This homemade Coconut Whipped Cream is a wonderful dairy free alternative to regular homemade whipped cream. With just 3 ingredients, you can whip this up (literally!) in 5 minutes. It’s a great way to add a little tropical coconut flavor to so many desserts.
I love having this whipped coconut cream alongside my regular whipped cream to offer a dairy free alternative for guests to enjoy with all of my desserts. It adds an unexpected yet wonderful tropical flavor to just about anything.
Best of all, it enhances the tropical flavor of already amazing treats like this pineapple coconut tart. Sturdy enough to pipe, you can even use it in place of coconut buttercream frosting on these pina colada cupcakes and these coconut chocolate cupcakes.
Table of Contents
Helpful tools
You can use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer to make this coconut whipped cream recipe. I’ve also made whipped cream by hand many times for smaller batches so I expect you should be able to beat it by hand as well with just your mixing bowl and whisk.
Ingredients and substitutions
As always, you’ll find the complete list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post. Below are some notes and substitution tips:
- Coconut cream – this is similar to canned coconut milk but it has higher fat content. You’ll want to use just the top cream portion and not the coconut water that usually settles at the bottom of the can. If you can’t find coconut cream, canned coconut milk will work too but will yield slightly less coconut whipped cream since it has slightly lower fat content than coconut cream. Sprouts brand coconut cream and coconut milk are reliable in term of fat/water separation. So far this is the only brand I know will work. Target brand Good & Gather organic coconut milk and Goya brand coconut milk will not work, the fat does not solidify and float to the top even after I refrigerated the cans.
- Powdered sugar – I like using powdered sugar for this recipe because it incorporates easily.
- Vanilla extract – I like to add just a quarter teaspoon to add complexity to the overall flavor profile. If you want stronger coconut flavor, you could add a few drops of coconut extract if you have it.
How to make coconut whipped cream
The following instructions, step-by-step photos, and tips are here to help you visualize how to make the recipe. You can always skip straight to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Before making the coconut whipped cream, you will need to let the cream portion coalesce and rise to the surface in the refrigerator overnight since coconut cream also contain coconut water. Do not shake the can!
Scoop out the cream and leave the water behind. Beat the cream with powdered sugar and a dash of vanilla extract until stiff peak forms. And just like that, your coconut whipped cream is ready.
More baker’s tips
- To use as frosting on cupcakes, you should double or even triple this recipe to make enough for a dozen cupcakes. You may also want to use a bit more powdered sugar to make it sweeter to your taste.
- Don’t throw the coconut water at the bottom of the can aways. Save it and use the water in place of coconut milk in this mango smoothie and this pina colada smoothie!
Storage
Store leftover coconut whipped cream in the refrigerator and use within 3-5 days.
📖 Recipe card
3-Ingredient Whipped Coconut Cream
Ingredients
- 1 can unsweetened coconut cream (13.5 oz, 400 ml)
- 2 – 3 tablespoon powdered sugar (use more or less to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Refrigerate coconut cream overnight. Do not shake the can. Scoop out the top cream and leave the liquid.
- Add coconut cream to a mixing bowl along with powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat until stiff peak.
- Use as you would regular whipped cream.
Notes
- Calories are estimated for ¼ cup serving.
- The top cream portion weigh about 7 oz, so about half the can.
Nutrition
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I enjoy trying new dishes to serve my family. This looks absolutely delicious.
Thanks for letting me know! I will try it again, I just got some coconut cream today at the store. I didn’t include the liquid, but my cream was never very “creamy” to start. It was almost solid after being in the fridge. It could be that my fridge temp was too low so the cream was getting too solid and didn’t whip as well. I moved to a new place a few months ago and so will try again in this new fridge. I will let you know how it goes!
Your timing is impeccable. I was just making coconut whipped cream last week. So simple and so delicious
Hi! This looks delicious. I tried making coconut whipped cream in the past with a similar recipe but used the Trader Joe’s whipped cream. It didn’t hold peaks very well. The TJ coconut cream is 25% fat and the Sprout coconut cream seems to be 20% so I was surprised the peaks didn’t hold too well with the TJ coconut cream. Have you tried this with the TJ coconut cream? I’m not sure if it’s the brand of coconut cream or rather the time of whisking/technique that accounts for the difference. What speed and for how long did you beat the cream for the stiff peaks to form? How long does the coconut cream hold stiff peaks when left at room temp?
Hi Sarah, when you make the whipped cream, did you leave the liquid out? I left the can of coconut cream in the top shelf of the fridge for a couple days before straining out to make this recipe so the cream is pretty thick already as you can see in the photo. Then really just make it as usual, beat at medium high speed for only a few minutes until stiff peak. It wasn’t much different than making regular whipped cream for me. I did not leave it out at room temperature to test how long it holds. I’ll update you next time I make it.
Thanks for letting me know! I will try it again, I just got some coconut cream today at the store. I didn’t include the liquid, but my cream was never very “creamy” to start. It was almost solid after being in the fridge. It could be that my fridge temp was too low so the cream was getting too solid and didn’t whip as well. I moved to a new place a few months ago and so will try again in this new fridge. I will let you know how it goes!
When I took it out of the fridge it was almost solid too, but as you beat it, it changes the texture a bit. It does feel thicker than whipped cream, but make sure you don’t over beat it. I bet if you beat it too much it will curdle just like whipped cream does. So watch the texture in the bowl, check it to make sure it just gets to stiff peak. Let me know how it goes!