This 5-minute Dairy-Free Whipped Cream recipe has a light and fluffy texture and offers all the delightful goodness of that classic whipped cream flavor on your favorite dessert! With only four simple ingredients and two steps, it's an easy-to-make essential for every dairy-free kitchen.
While there are many recipes for this treat, you'll find this vegan whipped cream recipe is the best with just the right amount of sugar without destabilizing the coconut cream. It's thick and resistant to melting. It's a recipe you're sure to make over and over and keep as a staple on your refrigerator shelf.
I make this dairy-free whipped cream recipe year round. However, it's most popular on the blog for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and the Fourth of July.
Dairy-free whipped cream tastes amazing on top of my Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Pie, Gluten-Free Apple Pie, Crustless Pumpkin Pie, and Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie. Serve it with Vegan Ladyfingers or on cakes, smoothies, pancakes, waffles, or cupcakes.
It also makes my Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso, Iced Mocha, Microwave Hot Chocolate, Thick Italian Hot Chocolate, Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate, and Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte extra special.
For more dairy-free desserts, check out my Dairy Free Tiramisu, Dairy Free Brownies, Dairy-Free Gelato, and Vegan Tiramisu. For a similar recipe that's perfect for all your dairy-free Fall desserts, try my Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream or Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer!
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How to make it (with photos)
Ingredients Notes
To make this dairy-free whipped cream, you need four simple ingredients.
Canned Coconut Cream
Coconut cream is the base of this delight! You want to use only the solid part, scooping it out and leaving the liquid behind. This is usually possible at room temperature. However, if your home is very warm, you may need to place it in the refrigerator first.
Brands I recommend: For the best creamy texture, I prefer Thai Kitchen brand coconut cream, Savoy Coconut Cream, and Native Forest brand coconut cream. All are gluten-free and are usually easy to find.
Minimalist Baker ranked coconut creams for whipping and found Arroy-D, Nature's Charm Coco Whipping Cream, and Whole Foods 365 brands worked well for whipping too. She includes brands without guar gum too, if you're sensitive to the ingredient.
I do not recommend Trader Joe's brand coconut milk or coconut cream for whipping.
Pro tip: Open the can upside down and pour off the liquid to make separating the cream even easier.
Confectioner's Sugar
The texture and starch in confectioner's sugar helps stabilize the cream at warmer temperatures. This ingredient gives your dairy-free whipped cream a light and fluffy texture.
Pro Tip: Always sift the powdered sugar first for the smoothest dairy-free whipped cream. Not sifting can lead to chunky whipped cream or over-whipping to make it smooth.
If you can't tolerate corn, this brand of powdered sugar without cornstarch uses tapioca starch instead and is grain-free. You can also find a paleo whipped cream recipe in my Paleo Brownie recipe.
More ingredient notes
- vanilla extract -The small amount of vanilla extract blends nicely with hints of coconut to make a more traditional cream flavor.
- salt (optional) - Salt is an expert at bringing out flavors, and the pinch of salt in this recipe does its job well! You can leave out the salt, but I recommend it.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Learn how to make dairy-free whipped cream in two steps with these easy instructions.
- Coconut Cream: Scoop the solid coconut cream out of the can with a spoon, leaving the additional liquid behind. If your cream layer has melted, see notes.
- Mix: In a small mixing bowl, combine cream, sifted confectioners sugar, vanilla, and salt. Blend with an electric hand mixer until just smooth. Be careful not to over-whip, since this can cause it to separate (see the Expert Tips section for help
Expert Tips
Make excellent dairy-free whipped cream on the first try with these expert tips!
Don't over-whip.
Mix only until the ingredients are well combined. For super smooth coconut cream, choose one of the recommended coconut cream brands (under the "ingredients" section) and sift the powdered sugar beforehand.
Over-whipped coconut cream separates just like traditional whipped cream. If over-whipped, add two tablespoons of cold almond milk (or other plant based milk) and whip gently until combined. This will improve the texture but not wholly bring it back to the original texture. It will still taste great though!
The cream needs to be solid.
While you do not need to chill the coconut cream ahead of time, it does need to be solid and separate from the water layer so you can scoop it out. Coconut cream melts at 75 degrees F (24 degrees C). If your cream layer has melted, place it in a cooler location for several hours until it solidifies.
Don't add extra sugar.
While it may be tempting to add extra confectioners sugar to thicken or sweeten, 4 tablespoons is the maximum amount one can of coconut cream can hold before the texture deteriorates and it become a wet mess. If you add too much confectioner's sugar, you can resolidify the whipped cream by adding more coconut cream (it's best to have an extra can around, just in case).
