Dairy Free Keto Icing + 9 Variations

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Dairy free keto icing adds an eye-catching finish to scones, cakes, brownies, and bars. Customize the exact consistency you want based on your needs. Use a thick icing for decorative piping or thin it out to a glaze and spoon over a Bundt cake. Plus, there are 9 different flavors to try!

Easy Keto Recipes like this one show just how easy it can be to enjoy a sugar free, low carb and keto diet.

Recipe originally published on March 26, 2018. Updated with new pictures and tips in April 2020.

Sweetened with Monk Fruit (Lakanto Powdered Sugar)

Sugar is usually a main ingredient in any icing recipe. Traditional glazes are not keto-friendly. However, with a simple alternative ingredient, icing can be made sugar free and therefore keto approved!

Lakanto’s powdered monk fruit sweetener is the secret to this keto frosting.

There is zero effect on blood sugar or insulin levels, making it a great sweetener for blood sugar and weight management. Ideal for health enthusiasts, ketogenic dieters, and those trying to cut sugar out of their diet.

Lakanto

Lakanto sweeteners are my preferred sugar substitute because they are made from non-GMO ingredients and taste sweet without any bitter or artificial aftertaste.

How to Make a Sugar Free Icing Recipe

Follow along in this foolproof method to make a thick icing for detailed work like scriptwriting, piping lines, and swirls.

There are only 3 ingredients:

  • Powdered Monkfruit sweetener
  • Coconut oil
  • Coconut milk

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Use the back of a spoon to break apart any lumps of sweetener. Stir until smooth.

The ideal texture for piping is like that of toothpaste. You need some bulk for your shapes to hold together.

It is best to decorate immediately, but if you need to, store this sugar free frosting in an airtight container for up to 6 months in the freezer.

How to Decorate a Low Carb Cake with Icing

Use 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.

Attach different tips for different looks. Wilton has some amazing piping techniques from a traditional cupcake swirl to a rosette and spiral border.

For beginners, start with on if the basic 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
Keto frosting cake birthday tips piping.
Image from The Kitchn – photo credit: Tessa Huff

Modify for Dairy Free Keto Glaze

Glazes are traditionally poured or spooned out over the tops of sweetbreads, cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, or hot cross buns. Keto Angel Food Cake looks stunning with a glaze too.

To make this a thinner, spreadable icing, dilute the mix with 2-4 tablespoons coconut milk. Add 1 teaspoon of coconut milk at a time until you get the consistency you want. 

The ideal texture for a dairy-free keto glaze is like that of honey where it drizzles but doesn’t run.

Keto glaze will be best to cover large surface areas while keto icing is used specifically to give a decorative flair in specific and small areas.

How to Decorate a Keto Cake with Glaze

Glaze’s trademark look is its glossiness and the way it drips down over the edges of the delicacy underneath.

Are you making a Bundt cake or coffee cake? This will be the sugar free glaze to use!

You can also drizzle it over Keto Blueberry Scones and Dairy-free Pumpkin Muffins or Low Carb Chocolate Pumpkin Bread.

Icing is always a hit on Keto Chocolate Cake too!

Place a sheet of wax paper under the rack before glazing. The wax paper will catch all the drips instead of your countertop and makes cleaning up easier. 

Once your baked good has cooled completely. Pour the glaze or drizzle it with a spoon until the whole surface area is covered.

Dipping the tops of muffins directly into the glass is a faster application but not always quite as fun.

Recipe Video for Easy Keto Icing

As you’ll see in the video this icing is very kid friendly! Both our little munchkins enjoyed licking the spoons and scraping the bowl clean.

I thought they would eat it all but they self-limited (as they often do) once they reached satisfaction. 

Our 6 year old still surprises me with her ability to self-regulate her food intake. She’s consistently good at listening to her body and is very in tune with her needs. I think the way we approached nutrient-dense foods in her toddler years was instrumental to this healthy development.

Will this also work as Dairy Free Keto Frosting with powdered sugar?

This easy icing recipe can also replace keto frosting with cream cheese. Keep it on the thicker side and it will be a great dairy-free substitution.

When this combination is thick, it spreads well and can go over cakes and cupcakes. Spread with a knife or use a piping bag. It is a very versatile recipe!

I add keto frosting to Flourless Keto Brownies and Pure Cacao Brownies from The Ultimate Guide to Low Carb Baking.

It’s a toss-up as to which is better, you’ll have to let me know!

9 Variations for Homemade Icing

The basic icing is left unflavored as a way to give full attention to whatever you are using it on. The icing adds a frosting-like texture and extra sweetness but won’t compete with the bread or cake it decorates.

There are several possible flavor variations to use on different types of foods. Customize your keto glaze or icing any way you like.

  • Vanilla Icing – add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Chocolate Icing – melt 2 ounces of cacao paste with the coconut oil, add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 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
dairy free icing keto sugar free glaze

Dairy-Free Sugar-Free Keto Icing (+ Glaze Option)

Jessica Haggard
Dairy-free keto icing adds an eye-catching finish to scones, cakes, brownies, and bars. Customize the exact consistency you want based on your needs. Use a thick icing for decorative piping or thin it out to a glaze and spoon over a Bundt cake. Plus, there are 9 different flavors to try!
4.96 from 62 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 54 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

Dairy-Free Keto Icing

  • Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Use the back of a spoon to break apart any lumps of sweetener. Stir until smooth.
    2 cups powdered Monkfruit Sweetener, 1/4 cup coconut oil, 6 tablespoons coconut milk
  • 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.
    2 cups powdered Monkfruit Sweetener, 1/4 cup coconut oil, 6 tablespoons coconut milk

Variations

  • Vanilla Icing – add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Chocolate Icing – melt 2 ounces of cacao paste 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

You may substitute nut milk for coconut milk or butter for coconut oil. Recipe will not be dairy-free if you use butter.
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.
It is best to decorate immediately, but if you need to store this sugar free frosting in an airtight container for up to 6 months in the freezer.

Nutrition & Macros

Calories: 54kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 1mgNet Carbohydrates: 1g

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.

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This was one of our Best Keto Recipes from 2018.

34 thoughts on “Dairy Free Keto Icing + 9 Variations”

  1. 5 stars
    As someone who has been forced to adopt a dairy-free lifestyle due to an adult-onset food allergy, I’m delighted to have this guide as a resource. I made the vanilla for my Christmas cookies and am going to try chocolate next for a dessert during the holidays.

    Reply

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