Vegan Chocolate Espresso Truffle Frosting that is dairy-free, oil-free and just 5 ingredients! This is the easiest, most decadent and rich chocolate frosting I’ve ever had. It will have your guests swooning!
VEGAN CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO TRUFFLE FROSTING
One of my very favorite desserts to eat has always been cupcakes. I love cookies and brownies, but cupcakes has always been at the top. I love the combo of soft cake with a sweet frosting. The only thing that ever tops a cupcake, is my #1 dessert of all time, Tiramisu. But that’s a whole other story. The only issue with cupcake frosting, is that they are always full of butter or coconut oil. Since I don’t use either of those, I wanted a frosting that I could use on cupcakes that was still really sweet, but that would hold it’s shape and be pipe-able and not have a ton of ingredients in it. You know, really simple.
This is it folks and it’s only 5 ingredients! It is basically the texture of a soft ganache truffle. It’s much more firm than a traditional buttercream, but that can simply be adjusted by adding more milk. It is liquid when you mix all the ingredients, but then firms up soft, just like a truffle. It is still soft, yet firm. So, it’s not quite as soft as a buttercream frosting, but truly like eating a truffle…as frosting.
It’s super simple, you are basically creating a simple ganache with chocolate and milk, just like I did here in my Cranberry Dark Chocolate Truffles, except I used regular chocolate chips, so it would be sweet enough. Then I added some coconut milk and some pumpkin, espresso, vanilla extract and some salt. Melt it all, mix it up and let cool a bit so it is firm enough to pipe. You could use it right away and just drizzle it on as a glaze and let it firm up that way, but like I said, I wanted a frosting.
But, what to use instead of butter to give it some softness and body? Pumpkin.
I’m providing 3 different exciting ways to use this Vegan Chocolate Espresso Truffle Frosting…all based on different chill times.
For the top effect, which is swirled and firm (but not whipped), you are just chilling it for less time and then just pipe it out and let it firm. For the middle whipped effect, you are chilling it the longest. For the 3rd effect, it is only chilled a short time, so that when you pipe it out, it creates a more flat effect.
I mean, just look at how that looks just like a buttercream frosting when whipped! The taste is nothing short of DIVINE. As it cools a bit, it will firm up more like the center of a soft ganache truffle.
VEGAN CAKES AND CUPCAKES TO USE THIS FROSTING ON
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vegan Gluten-free Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
- Vegan Gluten-free Vanilla Cupcakes
- Vegan Gluten-free Vanilla Cake
- Vegan Almond Butter Cake
- Vegan Pumpkin Cake if you like th combo of pumpkin and chocolate
- Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Brownies
OTHER VEGAN FROSTINGS TO TRY:
- Vegan Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Vegan Coconut Cream Frosting
- Funfetti Coconut Butter Frosting
If you make any of these recipes, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8#thevegan8!
Vegan Chocolate Espresso Truffle Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups (406g) semi-sweet dairy-free chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (150g) canned “lite” coconut milk, room temperature, can shaken first
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or use 1/4 teaspoon for a peppermint flavor
- 1/2-1 teaspoon instant ground espresso powder
- 3 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
NOTE
- To make this for a double layer cake, this is enough frosting, but you will need to add more milk and I'd recommend adding some dry powdered sugar as well, to taste, as this icing is too firm to frost a cake with. You'll need probably an extra 1/4-1/2 cup of milk and 1/4 cup sugar or more for sweetness for a double layer cake. This frosting is a more dark chocolate flavor, so for parties, I recommend adding the extra sugar. After chilling and whipping the icing, add more milk or sugar as needed for desired texture.
TRUFFLES VERSION
- You can make these as actual truffles too if you want! Just decrease the milk to only 1/2 cup and chill probably at least an hour or so until the mixture is firm enough to scoop out into balls and not too soft. Roll them into cocoa powder, sugar or crushed nuts.
Instructions
- This will make enough to decorate 12 cupcakes or a double layer cake.
- Add the chocolate chips and milk to a large, preferably tall bowl (for whipping later). Add them to a microwave and heat at 30 second intervals 2-3 times, stirring well after each 30 seconds.
