Silky Smooth Keto Buttercream Frosting 4 Ways

Dearna BondUpdated 12 September 2024★★★★★4.9 (187 ratings)

Ready in 10m
0.8 g net carbs
104 kcal
Serves 8

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Silky Smooth Keto Buttercream Frosting 4 Ways (low-carb, sugar-free, primal)

Buttercream frosting is by far my favorite of all the frostings. Soft, silky and creamy, it’s the perfect topping for cupcakes, cakes or any cake-y treat for a special occasion like Valentine's Day, birthday, or the festive season.

This go-to method below can be adapted to suit most flavors. I’ve made it four ways — vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate and salted caramel — but you could get even more adventurous and try any other flavor combo you love — chocolate mint, berry (using freeze dried berry powder), berry swirl using fresh berries; the options are endless!

The key to getting the perfect consistency is to ensure your butter is at the right temperature. You want it so that when pressed it will leave a slight indent, but not that soft that it feels greasy — it should still be quite firm. If the buttercream is too thick, you can optionally beat in a one to two tablespoons of heavy whipping cream.

For the sweetener, I use erythritol here, but have also used xylitol in the past. Most low-carb sweeteners should work, as long as you use powdered form. If you can get your hands on Allulose, it's even better because it tastes just like sugar!

Lastly, I use a stand-mixer here to make my buttercream, but you could also use an electric beater instead.

Recipe Tips

One batch of this buttercream frosting will be enough to decorate 6 to 8 cupcakes, and a double batch will be enough to decorate an 8 to 9 inch (20 to 23 cm) cake.

You can keep your buttercrem plain or make any of the following options:

Vanilla: add 1-2 tsp sugar-free vanilla extract, or seeds from ¹/₂ - 1 vanilla pod or ¹/₄ - ¹/₂ tsp vanilla bean powder
Cinnamon: ¹/₂ - 1 tsp cinnamon
Chocolate: add ¹/₄ cup cacao or cocoa powder (22 g/ 0.8 oz) and a pinch of sea salt - will make 9 servings
Salted caramel: add ¹/₄ cup Homemade Salted Keto Caramel Sauce (60 ml/ 2 fl oz) - will make 10 servings

Although I haven't tested these options, you can also try any of these flavors:

Lemon: add fine zest from 1 organic lemon, plus 1 tsp sugar-free vanilla extract
Spiced organge: add fine zest from 1 organic orange, plus a pinch of cinnamon
Berry: add 1 to 4 tbsp freeze-dried berry powder (the more you use the more vibrant the color and concentrated flavor)
Blue: for a blue frosting effect, add 1 to 3 tsp of blue spirulina powder
Matcha green tea: for a green frosting effect, add 1 tbsp of matcha powder

Step-by-step

Dice butter and add to a stand mixer bowl with the powdered sweetener.
Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment. Mix on a low speed for 1 to 2 minutes until the butter and sweetener come together.
Optionally add in flavoring of choice (see recipe tips for options: vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate or salted caramel) and beat on slow for another minute.
Increase speed and mix until light and fluffy and beat for another minute. The mixture should roughly double in size.
If the frosting is too thick, you can optionally add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cream and beat for a few more seconds.
Use immediately to frost cupcakes or decorate cakes. One batch will be enough to decorate 6 to 8 cupcakes, and a double batch will be enough to decorate an 8 to 9 inch (20 to 23 cm) cake.
This keto buttercream frosting can be stored in the fridge up to a week if making ahead. When you’re ready to use it, simply bring back to room temperature, and re-whip to bring back to a fluffy consistency.

Recipe