The Complete Guide to Dairy-Free & Vegan Whipped Cream

Whipped topping is a must for the holidays, and we have dozens of reasons to celebrate. This essential guide includes numerous dairy-free and vegan whipped cream products and recipes.

Vegan Whipped Cream Brands & Products

Be aware that some “non-dairy” whipped toppings actually contain milk-based ingredients. (See this post for details: Non Dairy vs Dairy Free: Why One May Contain Milk.) However, we only share products and recipes that are free of dairy ingredients. So eat, drink, and generously dollop the following creamy dairy-free toppings.

Dairy-Free Cool Whip-Style (Tubs)

A few brands have come and gone from the market in years past, but I think CocoWhip is here to stay. It’s available in Original and Lite, and I think it’s the closest dairy-free thing you will find to that Cool Whip tub. It also works very well as a topping and in recipes. CocoWhip is sold in the freezer section at natural food stores and many conventional grocers.

Dairy-Free Spray Whips (Canisters)

The newest non-dairy whipped cream on the block is Trader Joe’s Non-Dairy Coconut Whipped Topping made with real coconut cream. It’s very easy to find if you live near a Trader Joe’s, and when we  bought it for just $3.29. Look for it in the refrigerated section next to the milk beverages.

Whole Foods offers their name brand 365 Coconut Whipped Topping in a spray can. This dairy-free and vegan whipped cream is currently available only in Whole Foods stores. But it could make an appearance on Amazon in the future. Or at least we hope it will!

Tofutown (A German company) makes Soyatoo and soy-free Rice Whip. They are popular vegan whipped cream options that have been available for quite some time. This spray whip is sold in some natural food stores, like Whole Foods, but can be tricky to find! I’ve linked up to Amazon, but shops like Vegan Essentials and The Vegan Store sell them online, too.

Another German brand known as Schlagfix makes a spray vegan whipped cream that’s made from a base of palm kernel oil, soy protein, and a bunch of other chemical-sounding ingredients. Nonetheless, many people really like it and think it tastes “less artificial” than others. I haven’t seen this one in the U.S., but it is available in Europe.

The first coconut spray whip to be released in North America was actually Gay Lea Real Coconut Whipped Cream. It’s a dairy-free and vegan whipped cream, but they have other spray whipped creams which are not. This brand is sold in stores in the U.S., but they don’t have a store locator. However, Vegan Essentials usually carries it online.

In the U.K. (at Sainsbury’s and perhaps elsewhere) you can get Hopla Soy Spray Cream. It’s made with a base of coconut oil, palm kernel oil, cocoa butter, sugar, and soy proteins. But be warned that not all Hopla Whipped Cream products are dairy free. Some do contain milk protein. The red canister appears to be the vegan version at this time, while the green canister contains dairy.

And on the horizon we have Reddi-Wip Dairy Free, not to be confused with Reddi-Wip Non-Dairy. Like some other non-dairy products, Reddi-Wip Non-Dairy actually contains milk protein. Reddi-Wip Dairy Free is expected to be available in Almond Milk and Coconut Milk versions, and won’t contain any milk ingredients.

Dairy-Free Ready Whips (Cartons and Cans)

For a “whip your own” dairy-free option, try Rich Whip Ready-to-Whip Carton. Rich’s is an old-school kosher brand that has actually been around for many decades, but not all of their products are dairy-free. Like so many other non-dairy toppings, Rich’s Pre-Whipped Bowl Toppings do contain casein (milk protein) and should be avoided by dairy-free and vegan consumers (see the images below). Fortunately, since the products are produced and packaged differently, the Ready-to-Whip Cartons are not only a good vegan whipped cream option, they’re also certified kosher OU parve. However, the ingredients in Rich Whip Ready-to-Whip Cartons leave a little to be desired (high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, stablizers and preservatives).

Tofutown also makes ready-to-whip cartons. You can get Soyatoo in Rice Whip, Soy Whip and Cocoa Whip. These shelf-stable cartons can be found in natural food stores, or online. In Europe, the online store VeggieStuff is a great place to find these products.

