Have you heard of whipped coconut cream? Oh man, it’s the stuff that dreams are made of. Rich, creamy coconut milk whipped cream is quite possibly the easiest thing you will ever make. I’m serious! When we had a party at our house a few months back we served gluten-free coconut pound cake with berries and whipped cream as dessert for our guests. Since I knew that not all of our guests were on a dairy-free diet I made 2 versions of whipped cream for them to choose from; regular whipped cream with heavy cream and vegan coconut milk whipped cream. As the guests made their way down the dessert assembly line I noticed that the regular whipped cream was getting passed over time and time again for my coconut milk whipped cream. All of our guests raved about how good it was and I even had a few of them ask for my recipe. So friends, here it is along with a tutorial so you can see for yourself just how easy it is!
Step 1: The day before you would like to make your coconut whipped cream place 1 or 2 cans of coconut milk (depending on how much cream you are making) in the refrigerator and leave them there overnight to chill completely. The time in the fridge will allow the thick coconut cream to separate from the coconut water. I give my cans of coconut milk at least 24 hours in the fridge to chill, so I usually just keep a few on hand in the fridge at all times for whenever I get the urge to make some whipped cream.
Step 2: When you are ready to make your whipped topping, gather your ingredients. You’ll need 2 chilled cans of full fat coconut milk, 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Be mindful to keep the cans upright and move them from the refrigerator to the counter with minimal shaking so that the cream and water do not mix back together.
Step 3: Open the cans and scoop out all of the hardened coconut cream into your mixing bowl. Don’t throw out the coconut water, it is great mixed in smoothies and drinks!
Step 4: Using the whip attachment on your mixer, start on medium speed and increase to high. Whip for about 3-5 minutes, until you have thick, stiff peaks. Some brands of coconut milk whip up easier than others and in less time. I am partial to Native Forest because it consistently performs well for me, but Thai Kitchen also works really well.
Step 5: Once stiff peaks have formed add in 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the bowl. I used 1 tablespoon of maple syrup with 2 cans of coconut cream, but we don’t like our whipped cream super sweet.
Step 6: Once the flavorings have been added to the bowl, mix again on medium speed until the flavorings have been completely incorporated.
Now you have rich, creamy coconut whipped cream to top all of your favorite desserts, pipe onto cakes and muffins, dollop in your coffee, or you can just eat it by itself with a spoon! It’s THAT good.
Hungry for more coconut whipped cream ideas? Here are a few more recipes that just may interest you.
Maple Apple Pavlovas with Roasted Apples and Coconut Cream by Beard and Bonnet
Vegan Whipped Cream – Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee, Mocha by Family Fresh Cooking
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I love your blog! I GF/dairy free and there’s so many great recipes. How does the whipped cream keep? If I make a whole bunch does it maintain the texture in the fridge? Or does it need to be rewhipped?
Hi Jaclyn,
Thank you so much! The whipped cream keeps well in the fridge for about 3-5 days although it looses it’s fluffiness. If you want to fluff back up your whipped coconut cream simply put it back under the whip of the mixer until it reaches the desired consistency.
This looks good and may be the answer for me as I cannot eat “real” whipped cream and do not like the residue of Cool Whip type products. I do have a question: How long can this stay out of the refrigerator and stay in a “creamy” consistency?
Hi Cher,
It really depends on the temperature of where you are setting it out. Obviously if its hot there, not very long. Honestly, I have never had a dish with coconut cream last longer than 30 minutes anywhere because my family eats it all.
Would it be any different using coconut cream?
I believe that coconut cream is already sweetened and I am unsure whether or not it would work. Let me know if you try it!
Thanks so much for this recipe! And just in time for Christmas!
This looks easy and SO yummy! For ever more, there shall be coconut whipped cream on my pie, and I shall eat it without GUILT!
Hi! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I would love to try it, but my mixer does not have a whisk attachment. What can I use instead?
I have used a hand mixer with regular beaters to make coconut whipped cream–I don’t think it gets quite as fluffy, but it works in a pinch. 🙂
Thai Kitchen doesn’t separate any more. Have to use a different brand.
The picture makes this look soooo delish! I just made a vegan banana cheesecake. This will go perfectly on top! Thanks. So glad I stumbled upon your site.
If you have an Oriental Market nearby you can usually purchase coconut cream. I am looking at a can of Savoy brand which lists Zero for sugar. I will try it.
Could you use honey instead of maple syrup?
I haven’t tried it myself, but I think it should work!
Totally love, so does my 20 month old son. Have to make a little sweeter for my hubby(does not like the flavor of coconut). Over all a big hit and really excited about making it more often.
OMG, this has to be the TASTIEST whipped cream I have ever had the pleasure of tasting, I absolutely LOVE IT!!! So quick & easy to make & cruelty free too:) Thank you so much for enlightening me to this scrumptious recipe!
My son is allergic to dairy (epi-pen allergic),eggs, and nuts. He just asked me the other day if some day he could have the white fluffy stuff you sometimes see on ice cream and cake. I told him probably not because that is whipped cream and it is made of cows milk. I just found your recipe and I can’t wait to surprise him. He can/does have coconut milk. So you and I will make a little mans simple wish come true:) Thanks
Jeannine,
I am so happy that we can fulfill his dream together! Please come back and let us know how he likes it:)
So it didn’t whip up the way you have it pictured. Does that mean I need to whip it longer?
Instead of buying coconut milk and separate out the cream, you can just buy canned coconut cream. I bought mine from Sprouts. I recently went dairy-free, so this recipe will be great to serve with fresh berries or vegan desserts. Thank you.
This recipe looks great! I’m trying to go dairy-free and this will definitely help around the holidays! One question – does the whipped cream have a strong coconut taste to it?