Vegan Chocolate Sweet Potato Frosting

This chocolate sweet potato frosting is smooth, creamy and downright decadent! Made with cooked sweet potato, melted chocolate chips, cocoa powder and just a little maple syrup, you will be amazed by how delicious this vegan frosting is.

Sweet potato recipes are kinda my jam. I love how those beautiful orange spuds add moisture and natural sweetness to baked goods + nutrients to soups and skillet recipes. And now sweet potatoes magical become a dairy-free base for a truly delicious frosting recipe.

Now, I want to be clear that I love me a good ‘ol classic butter cream frosting recipe. You keep doing that if that is your jam. But if you NEED a dairy-free frosting option or just something a little lighter than traditional frosting , than this recipe is for you!

This Sweet Potato Frosting is chocolatey, decadent, super easy to make in your food processor or a bowl + whisk, and is legit delicious. The cooked and mashed sweet potatoes create a creamy, naturally sweet base for the frosting and it is made rich and chocolatey with the addition of melted dairy-free chocolate, cocoa powder, a little maple syrup, and a touch of vanilla. It is insanely easy to make, wildly delicious, and vegan + plant based. You can make this sweet potato frosting up to 2 days ahead of time and store in your fridge before using (highly recommend pairing them with my chocolate sweet potato cupcakes) or just eat it directly out of your food processor….while standing up in your kitchen…..we don’t judge here. We’ve 100% done it in the TNN kitchen.

How to cook sweet potato for this recipe:

There are so many ways to prep a sweet potato for this frosting recipe. You can use leftover sweet potato or make one fresh. Here are all the different ways I like to cook mine for this sweet potato frosting.

To roast sweet potato: Preheat oven to 425℉. Wash sweet potato thoroughly, pat dry, and pierce 3-4 times with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and roast until tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

To microwave sweet potato: Wash sweet potato thoroughly, pat dry, and pierce 3-4 times with a fork. Place potato on microwave-safe plate and microwave 5 minutes, turning halfway through. If your potato isn’t fork tender after 5 minutes, continue microwaving in 30 second increments.    

To cook sweet potato in the Instant Pot: Wash sweet potato thoroughly and pierce 3-4 times with a fork. Place the stainless steel trivet in your Instant Pot and arrange potatoes in a single layer. Pour in 1 cup of water and place lid on your pressure cooker. Cook on HIGH for 20 minutes and naturally release the pressure once cook time is up.

To cook sweet potato in the slow cooker: Wash sweet potato thoroughly and pierce 3-4 times with a fork. Place in your slow cooker with a cup of water. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours. You’ll know they are done when you can easily puncture the skin of the potato with a fork.

Best way to melt chocolate

The decadence of this vegan chocolate frosting comes from the richness of melted chocolate. Here are the best ways (that I’ve found) for melting chocolate without burning it.

Microwave: Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave them for 30 second intervals at 50% power, stirring in between each interval, until chocolate is melted completely. 

Double Boiler: Pour the chocolate chips into a metal bowl. Place bowl on top of the saucepan with water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Bring water to a boil, stirring the chocolate as it melts. Continue string over the heat until completely melted and smooth. 

Do I have to use dairy-free chocolate chips in this recipes?

If vegan and/or dairy-free isn’t needed, you can use whatever chocolate chips you prefer!

Can I make this frosting recipe without the chocolate?

I honestly haven’t tried, but if you really enjoy the taste of sweet potatoes, you do you! Just omit the melted chocolate and cocoa.

Can I make this frosting with canned sweet potato puree?

Canned sweet potato puree (or pumpkin or butternut squash) is one of my favorite veggie-loading time saving hacks! I have tried this frosting with the canned puree, but found it to be too thin since they often add water in the pureeing process. It might work if you replaced the maple syrup with powdered sugar to help thicken the frosting up a bit and balance out the extra moisture.

Can I make this frosting recipe without a food processor?

I have made this sweet potato frosting in a bowl with a whisk and it does work. If you do need to go that route, I suggest pureeing your sweet potato in your blender to make sure it is nice a smooth with no strings or lumps. Then add it to a large mixing bowl with the other ingredients and use some elbow grease to whip it into deliciousness.

Suggested Adaptations

• Use powdered sugar or honey instead of maple syrup. Honey will change the flavor a bit and is not vegan, so FYI. And powdered sugar will change the consistency of this frosting a bit, so you might need to add touch of plant milk to get the right consistency.
• Use pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree instead of sweet potato. Because these canned purees tend to be thinner than baked sweet potato, your frosting might also be thinner. Consider using powdered sugar to taste instead of maple syrup to help balance the liquid while sweetening this frosting recipe.
• Make it ahead of time. Store it in your fridge for up to 2 days before you enjoy it. If you find your frosting separates a bit, just give it a quick stir to mix everything back together.

Veggie-loaded recipes to enjoy this sweet potato frosting on..

• Chocolate Sweet Potato Cupcakes
• Chocolate Beetroot Cake
• Sweet Potato Banana Bread
• Vegan Spinach Banana Muffins
• Dairy-free Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Muffins
• Dairy-free Chocolate Butternut Squash Muffins

Did you try this veggie-loaded recipe and now you’re hungry for more? 

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