This Protein Frosting is a creamy, smooth, healthy frosting recipe packed with protein from plants, no sugar, and perfect for decorating high-protein desserts. Bonus, this frosting recipe is also vegan, dairy-free, and oil-free!
I love baking with protein powder, like in Tropical Overnight Oats, or High Protein Baked Oats my to boost the protein contents of my breakfast or dessert. It’s a great way to great fulfilling baking recipes without compromising on flavor and taste.
What’s Protein Frosting?
Most frosting recipes are made of butter, cream, and sugar. A protein frosting is a healthier frosting recipe that is naturally:
- Oil-free
- Sugar-free
- Dairy-free
- Low-calorie
- Packed with plant-based protein
It’s a perfect recipe to enjoy creamy frosting without the calories or saturated fat and keep you full for hours.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Making this vegan frosting is very easy! It takes just six ingredients.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – I use sugar-free cocoa to make it easier to balance the sweetness.
- Chocolate Protein Powder – I used almond protein powder, but pea or hemp also work.
- Plain Yogurt – I used soy yogurt or coconut yogurt, but any yogurt you like works in the recipe.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk or any plant-based milk you like.
- Powdered Sweetener you like – feel free to use a sugar-free powder sweetener for a low-carb protein frosting. The best options are powdered erythritol or allulose.
- Vanilla Extract – for flavor.
How To Make Frosting With Protein Powder
It’s so easy to make frosting at home, especially protein frostings, because you don’t need a stand mixer or hand mixer. All you need is a mixing bowl and a whisk.
- First, whisk the dry ingredients together until no more lumps shows. Protein powder tends to form lumps, so make sure the whisk is dry, and you vigorously whisk to remove any possible lumps.
- Then, whisk in liquid until smooth, creamy thick chocolate frosting forms.
- You can stir in more yogurt or more milk to thin out the frosting, depending on what you want to use it for.
Protein Powder Choice
I tested this recipe only with plant-based protein powder.
You can use any protein powder you love but always keep in mind that depending on their sources, some protein powders are more liquid absorbent, or they add a strong flavor.
For example, hemp powder is slightly bitter, and pea protein powder is more absorbent than almond powder.
You may have to adjust the frosting recipe to achieve a similar texture as seen in the picture.
Decorating Baked Goods
You can use this chocolate protein frosting to decorate any of my protein-baked goods. Make sure the food you frost has cool down, or your frosting will melt and run away.
The protein powder recipes below are a delicious match to this protein frosting recipe.
- Protein Chocolate Pancakes
- Overnight Oats with Protein Powder
- Vegan Protein Muffins
- Protein Banana Bread
- Vegan Protein Brownies
- Protein Donuts
Snacking
This frosting recipe is also perfect as a dipping frosting recipe.
Serve 1/4 cup of this chocolate frosting with some of the below to dip in for a healthy, low-calorie, low-fat snack:
- Apple slices
- Pear slices
- Mandarins
- Fresh strawberries
- Almond shortbread
You can also mix this recipe with more yogurt to turn it into a creamy fruit protein dip.
Storage
You can keep the frosting smooth and fresh in an airtight container in the fridge. Or, you can freeze frosting for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge the day before using.
Frequently Asked Questions
Simply use vanilla or plain protein powder and skip the cocoa powder. As a result, the texture is thinner, and you will need to add more powdered sweetener or protein powder to thicken the frosting and achieve a similar thick texture.
This recipe can be made low carb and sugar-free using a keto-friendly plant-based protein powder and sugar-free sweetener.
To thin out the frosting, add more almond milk one teaspoon at a time. For a thicker frosting, add more cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Always whisk well after each addition and never add extra liquid or powder too fast, or it can be difficult to adjust the texture.
More Frosting Recipes
If you like to make vegan frostings, you’ll love these:
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Protein Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ½ cup Chocolate Protein Powder
- ⅓ cup Dairy-Free Yogurt
- 2 tablespoons Unsweetened Almond Milk
- ¼ cup Powdered Sweetener - regular or sugar-free erythritol
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add cocoa powder, protein powder, powder sweetener and whisk to combine all the dry ingredients together.
- Stir in yogurt, almond milk, and vanilla extract.
- If too thick, whisk in more almond milk one teaspoon at a time until it reaches your favorite texture.
- Serve on top of brownies, cupcakes, or overnight oats recipes.
Storage
- Store it for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Hello!
I don’t have unsweetened cocoa powder, can I add extra chocolate protein powder as a substitute? I don’t use powdered sweetener, can I substitute it with maple syrup?
You can’t swap powdered sweeter with maple syrup, it will liquify the frosting. Protein chocolate powder won’t add the chocolate flavor you get from the cocoa powder, plus it’s less liquid absorbent too so the frosting texture will be different.
Paired this with the brownie recipe you have and it was the PERFECT birthday treat for my protein loving brother!! Thanks for this!!