This Vegan Chocolate Sweet Potato Frosting is fudgy, creamy, and the perfect addition to your favorite cakes and cookies! It's totally vegan, free of refined sugar, and it's even paleo. It's always time for chocolate!
I first used this recipe in my Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake recipe, but it's so good that it needed a separate post! This is the ultimate chocolate frosting recipe. It's creamy, chocolatey, and absolutely delicious on top of your favorite desserts. It holds up well to decorating, too, so use it for birthdays and celebrations!
All About Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables to incorporate into recipes whenever possible. Their vibrant orange color lets you know you are getting all that immune-boosting vitamin A (also helpful for vision and bone health). They also offer dietary fiber and potassium and are high in vitamin C. They are convenient and versatile and somehow serve as both a comfort food and health food all at once.
Health Benefits of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Unsweetened cocoa powder is used in this recipe and is made by roasting and grinding cocoa beans. Years of nutrition research has shown that chocolate may provide health benefits from antioxidants called flavanols found in the cocoa solids (as opposed to the cocoa butter). When consumed in large amounts, studies have shown that flavanols in chocolate may:
- Lower high blood pressure and decrease levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol leading to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke
- Promote lung health and protect against asthma
- Decrease the risk of diabetes and several types of cancer
- Benefit the brain and preserve cognitive abilities to lower the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease
- Improve mood and feelings of pleasure
- Benefit the vascular system by reducing the risk of blood clots and increasing blood flow in arteries and the heart
Many recipes call for Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which is cocoa powder that has been alkalized to remove the bitter taste. This actually substantially reduces the flavanols (about 65% of the flavanol content is lost). Look for the darkest, most pure cocoa powder you can find!
Ingredients in Chocolate Sweet Potato Frosting
This is a really simple vegan ingredient list! You'll notice it's free of refined sugar and gets ALL the sweetness from sweet potatoes.
- Sweet potato - Cook it first so it's soft as can be! You can use your pressure cooker or the oven
- Vegan dark chocolate (refined sugar-free) [use code ELAINE20 for a 20% discount]
- Coconut oil or vegan, soy-free butter
- Unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Sweet Potato Frosting
This recipe is as simple as tossing everything into the blender, then letting is harden a bit in the refrigerator! If it's in the fridge too long it will solidify. This isn't a problem, it will just need to sit at room temperature before spreading!
This vegan chocolate frosting is nutritious, vegan (dairy-free and egg-free), gluten-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free. If you make this recipe please tag me on Instagram and then leave me a review below!
More Chocolate Recipes
- Two-Tier Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake
- Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
- Creamy Chocolate Fudgesicles
- Baked Chocolate Chia Seed Donuts
- Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles
- Healthy Chocolate Smoothie
- Vegan No-Nut-Butter Chocolate Eggs
Vegan Paleo Chocolate Sweet Potato Frosting
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Chocolate Sweet Potato Frosting is fudgy, creamy, and the perfect addition to your favorite cakes and cookies! It's totally vegan, free of refined sugar, and it's even paleo. It's always time for chocolate!
Ingredients
- 2, 16 ounce sweet potato* (~2 cups total)
- 1 cup vegan dark chocolate (refined sugar-free) [use code ELAINE for 15% off], melted
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons vegan, soy-free butter (or coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- In a blender combine the hot cooked sweet potato (skin already removed), melted chocolate, vegan butter (or coconut oil), cocoa powder, vanilla and salt.
- Blend on the highest speed until smooth and creamy. If the mixture has trouble blending you can add a tablespoon more of melted butter or coconut oil to get it going. You can also use a mini spatula to scrape down the sides of blender and push the frosting toward the blades. I blend on low speed and very slowly increase to a higher speed once it gets going.
- Place the frosting in your refrigerator for at least an hour to allow the frosting to harden.
- To decorate, spread the frosting with a butter knife or for piping, cut a tiny hole in the bottom corner of a plastic bag and place a piping tip through the corner. Use a mini spatula to transfer the frosting that has been chilling in the refrigerator into the plastic bag. Seal the plastic bag and squeeze gently to pipe the frosting through the piping tip onto cupcakes. Start on the perimeter of the cupcake and circle around moving inward after each circle.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator to prevent the frosting from melting.
Notes
You can use a food processor as well but it will not get as smooth.
If the frosting has been in the refrigerator for a couple of hours it will harden and not be spreadable. Before decorating, leave the frosting out at room temperature to soften for a couple of hours.
To cook sweet potatoes, place them whole in the steamer basket of a pressure cooker along with 1 cup of water. Secure the lid, seal and cook on manual high pressure for 30 minutes. Manual release the pressure and allow to cool to room temperature before handling. Once safe to handle use a knife to us in half lengthwise and the skin should peel right off. Discard the skin and use only the sweet potato flesh for this recipe.
If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can also bake your potato whole in the oven. Here is how I recommend baking a sweet potato in the oven: Place a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil on the bottom rack of your oven. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Pierce the sweet potato with a fork on one side then place directly on the middle rack (not on a baking sheet and not wrapped in foil). Bake for 45 minutes or until tender and the skin is thin and toasty. Baking time will vary based on the diameter of your sweet potato. You may need up to 60 minutes for a large sweet potato. The bottom baking sheet will catch any drippings for an easy cleanup. Remove from oven and pierce with a knife to ensure it is fully cooked. Allow the potatoes to cool for 5-10 minutes for easier handling. Slice the potatoes in half and split the flesh down the center.
- Prep Time: 15
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Blender
Kelly says
This looks delicious and amazing that there’s no sweetener added! Question: do you think non-dark chocolate would work too? Dark choc is too bitter for me. Thanks!!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Kelly! Yes, your favorite type of chocolate will work great! I just prefer dark myself 🙂
Clare Ciandella says
This looks great! Can you use a sweet potato that was cooked a few days ago?
Elaine Gordon says
Yes, just always look for normal signs of spoilage. But they should last 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.