Did you know you can make a decadent whipped cream by using a can of coconut milk? Not only is it simple to make, but it’s easily the best-tasting whipped cream I’ve tried.
I know whipped coconut cream isn’t new to many of you – people have been making coconut whipped cream for years and years. I first read about it a couple years ago on Vegan Joy’s website and have seen it popping up everywhere.
In today’s post, I’ll show you just how easy it is to make. I can promise you, your life will change when you taste this stuff!
1. Grab a can of full-fat can coconut milk (without guar gum listed as an ingredient) – Update: Native Forest now puts guar gum in the ingredients and this causes the cream and water to emulsify which is not what we want. The can must also be full-fat because you will be whipping the solid cream. Do not use light coconut milk because it won’t turn out. In summary – look for a full-fat can of coconut milk that does not have guar gum listed on the ingredient list. Cool?
Many of you have had trouble making whipped coconut cream with certain brands because some cans don’t always separate. A reader let me know that Thai Kitchen has changed their formula so that it doesn’t separate anymore. Apparently they are coming out with small cans of pure coconut cream instead. Be on the look out! I used Native Forest with decent result, although I have had some duds before.
2. Place can in the fridge overnight. This is another crucial step. You need to chill the coconut cream until it’s very firm. I once tried to make whipped coconut cream without chilling the can – big mistake! It was a watery mess. I like to keep at least a couple cans in the back of my fridge just in case I need a quick whipped cream for a recipe. Then you always have it on hand and don’t have to wait overnight to use it. A few extra cans of chilled coconut milk never hurt anyone.
Just before you make your whipped cream, place a mixing bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes or so. This helps keep everything cold and will be especially helpful for those of you in very warm climates. You can also put the beaters in the freezer too, but it’s not necessary.
3. Remove the chilled can from fridge and FLIP it upside down.
Why flip it upside down?
The liquid coconut milk (the part that doesn’t harden) will now be at the top of the can! Note: Not all cans work for this – check yours.
4. Open the can. See the liquid at the top? You won’t be whipping this part.
5. Pour the coconut liquid into another bowl. You should have just under 1 cup of liquid, but this yield will vary a bit by brand and even by can.
Don’t throw it away – I like to use it in smoothies along with mango, kale, banana, and chia for a fun tropical smoothie. You can also use it in baking and cooking.
As you can see below, you are left with only the hardened coconut cream! Come to mama!! This is exactly what we want to use to make our coconut whipped cream.
6. Scoop the coconut cream into your chilled bowl. (I don’t recommend using a shallow bowl like this one – I only used it for photo purposes so you could see it better!)
As you can see, you get a lot of hardened cream to work with!
7. Whip the cream. Grab a hand mixer (alternatively, you can do this in a stand mixer – just chill the bowl first) and whip the cream until fluffy. It’s really too much fun.
Coconut Whipped Cream
Yield
1 cup (250 mL)
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
You can easily create a decadent, fluffy whipped cream by using a can of full-fat coconut milk. Not only is the technique simple, but it’s easily the best-tasting whipped cream I’ve tried. You can use this whipped cream just like regular dairy whipped cream. I like to use it in a bowl of fruit, on top of a fruit crisp, or stirred into Banana Soft Serve. The options are really endless! One important tip: you’ll want to chill the can of coconut milk for at least 24 hours before you begin to ensure the white coconut cream solidifies (be sure to read all my tips below on how to buy the right coconut milk for this recipe).
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce/398 mL) can full-fat coconut milk, chilled for 24 hours*
- 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 mL) sweetener (maple syrup, powdered sugar, cane sugar, etc), to taste
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) pure vanilla extract (optional)
Directions
- Chill the can of coconut milk in the fridge for at least 24 hours. I like to keep a few cans in the fridge at all times so I don’t have to wait.
- About 1 hour before making the coconut whip, chill a mixing bowl in the freezer.
- After chilling the can, open the can and scoop the solid white coconut cream into the bowl. Discard the coconut water or save it for another use (such as coconut water ice cubes).
- Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the cream until fluffy and smooth. Add in sweetener to taste and vanilla.
- Return whipped cream to fridge until ready to use. It will firm when chilled and soften at room temperature. This will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 1 week or you can freeze it in an airtight freezer-safe bag for up to 1 month. After chilling in the fridge, allow it to sit at room temperature until it softens slightly and then you can re-whip it as needed.
Tip:
- * Some brands of canned coconut milk will be better than others for making whipped cream, and even some cans within the same brand can vary quite a bit. For whatever reason, the cream and water in some brands or cans do not separate. A few of the most consistent brands for making coconut whipped cream are: Thai Kitchen full-fat coconut milk, Trader Joe’s Coconut Cream (just the cream—no water in the can!), and Native Forest. I always keep at least a few cans of full-fat coconut milk in my fridge at all times just in case I get a “dud”—then I know I have more on hand. If you happen to get a dud don’t be discouraged. Try out one of the brands above, and be sure to chill it for at least 24 hours. Odds are you will find your perfect brand after some trial and error!!
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)There may be a strong urge to shove your face in the bowl.
8. Add in a touch of sweetener and vanilla extract and whip it again.
You can use regular cane sugar, confectioner’s sugar, or even a touch of maple syrup. I find 2-3 teaspoons usually does the trick for my taste buds. I also like to add about 1/4-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract or a vanilla bean. The vanilla really takes it over the edge – I don’t suggest skipping it!
The first time I made this I could not get over how amaaaaazing it tastes. Eric even said he wouldn’t be able to tell that it wasn’t made from dairy. Two big thumbs up from us!
