A simple recipe for vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt frosting, with a low-carb no-sugar option, using either stevia or Swerve Confectioners.
I love my keto cream cheese frosting and use it often. But I also love Greek yogurt and I was curious to know if I could maybe use it for as icing. It took some trial and error, but the answer is a resounding YES!
Thick, creamy and delicious, Greek yogurt frosting is a nutritious, higher-protein alternative to recipes made with butter or cream cheese. The recipe below makes about 2 cups, which should enough to frost a single-layer cake or 12 cupcakes. You can easily double it if you need more.
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need three simple ingredients to make this tasty frosting (exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below):
Greek yogurt: Use plain full-fat yogurt for the best results, and make sure it’s Greek. Regular yogurt will be too runny for this recipe.
Vanilla extract: Choose a high-quality pure vanilla extract. In such a simple recipe, it makes a difference.
Sweetener: Your choice! You can use powdered sugar, Swerve Confectioners, or stevia. I usually use stevia, which I believe is a safe sweetener.
How to make Greek yogurt frosting
It’s so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
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 end up too liquid.
Mix. Using an electric hand mixer set on medium speed, beat together the strained yogurt, the vanilla, and the sweetener until the frosting thickens. You can also whisk 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.
Why you should strain the Greek yogurt
This is not a last-minute type of recipe, because straining the yogurt is a must in order to achieve a thick enough consistency.
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 that 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.
How long will it hold?
I’m not sure. It’s definitely softer than your typical buttercream or cream cheese frosting. But if you follow the steps listed below in the recipe card, it will hold its shape once piped onto cupcakes – and it is delicious.
I typically make it and use it right away. It’s possible that it won’t hold for more than a few hours. But I truly don’t know.
How to use Greek yogurt frosting
Use it to frost cakes or cupcakes. I sometimes use it to frost these keto chocolate cupcakes instead of using the peanut butter frosting. It’s a very tasty combination!
No-Sugar option
For a low carb and healthier version of this recipe, try replacing the powdered sugar with Confectioners Swerve. Unlike regular powdered sugar, Swerve does not contain cornstarch, so the low carb Greek yogurt frosting won’t be as thick as the high-carb one.
Another alternative is to use stevia glycerite, as I do in the video below. I like stevia glycerite because it nearly eliminates the bitter aftertaste that so many people object to when it comes to stevia.
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).
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Greek Yogurt Frosting
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt (I use Fage 5%)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar (or 1 cup Swerve Confectioners, or 1 TBSP stevia glycerite)
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour (if using stevia)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl. Place the yogurt in the strainer. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to drain, at least two hours and preferably overnight. This step is important. Otherwise, the yogurt will be too liquid to make a proper frosting.
- Using an electric hand mixer set on medium speed, beat together the strained yogurt, the vanilla, and the sweetener (and coconut flour if using) until the frosting thickens, about 2 minutes.
- Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes, while you bake your cake or cupcakes.
- To frost your cupcakes, wait until they are completely cool. Then fill a quart-size Ziploc bag with the frosting, snip the corner and use to pipe frosting onto the cupcakes. Or simply use a spatula to spread frosting on the cupcakes.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
NOTES
More Recipes to Try:
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.