Use an electric whisk.
For best texture, you need an electric mixer with whisk attachment for this recipe. It helps remove any chunks for a super smooth whipped topping.
Serving Suggestions
Add it to your coffee or tea as a homemade dairy-free creamer or put it on pancakes or waffles. For breakfast, the sky is the limit!
I also think it's an amazing topping for these dessert recipes:
- Gluten-Free Apple Pie
- Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Crustless Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie (no bake)
- Vegan Gluten-Free Brownies - no butter
- Paleo Blondies
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Or use it to turn an easy chia pudding into a decadent treat:
If you love this whipped cream, it's very similar to the cream in our super popular Impossibly Authentic Dairy Free Tiramisu!
Recipe FAQs
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this Dairy-Free Whipped Cream recipe. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Store leftover dairy-free whipped cream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
Whipping cream cannot be replaced directly with coconut cream because natural cream contains natural sugars. Coconut cream, however, has a much lower sugar content. Whipping coconut cream with vanilla extract and a sweetener makes the best substitute for whipping cream.
If you're really adverse to making your own, Veg Out magazine ranked several store-bought versions to find the best vegan whipped cream. However, I think you'll find this recipe is too easy to pass up!
Coconut whipped cream does taste like coconut, but only slightly. The refining process removes some of the coconut flavor. After adding vanilla, sugar, and a pinch of salt, only the most sensitive taste-testers will find a notable coconut flavor.
I find that Native Forest coconut cream has less coconut taste compared to Thai Kitchen brand. These are the two brands I use most frequently.
You can keep coconut whipping cream from melting by storing it in the refrigerator before use or serving. A recipe with confectioners sugar also helps stabilize the whipping cream in warmer temperatures because it contains starch.
Coconut whipped cream can be thickened by placing it in the refrigerator. This allows the cream to solidify and maintain a sturdy texture. Using a recipe with confectioners sugar also helps to thicken the coconut whipped cream because it includes a little starch.
More easy dairy-free dessert recipes to consider...
Looking for more easy dairy-free dessert recipes like this amazing dairy-free whipped cream? Check these out:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card or comment field below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
Dairy-Free Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1 can coconut cream , solid cream only
- 4 tablespoons confectioners sugar , sifted
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Coconut Cream: Scoop the solid coconut cream out of the can with a spoon, leaving the additional liquid behind. If your cream layer has melted, see notes.
- Mix: In a small mixing bowl, combine cream, sifted confectioners sugar, vanilla, and salt. Blend with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Be careful not to over-whip, since this can cause it to separate (see the Expert Tips section for help if this occurs).
Dana says
This was a great creamy dairy free whipped cream topping for my no bake chocolate pie. Thanks for the recipe!
Kaiya says
We love this recipe for dairy free whipped cream and use it all the time. However, lately we noticed that there’s more variability in the Thai kitchen coconut cream brand. Can you do a review of which kinds you’re using right now? Thank you!
Kelly B. says
Hello, I am trying to find a non-dairy whipped cream replacement for peanut butter pie and this looks promising. Question: How much whipped cream does this recipe make? For one peanut butter pie, I use a regular 8 oz tub of whipped cream from the grocery store. Would this recipe make that make much or do I need to double it?
Jamie says
Hi Kelly! I would double the recipe. Those 8 oz tubs have about 3 cups of whipped cream in them. I haven't measured the final amount for this recipe but I would suspect it would be close to 1 1/2 cups. Peanut Butter Pie sounds delicious!
Brooke says
This is a great recipe to have on hand. It's so easy that my husband even made it for our pancakes this week! He doesn't really cook so that's saying a lot!
Callie says
This is my go-to coffee creamer now! i love that it takes less time to make than finding it in the store lol
Heather says
Jumping on the coffee bandwagon and I'm making this every week from now on!
Jamie says
I love it! I make it every week too and use it mostly as a creamer. Thank you for the review Heather!
Rachel says
I love this whipped cream! I keep it on hand to use in my morning coffee.
Jamie says
Thank you for the review Rachel and I'm glad you like it!
Katerina | Once a Foodie says
I love tried and true recipes like this, Jamie! Thanks so much for sharing - I will definitely be making this one soon - perfect for pancakes!
Jamie says
This is so delicious for pancakes! Thank you so much Katerina and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂
Nunchee says
Yum! Thank you for another delicious recipe!!!
Jamie says
Thank you for the kind words! So glad you love this one too!