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Vegan whipped cream is a luscious and fluffy treat that pairs well with just about any dessert! It’s infused with vanilla and delicately sweetened with powdered sugar, and it’s given a full-bodied texture from full-fat coconut milk and coconut oil. Enjoy it on a bowl of fresh berries, pie, cake, or anything else you can think of!
Table of Contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Dairy-Free: This recipe offers a billowy texture and slightly sweet taste, just like traditional whipped cream. Except (shocker), it’s completely free of dairy!
- Contains healthy fat: Made from coconut milk and coconut oil, this recipe is a great way to incorporate healthy fats into your diet.
- Actually whips: With so many factors involved, dairy-free whipped cream is notoriously finicky and tricky to whip. That problem is solved with the addition of coconut oil and cream of tartar!
- Versatile: This vegan whipped cream can be used in a multitude of ways. Use it to top off your favorite desserts, garnish fruit salads, or dollop on hot chocolate.
If you love dairy-free whipped cream, you should definitely check out our vegan condensed milk, vegan heavy cream, dairy-free sour cream, and vegan buttermilk.
🍦 Fluffy vegan whipped cream
One of the more challenging recipes to veganize is whipped cream. For one reason or another, the results always seem to be inconsistent at best — until now! This vegan whipped cream recipe has been carefully crafted to turn out perfectly fluffy every time.
Born out of a frustrating need to make dairy-free whipped cream actually work, we’ve finally landed on an irresistible taste and texture. You’ll be shocked at the light, creamy, and airy consistency you can achieve through a blend of coconut milk and oil, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
The final touch? A dash of cream of tartar to keep the whipped cream stable. We love to dollop a very generous amount of vegan whipped cream onto our favorite desserts (don’t judge us). Think pies, cakes, fresh berries, milkshakes, and your favorite coffee and tea beverages.
🌱 Why isn’t whipped cream vegan?
Traditional whipped cream is made primarily from heavy cream, which is very much not vegan-friendly. In this dairy-free whipped cream recipe, we made the following switches to keep it plant-based:
- Full-fat coconut milk: Instead of heavy cream, we use full-fat coconut milk, which emulates heavy cream quite nicely. We wouldn’t suggest using vegan heavy cream in this recipe, as coconut milk results in a smoother, silkier consistency.
- Coconut oil: This helps to stabilize and thicken the whipped cream, resulting in consistent results even as you use different brands of coconut milk.
- Powdered sugar: We use powdered sugar to add structure (and sweeten) the whipped cream. Choose vegan-friendly powdered sugar when possible, as some brands use bone char during processing.
🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
- Coconut milk: We recommend Thai full-fat coconut milk. These cans generally have the highest fat content, which results in a better texture. Also, try to source coconut milk with real coconut as an ingredient, not coconut extract.
- Refined coconut oil: It’s best to use refined (flavorless) coconut oil unless you don’t mind a light coconut flavor. If you can’t find any in stores, check for refined coconut oil online.
- Powdered sugar: The cornstarch in powdered sugar helps thicken and add structure to vegan whipped cream. If you don’t have powdered sugar, make your own by blending 1 cup of cane sugar with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a sweet, creamy flavor that enhances the whipped cream. We recommend pure vanilla extract for the most aromatic taste.
- Cream of tartar: Helps stabilize the whipped cream. If you don’t have any cream of tartar, you can replace it with a small amount of lemon juice or vinegar. You can also omit it, but the whipped cream won’t hold its shape as long.
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
📝 How to make vegan whipped cream
Step 1: Blend the milk and oil
Melt the coconut oil and warm the coconut milk in a pot or microwave until it is lukewarm. You want both ingredients to be at a similar temperature for maximum emulsification.
When both are warmed, add them to a high-speed blender and mix on high until the mixture is smooth and frothy.
Step 2: Chill the milk mixture
Transfer the blended coconut milk and oil mixture to a mixing bowl, then cover and refrigerate it for at least 6 hours, or until it’s thickened and chilled. We suggest blending the mixture the night before and leaving it overnight.
Step 3: Whip the cream
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream of tartar to the chilled bowl of coconut milk and oil. Make sure to use the same chilled bowl to prevent the mixture from melting as you whip it.
Whip the chilled mixture on high speed until it becomes light, fluffy, and forms stiff peaks, You can use the whipped coconut cream immediately, or store it for later. Happy eating!
If you have questions about this recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!
🍓 How to use vegan whipped cream
The versatility of this vegan whipped cream never ceases to amaze us. Here are some of our favorite ways to serve it:
- Fresh fruit: For a classic pairing, add a dollop on top of fresh fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, pineapple, or mango.
- Baked goods: Dairy-free whipped cream pairs perfectly with treats like vegan peach cobbler, chocolate chip mug cake, or double chocolate gluten-free mug cake.
- Drinks: Serve some with your favorite drinks like mango pineapple smoothies, dirty chai lattes, milkshakes, and more.
