Look no further for the perfect keto chocolate frosting. This sugar-free recipe is smooth and creamy, with rich chocolate flavor. And it takes only 10 minutes to make!
Every keto baker needs a really good keto chocolate frosting recipe. And this is IT, my friends! This is the magical sugar-free frosting that takes your desserts to a whole new level.
This recipe is everything you want in frosting and nothing you don’t…like unnecessary carbs and sugars. It’s absolutely dreamy and has a rich but balanced chocolate flavor. And unlike traditional American buttercream frosting, it’s not tooth-achingly sweet.
It’s the perfect topping for everything from keto chocolate cake to gooey keto brownies.
And if you’re looking for perfect vanilla keto frosting, I’ve got that too!
Why you need this recipe
What’s the secret to perfect keto chocolate frosting? A little bit of cream cheese! Surprised?
A few ounces of properly softened cream cheese gives sugar-free frosting a smoother consistency. It also provides structure without having to use copious amounts of powdered sweetener.
Just think about it. Conventional American frosting can take upwards of 4 cups of powdered sugar to have the right consistency. 4 CUPS!!! Whereas this keto chocolate frosting takes only two thirds of a cup of sweetener. Which allows the chocolate flavor to really shine through.
The addition of a little cream cheese works for other frosting recipes as well. And it can even help rescue frosting that has split. It’s a trick I’ve known used many times, and now I am passing this bit of low carb wizardry on to you.
So the only question is…what are you going to put it on? How about my keto chocolate cupcakes? They are a match made in heaven!
Reader testimonials
Oh My God, I never thought I could ever enjoy chocolate frosting on Keto. I have tried so many other recipes and finally found a recipe like this. It has a mousse like texture and would be awesome on chocolate cake. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe.I am in heaven!!! — Tess
I bake a lot. This is best chocolate keto frosting I have made,least gritty, best mouth feel due to the cream cheese and whipping cream. It is similar to a whipped cream cheese frosting I make for wedding cakes. Excellent recipe! Thank you! — Stacy
My son has type one diabetes so I was trying to find something that he could have (and would like!) and it seemed impossible until now! So thank you! His birthday will be so special thanks to your recipe. — Ashley
Ingredients you need
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- Unsweetened chocolate: I recommend using good quality unsweetened chocolate such as Ghirardelli or Guittard. I’ve had so many issues with Baker’s brand as it is prone to seizing.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter and make sure it’s properly softened.
- Cream cheese: This is the secret ingredient! It gives keto chocolate frosting structure without having to add copious amounts of expensive sweetener.
- Powdered sweetener: I highly recommend Swerve Confectioners for this recipe, as it provides the right consistency. If you use powdered BochaSweet or powdered allulose, you may find the frosting a little softer. Hold back on the heavy cream until you see the consistency.
- Cocoa powder: Use regular or dark cocoa powder, but don’t use cacao powder. It’s often clumpy and doesn’t combine well in a frosting recipe.
- Vanilla extract: Adding vanilla enhances the chocolate flavor. You can also add a bit of espresso powder, which enhances chocolate flavors as well.
- Heavy cream: Use this to thin out the frosting to a nice spreadable and pipe-able consistency.
Step-by-step directions
1. Melt the chocolate: Combine the chopped chocolate and one tablespoon of the butter. Melt in 30 second increments, stirring in between until smooth. You can also do this in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.
2. Cream the butter and cream cheese: Beat the butter and cream cheese together until very smooth. Beat in the powdered sweetener and the cocoa powder until well combined.
3. Beat in the melted chocolate: Add the chocolate and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. The mixture will be very thick at this point.
4. Thin it out: Add the cream a few tablespoons at a time until the frosting is a spreadable consistency. How much cream varies depending on the cocoa powder and other ingredients you used.
Recipe tips and FAQs
Frostings made with erythritol sweeteners can recrystallize a little when refrigerated. If you let the cake come to room temperature before serving, it will soften up again.
This recipe makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes or a single layer cake. For a larger cake, increase the frosting by 25% to 50%.
Dairy-Free Option: I also have a dairy free frosting that is similar to this on my Keto Chocolate Cake.
To rescue split frosting: Gently warm a few ounces of cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add the split frosting in small dollops, beating in gently, until you have a smooth, spreadable consistency.
This recipe for keto chocolate frosting has 2.5g of carbohydrate and 1.1g of dietary fiber. Thus is has 1.4g net carbs per serving.
Yes, you can prepare the frosting and refrigerate it until you need it. You will need to let it come to room temperature then stir it again before frosting your cake or cupcakes.
I have frozen this keto chocolate frosting successfully. Transfer it to a freezer safe container and press plastic wrap flush to the surface. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bring it to room temperature and re-whip it lightly to lighten it.
How to use it
Get creative with this delicious keto chocolate frosting recipe. Here are some fun ways to use it:
- Pair it with my Keto Devil’s Food Cake. That’s what I did for my last birthday!
- Spread it one one of my Keto Peanut Butter Cookies. Better yet, sandwich it between two of them!
- Spread it on some Keto Chocolate Donuts.
- Pipe it onto a Keto Skillet Cookie for a special birthday dessert.
