This coconut milk free vegan whipped cream is a great, light tasting, and airy cream that you can use to garnish a bunch of vegan desserts, or use in plenty of recipes.
Feel free to jump straight to the recipe with the help of theses buttons.
However, if this is your first time making this recipe, I recommend reading the whole post, as this is very different from a lot of vegan whipped creams that are out there!
Crème Chantilly: veganizing a french classic
In my humble opinion, there is nothing more French than baguettes, croissants, and whipped cream.
Whipped cream, also known as Crème Chantilly or Chantilly cream is traditionally made by whipping heavy cream with sugar and is flavored with vanilla. Unfortunately, recipes for a good vegan whipped cream that is light tasting, stable, and pipable are hard to find.
Yes, coconut whipped cream is all the craze right now, but the perfectionist pastry chef in my is not totally on board.
Every time I try coconut whipped cream, I always end up thinking “Man, what a shame! The whole dessert just tastes like coconut and nothing else! And what a weird texture >:( ”
Yeah, I don’t hold my punches when it comes to pastry.
So after too many bad coconut whipped cream experience — and way too many times forgetting to put the cans in the fridge— I decided to embark on the quest to find a better, coconut milk-free, pipable (hell yes!) vegan whipped cream…..and I succeeded!
The problem with vegan whipped cream
There is currently no existing naturally produced plant-based milk that has a high enough fat content to truly be considered a cream. The high amount of fat that is in dairy-based whipped cream is the reason whipped cream gains some volume and structure once whipped.
So when other vegans started the same the quest to vegan heavy cream, they went with the next best alternative, coconut cream. But even when we are taking only the cream from the cans of coconut, we are nowhere near the amount of fat we need to copy dairy cream. And we are using coconut cream, which has a very strong flavor.
For example, if we compare 100g of coconut cream with 100g of dairy heavy cream, the coconut cream has 34.7g of fat while a whipping heavy cream needs a minimum of 36g of fat for the same amount, but can sometimes go up to 40%.
RELATED: How to make a Vegan Frangipane – Classic Almond French Filling
Vegan heavy cream
So we need to create a plant-based milk that has enough fat content to compare to whipping cream. This is done by doing an emulsion to incorporate the added fat into our plant-based milk.
First, we melt our fat with some hot soy milk that has been infused with some vanilla bean.
We then blend the milk at high speed so that the fat incorporated into the milk –this is the emulsion. At this point, you do not want to see any fat particle leftover floating on the surface of your cream.
The cream will be liquid but it will thicken in the refrigerator and will end up looking like a thick heavy cream.
Which oil to use?
I use coconut oil and cocoa butter in this recipe because theses oils are solid at room temperature. After all, the dairy fat that is found in dairy cream ( which makes butter) is solid at room temperature and this is what we want to mimic. The cocoa butter also gives a nice floral taste to the cream.
But if what you want is a softer cream, like a soft peaked whipped cream, you can use 100% coconut oil or use a light tasting vegetable oils like peanut, canola, sunflower or grapeseed oil in this preparation. However, you will need to spoon this whipped cream since it won’t be pipeable.
Will it taste like chocolate?
In this recipe I often use the cacao butter I have in my pantry, which is the one in the pictures. However that can result in a whipped cream that tastes a bit chocolaty.
For a truly neutral cream, use deodorized cocoa butter, which is cocoa butter that is scentless and flavorless. Unfortunately, deodorized cacao butter can be hard to find so you might need to look online to find it.
Which milk to use?
The best plant-based milk to use in this recipe is soy milk since it is creamier. Soy also has natural emulsifiers which makes it possible for us to do our emulsification.
Unfortunately, I have had failures with rice milk, almond milk, and hemp milk in the past, where the oil would not emulsify with the milk. It could be different depending on the brand of plant-based milk you use, but I’m not willing to waste any more expensive oil.
Soy milk has never failed me so this is what I like to use. It is also what I have the most often in the fridge or in my pantry. If you successfully do this recipe with another plant-based milk, let me know and I’ll incorporate it here!