- Remove and let the chocolate melt into the milk fully while whisking it until 100% smooth and no more bits left.
- Now add the remaining ingredients and puree with a hand immersion blender. You can use a food processor if you don’t have one. You just want to make sure the chocolate is completely smooth.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. You have a few options now depending on the type of frosting you want. If you chill it for about 15-20 minutes only, it should be firm enough to pipe through a bag and leave a smooth, flat, decorative glaze on the cupcakes. If you chill it 30 minutes, it will be firmer to pipe out and leave a more stacked, icing style swirl texture. Chill for 45 minutes and then it should be firm enough to whip with an electric hand beater to resemble a whipped buttercream frosting look. If it’s too firm, let it sit at room temp for just a few minutes. If it’s too liquidy and not whipping up to a thick frosting texture, chill it just a few more minutes. I would suggest the 3rd option to serve to guests because it’s visually appealing. Just whip it for about a minute and it should be fluffy, it doesn’t take long. I used a piping tip, but you can cut a small corner off of a plastic baggie if you want to as well. Or, just use a knife to spread the frosting on after it’s whipped, which would work best for a full cake. Each one will firm up nicely like a soft truffle as it sits a bit at room temperature.
Notes
These look amazing. Chocolate cupcakes are my favorite. I imagine adding espresso makes them even better.
It definitely takes them up a notch, thank you so much!
I don’t like coffee but these look amazing, Brandi!! 🙂 Love the pictures!
Thank you so much Sina, so sweet, so glad you love the pictures!
Have you ever made this without the coffee? While it sounds great to me, it is for a four year old birthday party so I’m not sure they will be as excited about the added flavor. Also, do you have a vanilla frosting recipie? All the dairy/egg/nut free ones I fine use margarine of some sort, which I’m not big on giving my kids. I used your strawberry frosting for my daughter’s first birthday and loved it, so I’m back here for another flavor!
Hi Mary! You can just leave out the espresso, it will still be delicious, it’s just a small amount to make the chocolate taste richer, you don’t actually taste espresso hardly. But you can simply leave it out. I actually don’t have a specific vanilla buttercream type of frosting, but I am actually working on one. I do have a similar one though that you could try, it is delicious. Here it is: https://thevegan8.com/2015/03/26/raw-vanilla-pecan-dream-bars/
I also have this one. https://thevegan8.com/2012/09/27/maple-cashew-frosting/
They are both frostings, but not specifically like a vanilla buttercream but I’m working on that. But maybe one of these will work for you!
I tried the chocolate frosting without the espresso. It was the best one I have found yet. This, like the other vegan ones I have tried, was a little to bitter for my taste. Almost a dark chocolate flavor, even though I used Enjoy Life semisweet chips. Do you think adding powdered sugar or something would help or is that just how vegan chocolate is? Thanks again for your help.
Hi Mary! So happy to hear this is the best one you’ve tried! Yes, this is supposed to be a rich chocolate flavor, not as sweet as typical buttercream. You can definitely add some powdered sugar to make it sweeter and maybe a tad more milk, maybe just a tbsp of milk to compensate. I think 3-4 tbsp of sugar should be enough, but just add to taste.
Oh
My
Word!!!
I used Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips with your recipe (I didn’t have espresso) and the icing is so phenomenal that I could just eat the entire bowl right now!
I made it last night using your optional suggestion of cashew milk (homemade using your method, of course:) and this morning I could roll it into truffles, add a small dollop to my coffee, and warm it for a few secs in the microwave to spread it on your choc. chip cupcakes!! Versatile AND fabulously delectable! Now that’s a recipe!
10 stars on this one, Brandi!
Yay Colleen, so happy you loved this so much! It is my favorite chocolate frosting ever! I love turning it into truffles as well, nothing like a double-duty recipe, huh, haha?! Thank you so much for the feedback!
I’m slowing make my way back through all my “go to” recipes of yours and making sure my star ratings showed up… I just HAD to re-rate this one on the PC – it’s too fabulous not to! I made it again as truffles for a friends and of course, they asked for the recipe. :0) SOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD!
