Vegan Caramel Buttercream (with video)

This is a recipe for Vegan Caramel Buttercream, made with an easy Vegan Caramel Sauce. Make sure to watch the video to check out exactly how incredibly easy this recipe is!

Vegan Caramel Buttercream

This is one of the best vegan frostings I’ve ever made and tasted!

You can easily make this Vegan Caramel Buttercream into salted caramel buttercream. Either by adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the caramel sauce, right before removing it from the heat. Or you can also add the salt to the buttercream itself, instead.

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How to make Vegan Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Before making the Vegan Caramel Frosting, you have to make the Caramel Sauce. Here is the blog post dedicated to that recipe, but you can find the video in this very blog post here, and the recipe down below as well.

For the Vegan Caramel Sauce, we only use 3 ingredients: sugar, coconut oil, and coconut cream. And no, it does NOT taste like coconut, specially if you use refined coconut oil. It will taste exactly like caramel sauce. My husband didn’t have a clue that this sauce had anything coconut in it, and he had also no clue that it was vegan at all.

The Vegan Caramel Sauce has to be at room temperature to be used in this recipe. This is very important! If the caramel sauce is warm, it will melt the butter, and if it’s cold, it will form lumps in your buttercream.

pouring vegan caramel sauce in a bowl

Ok, now that we have covered the caramel part, let’s move on to the actual buttercream recipe.

I am using vegan butter for my Caramel Buttercream. You can also use shortening, or a combination of both. The shortening will help you obtain a smoother buttercream that will be easier to pipe and hold its shape. However, feel free to use just butter. I actually prefer the taste of just butter.

I find that it’s best to use the butter right from the fridge to make vegan buttercream. If I let my butter soften, it will become too soft and won’t hold its shape.

So I simply remove the butter right out of the fridge and as I start to whip it with the mixer, it softens right up.

making vegan caramel buttercream

Add sifted powdered sugar to the butter. And once incorporated, add the caramel sauce and cream until smooth. Add vanilla.

Important tips on how to make this frosting

When you add the caramel to the frosting, if it seems a bit stiff and crumbly, simply add a tiny bit of water or non-dairy milk to try and make it smooth. And by a tiny bit I mean one teaspoon at a time.

When you finish making the frosting, if it seems too runny, maybe the butter is too soft, or you need to add some more sifted powdered sugar. And if the frosting seems too stiff and not smooth enough, add a bit of milk or water to make the frosting smooth.

vegan caramel buttercream

If you like this recipe, here are some more recipes you may like:

vegan caramel cupcakes
I used this recipe to frost these delicious Vegan Caramel Cupcakes.

I hope you liked today’s recipe! Make sure to watch the video to see how I made it!

This Vegan Caramel Buttercream is easy to make, and can be used to frost cupcakes, cakes, fill cookies, and more.

It makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes, but if you are going to frost a 8″ cake, I would double the recipe.

vegan caramel buttercream

Have a lovely day! If you make this, tag me on Instagram @piesandtacos. I always love to see all of your creations! Thank you for being here!

Vegan Caramel Buttercream

Vegan Caramel Buttercream

Camila Hurst
Vegan Caramel Buttercream frosting made with an easy caramel sauce.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, vegan
Servings 12 servings
Calories 100 kcal

Ingredients
  

Vegan Caramel Sauce
  • 1  cup  sugar
  • 3  tablespoons  coconut oil
  • 1/3  cup  coconut cream
Vegan Caramel Buttercream
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter or shortening, or a combo of both
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup vegan caramel sauce recipe above*
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-3 teaspoons non-dairy milk if needed

Instructions
 

Vegan Caramel Sauce
  • Place sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat.
  • Stir sugar constantly until it melts.
  • Make sure to stir non-stop, so the sugar has a chance to melt evenly.
  • When you see the very last beat of sugar melting, quickly remove pan from the heat and immediately pour coconut oil and coconut cream in the pan.
  • Be very careful doing this step, because the mixture will splatter all over the place, and it will be HOT!
  • Stay safe and try to use a larger pan, and a long spoon to stir, so you don’t get burned.
  • Some of the sugar will crystalize once you add the coconut oil and coconut cream in.
  • Return mixture to the heat, keep stirring and cooking mixture for 1-2 minutes.
  • Never stop stirring. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until all the sugar has re-melted and mixture is thick and smooth.
  • If you would like to make salted caramel, add 1/2 teaspoon, or more to taste, at this point.
  • Remove to a heat-proof bowl.
  • Let it cool completely before using.
Caramel Storage
  • Any leftover caramel sauce can be stored in the fridge for 15-20 days.
  • Simply re-heat it gently before using.
Vegan Caramel Buttercream
  • Place vegan butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.
  • Cream butter at medium-high speed for 1 minute.
  • Add sifted powdered sugar. Cream to combine for another minute.
  • Add cooled down, room temperature caramel sauce. Again, cream at medium speed to combine. The caramel sauce needs to be at exactly room temperature for this.
  • If mixture seems too stiff, add a bit of non-dairy milk or water. And by a bit I mean 1 teaspoon at a time, always mixing in between before adding any more.
  • Add vanilla.
  • If buttercream seems too runny, add more sifted powdered sugar.
  • If it seems too stiff, add more milk or water to make it smooth, one teaspoon at a time.

Notes

The Caramel sauce needs to be at room temperature to be added to the buttercream frosting. If the caramel is even slightly warm, it will melt the butter. And if the caramel is cold, you won’t be able to incorporate it to the butter, and your buttercream will be lumpy and messy. The caramel needs to be exactly at room temperature.
To make it salted caramel, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the caramel sauce right before removing it from the heat.
You can also add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the caramel buttercream instead.
This recipe makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes, but if you are going to frost a 8″ cake, I would double the recipe.
Keyword buttercream, caramel

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10 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    OMG this is genius!! I love homemade caramel sauce! I’ve made a vegan version with a can of coconut milk and some brown sugar, (very basic) but this looks exactly like real caramel sauce. Love that you used coconut oil and vegan butter too. I can’t wait to give it a try. Love your video as well, you’re a natural girlie!! Thank you for sharing this incredible recipe. Looks amazeballs!!

  2. Hi, the recipe looks amazing
    I don’t have any vegan butter available. i just have peanut butter. Can I use that? Or will it affect the taste
    Or is there any other alternative

  3. Hi there, If I make cupcakes and frost it with this buttercream, can it be left out overnight or does it need to be refrigerated?

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