If you’re looking for a way to frost your favorite holiday cookies without using white refined sugar, this is my new favorite solution.
This coconut sugar icing is made with just a handful of natural ingredients and can be piped onto your favorite holiday cakes and cookies just like the traditional powdered sugar-based frostings.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The key to this icing holding its shape is using a bit of all-natural shortening, which is made from a blend of virgin coconut oil and red palm oil.
Normally, I’d never work with “shortening” because it’s too much of an exotic, specialty-type of ingredient, but if you think about it, icing itself is kind of a specialty recipe, right? I mean, we don’t eat frosted sugar cookies on a daily basis, so I’m okay with using a specialty ingredient for a special recipe like this one.
Plus, you only need a tablespoon per batch, so this one purchase should last you quite a while!
Just so you know, I did try every combination under the sun to come up with a frosting that didn’t require a shortening-type of ingredient first. Coconut oil and butter are just not the same as shortening when it comes to making a frosting that is stable enough to be stored at room temperature. (They become a soft, melty mess.)
If you don’t need your frosting to be sturdy, you can probably sub coconut oil or butter for the palm oil shortening and just store your cookies in the fridge. But, for cookies that can be stored and served at room temperature, give this recipe a try.
I naturally make small batches of recipes when I’m experimenting, and found that this amount easily decorated a batch of 12 to 15 small gingerbread cookies . If you need more than that, feel free to double or triple this recipe as needed!
How to Make Coconut Sugar Icing
Step 1:
To make “powdered” sugar: Simply grind coconut sugar in a coffee grinder or high-speed blender until it’s finely ground, with a texture similar to powdered sugar.
Measure the sugar after grinding for this recipe. (You may have to sift it to help break up clumps.)
Step 2:
To prepare the icing, combine all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir with a rubber spatula to squish them all together. If you find that you’d like your frosting a little smoother, add a bit of water just 1/2 teaspoon at a time, as needed to thin it out.
If it’s chilly in your kitchen, your coconut oil will likely be solid at room temperature. If not, place the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes to help it thicken.
For decorating, transfer the frosting to a plastic bag fitted with a decorating tip. (I just use a plastic sandwich bag for convenience– cut off the tip on the bottom of one side of the bag, slide in the decorating tip, then add the frosting on top of that.)
Gently squeeze the bag, and the frosting should easily pipe onto your favorite baked goods.
Because you grind your own coconut sugar, this frosting can be a little grainier than traditional frosting, but it goes completely unnoticed once it’s frosted on a cookie! (I know from personal experience.)
IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric1x2x3x
- 1 tablespoon Nutiva red palm oil shortening
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (not liquified)
- 1/4 cup “powdered” coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot or tapioca starch
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (optional)
Instructions
- To make “powdered” sugar: Simply grind coconut sugar in a coffee grinder or high-speed blender until it’s finely ground, with a texture similar to powdered sugar. Measure after grinding the sugar for this recipe. (You may have to sift it to help break up clumps.)
- To prepare the icing, combine all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir with a rubber spatula to squish it all together. If you find that you’d like your frosting a little smoother, add a bit of water just 1/2 teaspoon at a time, as needed to thin it out. At this time of the year, I’m guessing almost everyone’s kitchen is cold enough that your coconut oil will be solid at room temperature, but if it isn’t you can place this bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes to help it thicken up!
- For decorating, transfer the frosting to a plastic bag fitted with a decorating tip. (I just use a plastic sandwich bag for convenience– cut off the tip on the bottom of one side of the bag, slide in the decorating tip, then add the frosting on top of that.) Gently squeeze the bag and the frosting should easily pipe onto your favorite baked goods.
Notes
Nutrition
Paleo Cookie Recipes to Try
- Almond Flour Gingerbread Cookies
- Paleo Sugar Cookies
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Coconut Sugar Icing (Vegan & Paleo)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Nutiva red palm oil shortening
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (not liquified)
- 1/4 cup “powdered” coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot or tapioca starch
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (optional)
Instructions
- To make “powdered” sugar: Simply grind coconut sugar in a coffee grinder or high-speed blender until it’s finely ground, with a texture similar to powdered sugar. Measure after grinding the sugar for this recipe. (You may have to sift it to help break up clumps.)
- To prepare the icing, combine all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir with a rubber spatula to squish it all together. If you find that you’d like your frosting a little smoother, add a bit of water just 1/2 teaspoon at a time, as needed to thin it out. At this time of the year, I’m guessing almost everyone’s kitchen is cold enough that your coconut oil will be solid at room temperature, but if it isn’t you can place this bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes to help it thicken up!
- For decorating, transfer the frosting to a plastic bag fitted with a decorating tip. (I just use a plastic sandwich bag for convenience– cut off the tip on the bottom of one side of the bag, slide in the decorating tip, then add the frosting on top of that.) Gently squeeze the bag and the frosting should easily pipe onto your favorite baked goods.
