This is a simple nut-based frosting that can have a vanilla or lemon flavor (see Notes for lemon). Both flavors are great on Carrot Cake, Pumpkin Pie Squares (shown below), as well as Pumpkin Pie and Sweet Potato Pie. This frosting can also be used as a dip for fruit.
Vanilla or Lemon Frosting
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: Makes 1.5 cups 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 ounces pitted dates (8 to 9 Medjool or 16 to 18 Deglet Noor), chopped
- 3 ounces raw, unsalted cashews (about ¾ cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or seeds 1 vanilla bean)
- ¾ to 1 cup water
Instructions
- Place the dates, cashews, and vanilla into a blender. Add ¾ cup water. If the water doesn't completely cover the dates and nuts, add more just until it does. Set aside for at least 45 minutes (so the dates and nuts can thoroughly soften).
- Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides a couple times. If your blender has a tamper, you may want to use it. (Add a little more water if the mixture becomes too thick to blend.)
Notes
For lemon frosting, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.
For firmer frosting, chill for a couple hours before using.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙ recipe, ¼ cup
- Calories: 146
- Sugar: 16.6g
- Sodium: 3mg
- Fat: 6.2g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1g
- Carbohydrates: 22.0g
- Fiber: 2.1g
- Protein: 3.0g
- Cholesterol: 0
This made for a wonderful frosting on my birthday cake! I'd highly reccomend experimenting with different nuts. I have also found that 3/4 cup of raisins substitutes the dates nicely, but may not blend completely and change the color of the frosting.
How long can it be in the refrigerator ?
I have made this frosting 2-3 times now. The flavor is great! But, it has not gotten thick enough to pipe. What are your suggestions for thickening? Thanks!
You can put it in the fridge or freezer first I suppose. But because the fat in nuts is not extracted and saturated like butter or lard, it will never set up in the same way.
Just made this and the carrot cake from your book! Have you ever tried freezing this frosting or know if it will freeze? I'm afraid i will eat it all LOL.
I haven't tried freezing it; you could make a half batch. 😉
I'm wondering how it freezes too, did you try it?
Would this work using almonds?
I'm not sure. Maybe if you soaked them overnight first, as they are very hard compared to softer nuts like walnuts, pecans and cashews.
I will try it and let you know how it turns out.
I soaked the almonds overnight and it worked fine. I split the date/vanilla mix in half and made half with the almonds and half with cashews and then refrigerated. The almond mix was a little runnier and the cashews a bit creamier. I think next time I might try half and half. I served the pumpkin squares to guests with a tablespoon of each frosting on opposite sides so we could do a taste test. I think the almonds won by a hair, but the creaminess of the cashews made it basically a tie.
Wow, thanks Andrea! Great analysis! 😉
The color of the frosting is not pretty like yours, more of a gray/brown. How did you get yours so white?
I didn't do anything special; just a lot of blending and using raw, white cashews. I have heard that you can blanch off the date skins to get a frosting whiter, but I have never done that.
Bella, I had a thought about getting the frosting as white as possible. I don’t know which vanilla you opted for, but there are clear (versus typical brown) versions of vanilla extract specifically for white frostings. If you didn’t use clear, maybe using that next time would lighten the color.
Good luck!
Is it possible to replace the Cashews with silken tofu to be nut free?
I've not tried it, but it seems like it would work. You could search "tofu frosting" to see what others are doing. 🙂
I’ve used Japanese sweet potatoes in place of the cashews and it works great.
I'm very excited about the sweet potato idea!
I wonder if this would work to make orange frosting with orange juice and zest. I bet that would be a good flavor combo with the carrot cake.
I think it would work great! 🙂
I'd like to make sandwich cookies, using your Ginger Heart Cookie recipe. What do you think about using this frosting as a filling? Will it be thick enough?
Hi Peggy, I don't think it would work; those cookies are firm, so it would just squish out I think. You could put the frosting on top. If you want to make the frosting "stand up" more, you could blend in some coconut milk (the fat lump from the can, not the water). Since coconut is a saturated fat, it acts like butter and gets firm, especially when cold. 🙂
The frosting has a lovely taste but my question is how does your frosting turn out so light in color? Mine is much more brown than your picture above.
The more you blend it, the lighter it gets in color. The photo may have also been edited too, so it looks a little lighter. 🙂
How long would you cook the carrot cake if you baked it in a 9 inch round pan? Thanks!
I'd say bake for 2-5 minutes less since it will be flatter. When done it should spring back a little when pressed with a finger, not cave in. 🙂
I made carrot cake cupcakes and they was delicious without being too sweet. Thank you
for sharing your recipe.
Thank you Alice 😉
I made the recipe with 1cup of cashews, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and I only added 1/2 cup of water. It had a thicker consistency. I also soaked the dates in warm water for 10 minutes. I used the soaking water for dates and nuts in the recipe. I have the frosting cooking in the refrigerator. Very good flavor!! The cake is cooking and I can’t wait to frost and eat!
Great tips!! Thanks Robin! 😉