Easy Chocolate Frosting without Powdered Sugar
Servings: servings
This easy chocolate frosting recipe without powdered sugar is naturally sweetened with dates, which gives it the perfect amount of sweetness! This creamy chocolate frosting will quickly become your new go-to for frosting a batch of cupcakes, and your kids will never even guess there's no added sugar!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 18 pitted Medjool dates (about 1 1/2 cups firmly packed)
- 1/2 cup room temperature water (plus hot water for soaking dates)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- To prepare, pull the cream cheese and butter out of the fridge so they have a few minutes to soften. Slice the cream cheese into quarters and set aside.
- Remove the pits from the dates and place in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling hot water over them until they are covered. Let them soak for 10 minutes or until softened, and then drain.
- In a food processor, combine the pitted dates, ½ cup room temperature water, vanilla, and a little pinch of salt.
- Process until the date mixture is quite smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary.
- Then, add the cream cheese and butter and blend until smooth and fluffy. Slowly add the cocoa powder and blend until smooth and combined, scraping the sides of the food processor as needed.
- Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow it to firm up slightly. Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Before using, allow the frosting to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes and briefly rewhip it before using to get it fluffy again.
Notes
- Don't skip the step where you soak the dates. This allows the dates to soften up enough to blend into a smooth frosting. If your dates are extra hard, you may need to soak them for extra time.
- Be sure to allow the frosting to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes after blending since this resting time allows the frosting to thicken up into a consistency that resembles chocolate buttercream frosting.
- You can spread this frosting onto cakes, cupcakes, brownies or loaves. It also has a great consistency for piping. I like to use the Wilton 1M star tip for piping onto cupcakes.
Nutrition
Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 163mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 108IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 0.3mg
