How to Make Coconut Whipped Cream

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This homemade Coconut Whipped Cream is the perfect dairy free and vegan option for traditional whipped cream. It’s easy to make and great paired with all your favorite desserts, and especially with anything baked. Keep cans of coconut milk or unsweetened coconut cream in your fridge so you’re always 5 minutes away from some dairy free whipped cream. And don’t miss all my tips for how to make perfect coconut whipped cream every time.

A grey bowl filled with coconut whipped cream topped with raspberries on a round wood cutting board.

I’ve been making this Homemade Coconut Whipped Cream for just over 7 years now. And so I knew it was time for an update with all the different tips I’ve learned along the way. So if you’re looking for a super tasty dairy-free whipped cream, this recipe is the answer!

I use this recipe for whipped cream to go with so many other desserts, and it’s always a hit. So be sure and check out my favorite dessert recipes below to pair with this whipped cream. It’s simple to make, but with a few tips and tricks, you’ll be on your way to perfect coconut whipped cream every time!

Grey bowl filled with coconut whipped cream and topped with three raspberries.

So first of all what is coconut whipped cream

It’s a dairy-free and vegan version of whipped cream, and yes it does taste like coconut! Surprisingly though, it pairs really well with so many desserts. You make it by refrigerating a can of coconut milk or you can also use a can of coconut cream (unsweetened). This causes the ‘cream’ to harden and come to the surface. From there you whip this cream, and it gets fluffy like regular whipped cream.

Now make this Coconut Whipped Cream recipe step by step

All ingredients for the coconut whipped cream in the bowl of an electric mixer.

The first step is to refrigerate the coconut milk. This is essential to help the cream separate from the coconut water. Then add the hardened cream to a mixing bowl. To play it extra safe, just whip the hardened cream before adding the sweetener.

I’ve found that I have really good luck with the Native Forest brand of organic coconut milk, and I just add the sweetener in right away. (You can see this in the above photo.)

However, it doesn’t hurt to just whip the hardened cream first in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. That way if it’s on the soft side, you can use powdered sugar to thicken it up rather than the maple syrup which will make it even softer.

Coconut whipped cream in an electric mixer bowl.

This method makes a thick whipped cream very similar in texture to regular whipped cream with stiff peaks.

How to make softer coconut whipped cream

After you’ve whipped the coconut cream and added the sweetener, add a touch of the leftover coconut water until the texture becomes softer. This type of whipped cream is really perfect in any sort of trifle like my Death by Chocolate recipe. What you’re looking for is ‘droopy’ peaks rather than a ‘stiff’ peak whipped cream.

If you’ve made coconut whipped cream before, you know it doesn’t always turn out! So I’ve put together my tips below to give you the best chance it will turn out perfectly every single time.

There are a few reasons it doesn’t work out sometimes, and believe me I’ve definitely learned these the hard way over the last 7 years. Also if you have lots of experience with dairy-free whipped cream, let me know your tips down below in the comments!

Tips & Tricks for Perfect Coconut Whipped Cream

  • Use full-fat coconut milk. Any kind of lite coconut milk, or boxed coconut milk absolutely will not work. I’ve had really great success with the Native Forest brand, both their simple and their classic canned coconut milk. I’ve also had ok luck with Thai Kitchen, although sometimes the cream doesn’t want to separate. Any other brand we have here locally has been hit or miss for me. I’ve heard great things about the 365 brand, but we don’t have that one available to try out. And while I haven’t personally used Trader Joe’s, I’ve gotten a bit of feedback that it produces a grainy result.
  • Chill the coconut milk for at least 1 day, and even 2 days to allow the cream to separate. This is especially true if the coconut milk you’re using has any kind of thickener like guar gum in it. I’ve found chilling the cans of coconut milk in the door of my refrigerator to produce the best results. I chilled them on the top shelf towards the back once and ended up getting some lumps in it. So it would seem if you can chill it in the ‘warmest’ places in your fridge it whips better.
  • Chill the mixing bowl just like you would for normal whipped cream. If coconut whipped cream gets too warm at any point it goes grainy. So if you want to make it ahead, just be sure to keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it. I just made a batch of this for Thanksgiving, and it sat at the table for over an hour. I threw it out because it got too warm and the texture turned grainy.
  • Make it 1 day ahead! In case something still doesn’t turn out right, this gives you a bit of time to chill more coconut milk and make another batch. You can do your best to make sure everything goes right, but ingredients do vary. Since I started using Native Forest I can’t remember the last time my coconut whipped cream didn’t turn out right. But before when I used whatever brand I had on hand, things didn’t always work out!
  • Add the sweetener at the end. This is just to control the texture of your whipped cream. Adding powdered sugar will thicken it, and adding maple syrup will make it looser. I personally steer clear of honey now because it wants to clump when it’s added to cold ingredients.
Coconut whipped cream in a grey bowl topped with raspberries on a round wood cutting board.

