There are a few different ways of making vegan whipped cream but this post is about my favourite way using coconut cream. Some recipes will say to only use coconut milk but I have had much more success with coconut cream.
This was one of the first things I tried to make when I changed to a vegan diet and it was a disaster! The blogs that I read made it seem so simple so I couldn’t figure out how I could go so wrong. I kept trying and experimenting until I got it perfect and now it is really easy.Leaving the can of coconut cream in the fridge to set is probably the most important part of this recipe. I find it takes a few days in the coldest part of the fridge to get about ¾ firm cream and ¼ liquid. If it is only in overnight you might end up with only ¼ firm cream which will not make much whipped cream. I always have a row of can of coconut cream along the back of the top shelf of my fridge and I always replace them from the right side so I know that the ones on the left have been in there the longest.
In Winter, the cream will set faster than in Summer and if you don’t have heating in your kitchen (and you live in a cold climate) it might even set in your pantry but I wouldn’t rely of that happening.
For some reason, some brands of coconut cream set better that others. I tried 4 brands before I discovered that Aldi* coconut cream does an amazing job and it is the cheapest too! (*Aldi Australia)
I don’t bother with putting the can in the fridge upside down like some people suggest. I just open it, scoop out the firm cream into a bowl and when I hit liquid, I just pour it out being careful not to lose any remaining firm cream.
My recipe calls for 2 heaped teaspoons of icing sugar but make sure that you taste it yourself to make sure the sweetness is right for you.
To get silky lump free cream, use your mix master or stick blender but if you are in a hurry or feeling lazy, I sometimes just mix it with a fork. I wouldn’t use the fork method for a dinner party but when it is just us – why not?
When we do have dinner parties, I serve my vegan whipped cream as well as regular think cream with dessert and a lot of my non-vegan friends (they are all non-vegan) choose the vegan cream!
- 1 x 400ml (14 ounce) can coconut cream
- 2 heaped tsp vegan icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Chill a can of coconut cream in the coldest part of your fridge for at least 24 hours but unless it is the middle of winter, you might need to leave it in there for a few days to achieve the maximum amount of firm cream. I find the Aldi brand of coconut cream in Australia gives the best results and most firm cream.
- Don't remove from fridge until you are ready to use it. Open can and scoop all of the firm cream into a bowl stop once you hit liquid. You can either use the liquid in other recipes (smoothies maybe) or discard.
- Whip until smooth and then add icing sugar and vanilla and whip again until lump free and creamy. Do a taste test to check that you are happy with the level of sweetness and add more sugar if required.
- The cream will last for several days in the fridge (at least 1 week) but it does become more firm in the fridge. If you are making this for a dinner party and you want the consistency of regular whipped cream, I wouldn't make it too far in advance.
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