Dairy Free Whipped Cream

This homemade dairy free whipped cream recipe is made with just 3 simple ingredients and is a great whipped heavy cream alternative. 

Making your own whipped coconut cream means there are no artificial flavors or high-fructose corn syrup, only the good stuff. This delicious dairy-free topping is great for hot cocoa, pumpkin pie, apple crisp, fresh berries, or any kind of fresh fruit, peach galette, etc.

Ingredients

• Canned coconut cream OR canned coconut milk – either of these will work. Pure coconut cream will yield more whipped cream because it’s higher in fat and doesn’t have as much coconut water in the can. If using coconut milk, make sure to use full fat coconut milk. When chilled, it performs similarly to heavy whipping cream.
• Powdered sugar (also called icing sugar) – to sweeten the whipped cream while still keeping it light and airy. 
• Vanilla extract – helps mute the coconut flavor a bit.

Best Brands of Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream

There are many different brands of coconut milk and coconut cream, and unfortunately, some are much better than others. Some use guar gum as a thickener and some don’t. Here are the following brands I recommend for the best results: 

• 365 Whole Foods Market Unsweetened Coconut Milk and 365 Whole Foods Market Unsweetened Coconut Cream
• Aroy-D coconut cream and Aroy-D coconut milk
• Savoy Coconut Cream

Important to note: avoid using the Trader Joe’s brand of coconut milk and coconut cream. It has a strange, hard consistency with chunks of coconut oil and won’t whip up properly.

How to Make Dairy Free Whipped Cream

Step 1. Place a can of coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight.

Step 2. Chill the large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) you’ll be using in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes before you start (this will help you achieve soft peaks quicker). 

Step 3. Scoop out the thick coconut cream that’s risen to the top of the can and separated from the coconut water. Transfer the thick cream to your chilled bowl. Set aside the leftover coconut water in the can.

Step 4. Using a hand mixer/electric mixer or the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, start the whipping process. It can take between 3-5 minutes to achieve soft peaks. If the coconut cream looks a little chunky once you start whipping, add a couple splashes of the reserved coconut water to help smooth out the texture.

Step 5. Once smooth, add in the sifted powdered sugar (it’s important to sift so you don’t have any clumps) and vanilla extract. Whip again to incorporate until smooth.

Step 6. It’s ready to enjoy as is, or you can transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge to firm up more until ready to use.

Helpful Tips

You must refrigerate, don’t freeze. Don’t freeze your can of coconut milk or coconut cream to try and speed up the process. This will yield a weird, icy texture. Ideally, it needs to be refrigerated overnight in order to properly chill for whipping.

Stick to powdered sugar for the sweetener. Using a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup or honey to sweeten the whipped cream will weigh it down and can deflate the fluffy consistency. Granulated sugar such as cane sugar will make the texture too gritty.

Don’t shake or tilt the can. The hardened coconut cream will separate from the liquid once it’s cold, making it easy to scoop out. You don’t want to recombine the liquid and the cream.

Room temperature coconut milk (or coconut cream) is too soft and won’t whip up, it has to be refrigerated overnight.

Having trouble? If you’ve been whipping for more than 5 minutes and aren’t achieving soft peaks, you can try adding a little tapioca starch to help thicken it up, start with 1 sifted tablespoon.

More Dairy Free Dessert Basics

• Dairy Free Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Dairy Free Coconut Rice Pudding
• Dairy Free Caramel Sauce