Tips and Tricks for a successful vegan Crème Chantilly
- If you do not have a blender, this will also work with an immersion blenderDo not over-mix. This whipped cream will become grainy if over-whipped.
- This recipe is for a short-lasting whipped cream. This cream can be kept in the fridge for up to 6 hours. If it becomes liquid again, refrigerate and re-whip it.
- This whipped cream is very reactive to hot temperature, so keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
- If you want a long-lasting whipped cream ( 1 to 2 day), fold 100g of loosened vanilla pastry cream into the whipped cream before service.
You can find my classic vanilla pastry cream recipe right here!
Storage
- Keep unwhipped in the fridge up to 5 days.
- Keep whipped for up to 6 hours in the fridge
- Do not freeze
Tools
To make this recipe, you will need:
- 1 saucepan
- 1 knife
- 1 blender, or immersion blender
- 1 small container with a lid for refrigeration
- 1 large bowl
- A stand mixer, or hand-held mixer
- A spatula
Amazing Vegan Whipped Cream ( Crème Chantilly)
Ingredients
- 375g (1 1/2 cup) unsweetened soy milk
- 50g (1/4 cup) white caster sugar , adjust to taste and recipe requirements
- 1 vanilla pod
- 110g (1/2 cup) deodorized cacao butter , finely chopped or in small disk form
- 76g (1/3 cup) coconut oil
- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum , optional but recommended
Instructions
- Simmer 250g (or 1 cup) of soy milk, sugar, vanilla bean pod sliced in half, and the vanilla seeds scraped from the pod for 10 minutes to infuse. Remove the pod from the hot milk.
- In a blender, place the coconut oil and cacao butter and pour the simmering soy milk over it.
- Let the oils melt for 1 minute and then run the blender at a high speed for 2 minutes.
- Add the rest of the soy milk and blend until incorporated.
- Refrigerate until very cold, between 2 and 6 hours.
- If using xanthan gums,sprinkle on the cream before whipping.
- Whip the cold preparation with a handheld mixer, or stand mixer, on medium speed until the whisks leave traces in the preparation and the cream becomes light and airy. Do not overwhip.
- Serve spooned next to a desert, or pipe with a pastry bag. Enjoy!
Notes
- The vanilla pod can be replaced with ½ tsp of vanilla bean paste or 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
- The heavy (unwhipped) cream can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. Do not freeze.
- Use deodorized cocoa butter and refined coconut oil for a neutral-tasting whipped cream.
- Add 100g of pastry cream for more stable cream that will last longer.
- This makes A LOT of whipped cream so feel free to divide the recipe by half.
Did you try this vegan crème chantilly?
Don’t be shy and let me know how it went! Leave me a comment below and share a picture on Instagram !
Julie Yen
This is an excellent recipe! I agree with you that I’m over coconut whipped cream. I didn’t have deodorized cocoa butter but we all absolutely loved the hint of chocolate flavor. Honestly, it’s such a relief from coconut everything, which is why I went looking for a new recipe. I stabilized it with the creme pat and made a number cookie “cake”–we need a better name for these. It’s an over-sized sugar cookie stacked between a stable cream (I didn’t want to use frosting because it’s usually too sweet and I was afraid that Swiss buttercream wouldn’t hold up for several hours). This held up perfectly for hours and we have been eating the leftover creme for several days now. I used Oatly Milk (the light blue container) because it has 5g of fat, similar to soy (I can’t eat soy) milk. The one question I have after making it is that I was terrified of mixing it too long in the stand mixer and having it collapse. I wasn’t quite sure how long I could go because the whip was making trails in the creme right away. What happens when it’s over-mixed? Thank you for all of your recipes! You are a food science genius!
Raspbelyse
If its overwhisked, the cream can get grainy a bit or go completely liquid again . I am also very happy you where able to make it work with oat milk! ( also creme pat mixed with whipped cream is also called a crème diplomate)
Camille
Hi, is there a substitute for cocoa butter, still dairy free..
