Chocolate Frosting Without Powdered Sugar

Run out of powdered sugar? No problem. You can have your cake and frost it, too, with this Easy Chocolate Frosting Without Powdered Sugar. It’s super creamy and delicious, almost like fudge, perfect for frosting your favorite cake, cupcake, or brownie.

Made with a few simple ingredients, this easy recipe for Chocolate Frosting is delicious on Cocoa Brownies, but it’s also fun for Mud and Worm Dirt Cupcakes. It will take a simple boxed cake or bundt cake over the top! It’s an easy alternative to traditional American buttercream.

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Necessity is the mother of invention, and that was never more true in the kitchen. All kinds of delicious things have been created when the cook was missing a previously “key” ingredient and dreamt up something new and amazing. Sometimes it’s the best way!

This Chocolate Frosting Without Powdered Sugar is one of those things. While I’m a fan of other icing recipes, like Cream Cheese Frosting and even fluffy buttercream frosting, this chocolate frosting without powdered sugar comes together in just a couple of minutes, loaded with chocolate flavor.

It’s the perfect frosting when you need something quickly without the hassle of an electric mixer.

Why Make This

It’s super fudgy delicious. This chocolate frosting is super delicious and tastes like fudge. It’s the best frosting for a simple homemade chocolate cake or even buttermilk donuts. You’ll swoon at just one bite!

It’s easy. With only five basic ingredients, this easy icing recipe comes together super quickly on the stovetop, no powdered sugar needed.

It’s gluten-free. Unlike another frosting recipe that calls for using a milk flour mixture, this easy Chocolate Frosting is completely gluten free, a sugar frosting that uses granulated sugar or brown sugar, some butter, evaporated milk, chocolate chips, and vanilla extract.

Ingredients

You don’t need large amounts of any of the ingredients. Here’s what you need to make Chocolate Frosting Without Powdered Sugar:

sugar – You can use brown sugar or granulated sugar, though I prefer brown. It has a slightly caramel flavor. Either way, no powdered sugar required!

butter – You can use regular dairy butter or a plant-based butter.

evaporated milk – Evaporated milk comes in a can and is slightly thicker than regular, fresh milk. It has some of the liquid removed. Fresh alternatives would be whole milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half. You can make a vegan evaporated milk by simmering coconut milk or another plant milk until the volume has reduced by half.

chocolate chips – You can use whatever kind of chocolate or baking chips you like: dark, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch, cinnamon, espresso, or peanut butter.

pure vanilla extract – Just a little vanilla helps round out the chocolate flavor. You can also use another extract to flavor the frosting, such as almond extract, peppermint, or mocha. The cheapest vanilla extract is the homemade kind.

Step-by-Step Instructions

This is such a low-fuss, delicious frosting, no need for a mixing bowl or even a hand mixer. Here’s how to make this Easy Chocolate Frosting without Powdered Sugar:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the sugar, butter, and milk together. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips and the vanilla extract. Continue stirring until the chocolate has melted and the frosting is soon.

It will be a thin frosting, but will thicken as it cools. Pour or spread the frosting over the cooled cake or top of cupcakes. You should have enough sugar icing for one sheet cake or 24 cupcakes. Make a double batch if you’d like to frost a layer cake.

Pro tip: As the frosting cools, it develops a fudge texture, almost like a thick paste. To get it back to spreadable consistency, you can reheat it over low heat with a splash of milk.

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