Healthy Vanilla Protein Icing and Healthy Vanilla Protein Frosting
Both Vanilla Icing and Vanilla Frosting are perfect for, well, EVERYTHING. They’re sweet, they’re simple, and they’re delicious, but they’re also filled with a ton of refined white sugar, butter or hydrogenated shortening (aka dangerous trans fats), and artificial flavorings. So I made them healthy! These Healthy Vanilla Protein Icing and Healthy Vanilla Protein Frosting recipes are just as sweet and just as delicious as the original, but way better for you. One spoonful and you’ll have a hard time believing they’re sugar free, low carb, low fat, high protein, and gluten free!
Let’s start with the Vanilla Protein ICING:
Use this Healthy Vanilla Protein Icing as a dessert sauce, a fruit dip, or maybe even a mixture to be slathered all over your face or bathe in. Ummm yeah, it’s THAT good that you’ll want to do that. But whateva tickles yo fancy, of course 😉
This is heaven on earth. I literally spent 20 minutes standing in my kitchen scraping every last bit of it out of the blender. I’m normal, I swear. When Vanilla Icing is that good, you’ll do it too.
This icing is sweet and addicting, but without the refined white sugar and artificial flavorings. In fact, it’s sugar free, low carb, low fat, high protein and gluten free. It’s buttery rich, thick and creamy, but without the butter, margarine, shortening, oil or trans fats. It’s all-natural and made with wholesome ingredients that you can feel good about eating.
I was originally planning on making whey protein bars (a big reader request from people who have my DIY Protein Bars Cookbook) but totally failed. It was like a sticky good, so on a whim I mixed in a few more ingredients and BAM! This delicious Vanilla Protein Icing was born! You can feel the coconut flour in this icing, but it’s not overwhelming or all too gritty. I like using coconut flour because it’s low glycemic, low carb (safe for diabetics), high fiber, and gluten free. I’ve been using it a ton in my recipes lately.
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Now, onto the Vanilla Protein FROSTING:
Use this Healthy Vanilla Protein Frosting to top off cake or cupcakes, even pancakes and waffles!
I feel like a dessert fairy swept in and snuck magical dust into this frosting because DAMN Y’ALL… I could eat this stuff for every meal of the day — breakfast, 2nd breakfast, lunch, 2nd lunch, snack, dinner, dessert, nighttime snack. OHMIGERD it’s so dang good.
This Healthy Vanilla Protein Frosting is already a staple food for me. When the stresses of work and daily life bog me down, I just get up from my desk, stretch, walk over to my fridge, and spoon some of this foodgasm-worthy deliciousness into my face.
Stress? What stress? It’s totally gone!
Guilt? What guilt? This frosting is totally guilt-free!
Healthy Vanilla Protein Icing
Ingredients
- 455g (2 cups) Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt
- 64g (¼ cup) Macadamia Butter or Cashew Butter
- 1 tbs Vanilla Extract
- ½ tsp Vanilla Paste
- 217g (2⅓ cups) Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
- 105g (¾ cup) Powdered Erythritol
- 56g (½ cup) Coconut Flour
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender (I used my Vitamix), add the yogurt, nut butter, vanilla extract, and vanilla paste. Blend on low speed until completely smooth.
- While blending, add in the protein powder, powdered erythritol, and coconut flour. The mixture will thicken. Give it a taste and add a pinch of salt, more erythritol, or more vanilla to taste. You can use this immediately or store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge
Recipe Notes
Healthy Vanilla Protein Frosting
Ingredients
- 230g (1 cup) Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt
- 5 oz Neufchâtel Cream Cheese (room temp; or ⅓ Less Fat Cream Cheese)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Paste
- ½ tsp Liquid Stevia Extract
- 90g (1 cup) Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
- 70g (½ cup) Powdered Erythritol
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, add the yogurt, cream cheese, vanilla paste, and stevia extract. Mix on medium-low speed until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
- Add in the protein powder and powdered erythritol, then return mixer to medium-low speed. Once completely smooth, scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. Increase mixer speed to high and mix until fluffy and even.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 3+ hours to firm up before frosting. Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
These healthy frostings are both all-natural, don’t have any sugar or artificial ingredients added, and are boosted with a punch of protein. BOOM BOOM CLAP, I’ll drink eat to that 😉
Enjoy!