Raspbelyse
Unfortunately no, since it really gives the cream some sturdiness. 🙂
Paige
Hi! This recipe looks great! Two questions,
1) where to find neutral cacao butter?
2) what could be used in place of coconut oil? I’m allergic to coconut 🙁
Thank you!
Raspbelyse
I find deodorized cacao butter online or in speciality pastry equipment shops. My favourite is Cacao Barry. And instead of coconut oil you can use 100% cacao butter, it will just be a bit more expensive.
Laine
If you’re using a KitchenAid mixer, how long does it typically take to become firm?
Raspbelyse
About 4 to 5 minutes
Anna
This sounds amazing! I’ve been looking for a non-coconut vegan whipped cream. A few questions: 1) Can I omit the sugar? Or use a little maple syrup instead? 2) Can I use a nitro gun to whip this or is it too thick? 3) Has anyone tried this with 100% deodorized cocoa butter, omitting the coconut oil?
Raspbelyse
1) I havent tried it but I think it should work. Maple syrup sounds amazing. Let us know if you do try it.
2) nitro gun I don’t think so but I haven’t tried it yet. 3) this does work with 100% deodorized cocoa butter.
Shannon
Can you use almond milk instead of soy?
Raspbelyse
Hi! Unfortunately, I haven’t tried it with almond milk before. I do know that I often struggle with emulsifying with almond, rice, and hemp milk since they don’t have the same natural emulsification properties that soy milk has. If you do try it, let us know and I’ll update the post for other readers.
Hunter
You say do not freeze. What happens if I freeze it? This would be for an ice cream cake.
Raspbelyse
Freezing can break the emulsion and if using froEn, you will end up with a whipped cream that has fat grains throughout. For an ice cream cake I would recommend the cocowhip product found in the freezer section of some grocery stores
Thao
May I use oat milk instead of soy milk?
Raspbelyse
I have never tried it with oat milk so I don’t know if it would emulsify correctly. If you try it, let me know so that I can inform other readers!
Thao
I’ll be testing it out this week. Hopefully it’s the same. If I want to make this into a chocolate cream do I add cocoa powder or just melted chocolate?
Raspbelyse
Both would work. If you use melyed chocolate, it will firm up your cream a bit. Just let it cool to body temperature before adding to the cream since too hot chocolate could melt the cream. Cocoa powder is easy to use. Simply sift before using, but it might be a touch more bitter than melted chocolate.
Marg
Fantastic recipe and explanation of the reasoning behind it. It’s the only non-coconut cream recipe I’ve been able to find but given its fabulousness there’s sure to be be plenty of knock offs before too long. I did find that virgin coconut oil gave it an unwanted coconut taste but after retrying with 100% cacao butter it was perfect! Thank you
Maria
Hi! I tried this & was so hoping for an amazing cream. I followed the directions to a T & it did not come out well for some reason. Hopefully I will find a coconut free, dairy free cream eventually. Thank you for coming up with these recipes. It sounds as though it has worked well for others. I have made other recipes from your site that have come out well.
Raspbelyse
Hi Maria, I’m sorry this recipe didn’t work for you. I’m currently working hard to make another whipped topping that will be creamier but not as stiff as whipped cream. So if you stick around you might find what you are looking for. 🙂
Jayane
Hi! Thanks for the recipe. Would It make any difference if I put the xanthan gum before going to the freezer, in the non-whipped cream?
Raspbelyse
I havent tried it but yes you shouldbe able to put the xanthan before cooling down the cream. However, freezing this cream is not recommended
Jordan
Hi I am wondering how come it isn’t recommended to freeze the mixture?
Also have you even made your pastry cream that you have the link for with tapioca starch instead of cornstarch? thanks! excited to try this!
Raspbelyse
Freezing the cream could break the emulsion of the cream. The only time I tried it, the cream also curdled and it didn’t want to whip up. I do not recommend using tapioca starch for the pastry cream because it would give the cream a stretchy and slimy end result. It’s better to stick with cornstarch
Jayane
Hi! Replying just to say that I tried the exact recipe and it worked just fine. 🙂
I tried a second time with almond milk because it was the only milk I had in the fridge and didn’t work, in fact.
