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Vegan Creamy Chocolate Frosting

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on February 29, 2020

Yield

Makes 4 cups

Vegan Creamy Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

3 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk 3⅓ cups (1¼ pounds) semisweet chocolate chips ¼ teaspoon salt

Before You Begin

Not all semisweet chocolate chips are vegan, so check ingredient lists carefully. Halve this recipe to frost 12 cupcakes. (Use two cans of coconut milk to obtain the ¾ cup cream.) Mixing times won't change. Note that this frosting is made over 2 days.

Instructions

  1. Refrigerate unopened cans of coconut milk for at least 24 hours to ensure that 2 distinct layers form. Skim cream layer from each can and measure out 1½ cups cream (save any extra cream for another use and discard milky liquid).
  2. Microwave coconut cream, chocolate chips, and salt in bowl at 50 percent power, whisking occasionally, until melted and smooth, 2 to 4 minutes; transfer to bowl of stand mixer. Place plastic wrap directly against surface of chocolate mixture and refrigerate until cooled completely and texture resembles firm cream cheese, about 3 hours, stirring halfway through chilling. (If mixture has chilled for longer and is very stiff, let stand at room temperature until softened but still cool.) Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip at high speed until fluffy, mousse-like soft peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes, scraping down bowl halfway through whipping.
Vegan Creamy Chocolate Frosting

Vegan Creamy Chocolate Frosting

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients

3 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk
3⅓ cups (1¼ pounds) semisweet chocolate chips
¼ teaspoon salt

Ingredients

3 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk
3⅓ cups (1¼ pounds) semisweet chocolate chips
¼ teaspoon salt

Ingredients

3 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk
3⅓ cups (1¼ pounds) semisweet chocolate chips
¼ teaspoon salt

Why This Recipe Works

For a rich, billowy multipurpose chocolate frosting, we melted semisweet chocolate and whisked in coconut milk. Once cooled, we whipped the ganache-like mixture into a mousse-y frosting. The frosting tasted downright decadent, but it looked broken. Using chocolate chips instead of bar chocolate was our fix. Chocolate chips contain emulsifying agents, which stabilized the mixture so it didn't break.

Before You Begin

Not all semisweet chocolate chips are vegan, so check ingredient lists carefully. Halve this recipe to frost 12 cupcakes. (Use two cans of coconut milk to obtain the ¾ cup cream.) Mixing times won't change. Note that this frosting is made over 2 days.

Instructions

  1. Refrigerate unopened cans of coconut milk for at least 24 hours to ensure that 2 distinct layers form. Skim cream layer from each can and measure out 1½ cups cream (save any extra cream for another use and discard milky liquid).
  2. Microwave coconut cream, chocolate chips, and salt in bowl at 50 percent power, whisking occasionally, until melted and smooth, 2 to 4 minutes; transfer to bowl of stand mixer. Place plastic wrap directly against surface of chocolate mixture and refrigerate until cooled completely and texture resembles firm cream cheese, about 3 hours, stirring halfway through chilling. (If mixture has chilled for longer and is very stiff, let stand at room temperature until softened but still cool.) Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip at high speed until fluffy, mousse-like soft peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes, scraping down bowl halfway through whipping.

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