This Vanilla Buttercream Paleo Frosting is easy to whip together, creamy, thick, and tastes just like traditional buttercream frosting!
Buttercream Paleo Frosting
I finally found it – the perfect vanilla Paleo Frosting!!! I’ve made many vanilla frostings over the past few years that I’ve been happy with, but this is the frosting I’ve been dreaming of. It’s the whole kit and caboodle!
Paleo Frostings are hard because traditional frostings rely on powdered sugar to thicken. However, powdered sugar is out of the question when making a Paleo frosting. So for this recipe, I rely on non-hydrogenated shortening for thickness and sweeten it with honey, which is Paleo-approved. I also add 1/2 Cup of Butter to give it a classic buttercream taste. Grass-fed butter is generally allowed on a Paleo diet, but feel free to use non-dairy butter or butter flavored coconut oil if needed.
Tips For Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Paleo Frosting
- The non-hydrogenated shortening and butter must be room temperature for it blend well and be creamy. At one point I found a brand of ghee that was creamy at room temperature and used it successfully many times. A reader pointed out, though, that many brands are much to hard even at room temperature to mix well. Because of this, I no longer recommend using ghee.
- If the frosting is too thin, beat in 1 Tbsp. of room temperature coconut oil. Do this until it reaches the thickness you prefer. To reduce the coconut taste, use refined coconut oil.
- The almond butter is optional but highly recommended. It’s adds a nice depth of flavor, especially if you use all shortening and no butter.
Looking for more frosting recipes? Check out my Keto Buttercream Frosting, Paleo “Cream Cheese” Frosting, and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting!
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting {Dairy, Soy, Refined Sugar Free}
Ingredients
- 1/2 C Non-Hydrogenated Shortening
- 1/2 C Butter (can use non-dairy) room temperature
- 3/4 C Honey
- 1 Tbsp. Pure Vanilla
- Scant 1/2 Tsp. Almond Butter optional but especially recommended if using only shortening
- 1 or 2 Drops Vanilla Stevia optional (to taste)
- Refined Coconut Oil if needed
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients on low for about 30 seconds or until well combined.
- Turn speed to medium-high and blend until creamy and smooth.
- Place in refrigerator 10 to 20 minutes to firm up if needed. Also, you can add solidified, refined coconut oil 1 Tbsp. at a time to thicken as needed.
Notes
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary.
Pin Paleo Frosting For Later
The ghee does not completely blend in at all. I regret taking a risk on this recipe. My ghee had always been room temperature. I used the whisk attachment on my Kitchenaid stand mixer. Even after 10 minutes on high speed,there were still flavorless little ghee lumps. This is not stiff enough to really do anything with but slather a layer over anything. I did expect that because of the honey. I added arrow root a few times to it and it helped it stiffen slightly. Don’t waist your money on trying the ghee. I feared the flavor almond butter would impart on the frosting, so went for the ghee. I was concerned about ghee’s inherent, room temperature, lumpiness but thought flavor might be better and my fears came true. I added butter flavoring to mine, which helped.
Hi lori, I’m so, so sorry!!! I remember when I tested this recipe I was using a brand of ghee that is no longer sold and it was very soft so it blended like butter. I will remove ghee from the ingredient list and I am so sorry once again.
-Cassidy
What is the piping consistency of this frosting? Can you pipe details at all or just spread it over the cake? Does it melt quickly?
Hi justine! The frosting is thick but not stiff. You could probably pipe it but I’m not sure how detailed you could make it. And I don’t remember it melting, but I’m sure it will some. I’d guess it would last for about a day without melting. I hope this helps and let me know what you think!!!
My birthday is coming up and I’d like to make an autoimmune cake. Could I replace the butter with coconut butter? Also, could I replace the stevia with non alcoholic vanilla?
Hi Erin! I don’t have a lot of experience with coconut butter so I can’t say for sure, but if it’s about the same consistency as butter it would probably work fine or you could use all shortening. And I’m sure you could replace the stevia with non alcoholic vanilla or even just omit it 🙂 Let me know how it turns out!!!
-Cassidy
Erin, you can just use coconut oil instead of butter. I can’t have dairy so I have had to learn a lot of dairy replacements. It works great! Hope this helps.
I am always looking for frosting recipes to try! This looks awesome!!
what is •½ C Non-Hydrogenated Shortening?
Hi Marianne!
Non-Hydrogenated Shortening is just shortening that has no trans fats but instead has the healthy fats – polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat. I use the Spectrum Organic brand that is 100% palm oil, you can find it on amazon or a health food store. It still contains a small amount of saturated fat though. Hope this helps!
-Cassidy