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With love and good eats,
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– Jess
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Indulge − no strings attached!
Jessica, what can we sub whey powder with? We are dairy free/casein free?
Kim-
I’m not sure if you can replace the whey protein because it’s the main ingredient. But, if you’re up for some recipe testing, you can try egg white protein powder instead! Good luck 🙂
-Jess
This looks absolutely delicious! I have been following your blog for quite some time now, and love your healthy and delicious recipes from both here and your cookbook. Thank you for making such delectable creations and I am excited to see what your future holds 🙂 Wishing you the best!
Alexa-
Awww thank you so much! Can’t wait to graduate, eek! I’m glad you like my blog and cookbook, and I hope you like all my future recipes 🙂
-Jess
Would peanut butter work for ththe cashew butter?
Lindsey-
Absolutely! Just know that peanut butter will make this a PB frosting, not a vanilla frosting. I used macadamia and recommended cashew because they are both light in color and neutral in flavor. I hope you like the frosting! 🙂
-Jess
Pleaseeee move close to New York or Pennsylvania 🙂 I’ve followed you from the very beginning and I’m amazed at how much you’ve grown as a blogger!! You are AWESOME <3
Marina D-
Awww thank you so much! It’s so great to hear from a longtime reader. I hope you like all my recipes and foodie pictures 🙂
I’m thinking about Connecticut because it’s a short train ride away from NYC where my sister lives… plus, my high school friends are there too, so, that sounds pretty darn awesome.
Thanks again Marina! Have an awesome week 😀
-Jess
Congrats on 4 years, Jessica! You have a beautiful blog. I am so impressed you found the time to create such awesome recipes during college. I didn’t have the guts or time to start my blog until my senior year of school when I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Good for you! Good luck with your life decisions. Moving to a new stage of life is so exciting! The icing looks like the perfect way to celebrate the changes! It looks delicious! 🙂
Annie @ Natural Sweet Recipes-
Awww thank you so much! I think starting a blog during SENIOR YEAR takes more guts than freshman year, wow! I can’t imagine starting a blog now… I got sooo obsessed with mine and baked nonstop for months haha 😉
I hope I can balance daily life, the blog and work like you guys can! 🙂
-Jess
I have been following and loving your blog for some time. Your recipes may be healthy… but they look evil good!
I saw your post on Instagram, and Congrats on being a full-time blogger! That is the dream right there. 🙂 I totally relate to wanting to work on the blog and having school work. I’m graduating in a couple months but am nowhere near where you were last year! haha
And as always the icing looks drool-worthy.
Awww thank Vivian! I actually just posted the 3rd installment of my four-part blog series, which explains a little about what I/full-time bloggers do (although I’m sure you know most of it because you’re a blogger yourself) 😀
CONGRATS ON GRADUATION COMING UP!! That’s so exciting. Finish the semester strong, girl!!
Best,
-Jess
Can you tell me how long this stay fresh and retains it’s consitency?
This icing can stay fresh in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to ~1 week. It retains its thick frosting-like consistency very well! Hope you like the recipe 😀
-Jess
First of all, I LOVE and appreciate your blog and all your recipes so much. I’ve tried many of them and they are great!
Just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this recipe in particular. I am a frosting fiend and besides straight up coconut cream ones I haven’t found ones that work.
Tonight I tried a version with unsweetened vanilla coconut yogurt because I’m cutting most dairy out. it wasn’t the same taste/consistency but it works and it was good. Just thought I’d add that idea here for those also cutting or limiting dairy dairy out. I did use whey isolate powder though. Like you said above, maybe try egg white protein powder. 🙂
Thanks so much!
Awww thank you so much!! I’m glad you like my recipes 😀
I’m a huge frosting addict too. Sometimes I just scrape the frosting off the cake and eat it straight up. Yummmm.
Even though coconut yogurt is a bit different, I’m sure it tasted great! I’d love to try this with another yogurt and protein powder, maybe almond yogurt and egg white protein?
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Is there a Nutrition Count for this recipe?
Thank you very much:)
Of course!
For ½ cup of icing: 190 calories, 6g fat, 10g carbs, 23g protein
For ½ cup of frosting: 230 calories, 9g fat, 9g carbs, 25g protein