Easy 3-Ingredient Sugar-Free Icing Recipe (+ Glaze Option)
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This simple sugar-free icing recipe could be the fastest and easiest icing you’ll ever make. Use it to complement any dessert or snack if you’re watching your sugar intake. Heck, you can enjoy this even if you’re not on a diet.
While american buttercream and vanilla frosting are go-to’s for frosting dessert, this icing will be something you’ll feel good about. Ready in just 10 minutes using 3 simple ingredients, this sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free frosting is the perfect eye-catching finish to your cakes, cupcakes, scones, and holiday desserts.
It’s so simple that my child could make it without breaking a sweat, which makes it one of our favorite sugar free frosting recipes!
Easy keto recipes like this one are a testament to how easy it can be to enjoy a healthy lifestyle while celebrating big moments in life with something sweet. You can easily customize this dairy-free icing recipe to the exact consistency you want based on your needs. There are so many different flavors and variations to try, so go ahead and indulge!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
We all know that cakes taste way better with something on top – at least most of the time! Lucky for you, this sugar-free icing is here for anyone who wants to enjoy their favorite cake or pastry without the guilt. It’s a sweet, creamy frosting that everyone is going to love! Here’s why:
- Family-friendly and kid-approved
- Budget-friendly
- Simple ingredients: The recipe calls for just coconut oil, coconut milk, and powdered sweetener. No eggs, egg whites, or heavy whipping cream required!
- Short prep and cooking time: Make a homemade frosting in just 10 minutes for decorating cakes and other sweet treats.
- Amazing flavors: The absence of sugar and dairy gives the icing a lighter, mildly sweet, and less creamy mouthfeel, but still a satisfying dessert topper that’s on par with traditional icing.
- Basic kitchen equipment: Comes together using an electric mixer, a bowl, and measuring spoons.
- Easy-to-follow directions: As easy as pouring the ingredients into a bowl, mixing, and serving as a frosting or glaze for baked goods.
How to Make Sugar-Free Icing for Desserts
While it’s not going to replace the sweet indulgence of a classic frosting recipe, this sugar-free icing came close in flavor and texture in that it holds its shape and is incredibly easy to pipe and spread on desserts.
Did I mention it’s super easy to make? Combine all the ingredients into your mixer and mix until you reach the desired consistency. Simple as that!
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card with a full list of ingredients, measurements, and step-by-step instructions to make this super simple dairy-free icing recipe.
Ingredients You Need
There are only three ingredients needed to make this easy sugar-free icing.
- Sweetener: I prefer using Lakanto’s powdered monk fruit sweetener for a smoother texture and a sweetness that doesn’t have a bitter or artificial aftertaste. If not available, use erythritol, liquid stevia, or your preferred sweetener.
- Coconut oil: Softened; I like that it doesn’t have the oily and fatty consistency of butter, plus it helps stabilize the icing as it solidifies at room temperature.
- Coconut milk: Gives the icing a creamy mouthfeel and smooth, spreadable consistency, while keeping it dairy-free. If not available, use almond milk.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps and you’ll make the perfect sugar-free icing the first time you try!
Step 1: Combine ingredients
Mix coconut oil, coconut milk, and sweetener in a large mixing bowl and blend in an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and lump-free.
Step 2: Serve or store
Once done, use it as a frosting or glaze for various keto baked goods (scroll below for directions) or store it in the fridge or freezer.
Make this dairy-free icing recipe a part of your dairy-free baking routine! It’s perfect for frosting flourless keto brownies and pure cacao brownies from my cookbook, The Ultimate Guide to Low-Carb Baking.
How to Decorate a Cake with Sugar-Free Icing
Use a sugar-free icing to decorate cakes, brownies, bars, and cookies. Maybe even a gingerbread house!
Fill a pastry bag with the icing or follow this video tutorial to make one out of a plastic bag. I suggest attaching different tips for different looks.
You can learn some amazing piping techniques from Wilton, a leading name in desserts and confections. From a traditional cupcake swirl to a rosette and spiral border, there are a lot of fun looks to try. Here’s an idea of what you can do with beginner-friendly tips:
- Round tips – lines, dots, and writing
- Star tips – stars, shells, flowers, decorative borders, and rosettes
- Leaf tips – leaf shapes
- Basket-weave tips – lattices and ribbon-like lines and borders
How to Decorate a Cake with Glaze
A glaze’s trademark look is its glossiness and the way it drips down over the edges of the delicacy underneath. It is usually poured or spooned out over the tops of sweetbreads, cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, and hot cross buns.
Are you making a Bundt cake or a coffee cake? This will be the dairy-free glaze to use! You can also drizzle it over pumpkin muffins or chocolate pumpkin bread. Of course, icing is always a hit on chocolate cake and angel food cake!
To decorate, place a sheet of wax paper under the rack before glazing. The wax paper will catch all the drips instead of your countertop, making cleanup easier.
