Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting with Kite Hill Cream Cheese Date Sweetened

An easy vegan date sweetened version of old fashioned cream cheese frosting made with my favorite store bought vegan cream cheese, Kite Hill. Amazing flavor that’s lusciously sweet with cream-cheesy tang and hints of orange and cardamom. Healthy sumptuous goodness without refined sweeteners, oil or butter.

WHY I LOVE IT

What I like best about this frosting is that it’s an easy and healthy way to achieve the flavor experience of traditional cream cheese frostings made with dairy cream cheese and sugar. It spreads easily and holds its shape for piping like an old fashioned cream cheese frosting. Unlike most of my other recipes, this frosting is not whole food plant-based (WFPB) because the main ingredient, Kite Hill Cream Cheese Alternative, is a processed store-bought food. That being said, Kite Hill Cream Cheese is the cleanest widely available dairy-free cream cheese that I know of in the US, and contains no saturated fat as measured per serving. This recipe is a little easier to make than my recipe for silken tofu based frosting because that recipe requires some squeezing out the water from the tofu and it tastes more like a traditional frosting. If you have the time, and prefer to be more WFPB adherent, I recommend the other recipe because it’s delicious, less expensive to make, and has a wonderful glossy texture. Both recipes are sweetened with whole dates and a small amount of frozen orange juice concentrate. Although I realize that orange juice concentrate can be viewed as a processed sweetener, I think that it’s preferable to equal amounts of maple syrup because of its superior nutrient density. It also adds a lovely layer of citrus flavor. If you’re looking for convenience, traditional taste, or if you need to avoid soy, this recipe’s the way to go.

WHY KITE HILL CREAM CHEESE

Kite Hill is the only commercially available vegan cream cheese I buy, and the only one I like of all the many US brands I’ve tried. This recipe may turn out alright with another brand of vegan cream cheese, but I can’t say for sure because I haven’t tried making it with another brand. To be clear, I have no ties to the Kite Hill brand. This is an honest endorsement based on my own preferences.

FLAVOR & TEXTURE: Nutritional profile aside, this cream cheese just tastes better to me and I prefer the texture.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS: Now let’s talk about the nutritional facts for Kite Hill Cream Cheese. The main ingredient is almond milk. There are no added fats and the saturated fat content per serving is 0. No other brand available in my area comes close in terms of ingredients and nutritional profile. So although a processed food with more than one ingredient is never going to be considered whole food plant-based compliant, this product is still pretty clean and relatively healthy.

THE MAGIC OF DATES IN WFPB RECIPES

My sweet recipes get most of their sweetness from whole dried fruits, and my go to dried fruit for sweetening recipes are dates. Dates are intensely sweet with a rich caramel-like flavor. When processed in a high speed blender with other ingredients, dates work as a binder, holding mixtures together. Pureed dates also help to lock in moisture, acting as a substitute for added fats in whole food plant-based frosting recipes. From a nutritional standpoint, dates are a whole plant food packed with fiber and a symphony of other nutrients.

PREPPING AND MEASURING DATES

My favorite dates are pitted Deglet Noor because they’re sweet, flavorful, widely available and usually soft and moist. You can also use medjool dates by prepping and measuring them in the same way as you would Deglet Noor.

When I use dates in recipes I always begin by slicing them. I have found that dates that are supposedly pitted are, in fact, usually not all pitted. Pre-slicing my dates gives me the opportunity to examine them and remove any hidden pits and hard stems that may still be attached. In recipes like this one where the dates will be processed in a blender or food processor, slicing the dates allows them to be processed more quickly and effectively.

Last but not least, slicing dates allows for greater consistency in volume measuring. Once the dates are sliced they can be pressed into measuring cups or spoons.

SOAKING CASHEWS

Traditional cream cheese frosting recipes usually contain butter in order to achieve a smooth spreadable consistency and a silky, melt in your mouth texture. In some of my frosting recipes I use small amounts of soaked raw cashews to accomplish the same thing. But unlike butter, dairy or plant-based, cashews are a whole plant food. By using cashews even in small amounts, I realize that I’m increasing the saturated fat content in this recipe. But not by much, and I think it’s worth it.

For best results, cashews need to be soaked. Soaking cashews makes frostings creamier and fluffier. When using a high speed blender you can technically get away with little to no soaking by adding a bit more plant milk. The result will not be quite as good and you may need to be patient and process for longer.

Ideal soaking time for cashews is at least two hours if starting with cold water. If you start by pouring boiling water over your cashews, you can get away with a shorter soaking time. Using cashew pieces also reduces the total necessary soaking time. When I know I’ll be making frosting the following day, I prefer an overnight soak.

HIGH SPEED BLENDER RECOMMENDED

For best results, a high speed blender should be used for this recipe. However, a less powerful blender, or even a food processor, can do a passable job so long as you’re patient. Modern appliances like high speed blenders allow us to quickly and easily harness the power of plant foods like dates, cashews and tofu, eliminating the need for ingredients like sugar, butter and dairy cream which are calorie dense and comparatively low in nutrients.

PERFECTLY FROSTED CAKES AND CUPCAKES

This frosting pipes up beautifully when chilled and is delightfully decorative on cakes and cupcakes. One batch makes enough frosting for an 8 or 9 inch single layer cake. For a two layer cake that’s 8 inches or larger you will need to double the recipe.

The main image for this post features a two layer version of my Vegan WFPB Peach Cake with Dates and Ginger where I doubled the recipe for both the cake and for this frosting. This frosting is also perfect on my Vegan WFPB Pineapple Carrot Cake and Vegan WFPB Cranberry Orange Date Cake. To create healthy and festive banana cupcakes, use this frosting on Vegan WFPB Red Lentil Banana Muffins.

Browse more fruit sweetened, oil-free, vegan frostings here. If you like the idea of using Kite Hill Cream Cheese to make you’re frosting, but are looking for something chocolaty, check out my Vegan Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Using Kite Hill Cream Cheese.

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