Coconut whipped cream is a delicious, dairy-free alternative to traditional whipped cream. It is incredible with fruit, pies, cakes, and other desserts. Here are our best tips for making our favorite vegan whipped cream that lasts for days! Jump to the Vegan Coconut Whipped Cream Recipe
What is Coconut Whipped Cream?
Non-dairy coconut whipped cream is a plant-based alternative to traditional whipped cream. Instead of using whipping cream, we use full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut cream. This recipe lasts for a week or more in the fridge, is dairy-free, and vegan-friendly.
How to Make Coconut Whipped Cream
It took me a while to get on the coconut whipped cream wagon, but now I’m on it. I’m in love (coming from someone who loves traditional whipped cream). Here’s how to make non-dairy whipped cream using coconut milk:
- Chill a can of good-quality coconut milk or coconut cream overnight in the fridge. (Our preferred brands of canned coconut milk are below.) Chilling the can of coconut milk hardens the coconut cream and separates the cream from the extra liquid in the can, which can cause our whipped cream to fail or be too thin.
- Scoop out the hardened coconut cream from the chilled can. Remember that we don’t want the liquid at the bottom. You can use that for another recipe, like a smoothie, or add it to your oatmeal.
- Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the hardened coconut cream until it’s light and fluffy.
- Mix in a sweetener — I like maple syrup — and a little vanilla. Both are optional.
- Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to two weeks! It will harden a bit in the refrigerator.
Our Tips For The Best Coconut Whipped Cream
Use full-fat coconut milk or use coconut cream. Refrigerated bottles of coconut milk and low-fat or “light” coconut milk will not work in this recipe.
Use a good-quality brand of coconut milk or coconut cream. Here are our recommendations:
- Native Forrest Unsweetened Coconut Milk Classic
- 365 Whole Foods Organic Coconut Milk
- Arroy-D
- Savoy Coconut Cream
- O Organics Coconut Cream
Other brands of full-fat coconut milk should work in our recipe below, especially if you take the time to chill the can for a day or two. Depending on the brand you have on hand, you might find more coconut cream to liquid left in the can. Be careful when scooping the hardened cream, and save the liquid at the bottom of the can for other dishes.
Chill your cans of coconut milk/coconut cream overnight in the fridge (or longer). I know it’s annoying, but chilling your cans overnight is crucial to success. While a freezer chills the cans quicker, we still find that chilling overnight in the refrigerator is better for separating the coconut cream from the coconut milk/water in the can. I keep a can of coconut cream in the back of my fridge, ready to make vegan whipped cream whenever I want.
Help, My Coconut Whipped Cream is Too Thick
After whipping the coconut cream, thin it with coconut water or milk left in the can. Use a little at a time until you achieve the right consistency.
Help, My Coconut Whipped Cream is Too Thin
Keep everything cold. Don’t allow the coconut cream to warm up, or it won’t whip very well. If your coconut milk is well chilled and it’s still not whipping to a thick consistency, add a bit of tapioca starch to help it out–beat in 1 tablespoon of tapioca flour, check the consistency, and then repeat if you need it.
Make Ahead Tips
Keep coconut whipped cream in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. As it sits in the fridge, it will harden and thicken. You can freeze it, but keep in mind that you might need to whip it again after thawing to achieve the original texture.
How to Enjoy It
Use this plant-based whipped cream in almost every scenario that you would use traditional whipped cream. We love it with fresh fruit, pumpkin pie, French toast, pancakes, and more! The only thing to remember is that coconut whipped cream holds up the best when it is cold, so it does not do well at room temperature.
So, if you are making something ahead of time — like a whipped cream topped pie, cake, or cupcakes — we recommend frosting it the day of serving and keeping it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Easy Vegan Coconut Whipped Cream
- PREP
- TOTAL
Coconut whipped cream is a dairy-free alternative to traditional whipped cream. Instead of using whipping cream, we use full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut cream. Coconut whipped cream is dairy-free and vegan. Look at the article for all of our tips on making it, including the brands of coconut milk and coconut cream we recommend for success.
You Will Need
1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream, chilled for 1-2 days; see tips below for brand recommendations
1/2 tablespoon to 3 tablespoons powdered sugar or maple syrup; see notes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Smallest pinch fine sea salt, optional
Directions
- Chill the Can
1Chill your coconut milk or coconut cream in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, preferably longer. The longer the can sits in the fridge, the more the coconut cream hardens and separates from the liquid in the can, making whipping the coconut cream more fail-proof. Do not shake the can so that the cream and liquid remain separated.
- Make Whipped Cream
1When you are ready to make the coconut whipped cream, place a large mixing bowl in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes and prepare your hand mixer or stand mixer.
2Without tipping or shaking the can, remove the coconut milk/coconut cream from the fridge and open the lid.
3Carefully scoop the hardened creamy white coconut cream on top and place it into the chilled mixing bowl. Leave the watery liquid at the bottom of the can. Use this liquid for smoothies, oatmeal, or add to tea.
4Beat the coconut cream for 30 seconds to a minute or until it is creamy, and then add the powdered sugar (I start with one tablespoon), vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy and smooth, about one minute. Taste and adjust the sweetness as needed. Note, if you prefer maple syrup, the coconut whipped cream will be a little less firm (since it is a liquid) — I use 1/2 to 1 tablespoon.
5Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for up to two weeks. It will harden in the fridge the longer it is chilled but will soften once it has been at room temperature for a few minutes.
6If your coconut milk never hardened, even if you chilled it, the can of coconut milk might not have had the right fat content (that’s not your fault, it just happens sometimes). As a last resort, tapioca flour can help it thicken when beating the coconut milk with the other ingredients. Start with one tablespoon and go from there.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Use a good-quality brand of coconut milk or coconut cream. Here are our recommendations: Native Forrest Unsweetened Coconut Milk Classic, 365 Whole Foods Organic Coconut Milk, Arroy-D, Savoy Coconut Cream, and, O Organics Coconut Cream.
- Make ahead: Keep coconut whipped cream in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. As it sits in the fridge, it will harden and thicken. You can freeze coconut whipped cream, but keep in mind that you might need to whip it again after thawing to achieve the original texture.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
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Can you substitute cane sugar for the powdered sugar? And if so , how much?
Hi Aurora, I think you should be okay, but you will need to beat the mixture enough so that the sugar dissolves into the coconut cream.
Would the recipe work just as well using pure (unadulterated, no additives) coconut cream concentrate instead of separated from coconut milk? Will be trying recipe soon!!
Yes, if you can find the canned coconut cream that is already separated (they are usually smaller cans), you can use it in this recipe.