Once your baked good has cooled completely, pour the glaze or drizzle it with a spoon until the whole surface is covered. Alternatively, you can dip the tops of muffins directly into the bowl of icing.
Variations
This sugar-free icing is a versatile and highly adaptable recipe that’s left unflavored to give full attention to whatever you’re using it on. The icing adds a frosting-like texture and extra sweetness but won’t compete with the bread or cake it decorates.
Customize your sugar-free icing or glaze any way you like. The possibilities are endless!
- Thick frosting: Use as an alternative to cream cheese frosting and add a minimal amount of liquid, so it stays thick and spreads well over cakes and cupcakes. Use a piping bag or a knife for spreading.
- Thin icing: To make this a thinner, dilute the mix with 2 to 4 tablespoons of coconut milk, adding 1 teaspoon at a time until you get the consistency you want. The ideal texture should be like honey where it drizzles but doesn’t run.
- Vanilla icing: Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Chocolate icing: Melt 2 ounces of dark chocoalte with the coconut oil, add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and mix in with the other ingredients
- Mocha icing: Combine 2 teaspoons of coffee grounds with 2 tablespoons of cacao powder.
- Berry icing: Mash 1/2 cup ripe berries (strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, etc.). Combine into the mixing bowl with an extra 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add more milk if needed to thin out.
- Lemon glaze: Use 4 tablespoons of coconut milk and 4-6 tablespoons of lemon juice, and add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.
- “On the lighter side” keto glaze: Substitute hot water for the milk.
- Cinnamon sugar glaze: Thin to a glaze and sprinkle with a mixture of ground cinnamon and golden Lakanto over the top while the icing is still wet.
- Nutty keto glaze: Make a glaze and add chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds over the top before it hardens.
Expert Tips
- Taste and adjust! Taste the sugar-free icing as you go, adjusting the level of sweetness according to your preference. Some sweeteners can have a strong aftertaste, so make sure to add gradually.
- Adjust the texture. Add sweetener to thicken or milk to thin the texture. The ideal texture for piping is like that of toothpaste. You need some bulk for your shapes to hold together.
- Temperature matters! Make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature, with the coconut oil softened before mixing.
- Let chill. If you end up with a too-soft icing, place it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to firm it up before piping or spreading.
How to Store This Recipe
It is best to decorate immediately, but if you need to keep it longer, store this sugar-free icing in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. For even longer storage, place in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months in the freezer.
When ready to use, thaw the frozen icing in the fridge overnight. Once defrosted, bring it to room temperature and give it a good stir or whip before using to restore its texture.
More Sugar-Free Sweet Treat Recipes to Try
- Maple Buttercream Frosting
- Whipped Ricotta Frosting
- Keto Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Dairy-Free Sugar-Free Keto Icing (+ Glaze Option)
Ingredients
- 2 cups powdered Monkfruit Sweetener
- ¼ cup coconut oil softened
- 6 tablespoons coconut milk
Instructions
Dairy-Free Keto Icing
- Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and blend smooth with an electric mixer on medium speed.
- Store leftover in the fridge, use on various keto baked goods – cookies, cakes, scones, brownies, and sweet breads. The icing freezes well also, store in an airtight container for up to 6 months in the freezer.
Dairy-Free Keto Glaze
- Make the icing recipe and dilute with 2-4 tablespoons of additional coconut milk. Add 1 teaspoon of coconut milk at a time until you get the consistency you want.
Variations
- Vanilla Icing – add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chocolate Icing – melt 2 ounces of dark chocolate with the coconut oil, add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 4 additional tablespoons coconut milk. Mix in with the other ingredients.
- Mocha Icing – combine 2 teaspoons coffee grounds with 2 tablespoons cacao powder
- Berry Icing – mash 1/2 cup ripe berries (straw, black, blue etc). Combine into the mixing bowl with an extra 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add more milk if needed to thin out.
- Extra Creamy Icing – use heavy cream or coconut cream in place of the coconut (only coconut cream will make a dairy-free recipe)
- Lemon Glaze – use 4 tablespoons coconut milk and 4-6 tablespoons lemon juice, add 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- "On the Lighter Side" Keto Glaze – substitute hot water for the milk. Thin icings are nice for ketogenic Pound Cake, Lemon Poppy Seed Bread and Cinnamon Spice Bread (recipes from The Ultimate Guide to Low-Carb Baking)
- Cinnamon Sugar Glaze – thin to a glaze and sprinkle with a mixture of ground cinnamon and Golden Lakanto over the top while the icing is still wet
- Nutty Keto Glaze – make a glaze and add chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds over the top before it hardens
Video
Notes
- The ideal texture for icing is like that of toothpaste.
- The ideal texture for a glaze is like that of honey where it drizzles but doesn’t run.
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.
This was one of our Best Keto Recipes from 2018.
Delicious. You would never know it was sugar-free.
Thanks for the five star review, Shanna.