place of the dairy-free butter?
Technically yes since coconut oil is solid at room temperature, just like dairy-free butter. However, you’re going to TASTE coconut. Personally, this isn’t a swap I’d make (well, several tasters are allergic to coconut), but it’s still a swap I wouldn’t make. I’d be more likely to use an organic shortening before coconut oil, just on flavour notes alone.
This is totally one of those could you, but should you, moments.
Is vegan margarine the same thing as vegan buttery sticks from Earth Balance?
Yes. Margarine is defined as a butter substitute made from oil or animal fats. Vegan butter is a blend of oils, so it would be classified as margarine. Sometimes, the lingo can get confusing.
Can I use plant based milk instead of water?
When making cream cheese icing, yes, you can. This isn’t something I personally do since the flavour isn’t really altered and it just seems unnecessary, but you still can. The only milk you should not use is full fat coconut milk from the can. All other milks (almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, oat milk, etc.) would be fine to use.
Is it possible to make this cream cheese frosting with the whisk attachment on my stand mixer?
Technically yes, however, you’re more likely to have lumps and clumps in your frosting, which is what we don’t want. A paddle attachment does a great job at beating the frosting to a smooth consistency that you can spread on your favorite desserts.
How can I make lemon cream cheese frosting?
You can absolutely elevate this easy vegan cream cheese frosting and make a lemon frosting instead. For best results, add 10 – 15 drops of organic food grade lemon oil to the dairy free butter + dairy free cream cheese mixture. You’ll also add 2 Tablespoons of organic lemon zest. Do not use lemon juice, as the flavour won’t be as powerful, and the acid can throw off your frosting.
Which brand of vegan butter is the best?
Honestly, I can’t tell you because I haven’t used them all. I use the commercial 30 pound box from Earth Balance because it’s top 9 free and coconut free. All the commercial options usually contain some kind of allergen I like to avoid when baking (either because of the needs of my tasters, or the needs of the website).
So, you’d have to test them all side by side. However, in terms of performance, they’re all going to be nearly identical. When using it in a frosting recipe alongside a bunch of sugar, you won’t even be able to taste the differences/variations for the most part (unlike spreading butter on toast where you can really taste it, yanno?)
This article here on my website lists out the different brands that make vegan butter. Read them over, check out the websites, and maybe you’ll find something new to experiment with.
Can I replace the dairy-free butter with coconut cream?
No, do not swap your vegan butter for coconut cream. If you need to use coconut cream for some reason, I’d suggest finding a recipe that uses that as the base alongside cream cheese.
Can I make cream cheese frosting with regular cane sugar?
No, you cannot replace powdered sugar with regular cane sugar when making any kind of frosting recipe. If you’ve run out of powdered sugar, you can make it at home and still frost all of your favorite cakes.
In a blender, combine 2 cups confectioner’s sugar with 2 TBSP of arrowroot starch. You can also use tapioca starch or cornstarch if you don’t have arrowroot.
Blend that on high speed and you’ll make powdered sugar. Once that’s ready, use that in your frosting recipe.
What happens if I only use half a tub of cream cheese?
Whilst the cream cheese plays an important role in this frosting recipe, nothing bad will happen. You’ll lose a considerable amount of cream cheese flavor, and you’ll need to adjust how much water and confectioners’ sugar you use. But, it’s possible to make cream cheese frosting with less cream cheese.
If you’re asking because you only have half a tub left, you can scale back on the rest of the ingredients to match your half tub (so you’d be making about a half batch of frosting). Doing this will give you the same forward cream cheese flavor of the full recipe.
Is non-dairy milk the same thing as dairy free milk?
Non-dairy (also written as nondairy) used to imply that there could be a very small amount of cow’s milk dairy in a product. Dairy free on the other hand means zero dairy. Period.
Whilst the regulation has changed over the years, the US FDA generally has the viewpoint that “non dairy” could contain up to 0.5% of dairy milk derivatives such as caseinate. Dairy free always meant zero milk or milk derivatives.
At the time of publishing in 2026, what I can tell you is this: many brands are using the terms as if they’re interchangeable. This can be confusing to a lot of people because you’re not sure what they’re referring to.
When in doubt, anyone with a milk allergy should always contact a company to better understand their ingredients and manufacturing process.
Can I skip the butter and use all cream cheese?
Honestly, I’ve never tried leaving out the stick butter and using two tubs of cream cheese instead. If anything, I imagine the balance would be off and the sharpness from the cream cheese would be in your face.
Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You might be making a type of dessert that needs something sharp to cut through other flavours. Alternatively, you may just LOVE the taste of cream cheese, especially the way it pairs with something like red velvet cupcakes.
What I can tell you is this: in terms of function, it will work. The cream cheese is thick enough. For everything else, I don’t know if it will work, or if it will pair well with other desserts.
Having said that, of course I think you should give it a go, again, if you LOVE the taste of cream cheese. Just swap the stick butter for an extra tub of cream cheese, follow the instructions, and you’re good to go.
Is it possible to make this frosting recipe with cashews instead of vegan butter?
I’m always going to say anything is possible, even if that means we have to pull out every trick in the bag. In the case of using cashews, one, I’ve never done it (I’m deathly allergic to cashew), and two, let’s look at how you’d try.
- Soak organic cashews in warm water. For ease, do this in your blender so you don’t dirty an extra dish.
- After an hour, drain off all the water. Add half to one teaspoon vanilla extract to the cashews.
- Add a little bit of dairy free milk to the blender.
- Blend on high until super smooth. Add the least amount of liquid necessary to get a smooth mix. You need the cashews to be THICK.
- Transfer the blender contents to a mixing bowl.
- Follow the instructions, and treat the cashews as the stick of butter.
- Once the frosting is ready, taste and adjust salt and vanilla if needed.
- Decorate something, make sure it’s Instagram ready, then share an image and tag me so we can celebrate together.
To make this happen, I suggest using 8 – 10 ounces of cashews (225g – 280g). Make sure you’re working with plain unsalted cashews (nothing with added salt or sweetness which can throw off the recipe).
Does this frosting work as a dip for cookies?
Do you remember Dunk-a-roos from when we were kids? I might be way too old for you if you have no idea what I’m talking about, but yes. I think you’d have Dunk-a-roo vibes if you were to use this frosting as a dip.
I’d suggest using a bit more of the vanilla extract (half teaspoon) to make sure it pops. Also, start with the 4 Tablespoons water, and work up from there until your dip is your desired consistency.
What’s cool about this idea is that you can add other ingredients to help make a creative dip. Top suggestions:
- Organic Cacao Powder (not the same as cocoa)
- Organic Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Organic Ground Cinnamon
- Warming Spices (think ginger + nutmeg + a tiny bit of cloves)
- Heat Bringing Spices (chipotle, etc. for a sweet and spicy vibe)
- Blue Spirulina (one of my favorites to use because it POPs without altering the flavour a bunch)
- Beet Powder (great for Valentine’s Day and Christmas)
- Freeze Dried Fruit Powder (strawberry is a top choice, as is peach)
- Purple Sweet Potato Powder (Ube)
- Crushed Oreo Cookie Crumbs (not the filling, just the dark cookie part, and you can use a homemade faux Oreo cookie recipe)
When using this as a dip, make sure you use a cute serving plate as well, and really let the food make a statement. Well, assuming you’re serving this at a party. If this is for home use, pop it in a little container, sit on the couch in your PJs and have a grand old time dipping.