Jane, I do not price the cakes, Cake In A Crate who is responsible for the kits and shipment, sets the prices. I am just the creator of the cake. Also, the price is not based on what it would cost if you were to make it yourself, it is based on the concept of total convenience. These kits come filled with all of the ingredients already pre-measured, it saves a ton of time of store trips for ingredients, as well as you don’t even need to get out measuring tools. You literally throw the ingredients in a bowl, mix and bake. Same with the ganache. Many people have loved this kit and used it for special occasions where they’d rather not deal with the headache of buying ingredients they typically wouldn’t use often. Just like with any special order of a cake at a store, you will pay more than if you make it yourself.
HOWEVER, even with all of that, since I have always showed my readers how much I care, I also have the recipe available on my blog for those who’d would in fact RATHER make it themselves. I did that simply to prove that I’m thinking of them. So, there is no “cheating”. A person can make the choice whether or not they want to order one. If you want to make it, the recipe is here: https://thevegan8.com/2016/06/29/vegan-gluten-free-vanilla-chocolate-chip-cake/
Has anyone tried adding peanut butter to this recipe? If do what amounts? I’ve tried recipe as is and it’s really good. Love the texture!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it Jo! I think you could definitely add some peanut butter, I’ve never tried, but I think it should work fine. You may need to adjust the milk so it doesn’t get too stiff/thick from the peanut butter.
I added 1/3 cup of peanut butter to this recipe and it was PERFECT, especially paired with your chocolate cake. Thank you for continuing to develop such amazing recipes!
So happy to hear you loved the frosting and the cake, thank you so much Carolyn for the feedback! Peanut butter sounds like a delicious addition!
Hi Brandy,
I live in The Netherlands and can’t get the canned pureed pumpkin over here. Can I sub it with fresh pureed pumpkin? Or better to use peanut butter as suggested in another comment?
Cheers
Marielle
Readers, you MUST try this PHENOMENAL icing on Brandi’s new (7/11/19) gluten-free chocolate cupcakes! OMG! Beyond incredible! Everyone in my house is currently in a state of pure chocolate bliss. Enjoy!
OMG! This is hands down my new favorite chocolate frosting! We spread this on the tops of your Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes for my now 11 yr old’s birthday and it was just luscious. Deep, rich, chocolate flavor that was the exact thing the birthday kid wanted. We had plenty leftover, so it went into the refrigerator to be used over the course of the next week spread on graham crackers then topped with Dandie’s mini marshmallows – indoor S’mores!
When my birthday comes around, I know which frosting we’ll be using on *my* cake! 😀
Made this today for some banana cupcakes. Delicious frosting. Yum!!!!! <3
Made your chocolate cupcakes and this frosting today, in place of a birthday cake. Didn’t have pumpkin puree, used sweet potato and it worked! My kids loved both the cupcakes and the frosting. This was a hit and will be used again. Thanks!
I ended up with Instant Espresso Coffee instead of powder. I see others have left the espresso out all together, but I’m curious if you know if the instant coffee could be used here?
Yes, if it’s ground, it should work fine!
Hi
I made the chocolate ganache but it turned out too hard after I refrigerated it for an hour. Even after bringing it to room temperature it still remained solid. I followed the recipe correctly.
Hi! Please read step 5. It tells you how the texture will be. It is suppose to be firm, not liquidy. You are to whip it with a beater after chilled. Slightly warm it for 10 seconds if needed before whipping. The recipe absolutely works. I and many readers (all the reviews above) have made it many times. Keep in mind, as titled, it’s a ganache frosting, not a buttercream, so it’s more thick and dense like ganache, not soft and gooey. But if you want it softer, just add more milk.
I love all your recipes, would probably live this one but the fact that I really don’t like the taste of pumpkin, does it gives it a taste of it? Or can I use applesauce instead or mash sweet potato? Unless you can suggest a other type of purée! Thanks again for being the BEST my family and friends love you through all wonderful recipes I use. 😘💖💖👍🏻🎉