How to use:
You can use this whipped cream just like regular dairy whipped cream. I like to use it in desserts & frostings, it’s amazing over a simple bowl of fruit or pancakes, and sometimes I add a dollop on my vegan overnight oats for an extra creamy bowl. You can even spoon a bit on top of a pie or fruit crisp or stir some into a bowl of banana soft serve. The options are really endless! Have fun making different kinds of flavours and fooling your friends and family.
If making a whipped frosting, I suggest storing the decorated cake/cupcakes in the fridge until ready to serve.
Storing:
Have leftovers? You can easily store it in the fridge for at least 1.5 weeks (probably longer) in a sealed container. It will firm up a bit more in the fridge. Simply scoop it into a bowl and re-whip it when you need it.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do! For those of you who’ve been making it for a while now, what’s your favourite way to prepare/enjoy it?
Utterly clever and oh-so-versatile! I have ideas flowing into my mind already. Thank you x
Hi
I had my eyes wide opened when I found your webpage and by the end of the tutorial I could sympathize with drooling dogs : ) as it sure reads and looks yummy.
I live in Israel and I do not know what kinds of coconut milk I find here. I know I have two cans in my one little cabinet pantry, but I have no idea what happens when I chill them and wait for the night to see whether the solids and the liquids separate to create the cream.
With Passover just around the corner (O.K I exaggerate a little, there are still 2 month to go until then) I could ‘play’ with the whipped cream (thinking positive only) and create no flour goodies. Or at least this will be a good opportunity to start creating. (Yeah, for not dairy food!!!) Thank you very much.
hi i just coconut whipped cream last week for 1st using your recipe and it came out awesome and love the taste!!! :) also most of It to make frozen blueberry yogurt pie! that taste good to . thanks for recipe . here link to pin of i made pinterest.com/jaygamerman/stuff-i-made/
Thanks for those simple but stupendous tricks…turn the can upside down, leave in fridge overnight and freeze bowl x 15″. I’ve never read that before, made whipped stuff before but it suffered immensely and I mourned greatly. That’s the most enlightening advice that I’ve received from your website. No need to reply.
Hello,
I was dying to try and make that whipped cream. I ran and finally bought ‘coconut cream’ in my local natural food market. Yet, I remembered you said something about NO emulsifiers and I could read on that can so many ingredienes that I thought I should consult with you, before trying to chill and whip it with no success.
Kindly assist me regarding the following ingredients, I hope you know about them more than I do or at least whether the would damage or benefit the coconut whipped cream:
1. Coconut liquid 68% (guess that means it is full fat)
2. water (?)
3. Guar gum as a thickener and ‘stabilizer’ (?)
4. Polyoxyethylene Sorbitane monostarate (would that be emulsifier?)
Guess that goes back to the store it came from….
It is strange, as instead of writing all ingredients in English it is written as an English word in Hebrew letters (phonetically) and I wonder whether that was in order to hide something. . .
I recently turned mine into a key lime frosting for my vegan almond cupcakes. The flavor combo was divine. All I did was add 2 table spoons of key lime juice and a table spoon of lime zest. Such vegan yum!
Looks delicious. Glad it’s dairy and gluten free. I just went to the nutritionist this week. She reinforced me staying away from dairy, gluten, and, unfortunately nuts, but I’m sure one slip to make this delicious cream would work!.
Thanks for thinking of me!
If you overwhip it will it turn into real coconut butter?
“There may be a strong urge to shove your face in the bowl.”
Best. Line. Ever. Can’t wait to make this so I can do just that :)
Angela
Thank you for sharing your amazing gift with those of us who are not so creative as you. The recipes have helped immensely in me being able to maintain a healthy plant based diet. I am wondering if homemade coconut milk would work in this recipe and would the process be the same.
Thanks.
Going to try this cream. Does the Thai kitchen coconut milk whip up?
I made this tonight and LOVE it! I’ve been living with a severe lactose intolerance my entire life and have never been able to have whipped cream. I’m in heaven! So glad I stumbled onto your site.
I just tried this and it was a life changing event. I will forever have cans of coconut milk in the fridge. Soooo good, thanks for sharing.
Can I use a can of coconut cream instead of coconut milk?
I was making a five layer coconut mango mini cake for Easter this year and the icing recipe called for light corn syrup. I immediately decided to look for a new healthier frosting recipe and came across your blog. Let me tell you this is going to be my new go to recipe for a whipped frosting! I did use the new Native Forest with the guar gum. I left the cans in the fridge for 2 days and the water did separate out. I ended up using 2 cans plus vanilla extract and sugar to yield enough to cover the cake. I put the mixing bowl and the beaters into the fridge for a few hours as well. The light and fluffy frosting is amazing! My mom who hates any type of frosting loves this one. Thanks so much for posting this.
I have hard time finding coconut milk without guar gum. Any suggestions? Did the brand thai work for anyone?
Angela, I’ve looked everywhere for coconut milk without guar gum, I can’t find any anywhere! Any suggestions???
Hope, I was looking around too without any success… Would love to hear if someone actually found a “clean” brand somewhere or something that did work. Thank you Angela!
This looks delicious! I followed all your steps to a T, unfortunately I did not get enough for a 10″ round cake. Your photos show about double what my one can yielded. I used Goya brand, no guar gum but there must be some other ingredient present that prevented it from whipping up fluffy and with lots of volume. :(
Is it possible to over whip it? It became watery
Strange question – but could you not put the can in the fridge upside-down then flip it???????- the top of the can is usually easier to open than the bottom because of the shape???
yes you certainly can!