Making it takes just minutes, but you’ll need to strain the yogurt for two hours before using it in this recipe. I love my keto cream cheese frosting and use it often. But I also love Greek yogurt, so I was curious to know if I could use it as icing. It took some trial and error, but the answer is a resounding YES! Thick, creamy, and delicious, this yogurt frosting is a great alternative to recipes made with butter or cream cheese. The recipe below makes about 2 cups, which should be enough to frost a single-layer cake or 12 cupcakes. You can easily double it if you need more.
Recipe Card
Greek yogurt: For the best results, use plain, full-fat yogurt, and make sure it’s Greek. Regular yogurt will be too runny for this recipe. Vanilla extract: Choose a high-quality pure vanilla extract. It makes a difference in such a simple recipe. Sweetener: Your choice! You can use powdered sugar, a sugar-free powdered sweetener, or stevia. I usually use stevia.
Another alternative is to use stevia glycerite, as I do in the video below. When using stevia, I like to add two tablespoons of coconut flour to the frosting. This helps thicken it and make it more durable. But don’t add more than two tablespoons, or the frosting will become grainy (speaking from experience). In addition to making a low-carb version, another variation is to use a different flavor extract instead of vanilla. If you like coconut, for example, you could use coconut extract. If using any flavor extract other than vanilla, I recommend using just one teaspoon. Strain the yogurt for at least two hours, and preferably overnight. This is an annoying step, but you really shouldn’t skip it, or the frosting will be too liquid. Using an electric hand mixer set on medium speed, beat together the strained yogurt, vanilla, and sweetener until the frosting thickens. You can also whisk it by hand if you prefer. Refrigerate the frosting while you bake your cake or cupcakes. This will allow the frosting to further thicken and stabilize. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and serve. Greek yogurt has already been strained and is much thicker than “regular” yogurt. But to use it as frosting, we need to get rid of even the small amount of whey it still contains. Once we do, whipping it with powdered sugar (or stevia and coconut flour) and then chilling it, allows it to thicken enough to be used as frosting. You can top the frosting with berries if you wish or scatter a few mini chocolate chips on top.