🌡️ Storage & reheating
If you don’t finish all your vegan whipped cream or are preparing it for later, follow these quick storage tips:
- Fridge: Keep the whipped cream in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: We don’t recommend freezing dairy-free whipped cream since the texture will change too much when thawed.
- Re-whip: If the whipped cream becomes too firm, just re-whip it before using.
- Prep ahead: The ingredients can be prepped and chilled ahead of time to save time on the day of whipping. In fact, we strongly encourage doing this for the best results.
♻️ Variations
- Chocolate: Add cocoa powder to the mixture if you’re a chocolate lover.
- Almond: Use almond extract instead of vanilla extract.
- Lemon: Grate in some lemon zest and squeeze some lemon juice in place of the cream of tartar.
- Coconut: Add unsweetened shredded coconut for a tropical twist.
- Coffee: Incorporate instant coffee or espresso powder for a bold variation.
- Cinnamon: Add a dash of ground cinnamon for a warm, spiced taste.
- Mint: Use a few drops of peppermint extract for a refreshing whipped cream.
- Coconut-free: If you’re not a fan of coconut, try soy or oat milk as the base of your dairy-free whipped cream. Try to use barista blends as they are generally thicker.
🧑🍳 Top tips
- Chill the ingredients: Do not skip chilling the blended coconut milk and oil or the recipe won’t work. The mixture needs to be thoroughly chilled before whipping.
- Use full-fat milk: Use full-fat canned coconut milk for the creamiest texture. Low-fat (lite) coconut milk doesn’t whip up nearly as well.
- Be patient: Be patient as you’re whipping the cream. It usually takes several minutes to achieve the proper consistency.
- Adjust the sweetness: If the whipped cream is too sweet, reduce the amount of sugar. If you want it sweeter, simply add more. Just note that the consistency will vary the more you increase or decrease the powdered sugar.
- Make it fancy: Use a piping bag with a star tip for an extra fancy presentation.
- Serve it immediately: Serve vegan whipped cream right after whipping it for the best taste and texture.
💬 FAQ
You can try using high-fat oat milk (barista blend), but the final texture will be thinner and less creamy.
It’s critical to start with cold ingredients before whipping. Additionally, you have to whip it for quite a while, so be patient. Another reason could be using poor-quality coconut milk because they don’t thicken properly. If this is the case, add a teaspoon of xanthan gum or guar gum to thicken it.
The cream of tartar helps keep it stable. If you’re not satisfied with the texture still, you can add a ¼-teaspoon or so of xanthan gum or agar-agar.
You technically can use liquid sweeteners, but the texture will turn out more watery. For this reason, we suggest sticking with powdered sugar as the only sweetener.
🍴 More dessert recipes
If you enjoyed this vegan whipped cream, be sure to check out our other popular plant-based desserts like these:
- Deep-Fried Oreos: Golden and crispy on the outside with a gooey center.
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies: A healthy cross between a cookie and a banana muffin.
- 2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies: Easy-to-make cookies that come together with just two simple ingredients.
- Buckeye Candy: Chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls.
Fluffy Vegan Whipped Cream
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer (or stand mixer)
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (lukewarm)
- 14 tablespoons refined coconut oil (melted)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
To serve
- Fresh berries
Instructions
- Melt the coconut oil and warm the coconut milk in a pot or microwave until it is lukewarm. Add both to a high-speed blender and mix on high until the mixture is smooth.
- Transfer the blended mixture to a mixing bowl, cover, and refrigerate it for at least 6 hours, or until it’s thickened and chilled (it’s best to leave it overnight).
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream of tartar to the chilled bowl of coconut milk and oil. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the chilled mixture on high speed until it becomes light, fluffy, and forms stiff peaks, about 3-5 minutes.
- You can use the whipped coconut cream immediately, or store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If it becomes too firm in the refrigerator, re-whip it before using it to achieve the desired texture. Happy eating!
Notes
- Chill the ingredients: Do not skip chilling the blended coconut milk and oil or the recipe won’t work. The mixture needs to be thoroughly chilled before whipping.
- Use full-fat milk: Use full-fat canned coconut milk for the creamiest texture. Low-fat (lite) coconut milk doesn’t whip up nearly as well.
- Be patient: Be patient as you’re whipping the cream. It usually takes several minutes to achieve the proper consistency.
- Adjust the sweetness: If the whipped cream is too sweet, reduce the amount of sugar. If you want it sweeter, simply add more. Just note that the consistency will vary the more you increase or decrease the powdered sugar.
- Make it fancy: Use a piping bag with a star tip for an extra fancy presentation.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.
Instead of powdered sugar, can you use powdered monk fruit/allulose and then add a touch of powdered arrowroot instead of cornstarch?
Hi Joshua,
We haven’t tried it this way, but you should be able to do that since the volume will be similar and arrowroot should be fine. Please let us know how it goes if you try it!