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Simple Chocolate Buttercream (using unrefined sweeteners)

October 11, 2011 by KimiHarris 18 Comments

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Thanks for stopping by! If you're interested in healthy eating check out my free gifts! and subscribe to get regular email updates. *Some links may be affiliate.*


As promised, today I bring you a simple recipe for chocolate buttercream that uses unrefined sugar. It’s very delicious and creamy and my daughter literally wanted to lick it off her Spiced Pumpkin Cupcake. Who wants hydrogenated fake frosting? It doesn’t taste good and it’s certainly not good for you! But this recipe is a much healthier recipe as well as tasting great.

This recipe makes enough for one single nine inch cake or to frost about 12-15 cupcakes.

And did I mention that it’s very easy and quick to make? What more could you ask for?

If you would like a dairy free frosting, than use my chocolate ganache recipe. I generally whip a couple of tablespoons of dairy free milk or water into it to make it more spreadable.

Simple Chocolate Buttercream

    1 cup of butter, softened (grass fed is best for health and it tastes amazing too)
    1/3 cup of cocoa powder, not dutch
    3/4 cup of powdered unrefined sugar
    Dash of unrefined salt
    1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl. Blend using a hand mixer or a bowl mixer, until everything is smooth.

2. Use right away to frost. If you have beaten it for a while, it may have gotten too soft to frost well. Put in the refrigerator to harden slightly. You can also use it in a piping bag. I find that even with the powdered unrefined sugar that there can be small crystals of sugar in the frosting. If you frost and then leave the cupcakes in the refrigerator for a while, the sugar will dissolve more in the frosting.

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KimiHarris

I love beautiful and simple food that is nourishing to the body and the soul. I wrote Fresh: Nourishing Salads for All Seasons and Ladled: Nourishing Soups for All Seasons as another outlet of sharing this love of mine. I also love sharing practical tips on how to make a real food diet work on a real life budget. Find me online elsewhere by clicking on the icons below!

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Filed Under: Desserts, Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Previous Post: « Powdered Unrefined Sugar
Next Post: Pennywise Platter Thursday 10/13 »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katie

    October 11, 2011 at 10:28 am

    Sounds delightful! I’ve never thought of using chocolate butter cream on a pumpkin cake, I normaly use vanilla. Great idea!

    Reply
  2. Hannah

    October 11, 2011 at 10:31 am

    Can I subs anything in for the butter? I’m dairy free. Is normal powdered sugar ok since I don’t want to run to the store?
    Hannah

    Reply
    • Hannah

      October 11, 2011 at 10:34 am

      Sorry never mind:) I’ll make the ganache! Thanks for the great recipes!

      Reply
  3. Candi

    October 11, 2011 at 4:45 pm

    Thanks, I love that you showed us how to make the powdered sugar. I used my food processor today and it didn’t work as well as probably the spice grinder. I think it was to large a container.

    Reply
  4. Samara

    October 12, 2011 at 8:03 am

    why not dutch?

    Reply
    • Christina

      October 12, 2011 at 12:26 pm

      I’ve wondered that myself. Is there a heath benefit, or is it for the consistency and flavor?

      Reply
      • alanna

        October 12, 2011 at 7:04 pm

        That was my question too. I don’t think I’ve ever purchased anything but Dutch cocoa powder.

        Reply
        • Sarah

          October 20, 2011 at 8:08 am

          Dutch process cocoa is processed differently from regular cocoa to make it milder and less acidic. You can’t use it in baking recipes that rely on the acidity of natural cocoa to activate baking soda, you can only use it in baking recipes that call for baking powder.

          It also has fewer flavonols than other cocoa processes, which may be why regular cocoa is preferred to Dutch here. Here’s more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_process_chocolate

          Reply
  5. France @ Beyond The Peel

    October 12, 2011 at 11:16 am

    Icing is a challenging one when not wanting to use refined sugars. Great post.

    Reply
  6. Annie

    October 13, 2011 at 1:18 pm

    I’ve made butter cream frosting without first powdering the rapadura. I find that if I beat it enough (since I use a touch of milk in mine) the sugar dissolves anyway and as you say, you can always refrigerate it if it gets too soft. And now you’ve got me in the mood for cupcakes with chocolate icing!

    Reply
  7. Megan Harris

    October 13, 2011 at 2:02 pm

    Oh yum! I will definitely be trying this one out! I never have much luck with “healthy” icings but this look like a good one. Thanks!

    Reply
  8. Kendra

    October 19, 2011 at 2:09 pm

    I’ve never seen unrefined powdered sugar at my local markets or bulk store. Where do I find it?

    Reply
  9. Kendra

    October 19, 2011 at 2:12 pm

    Nevermind. I’m reading in my google reader, and I hadn’t scrolled to the previous post yet. 😉

    Reply
  10. Ruth

    October 25, 2011 at 7:03 am

    Why is dutch cocoa not good to use? Thank you!

    Reply
  11. Leigh

    January 16, 2012 at 12:35 pm

    is it really just 3/4 cup of sugar? most buttercream recipes call for 3-4 cups!

    Reply
  12. Yvonne

    September 28, 2013 at 9:48 am

    by unrefined sugar do you mean “sugar in the raw”? Have you tried using coconut sugar and making into powdered sugar? I imagine it would have a similar effect. I may have to try making it with coconut sugar and coconut oil. I am allergic to dairy.
    Thank you for so many great recipes. <3

    Reply
  13. Grace Blackburn

    February 6, 2016 at 6:22 pm

    This is so delicious! Powdering coconut sugar was super simple, and tastes incredible. I also tried sucanat, but my hubby and I liked the way the coconut sugar one came out better 🙂 thank you for this!

    Reply
    • KimiHarris

      February 8, 2016 at 10:41 am

      Great! So glad it worked for you. 🙂

      Reply

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The information you find here at The Nourishing Gourmet is meant to help you become a better cook! This site is primarily for sharing family friendly recipes. It's not meant to give medical advice or to make any health claims on the prevention or curing of diseases.This site is only for informational and educational purposes. Please discuss with your own, qualified health care provider before adding in supplements or making any changes in your diet. Also, any links to sponsors or affiliates (including Amazon) may give me a percentage of the sale or a pay per click. Thank you for supporting this site.

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