Easy step by step guide to making vegan whipped cream using canned coconut cream. Better than any whipped cream you’ve had before!
Vegan whipped cream – ooh la la.
Whipped cream has so many uses and when you find yourself going vegan or dairy-free, you might be worried about what there is to replace it!
Whipped coconut cream is it.
Making your own vegan whipped cream is an essential skill when it comes to making vegan desserts.
And I’m going to show you two ways of making it, the plain delicious whipped cream way, or the sweetened whipped cream way.
Really depends on what you’re eating it with. Eating it with a super sweet dessert? Then there is no need to sweeten your cream. Eating it on something relatively plain? Then you may want to sweeten your cream!
Wherever you would have used regular whipped cream – use this instead!
Vegan whipped coconut cream can be piped onto cakes, cupcakes or vegan pies. In these photos I’ve demonstrated a couple of different types of piping tips to show you how it can look on top of a delicious vegan apple cake (and vegan brownies in our video).
Ingredient Notes
- Coconut cream – canned coconut cream is the best for making vegan whipped cream, better than coconut milk. Coconut cream has a lower water content, so basically you’ll get more bang for your buck. Full fat canned coconut milk can also work but the best results are generally going to come from using coconut cream. If you’re in the USA then Savoy brand works well.
- Powdered sugar – is only needed if you want to sweeten your cream. Powdered sugar works best since it dissolves into the cream really easily.
- Vanilla extract – this is also an optional ingredient, but if you’re adding powdered sugar then adding some vanilla extract tops it off beautifully.
How To Make Vegan Whipped Cream
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- First you need to refrigerate a can of coconut cream overnight. Place it into the coldest part of your refrigerator and leave it there at least overnight.
- After your coconut cream has chilled in the fridge for at least 12 hours, then remove the can from the fridge, being careful not to shake it. Open it up and you’ll see the cream should have all risen to the top and hardened.
- Depending on the brand of coconut cream you’re using, whether the cream is super hard, or just slightly firmed up, can be quite variable.
- Scoop only the cream part out into the bowl of your stand mixer, leaving the watery part behind.
- As you can see above, the cream in this can was very solid, and once scooped out, it leaves a fair bit of the separated water section behind.
- Once scooped into your stand mixer, start off on slow speed and then gradually increase speed until you have a nice thick whipped cream consistency.
Tips For Making The Best Vegan Whipped Cream
If the cream is really hard once it’s separated from the water in the can, it can sometimes create more of a thick cream cheese consistency than a whipped cream consistency. You can add a little of the water from the can back into the cream to thin it out ever so slightly and create a better whipped cream consistency.
Some brands of coconut cream can over-whip if you go too long and start to separate. If your cream is quite thick to start off with, you might not need to whip it for long at all, as with the batch you see pictured above.
If your cream is very floppy and barely firm at all when it separates from the water in the can, then it might not whip well at all. In this case, whip it for a longer time to see how firm you can get it, and once you’ve got it as firm as possible, you can add in ¼ – ½ tsp xantham gum and whip that in, it will thicken it up fast and can save it from being a dud batch.
Experiment with different brands until you find a good one. Unfortunately sometimes you find a great one and then the manufacturers change the formula slightly and then it doesn’t work so great anymore (happened to me recently!). If you find a brand of coconut cream that works great for making vegan whipped cream, then just leave a few cans in the top of your fridge permanently. This is what I do, so I’m always ready to whip up a batch of whipped cream on short notice.
Some brands just don’t work well at all. Some might look like they’re going to work but then when you try and whip them, they start to separate and look all grainy. Experiment until you find a brand that works great for you.
Coconut creams in a carton won’t work for this at all.
Another option you have if you can’t be bothered with experimenting to find a good brand to use is just to get a can of coconut whipping cream. It also needs to be chilled before it will work, but it works great every time!
Storing and Freezing
Whipped coconut cream can be stored in the fridge where it will stay good for up to a week. It’s not at all freezer friendly so I don’t recommend freezing this at all.