Keto Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) plus 1 tbsp butter, softened, divided use
- 3 ounces (85.05 g) cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup (121.33 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (119 g) heavy whipping cream, room temperature (give or take a few tablespoons)
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Melt in 30 second increments, stirring in between until smooth. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate and butter together in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
- In a large bowl, beat the remaining 1/2 cup butter and the cream cheese together until smooth. Beat in the powdered sweetener and the cocoa powder until well combined.
- Add the chocolate and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. The mixture will be very thick at this point.
- Add the cream a few tablespoons at a time until a spreadable consistency is achieved.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Do you happen to have a VANILLA buttercream recipe?? Hoping to make some keto cookie “doozies” for myself to enjoy during my daughter’s bday party this weekend, and prefer vanilla frosting over chocolate! This does look delicious, though!!! <3
https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/best-sugar-free-frosting/
Do you have a vanilla frosting that doesn’t require egg whites and a stand mixer? I’m worried that omitting both the chocolate and the cocoa will just make this recipe flop, but I definitely prefer a buttercream texture over swiss meringue…
Use the frosting from this cake: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-chantilly-cake/
can i use jaggery for the sweetener?
No idea since I don’t use it. You will have to experiment.
I just made this and it was so good! I used Lillys chocolate chips for the chocolate part and Hersheys cocoa for the powder stuff. I put it all in a gallon ziploc back and generously frosted 24 cupcakes. So good! Its very VERY rich, I regret licking the bowl because now I have to wait to taste it on a cupcake. Thank you!
I’ve been making chocolate frosting with icing sugar, butter, vanilla cream and cocoa since I was 4 years old. I know how it works. The only difference here is a Swerve granulated sugar and cream cheese But I’ve made this twice today, and it split both times. It’s very tasty, but it doesn’t look or feel like frosting should. Any clues on what might have gone wrong?
Hmmmm, tell me what brand of chocolate you are using? Or the cocoa powder. Could be that, maybe. Hard to say, but I have made this without issue more times than I can count!
Thanks for responding. I used bakers unsweetened chocolate, and Rodel cocoa powder. Both products I’ve been using forever in icing. It tasted fine, but the texture was off. I’m going to try it again today. (another birthday), and I’ll see what happens.
Well, sorry to cause you concern. I made this again today, and it worked just as I expected it should. Normal creamy texture. I have no idea what went wrong two weeks ago, but it’s clearly not a problem with the recipe… Just some sort of user error.
Rodelle is fine. Baker’s could be the issue. I’ve had plenty of trouble with them, it’s much more prone to seizing. Ghirardelli works well, as do even pricier brands like Guittard and Scharffenberger.
Oh My God, I never thought I could eve enjoy chocolate frosting on Keto. I have tried so many other recipes and finally found a recipe like this. It has a mousse like texture and would be awesome on chocolate cake. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe.I am in heaven!!!
So glad you liked it!
I bake a lot. This is best chocolate keto frosting I have made,least gritty, best mouth feel due to the cream cheese and whipping cream. It is similar to a whipped cream cheese frosting I make for wedding cakes. Excellent recipe! Thank you!
So glad to hear it!
Very bitter tasting – what am I doing wrong??
What sweetener did you use?
Would this work as a filling for Keto cream puffs?
Sure!
Fantastic frosting recipe! Moist, thick and creamy without being sticky or overly sweet. I powdered by own erithrytol and the texture was perfectly smooth. Any chance you can create a keto chocolate cake that uses a little coconut flour to reduce the grittiness of almond flour and adds sour cream to increase moisture? Also do you recommend a water bath for keto cakes to improve moisture? Thank you for the advice!
Have you searched my blog for keto chocolate cake? My chocolate cupcakes are perfect. And no, a water bath is unnecessary.
Has anyone tried using allulose instead of erythritol?
I don’t believe that there is a powdered version of allulose.
I just found this recipe and I cannot WAIT to try it! My son has type one diabetes so I was trying to find something that he could have (and would like!) and it seemed impossible until now! So thank you! His birthday will be so special thanks to your recipe.
I am so glad to hear it. It’s tough on a kiddo not to enjoy a good cake on his birthday!
This was a huge hit in our home! My husband wanted to lick the beaters and the bowl, and the spoon! lol
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
Kind Regards
Michele
So glad you liked it!
So I made your ultimate brownies but I was craving a icing for my brownies. Also want my non keto hubby and kid to enjoy them as well. And I stumble on this recipe!!? AMAZING! You are so right about all that sugar in an original recipe of icing sugar, I hated that as well.
Only question now is…my boys love vanilla everything, do you also have an amazing vanilla buttercream icing? And do you happen to have a recipe for those soft sugar cookies…you know the ones…you walk into Wal Mart and they have those soft iced cookies…my son isn’t keto but he has to have gluten free foods and he sure misses those cookies.
Tall order I know, but everything I have tried from you has NOT disappointed, I had to ask????
It’s a perfect combo!
Oh Yeah! These are fat bombs. I’ll save the cupcake carbs and omit the cream for a denser texture … so I can have more bombs. You’re a genius! Thanks sooooo much …
The Best! There is nothing else to say, but that this is the BEST FROSTING EVER!
The heavy cream added to the mixture at the end is supposed to be added as it is or whipped?
If it needed to be whipped, I would specify that and walk you through that part. So as is.
Thank you so much, I am making it tomorrow for my boyfriend’s birthday so I need it to be perfect❤