Keto Icing (Sugar-Free Glaze)
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I came up with this keto icing as a way to dress up my flourless keto brownies. They’re rich and fudgy on their own, but a little drizzle on top turns them into something that feels finished, making it the kind of thing you’d actually serve to guests instead of just eating standing at the counter.
It worked so well that I adapted it for cake decorating when my daughter turned four. We used it to ice a keto carrot cake for the occasion, and it held up beautifully, smooth, sweet, and good enough that nobody at the party clocked it as sugar-free. That’s become the real test for me with keto desserts: does it hold up at a birthday party, not just on a quiet Tuesday at home.
What keeps me coming back to this recipe is how little effort it takes for how much it adds. Three ingredients, ten minutes, and a dessert that already tastes good goes from fine to genuinely crowd-pleasing.
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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. Here’s why:
- The recipe calls for just coconut oil, coconut milk, and powdered sweetener. No eggs, egg whites, or heavy whipping cream required!
- Make a homemade frosting in just 10 minutes for decorating cakes and other sweet treats.
- As easy as pouring the ingredients into a bowl, mixing, and serving as a frosting or glaze for baked goods.
How to Make Keto Icing for Desserts
This comes together in one bowl with one tool, no double boiler, no tempering, none of the fuss that usually comes with frosting. The texture changes depending on what you’re using it for: keep it thick for piping onto cakes and cupcakes, or thin it out with extra coconut milk for a glaze that drips and pools the way you’d want on a Bundt cake or sweet bread.
The full ingredient list and measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Ingredient Notes
There are only three ingredients needed to make this easy sugar-free icing.
- Sweetener: I use a powdered sugar substitute for the smoothest texture and a clean sweetness without the bitter aftertaste some sweeteners leave behind. You need the bulk material here and cannot substitute with liquid stevia.
- Coconut oil: Softened, not melted. I prefer it over butter here because it doesn’t carry that oily, fatty mouthfeel, and it helps the icing firm back up once it’s on the dessert.
- Coconut milk: Gives the icing its creamy, spreadable texture while keeping it dairy-free. Almond milk works as a substitute if that’s what you have, but expect the result to yield a thinner texture.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Blend with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
- Use right away as a frosting or pop it in the fridge for later.
Thin it out from an icing to a glaze: Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of coconut milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you get the consistency you want. The practical test: dip a spoon, hold it up, and watch it fall. A good glaze falls in a continuous thin stream and trails off cleanly.
Variations
- Vanilla: Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Chocolate: Melt 2 ounces of dark chocolate with the coconut oil, add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and mix in with the other ingredients
- Mocha: Combine 2 teaspoons of coffee grounds with 2 tablespoons of cacao powder.
- Berry: Mash 1/2 cup ripe berries (strawberry, blackberry, blueberry) and mix in with an extra ½ teaspoon vanilla. Add more milk if it needs thinning.
- Lemon glaze: Use 4 tablespoons of coconut milk plus 4-6 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.
- Cinnamon sugar glaze: Thin to a glaze and sprinkle with a mixture of ground cinnamon and keto brown sugar over the top while the icing is still wet.
- Nutty glaze: Make a glaze and add chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds over the top before it hardens.
Jessica’s Tips
- This isn’t a frosting. It’s too loose to hold the structure a real frosting needs. For frosting cakes or cupcakes, use my maple buttercream recipe or whipped ricotta frosting instead. This one is built for drizzling, piping thin lines, and glazing.
- Texture is adjustable in both directions. Add more sweetener to thicken, more coconut milk to thin. For piping, aim for something close to toothpaste consistency.
- Keep everything at room temperature before mixing, especially the coconut oil. Cold ingredients clump instead of blending smooth.
- If it comes out too soft, 15 minutes in the fridge firms it right up before you pipe or spread.
How to Decorate with Sugar-Free Icing
Make this dairy-free icing a part of your dairy-free baking routine and use the thicker version to pipe onto chocolate cake, brownies, holiday desserts, bars, and more from my cookbook, The Ultimate Guide to Low-Carb Baking.
Fill a piping bag, or make one from a plastic bag if that’s what’s on hand (follow this video tutorial to see how), and swap tips for different looks: round tips for lines and writing, star tips for rosettes and borders, leaf tips for leaf shapes.
How to Decorate with Sugar-Free Glaze
Thin the icing down for a glossy glaze that drips over the edges, the kind you’d see on a keto coffee cake, keto pumpkin muffins, or chocolate pumpkin bread. Set a sheet of wax paper underneath before glazing so cleanup is easy. Once your baked good has cooled completely, pour or spoon the glaze over the top, or dip muffin tops directly into the bowl. Drizzling glaze over keto scones and keto angel food cake is always a win too.
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 Desserts to Try
- Vanilla keto cupcakes
- Keto gooey butter cake
- Mini gluten-free strawberry shortcake
- Sugar-free pumpkin spice syrup
Dairy-Free Sugar-Free Keto Icing (+ Glaze Option)
Video
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
Notes
- 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.
- Make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature, with the coconut oil softened before mixing.
- 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.
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.
Delicious. You would never know it was sugar-free.
Thanks for the five star review, Shanna.