Name: Coconut Maple Whipped Cream
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 365 min
Ingredients: 1 13.5 oz can organic coconut milk; 2 TB real maple syrup; 1 tsp real vanilla extract

I love whipped cream. When I was 8, my mom made me the best birthday cake in the world. I wanted it pink, but had a sensitivity to food dyes. So, my mom, who is a creative genius as well as being the kindest, most giving person I know, made me whipped cream frosting using strawberry puree to give it a pink hue. It was beautiful and utterly scrumptious, and made me feel so special. I remember waking up early in the morning the day after my birthday and sneaking a large dollop (or two or three or four) of the whipped cream off the side of the cake.

Unrequited Love

At the time, I wondered why my stomach didn’t feel so good after eating those large dollops of whipped cream. Ah, the naivety of childhood. I’ve since realized that whipped cream doesn’t love me nearly as much as I love it. In fact, in terms of the way it makes me feel, whipped cream is public enemy number one for me. Nonetheless, it was hard to give up when we switched to a plant-based lifestyle.

A Simple, Vegan Alternative

So, I was ecstatic when I discovered that I could make a dairy-free, vegan alternative using a can of chilled coconut milk. It has the exact same consistency as whipped cream, but doesn’t cause me the stomach issues I’ve come to associate with whipped cream. So, I experimented a lot and landed on one tried and true method to make Coconut Maple Whipped Cream.

Coconut Maple Whipped Cream

vegan, refined-sugar-free icing

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Prep Time 5 mins

Chill time 6 hrs

Total Time 6 hrs 5 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Equipment

stand mixer or hand mixer
chilled mixing bowl

Ingredients

1 13.5 oz can organic coconut milk
2 TB real maple syrup
1 tsp real vanilla extract

Instructions

Chill can of coconut milk for 6+ hours in the fridge (not freezer!).
Chill mixing bowl.
When chilled, the coconut cream (coconut fat) will separate from the coconut milk and rise to the top of the can. It will solidify.
After chilling, open can and scoop the solidified coconut cream into a chilled mixing bowl.
Add the 2TB maple syrup and the 1tsp vanilla to the mixing bowl.
Whip on high until smooth and creamy.

Notes

You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer (I use a 19-year-old Kitchen Aid Classic Stand Mixer) for this recipe, but not a blender. I’ve tried it in my Vitamix, but the blender is too fast and will make it into a drizzle rather than a whipped cream. Still yummy, but not the same consistency.

Also, you can replace the maple syrup with 1/2 cup powdered sugar and get good results as well.

Keyword coconut cream, dairy-free, maple, oil-free, refined-sugar-free, vegan

One thing to note is that not all cans of coconut milk are created equal: I’ve tried a half dozen different brands. Some work, some don’t. The best one I’ve found is the 365 Everyday Value Organic Coconut Milk that you can buy on Amazon or at Whole Foods. Time after time I get consistent results from this brand of coconut milk. However, I’d love to hear of others that work as well! (Also, when separating the coconut cream from the coconut milk, don’t discard the extra coconut milk from the can. You can save it in a jar in the fridge and use it for other recipes like my Guilt Free Gobs.)

I love that this “whipped cream” is lightly sweet, and creamy and fluffy without being overwhelming or heavy. I used it back in September to ice my daughter’s birthday cake for her 10th birthday. My husband, who typically despises all things coconut, loved it. And, fyi, in the rare event that you have any leftover and access to an ice-cream maker, you can throw this in there and make yourself some delicious vegan vanilla ice cream for a fraction of the cost of a pint of vegan ice-cream at the store. Enjoy!