If you've ever tried making coconut oil buttercream, then you know that it's possible...but tricky. When I posted a recipe on Craftsy, about half of the people loved it and the rest hated it. It's not necessarily the recipe: it's the coconut oil. Coconut oil is tricky to work with in baking. And it's hard to explain to people how you really just need to be sensitive to its finicky needs. You need to be a coconut oil whisperer to attain great results.
When it comes to reliably making vegan buttercream without being a coconut oil whisperer, however, I've found a worthy ally in making a coconut-based buttercream that won't dribble and melt on you. Ironically, the product is called MELT. Ha!
BTW I Should say, this is not a sponsored post. I bought the coconut oil spread and have no contact with the company at this point (though if they see this and want me to develop recipes for them, I'm not opposed of course!).
I was curious about whether or not this vegan coconut oil spread could be used to make a buttercream, so I gave it a try. And guess what, buddies? It works brilliantly.
This coconut oil spread contains (pasted from their website): virgin coconut oil – a stable, saturated fat, and a rich fruit-based source of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) – smoothly blended with flaxseed, hi-oleic sunflower, palm fruit and canola oils.
You use the coconut oil spread just as you would butter, and texture-wise, the results are quite comparable. It even pipes well.
I will say that this buttercream is a little bit more sensitive to heat than a traditional buttercream, but not in a crazy way. I would just advise that you keep your cake or cupcakes in the fridge until ready to serve.
I also love the flavor of this coconut oil spread-based buttercream. I'm a coconut lover, so I love the subtle coconut flavor that this buttercream had. I wouldn't say it's totally coconut flavored, but it does have a little something that differentiates it from a traditional buttercream. (YUP, I am using my WORDS here).
Verdict? UNICORN APPROVED!
Care to give it a try? Here's what I did.
Coconut oil-based buttercream
Enough for a batch of 18-24 cupcakes or one 2-layer 8 or 9-inch cake
- 1 cup (8 ounces) MELT
- 6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch salt (I believe MELT includes a little salt, but I added more. Taste before deciding if you want salt!)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the MELT until creamy and smooth, about 1-2 minutes (less time than butter)
- Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the vanilla and salt.
- On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the frosting is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not add all of the sugar. If needed, thin with a little bit of soy, coconut, or whatever type of milk you like (if you're not vegan you can totally use dairy milk too). I didn't put it in the ingredients though because I didn't need it.
- If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly til it's a desired shade. Use right away to frost your cake or cupcakes.