Sweet and Salted Vegan Caramel Frosting
Fluffy, buttery, salty, and sweet, this vegan caramel frosting is perfect for topping cakes, brownies, and more. It’s both light and rich, complex, not overly sweet, and filled with caramel flavor.
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How to Make Vegan Caramel Frosting
Our vegan caramel frosting is a twist on an ermine frosting, which is a fluffy, more buttery and less sweet frosting option that is thickened with flour. To make it, you first have to cook the sugar, milk, and flour. Since we’re making a caramel flavored frosting, we’re going to start by caramelizing the sugar, but before you start that make sure to get the oatmilk and flour mixed together. Make sure to mix the milk and flour really well, so there are no lumps. I found that you can do it with a whisk, but it’s a lot easier with an immersion blender.
To caramelize the sugar, heat the sugar along with a little bit of water in a small skillet. The water will evaporate away quickly but it will stop the sugar from burning before it melts. After that you’re going to want to let the sugar heat without stirring it. If you have a candy thermometer, you’re looking to get the sugar to around 365 degrees. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, no worries. Just look for a medium to medium-dark caramel color. Either way keep your eyes on that sugar, because once it starts to brown in can burn very quickly. Once you’ve achieved a nice, rich brown color, remove the sugar from the heat and quickly pour about half of the milk/flour into the pot. It should bubble up a good amount- give it a good whisk and wait for it to cool down. Be very careful about the heat- you can get some pretty nasty burns from hot sugar. Once the sugar is settled you can add the rest of the milk, and the return to the heat and cook until its thickened. After that, move your caramel to the fridge to cool fully before continuing.
The final step is easy- just whip vegan butter up, and combine with the chilled caramel mixture. I recommend using a vegan butter that’s intended for baking- some that are used as spreads have higher water content and you might have trouble getting a nice frosting with them.
Sweet and Salted Vegan Caramel Frosting
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup oatmilk (or other plant-based milk)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted vegan butter
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. salt (adjust to taste)
Instructions
- Combine the flour and milk, and whisk until there are no lumps- an immersion blender is really helpful here if you have it. Set aside.
- Add the sugar to a saucepan, along with a couple tablespoons of water. Heat, swirling the sugar, until it is melted. Continue to heat on high, without stirring, but watching your sugar closely. Once the sugar turns brown and starts to smell caramelized, take off the heat and pour in about half of the milk mixture and stir. It will bubble up- once the bubbling has subsided, add the rest of the milk mixture and return to the stove. Stir well, to dissolve all the caramel, and cook for a few minutes until it has thickened. Remove from the heat, pour into a heat-tolerant bowl or container, cover, and place in the fridge until fully cooled. It should have a thick, pudding texture once set.
- Place cool vegan butter in a stand mixer and beat until airy. Add the caramel pudding, vanilla extract, and salt, and beat until the caramel is well incorporated and the frosting is fluffy and soft, scraping down the sides as needed.
Notes
This recipe makes enough frosting for a single layer cake- depending on the amount needed you may need to scale up.
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