When I shared my Paleo Birthday Cake recipe with y’all a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I had also created a Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. So many of you asked for that recipe that I had to oblige! This 2-ingredient Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe is amazing in many ways. First, and foremost, it tastes incredible. Second, it is super easy to make. Finally, because it’s made with 77% dark chocolate, it is very low in sugar.
This Paleo chocolate frosting is very ganache-like in that it can harden quickly when it cools off. If you are finding it challenging to work with, simply heat it very gently and re-blend. If your frosting mixture does not soften at all, it means your chocolate has “seized.” Dark chocolate seizes when it is heated to temperatures above 118 degrees. At that point it goes from a gorgeous shiny velvet texture to a dull clumpy rock-like mess. I don’t think chocolate is salvageable once it seizes. If you know otherwise please leave a comment and tell us your trick!
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
- 6 ounces chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and butter, stirring constantly
- Place mixture in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to chill
- Remove from refrigerator and whip with a hand blender until thick and fluffy
- Frost over Paleo Birthday Cake
I used 77% dark chocolate for this recipe from an incredible local company called Chocolove, but I’ve linked to a different product in the recipe above to give you another option. If you decide to substitute a lighter or darker chocolate this frosting recipe may fail as you will be altering the ratio of fat to sugar. Although seemingly insignificant this change will require steps to adapt to a new, and substantially different ingredient. If you do swap ingredients please leave a comment to let us know how your substitution goes.
I photographed this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe on top of my Paleo Marble Cupcakes. These cupcakes are made with butter and maple syrup so the vanilla part looks a bit dark. If you’d like me to share this Paleo cupcake recipe let me know and I’d be happy to do so in the next few weeks.
If you are using this frosting to spread over my Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes one batch will be sufficient. If you’re making it for Paleo Birthday Cake you’ll need a double batch of Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. And by the way, my Paleo Birthday Cake recipe is not just a gluten-free, grain-free dessert, it is also nut-free! I have hundreds of nut-free recipes, for those of you with nut-allergies.
rhianne newlahnd says
hi there, I love chocolove’s 77% chocolate as well. how much of it did you use for this recipe?
Elana says
Rhianna, I used 6 ounces.
Theresa says
Have followed your site for several years now. I love your recipes! this frosting recipe is so good! and NO POWDERED SUGAR!!!!!!!! love that. It’s the only one I use now. Thanks so much for all you do. It’s a blessing for so many. I appreciate you!
Elana says
Theresa, thanks for letting me know you love my recipes, really appreciate it :-)
Chris David says
I loved this recipe so much . It’s really awesome
Elana says
Thank you Chris!
Liz says
Hello! Can you substitute the butter for coconut oil?
Elana says
Liz, here you go:
https://elanaspantry.com/paleo-chocolate-frosting/
Enjoy!
Elana
Erika says
Hi Elena, I love your site and I just made the Vanilla Birthday cake which is sooooo good, but this frosting unfortunately didn’t come out good. It was really salty. I made it with 100% chocolate chips, maybe that’s why.
Elana says
Erika, agree this recipe won’t work with 100% chocolate. If you use the recommended ingredients it will be incredible :-)
~M says
Does this spread well? My daughter will be frosting cupcakes so I need an easily spreadable frosting. Thanks!
Elana says
~M, yes this spreads quite well. I hope you and yours are safe and well :-)
Diba says
I just made a chocolate cake for my husband for Father’s Day and tried this frosting with it. OMG it’s amazing!!! I’m shocked that it’s only 2 ingredients! We’re all in heaven right now!
Elana says
Diba, I know right?! It is OMG amazing –we love it too :-)
Miralda says
Thank you for the recipes. I live in Brasil and I’m always looking for paleo and low carb recipes. Your’s are so good. God bless you.
Elana says
Miralda, thanks for your wonderful comment! So glad you are enjoying my recipes :-)
Jeff Christy says
Elana, Thanks so much for these recipes. I just purchased your Gluten Free Almond Flour cookbook. I just started a diet to reduce all inflammation, because I have neuropathy; as such I must cut out all grains, dairy, and sugars. Agave is ok as well as others like coconut sugar, stevia, etc…
In recipes like this and in your cookbook you call for dagoba dark echolocate. Since it has cane sugar in it I can’t have it. I can only use cacao powder, but can sweeten it with agave, coconut sugar, or stevia. Do you have a swap for using cacao powder in place of chocolate?
Elana says
Jeff, thanks for your comment. I’m so glad you bought my first book, it’s been a lifesaver to so many people! I have a recipe for homemade chocolate here:
https://elanaspantry.com/homemade-paleo-chocolate/
If you do experiment with it as a substitution in my other recipes I hope you’ll let us know if it works :-)
Elana
Kat Rogers says
Hi! Have you ever tried LILY’S DARK CHOCOLATE PREMIUM BAKING CHIPS,
STEVIA SWEETENED, 55% COCOA, VEGAN, NON~GMO… 9oz Bag ranges in price between $7.00 (on Thrive.com) to around $8.00ish~$10.00ish (on Amazon). They are Delicious but I do love dark chocolate… I occasionally nibble on them with cold raisins (I don’t refrigerate the chips as their consistency is dryer than usual chocolate chips~ perhaps due to the higher cocoa content) and snacking on a couple of tablespoons or so~ I don’t actually measure~ Completely Satisfies MY SWEET/CHOCOLATE CRAVING! Seeing as how they are pricey, I’m Glad I Don’t Get THAT CRAVING OFTEN! I am Very Excited To Try Out ALL OF THESE FABBY CHOCOLATE RECIPES!!
I Trust You Will Enjoy Them AND YOU NEVER HAVE TO FEEL GUILTY!
HAPPY BAKING~HAPPIER EATING!
Purrs, Kat
Elana says
Hi Kat, thanks for your comment! I’m so glad you are enjoying Lily’s chocolate chips, just a word of caution to other readers, these chips are sweetened with erythrytol which is a corn based product that can severely disrupt digestion and impair the gut microbiome in certain people such as myself.