Ways to serve this

  • Serve this coconut whipped cream with any dessert you’d like. Head on over to our Dessert Recipe Category for lots and lots of recipe options. You’ll also find 5 of our favorite desserts with this whipped cream below.
  • I especially love this whipped creamy with fresh strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries. It’s also wonderful paired with juicy peaches when fresh fruit is at its peak season.
  • Use this coconut whipped cream as a topping for cozy drinks like my Homemade Hot Chocolate or Pumpkin Chai Latte.

Serve this coconut whipped cream with these recipes

  1. Death by Chocolate
  2. Avocado Chocolate Mousse
  3. No Bake Healthy Chocolate Tart
  4. The Best Paleo Pumpkin Pie
  5. Gluten Free Apple Pie Bars

Or… serve this whipped cream with a pan of these flourless chocolate brownies still warm from the oven! I sure hope you get a chance to make this dairy-free coconut whipped cream recipe soon, and if you do, I hope you’ll leave me a comment/rating below. I always love hearing from you here in the comments.

Homemade Coconut Whipped Cream


5 from 8 votes
Author: Kari Peters
Total Time 15 minutes
Yield: 12 about 3 cups whipped cream
Course: Dessert

INGREDIENTS  

Firmer Whipped Cream:

Softer Whipped Cream:

  • Add the leftover liquid 1 tablespoon at a time until loose peaks form.

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Refrigerate your mixing bowl or place it in the freezer until chilled before starting.
  • Scoop the hardened cream from the top, and place it into the chilled bowl. Reserve the liquid until the end in case you need a bit, but most of it will be leftover and is great in a smoothie.
  • Place the chilled bowl into a stand, or using a hand mixer beat the coconut cream until it's fluffy and soft peaks form about 1-2 minutes.
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then add the sweetener to taste, and vanilla, and beat again just to combine. You can also mix it in by hand.
  • Serve the whipped cream immediately, or refrigerate and use within 1 day or so. After 1 day the whipped cream will sometimes separate. I've had good luck stirring it back together or whipping it again for a few seconds before serving it.
  • To make the softer whipped cream, add 1 tablespoon of the reserved liquid from the coconut milk at a time until loose peaks form.
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NOTES

You should have about 2 cups of hardened coconut cream from the 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk. Or you can buy cans of unsweetened coconut cream. You can make this recipe using just 1 can of coconut milk if you use a hand mixer. The stand mixers have such large bowls that it’s hard to make a smaller batch of coconut whipped cream.
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keywords: Coconut Cream Whipped Cream, Coconut Whipped Cream Recipe, Whipped Coconut Cream

nutrition facts

Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
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44 thoughts on “How to Make Coconut Whipped Cream”

  1. 5 stars
    I just made coconut whipped cream for the first time and I am in LOVE. Oh my, so good! I used it to top a key lime chia pudding that I made. Perfect. Thanks!

    Reply
    • It’s so delicious isn’t it!?! We make a lime chia pudding too with avocado in it, coconut and lime is one of my husband’s all time favorite combinations!

      Reply
  2. Why did it curdle?? I left in fridge overnight & scraped 2 cans of coconut milk fat. 365 organic. I whipped it with my Kitchen aid. What a disappointment & waste of ingredients.

