Vegan Whipped Cream

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Chill Time: 8 hrs
Total: 8 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 10 to 12 servings
Yield: 2 cups

This dairy-free whipped cream recipe is really simple and easy to make. It sacrifices nothing in the way of texture or taste in comparison to good old fashioned whipped cream—it just happens to not have any dairy, which makes it suitable for anyone who follows a vegan diet or needs to drop dairy for other reasons.

This vegan whipped cream is prepared with coconut milk instead of heavy whipping cream—the kind of coconut milk that comes in a can and is very thick, not the type that's typically sold in cartons alongside other non-dairy milk options at the grocery store. Look for a brand without guar gum or other thickeners. To use the milk for this recipe, you'll need to separate the cream from the coconutty liquid, which you can discard or use in smoothies.

If there's one thing to stress here to ensure the most success: chill everything you need. This includes the cans of coconut milk, the bowl of a stand mixer (or whatever mixing bowl you're using), and the whisk attachment. If you can chill these things overnight, or at least 8 hours, the coconut milk will do just what you want: separate from the liquid and then whip up, with a little bit of confectioners' sugar, into a beautiful creamy cloud. Use that fluffy cream to top fruit, pies, cakes, cobblers, or hot drinks or any way you'd use regular whipped cream.

Vegan Whipped Cream

The Spruce / Danielle Moore

"This vegan whipped cream is a great alternative to dairy whipped cream. It isn't keto-friendly, but you could easily swap out the powdered sugar with the equivalent amount of a powdered sugar replacement. Make sure the can of coconut milk is full-fat and has chilled for at least one day." —Diana Rattray

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A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 (14-ounce cans) full-fat coconut milk

  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Vegan Whipped Cream ingredients

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  2. Place the canned coconut milk along with the mixing bowl and whisk attachment from a stand mixer in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.

    Place the canned coconut milk along with the mixing bowl into the refrigerator

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  3. Work quickly to keep your ingredients from getting warm. Attach the whisk attachment and mixing bowl to the stand mixer immediately before preparing your whipped cream.

    whisk attachment on a stand mixer

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  4. Puncture the coconut milk cans with the pointed end of a can opener and drain and discard the liquid from the cans. (Or save it for smoothies.)

    drain and discard the liquid from the cans

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  5. Once the liquid is drained, open the cans and scoop out the coconut fat from the cans into the chilled mixing bowl.

    open the cans and scoop out the coconut fat from the cans into the chilled mixing bowl

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  6. Whip the coconut fat on high speed for about 15 to 20 seconds, or until just smooth.

    Vegan whipped cream in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  7. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix for about 20 seconds more, starting at low and quickly moving up to high, or just until incorporated. (Do not overmix!)

    Coconut whipped cream in a stand mixer with confectioner's sugar added

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  8. Use vegan whipped cream immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 hours before use.

    Vegan Whipped Cream on top of strawberries

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

Tips

  • To make a successful batch, make sure that your coconut milk is full fat (not light) and that when refrigerated, the fat separates from the liquid part. Otherwise, you will just end up with a soupy mess.
  • Make sure that your mixing bowl, beater, and ingredients are completely chilled beforehand because refrigerated cream will help to create better stiff peaks. Essentially, the fat globules stick together to support the foam created by whipping air into the cream.
  • When you find a brand that works for you, stick with it. Coconut milk can be wildly inconsistent—even within the same brand sometimes. But the odds are in your favor if you stick with brands you like.

Recipe Variations

  • Vanilla Coconut Whipped Cream: Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla with the confectioners' sugar.
  • Chocolate Coconut Whipped Cream: Add about 1/3 cup of sifted unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
  • Citrus Coconut Whipped Cream: Add the finely grated zest of an orange or lemon.


How to Store Vegan Whipped Cream

You can keep this in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks, keeping in mind that it will harden and set the longer it is refrigerated. However, this just means you can make it once, and use it as needed. It might just need a little coaxing, so remove it from the fridge and rewhip as necessary.


You can also freeze coconut whipped cream. Place it in a sealed, freezer-safe plastic bag or other container and thaw in the fridge when it's time to use. Then, rewhip as needed.

How To Use Coconut Whipped Cream

  • Add a dollop to a pie, crisp, or cobbler.
  • Spoon a few tablespoons of vegan whipped cream over fresh berries.
  • Use the dairy-free whipped cream to top a mug of hot cocoa.
  • Spoon it over a frosty drink, smoothie, or iced coffee.
  • Spoon it over French toast or pancakes.
  • Frost or fill a cake with coconut whipped cream.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
149 Calories
14g Fat
7g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 149
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 12g 62%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 9mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 1mg 3%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 145mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)