This Keto Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe has a rich buttery vanilla flavor, the perfect level of sweetness, and a smooth, creamy texture. It’s perfect for piping on cakes and cupcakes!

A fabulous cake recipe is a must. But as good as cake is, it’s so much better with buttercream!
Silky smooth, rich, and decadent, buttercream takes a good cake and makes it something truly special. You know what I mean. The type of frosting that’s so good you can almost eat it with a spoon (not that I would do that, wink wink).
This Keto Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe has a smooth, creamy texture with a rich butter flavor and deep vanilla aroma. It’s perfectly sweet without being overly sweet. The cream cheese makes it velvety smooth, and in terms of flavor it’s just a faint side note.

If you’ve been looking for perfect keto frosting, try this and I think it’ll be your new favorite! After you make this vanilla buttercream frosting and chill it in the fridge for an hour, it’s perfect for piping.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have a piping bag and tips, you can use a gallon-size or quart-size zip-top plastic bag. Just nip a little bit off one corner and gently squeeze out the frosting to pipe it.
You’re going to love how versatile this vanilla buttercream frosting is! You can use it on:
- Yellow cake
- Chocolate cake
- Cupcakes
- Brownies
- Cookies
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The Best Keto Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe
What Makes This the Best Keto Vanilla Frosting
- The perfect sweetness level and no cooling effect. I’ve had so many keto buttercreams that were either way too sweet or had a strong cooling effect (from erythritol). This recipe is just right on the sweetness level with no cooling effect because we use monk fruit/allulose to sweeten it instead of erythritol.
- It’s thick and stable. I’ve also had trouble with some keto frosting recipes being too runny, but that’s not the case here! This vanilla buttercream is thick and stable. And it’s perfect for piping on cupcakes.
- The texture is silky smooth. This vanilla buttercream has a velvety smoothness, but isn’t overly greasy the way some buttercream recipes can be.
Ingredients in Keto Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

- Heavy whipping cream
- Cream of tartar
- Beef gelatin + water
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
- Vanilla extract
- Vanilla bean paste
- Almond extract
- Powdered monk fruit/allulose sweetener
How to Make Keto Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

- Stir together the beef gelatin and cold water in a small bowl to dissolve.
- Use a handheld electric mixer to beat the heavy whipping cream and cream of tartar in a large bowl until it forms stiff peaks.
- Add the butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, almond extract, dissolved beef gelatin, and powdered sweetener to another large bowl.
- Beat until smooth and well-combined.
- Beat the whipped cream into the butter mixture ⅓ at a time.
- The end result will be smooth and creamy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled (at least 1 hour) before using.
How to Store Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
If you want to make this ahead of time, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes and then use a handheld electric mixer to beat it until smooth.
Alternatively, if you frost cupcakes with this buttercream, they stay good wrapped in the fridge for about 1 week. Let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving so the frosting can soften.

Variations on This Recipe
- Play with the extract. Instead of vanilla, you can use any flavor you fancy! Go with peppermint flavor, coconut flavor, banana flavor, or maple flavor.
- Add zest. Add 1 teaspoon of your favorite fresh citrus zest. I love it with lime, but lemon is a classic.
- Make it chocolate. Add 2 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and ¼ teaspoon liquid stevia extract.

Tips for Making Keto Vanilla Buttercream
- Whip the cream first. This helps make sure the final buttercream is lusciously thick.
- Don’t skip the cream of tartar or beef gelatin. Yes, those sound like strange additions to buttercream! But keto buttercream can be finicky, and these two ingredients help us thicken and stabilize the frosting.
- Make sure to use room temperature butter and cream cheese. This helps it beat up smooth and creamy without lumps.
- Be patient. If you let this buttercream frosting chill in the fridge for an hour, it will pipe perfectly after that!

Keto Buttercream Frosting FAQs
How Do You Thicken Keto Frosting?
We use cream of tartar and beef gelatin to thicken and stabilize this frosting. Additionally, the cream cheese and butter help it thicken in the fridge.
Does Buttercream Frosting Need to be Refrigerated?
Yes. This frosting has quite a bit of dairy in it (heavy whipping cream, butter, and cream cheese), and so it needs to be refrigerated.
Does Buttercream Harden in the Fridge?
Yes, it does. However, this keto buttercream frosting doesn’t stiffen as much as regular buttercream does, but it will set a bit.
More Keto Frosting Recipes to Make
- Vanilla Bean Low Carb Cheesecake Frosting - If you like the classic cream cheese frosting that comes on carrot cake, this one is for you!
- Crème Fraiche Frosting - Sweet with a hint of tangy flavor, this is perfect for offsetting cakes like red velvet.
- Vanilla Frosting - Rich and buttery, this one is a classic favorite!


Keto Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 14 servings 1x
Description
This Keto Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe has a rich buttery vanilla flavor, the perfect level of sweetness, and a smooth, creamy texture. It’s perfect for piping on cakes and cupcakes!
Ingredients
- ⅛ teaspoon beef gelatin (dissolved in 1 teaspoon cold water)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- ⅛ teaspoon pure almond extract
- ¾ cup powdered monk fruit/allulose sweetener
Instructions
- Stir together the beef gelatin and 1 teaspoon cold water in a small bowl.
- Add the heavy whipping cream and cream of tartar to a large bowl. Use a handheld electric mixer to beat until it forms stiff peaks.
- Add the butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, almond extract, dissolved beef gelatin, and powdered sweetener to a large bowl. Beat until smooth.
- Beat the whipped cream into the butter mixture ⅓ at a time. The end result will be smooth and creamy.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled (at least 1 hour) before using.
Notes
- Net Carbs: 1g per serving (2 tablespoons)
- This recipe make about 1 ¾ cups buttercream. There are a total of 14 (2-tablespoon) servings.
- Store this buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 102
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 30
- Fat: 11
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 33
Keywords: Keto Buttercream, Keto Buttercream Frosting, Vanilla Buttercream, Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, Vanilla Buttercream Recipe, Vanilla Frosting

Betsy
Faith, you make cheating feel like not cheating! Thank you so much!
★★★★★