    Reply
    • I’m not sure why it curdled, I’ve never had that happen in countless batches of whipped cream. One thing I would suggest is using the brands I mentioned in the post, I’ve found both Thai Kitchen and Native Forest to be the most reliable. It also really helps if there’s some kind of thickener in your coconut milk like guar gum, this seems to keep the whipped cream more stable. The few times I’ve used coconut milk without a thickener the results have been unpredictable with some batches being thinner than others (but never curdled). I hope these tips help and that you try coconut whipped cream again because it’s really delicious! You could try using the failed whipped cream in a smoothie, adding some bananas and pineapple for a pina colada of sorts.

      Reply
    • I used 365 brand and mine curdled, too. So sad. 🙁 Thinking about it now, I don’t think that I’ve seen water listed as an ingredient in brands other than this one before. Maybe that is it. ?

      Reply
      • I’m not sure why, but I have had batches that just won’t come together. It doesn’t seem to happen very often, but when it seems all lumpy and not coming together, I just let the whipped cream sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes or so to warm up a bit and it usually comes together then. On the occasion you get a batch that just doesn’t work for whatever reason, you can always make it into hot chocolate by whisking in some cocoa powder on the stove top, or use it in smoothies (and like I said it’s rare that you get a weird batch of coconut milk, so hopefully it won’t happen again)!

      • I just made mine w/the 365 brand from Whole Foods and it was FANTASTIC!!! It was organic though so I don’t know if that makes any difference. Hope you try again, this stuff is wonderful.

      • I use organic brand too and I don’t think it makes a difference – I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it!

    • I haven’t tried this with homemade coconut milk so I’m not even sure where to begin, sorry I couldn’t be of more help, but let me know if you figure something out!

      Reply
  3. 5 stars
    Thank you so much for the comparison. I tried my own comparison of gently flipping the can over to open from the bottom and pouring out the water rather than scooping the solid out the top. It may be different for different brands (I used Aroy-D) but I believe the upside down method works best. Next time I will try using the can opener to make a slit in the bottom and draining it that way.

    Reply
    • I’m not sure because I’ve never tried it, but regular dairy whipped cream can’t be frozen and thawed so my guess is that it wouldn’t work here either. You might be able to add a bit more maple syrup and turn the leftovers into ice cream though.

      Reply
      • Hi! I have frozen it. I eat it like frozen ice cream bites! It works great! And as it thaws it just goes back to how it was originally!

      • Thanks for writing in with this great tidbit! I didn’t know you could freeze this whipped cream, and I know that will be helpful to others too, plus love your idea of eating it like frozen ice cream bites!

  4. For the lady on the boat: pack a whisk or beater from an electric mixer and grab the cordless drill from your fella. Insert the whisk/beater and whip to your delight. It works!

    Reply
  5. Thanks so much, what a delicious & healthy treat!

    I just made sweet potato brownies & this will go perfectly.

    Love the site
    Sarah @
    Shesheboos.wordpress.com

    Xx

    Reply
  6. may I know if which is better to frost a cake? thick or soft one? if put fridge to chill up which one will become harder which will not or both are fine?

    Reply
    • For frosting a cake I would use the thicker version of this whipped cream where you scoop the cream off the top and discard the liquid for another use. Coconut whipped cream doesn’t really set up any more than it is when you finish whipping it, but the firmer version should work fine for frosting. Let me know how it goes and if you have anymore questions! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Hi,
    Have you tried starting with canned coconut cream? Would it matter if there were or were not any addatives? How well do you think it would work with egg beaters–you know the old fashioned hand-cranked type? I want this to work on a boat at sea where I will not have appliances. Do have refrigerator. any suggestions. — My first attempt wasn’t really fluffy. But, did taste good.
    Thanks,

    Reply
    • It does matter if there’s additives, coconut whipped cream works best if there’s guar gum in it – it somehow stabilizes it. Since you’re working with hand crank beaters, I’d suggest following the recipe for the thicker coconut whipped cream (where you skim the coconut cream from the top as opposed to the method where you use the whole can). The recipe calls for 10 minutes on high with a machine, since you’re doing this by hand it might take longer to get fluffier results (you might have to enlist some extra help for cranking). Let me know how it goes or if you have anymore questions! 🙂

      Reply

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