And Schlagfix makes their own Schlagcreme ready-to-whip cartons in sweetened and unsweetened. I have seen this option on Amazon, but in Europe, you can get it from online retailers like Veggie Stuff. And perhaps it’s also sold in stores.

Nature’s Charm Whipping Cream subtly came onto our radar. It’s canned, and reportedly works in whipped cream chargers. It contains just coconut cream, coconut oil, coconut sugar, and guar gum.

Homemade Vegan Whipped Cream Recipes

Keep in mind that these are not Cool Whip copycats, but they are delicious, rich, creamy, healthier, and perfect for topping those pies.

Whipped Coconut Cream

I love whipped coconut cream so much that I have two variations of whipped coconut cream in Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook (on page 253). It’s impossibly rich, creamy, and simple. Like dairy cream, coconut cream is high in saturated fat. Saturated fat, unlike the unsaturated fats in most oils, solidifies as it cools to help create a thick cream. In other words, coconut cream acts very much like dairy cream, but it has a coconut vibe. Most people either don’t mind or love the coconut flavor,  which can be mellowed with vanilla extract or even chocolate! But the completely coconut averse may want to consider some of the other vegan whipped cream recipes that I will discuss.

To understand coconut cream and how to get it, see my Guide to Coconut Milk. It is an everyday ingredient that you can extract from canned coconut milk. And here are some vegan whipped cream recipes to use it:

• Creamy Berry Whipped Topping – This is a variation on one of the Whipped Coconut Cream recipes in Go Dairy Free.
• Sweet Whipped Coconut Cream – Use this for parfaits or to top shortcakes, and it’s great over any pie or cake that isn’t overly sweet.
• Vanilla Whip – This recipe within a recipe is my go-to. I adjust the powdered sugar up or down as needed to fit my dish
• Chocolate Whipped Cream (pictured below) – You can eat this delicious cocoa whip with a spoon!

Whipped Nut Crème

Nut creams or crèmes don’t typically have that light and fluffy texture, but they can be very rich and delicious. Here are some vegan whipped cream recipes using nuts:

• Cashew Whipped Cream – This amazing-looking cream is from Chef Tal Ronnen. Yes, the vegan chef that Oprah made famous!
• Almond Cream – A Go Dairy Free reader took ordinary nut cream a step further by adding a thickener and stabilizer. He uses almonds rather than cashews. Almonds are a firmer nut, so this recipe may benefit from soaking the nuts overnight first.

Whipped Soy Crème

Before vegan home cooks and chefs began experimenting with nuts and coconuts, there was tofu. Many still adore tofu and other soy-based products for their ability to offer a creamy texture, a relatively neutral flavor, and in some cases, a low fat option that is higher in protein. Of course, some of the soy-based whipped cream recipes aren’t low in fat, or even healthy, but they are definitely decadent. You can see examples of both types in the recipes below. Here are some vegan whipped cream recipes using soy-based ingredients:

• Mom’s Mock Whip Cream – This recipe was shared by a milk allergy mom. Her family loves this frosting-like whip. It’s definitely an indulgence, but isn’t that what the holidays are for?
• Veg-Whipped Cream – This recipe uses very basic ingredients, and can technically be made soy-free, but it is the most finicky of the bunch. Once you master the technique, it works well, but not everyone has success right out of the shoot. Consider yourself warned!
• Light Tofu Whipped Cream – Even today, after all of the many dairy alternative inventions, we can’t talk about subs without mentioning tofu. This low fat topping is still an old standby for many.

More Delicious Resources

For delicious ways to use vegan whipped cream, see our Dairy-Free Holiday Pie Round-up.
For additional holiday and everyday recipes from my kitchen, see Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook.
And for information on store-bought, dairy-free alternatives and products, see Our Product Reviews.

Meet the Expert: Alisa Fleming is the founder of GoDairyFree.org and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. In addition to her own dairy-free lifestyle, Alisa has experience in catering to the needs of various special diets, including gluten-free, soy-free, egg-free, vegan, and multiple food allergies, and is Editor for the international publication, Allergic Living Magazine.

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