When you hear the word “superfood,” what is the first thing that pops into your head? Chia seeds? Gogi berries? Flax seeds?
Well, this frosting doesn’t have any of those exotic, trendy superfoods in it, but it is chock-full of some simple, good old-fashioned foods that qualify as superfoods in my opinion anyways!
Simple Superfoods
Every ingredient in this chocolate “superfood” frosting recipe is a simple, ordinary ingredient that you probably already have in your pantry, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be superfoods too! Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of the ingredients in this decadent recipe:
Cocoa Powder
Chocolate is famous for it’s antioxidant content and for being a source of magnesium. Even though it’s debatable whether or not chocolate is really a good source of magnesium, chocolate is still a superfood in my opinion because it’s my favorite flavor and eating it makes me happy. End of story! Anything that makes you happy and reduces stress definitely qualifies as a superfood 🙂
Coconut Oil or Butter
Both coconut oil and butter are good old-fashioned fats that are nutrient-dense to support a healthy body. Coconut oil is well-known in the real food community for its antibacterial and antiviral properties and for being one of the best metabolism-boosters there is. Butter from grass-fed cows is a good source of vitamins A, D, K2 as well as congugated-lineoleic acid. Not to mention that it just makes everything taste better too! 🙂
Pure Maple Syrup or Raw Honey
Pure maple syrup (especially the darker Grade B syrup) is full of trace minerals that have been stripped out of the more refined sweetners like the powdered confectioner’s sugar typically used to make frosting sweet.
Raw honey, in addition to containing minerals and beneficial enzymes, also has antibacterial and antiviral properties that make it an excellent choice for a natural healthy sweetener.
Pure Vanilla Extract
The scent of vanilla is incredibly relaxing, and with all of the busy-ness and stress that most of us encounter every day, we can use all the relaxation and stress-reduction we can get!
Sea Salt
Salt has a calming, anti-inflammatory effect on the body, and having enough salt is essential for a healthy metabolism.
Chocolate “Superfood” Frosting Recipe:
* As always, quality counts, so ingredients that are organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised, etc. are always best if you can afford them! *
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (Find good-quality cocoa powder here)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (or softened butter) (Find my favorite kind here
)
- 1 Tbs pure maple syrup (or raw honey) (Find pure Grade B maple syrup here)
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract (Find pure organic vanilla here
)
- pinch sea salt (Find real salt here)
* Note: Coconut oil starts to melt once the temperature gets above 70 degrees. Depending on how warm your house is, you might have to add a bit more cocoa powder if your coconut oil has melted or you might have to use a bit less if it’s wintertime and your coconut oil is rock solid. If it’s summer time and you’re planning to use this to frost a cake rather than just eating it straight as a dessert, you’ll need to make sure you have enough cocoa powder to keep the frosting stiff enough, or use butter instead of coconut oil.
Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and enjoy! 🙂
I like to mix and match this recipe depending on what I’m in the mood for and what ingredients I have on hand. I might use coconut oil and raw honey one night and butter and maple syrup on another. All variations are delicious!
This recipe makes about 1/2 cup worth of frosting. I usually just have a spoonful now and then as a dessert, but you could easily double or triple the recipe if you wanted to use it to frost a cake or cupcakes, like my favorite Depression-Era dark chocolate cake.
Because this frosting is so rich, though, just a spoonful or two is enough to be completely satisfying even without the cake. (And I love my cake, so I don’t make that statement lightly! 😉 )
If you’re a dark chocolate lover like me, this decadent frosting is the perfect “superfood” for times when you want an indulgent dessert.
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If you love chocolate, here are some other great recipes to try:
Sea Salted Coconut Oil Chocolates by Frisky Lemon
Homemade Coconut Oil Chocolate Sauce by The Rising Spoon
18 Chocolate Coconut Oil Recipes by Good Girl Gone Green
Amazing Coconut Oil Fudge by The Sweet Plantain
Frosting for Breakfast? What a Therapeutic Dose of Coconut Oil Can Do for You by Thrive Style
Chocolate Superfood Smoothie Recipe by Real Nutritious Living
This post is shared with: Real Food Fridays at It’s Your Life.
What about ghee butter instead of regular?
I’ve never tried using ghee for this recipe, but I would think it would probably work fine, and it would probably taste delicious too since ghee has that slightly caramelized flavor to it.
Hi : can you put the frosting into a bag and use it for decorating/ piping? Or can it only be spread like in the picture?
I’ve never tried using it in a bag for piping before, but you could probably try it. It has a fairly soft texture, but during the colder months, it might be just stiff enough to do that. In the summer months or if you live in a warm climate, though, the frosting might be too soft for it to work well. Because of the coconut oil in the recipe, the texture of the frosting depends a lot on the temperature.
I have a problem with your love affair with both coconut oil and butter. The nutrition labels read quite high in saturated fats, which all the doctors tell me to stay away from I have been using Smart Balance for years (but not for baking) and my heart readings have been terrific.
To each his own. If I choose to have a love affair with coconut oil and butter, that’s my decision to make, and I stand by my choice to use saturated fats like coconut oil and butter. I’m glad to hear that your heart readings have been terrific because good health is much more important than disagreements over ingredients.
Hello there! Is vanilla extract optional in this recipe?
Hello! 🙂 Yes, the vanilla is definitely optional. I add it only because I like the flavor, but if you don’t like vanilla it’s perfectly fine to leave it out.
TERRIBLE !
Tried it both ways with butter or coconut oil came out bitter and NASTY.
–You MUST have sugar or a cup of something sweet to make it like frosting. What tiny amount you use will never make it take any good.
I’m sorry you didn’t like it. This frosting is probably an acquired taste if you don’t usually like dark chocolate. I personally love dark chocolate – the darker the better – so the bitterness doesn’t bother me at all, and adding a bit of honey or maple syrup is the perfect amount for me. But everyone’s tastes are different, so this recipe isn’t suited for everyone.
i made this with carob powder, it came out like fudge! so good but different…carob is thicker than cacao
That sounds really good!
I used only half the the cocoa because it was so dry, but this is a very good icing recipe! Yum!
Yeah, the texture can vary depending on how thick your ingredients are (like if you use really thick honey or if your coconut oil is really solid), but I’m glad you liked the flavor of it!
I loved this frosting. I used it on a chocolate cake, I am adding it to my list of recipes to keep.
I added powdered sugar in the recipe to make it a bit thicker.
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂 I sometimes add some powdered sugar too if I need to make it thicker, especially in the summertime when my coconut oil gets melty.
Just made this, had to add more maple and vanilla because it was a bit bitter. Warmed it a little in the microwave and it was soooo good. I used it to ice the healthy 3 ingredient brownies, then I ate the rest haha.
Seems incredibly delicious !!