Serve This Coconut Whipped Cream On:
- Vegan Waffles
- Vegan Brownies
- Vegan Hot Chocolate
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Scones
- Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 14 ounce Can Coconut Cream (400ml) 1 Can, Unsweetened
- 3 Tbsp Powdered Sugar Optional
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract Optional
Instructions
- Place the can of coconut cream into the coldest part of your refrigerator and leave it there overnight.
- The next day, take it out and carefully open it (don’t shake it around!).
- You’ll see that the cream part has separated from the water and risen to the top.
- Scoop that out into the bowl of an electric mixer, leaving the water behind. You can use the water in a smoothie or throw it out.
- Starting at slow speed gradually increase speed until you achieve a whipped cream consistency.
- The harder the consistency of the cream when you scoop it out, the quicker this will be.
- Once you have whipped cream consistency, you can stop right there. You're done! OR:
- Add some powdered sugar and vanilla for a sweetened cream.
- Whisk again until mixed in.
Video
Notes
- I have heard of cases where the coconut cream and water doesn’t separate and it’s still very liquid inside the can, this would mean you got a dud can. For this reason, have a back up can in the refrigerator – you can always use the dud for making a creamy sauce.
- Some brands of coconut cream are all hard cream with very little water left behind after chilling, this is great! If it also whips well then make a note of the brand and stick with that one.
- The best results come about in this recipe when the cream is very firm to start off with. If your cream is floppier when you start, you’ll have to whip it for longer, and even then, it might not reach your desired firmness. If you need a ‘fix’ for a batch that won’t firm up enough, you can add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of xanthum gum, just be careful because this can sometimes firm it up more than you want it to! But this works as a fix.
- I’ve done it with a hand whisk (no electric mixer) and it is possible, but generally only in cases where the cream is quite firm and hard to start with. Even then it uses a lot of arm power.
- The cake in the photos with the whipped cream on top is our vegan apple cake and the brownies in the recipe video are our simple vegan brownies.
This is great. I was actually pretty skeptical, but loved it. And my mother-in-law, who never gets to eat whipped cream due to lactose intolerance, got to eat it.
That’s awesome Amy! Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
I used Thai coconut cream and it was wonderful. The texture was light and creamy. Easy and tasty, two things I like about a recipe.
That’s great Katie! Thanks so much for your lovely review!
Does it end up tasting like coconut?
We found that the vanilla essence masks the coconut flavor quite well.
hi, it seems like i purchased a brand of coconut cream that doesn’t work (whole foods’ 365). i noticed some ingredients such as guar gum, and was wondering if you, during your extensive testing, got a better idea of what ingredients prevent successful whipping. thanks in advance, and i’m excited to try this again with a different brand!
Hi Olivia, it’s difficult to know precisely. The best thing to do is experiment with a different brand and see what works for you.
Wonderful flavor! I used Organics brand and it worked beautifully.
Wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing!
This comes out perfect every time! I do add more powdered sugar and often use 1Teaspoon of Pure Almond extract instead of Vanilla. I buy the Vons Brand “Organics Coconut Cream” which is always thick and I also use it when making Vegan Ice Cream. Thanks, Alison, for another great recipe!
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing.
I just wanted to mention that it doesn’t necessarily depend on the brand, but rather the fat content that is in the coconut milk. If the nutrition facts list 12 to 14 grams of fat, than that is the brand to use. Just thought I would comment here to give my 2 cents! 🙂
Thanks for the tip Anne! 🙂
Alison, if this whipped cream is kept in the fridge a few days, will it keeps its consistency?
Hi Lana, yes, if you get it to a good whipped consistency, then it stays that way in the fridge and often even firms up a bit more.
Thank you.
I was surprised at how well this worked. The coconut cream whipped just like real whipped cream. Thank you Allison!
So happy to hear that Rachel!
Can I add vegan cream cheese to the mixture for more body.
Hi Betty, I think so, if you don’t mind the cream cheese tanginess added to it. If it’s not thickening very well though, xantham gum works well as an add-in. Just 1/4 teaspoon usually does the trick.
Hello, thank you for this! I don’t have a mixer, can I use a Vitimix blender?
We haven’t whipped the coconut cream in a vitamix before, so I’m not sure Sara. If you do test it, let us know how it turned out.