Coconut whipped cream is an easy and delicious alternative to regular whipped cream.

To be completely honest, even I am a little surprised about how good it turns out compared to regular whipped cream. It’s incredible!

Making it takes about 10 minutes. Scoop the thick cream from 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk into a chilled bowl (pour the coconut water off first), add 2 tablespoons of raw honey, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of sea salt, then beat it with a hand mixer on high for about 3 minutes, until soft peaks form. You’ll end up with about 1 cup of fluffy, dairy-free whipped cream.

Why We Love Coconut Whipped Cream

Coconut whipped cream is:

• just 3 ingredients (or 2 if you leave out the vanilla extract)
• all-natural
• super easy to make
• naturally vegan and dairy-free
• full of healthy fats
• perfect on top of berries for a delicious healthy dessert
• fantastic as a lighter vegan frosting on cakes and desserts

Coconut whipped cream makes a delicious and healthy dairy-free (and vegan) substitute for traditional whipped cream. It has a very faint coconut flavor, and the addition of raw honey and pure vanilla extract makes it extra decadent.

To make this recipe completely vegan, use powdered sugar or a vegan sugar of your choice instead of honey.

Replacing traditional whipped cream with coconut whipped cream is easy and delicious. Once you try it, you’ll be hooked. It’s more like traditional whipped cream when chilled; you can get soft peaks out of it if the cream is chilled. It will soften as it gets to room temperature but won’t completely melt.

This recipe also makes a fantastic healthy fruit dip. I drizzle it on my watermelon pizza and use it for frozen banana splits, too. It’s also great over berries or any other dessert.

I make my coconut cream the exact same way my mom taught me how to make real whipped cream, but use this tip instead:

Coconut Whipped Cream [The Trick!]

The trick to getting soft peaks to form just like regular whipped cream is to use full-fat coconut milk, but pour off the coconut water that has separated from the coconut cream. Watch the video above to see this in action. Nine out of 10 times, the coconut cream and coconut water in a can of full-fat coconut milk will separate. To ensure separation, you can store the cans of coconut milk in the refrigerator for 24 hours. But honestly, I always forget to do that and this still works great.

I use the Whole Foods 365 brand of coconut milk or Native Forest brand that you can find at most natural grocery stores. Trader Joe’s coconut milk did not form soft peaks for me.

Tips for your can of coconut milk:

• If possible, look for organic and a company that indicates BPA-free lining. Some companies have proactively removed the BPA and other chemicals from the lining of cans.
• Use full-fat coconut milk for coconut whipped cream, it will NOT work with low-fat or reduced-fat coconut milk. The same goes for my Healthy Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream, which needs full-fat coconut milk to freeze well.
• When you open a can of coconut milk, 95% of the time the coconut cream has separated from the coconut water. The cream will be on top, so turn it over and open the can from the bottom; this will make it easier to pour off the water and scoop out the cream. Save the water for a smoothie or drink it later.
• Refrigerating your can of coconut milk overnight almost guarantees that the cream and water will separate, although I usually open it at room temperature and still have luck. Refrigerating the can also helps the whipped cream to set up nicely and form soft peaks as I mentioned above.

Coconut Whipped Cream FAQs

Why is my coconut whipped cream not thickening?

It almost always comes down to temperature or the can. Use only the thick cream (no coconut water), chill your bowl for 15 minutes, and stick with full-fat coconut milk, because light or reduced-fat versions won’t whip. Brands matter too. Whole Foods 365 and Native Forest whip up beautifully for me, and Trader Joe’s never formed soft peaks.

Can you make coconut whipped cream without chilling the can?

I forget to refrigerate my cans more often than not, and it still works. A can that’s been chilled overnight separates more reliably and whips up a little firmer, but room temperature is fine. If your can didn’t separate at all, you can still make it. It will just be softer and may not hold peaks.

How long does coconut whipped cream last?

It keeps in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It firms up as it sits, so give it a quick whip with your mixer for a minute before serving. The texture is at its best the day you make it.

Can I use coconut whipped cream as frosting?

It makes a light, fluffy frosting for a naked layer cake like the one in these photos. It softens at room temperature (though it won’t completely melt), so frost the cake close to serving time and keep it in the fridge until then. For something sturdier that pipes well, try my Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.

Love the pour-off-the-coconut-water trick? It’s the same first step in my 2-Ingredient Homemade Coconut Yogurt. And for a summer dessert, spoon this coconut whipped cream over my Easy Strawberry Shortcake.

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