Now i’m going to try with different fats, using coconut oil and palm oil (which is solid in room temperature). Here, in Brasil, we have certified palm oil local production, so it’s not an enviromental issue as in the rest of the world. Thank you very much.
Thamy
That looks really good! Just one question,I’m allergic to coconut and cannot use the coconut oil asked for. Should I replace it with cocoa butter or is there any other suggestions?
Raspbelyse
Yes, you can use 100% cocoa butter
Nicole
Thank you so much for this incredible recipe! I used regular cocoa butter and though the taste was a bit chocolatey, I didn’t mind because I haven’t had such delicious fatty whipped cream since before I went vegan. Next up you’ll have to teach us how to make vegan choux buns!
Katie
Hi! This recipe looks amazing, and I will definitely be using it this week. I was wondering, do you think the unwhipped cream as a replacement for heavy cream in a recipe?
Raspbelyse
Yes. It as a slightly thicker texture but the amount of fat is similar enough that it should give the recipe the same texture.
Katie
Thank you so much! I tried it today for ice cream and it worked perfectly! I’m allergic to soy, and I know you said a lot of the other milks didn’t work, but I did end up trying using oat milk and I thought it worked well! It worked for the ice cream but I also whipped some to try that way too. But it emulsified very easily.
Raspbelyse
Awesome!
Julie
Do you remember which oat milk you used? Oatly has different fat content in each of their products! I can’t have soy so I’m going to try Oatly instead.
Jeff
So glad I found this recipe. I hate the cloyingly sweet America -style buttercream that most vegan cake recipes call for, and my vegan friend dislikes the overpowering coconut flavour that whipped coconut cream brings.
This recipe reminds me of a whipped white chocolate ganache…which I suppose it sort of is.
I’m still in the middle of making a batch, so haven’t actually used it yet, but it tastes great! Had to make a second batch because I left my first batch to chill too long and it solidified “pre-whipped” with the air bubbles my blender introduced, so now I don’t have enough. Haha
If I whip from cold liquid state, does it double in volume like dairy cream does? I.e. the 600mL will become around 4 cups of whipped?
Raspbelyse
It doesnt whippe as much as dairy cream I find. I haven’t calculated it precisely but I would say 600ml of it whipped should do about 3 cups maybe 3 1/2 cups.
Katharina
I just made this recipe as I am looking for vegan whipped cream that stiffens well but isn’t as heavy as cashew whipped cream or coconut whipped cream.
While I am impressed with your knowledge and am thankful for all the information about fat and what the issue is with vegan cream options, I was rather disappointed when I got to taste the cream. It’s wild how much it tastes like chocolate, I didn’t anticipate that at all (first time using cacao butter for me). I was looking for a neutral cream and this one isn’t it for the particular traditional cake I am trying to veganize BUT I can imagine trying this cream in chocolatey deserts.
Great work on the recipe, nonetheless, well done and thank you!
Raspbelyse
I should have mentioned it. For me, I don’t mind the chocolaty taste, but for truly neutral whipped cream taste, you will need to use deodorized cacao butter, which is flavorless.
Sorry for the confusion. I updated the recipe to let other readers know and thank you for pointing it out.
Katharina Stöhr
Hi again! I put yesterday’s leftover read whipped cream in the fridge overnight an was delighted to see that it kept its shape and even hardened up.
About the deodorized cacao butter, I don’t think I will be trying it just now because I have spent a truckton of money on baking materials in the past weeks (getting very much into baking vegan because it’s a challenge to my patience and tastebuds, I’ve been a vegetarian for many, many years and a a homebaker for quite some time but baking vegan is a whole new exciting world).
But I am wondering about the the math behind your recipe, I’d love to try something based on your recipe, while I still have some oat cream at 13% in my fridge.
So, you have soy milk at approx. 2% fat, right? And then, the coconut oil and cocoa butter are at 100% fat. So in your recipe, fat is about 187,5g or around 30%? Did I get this right, or am I completely off here?
Very excited to follow you and see what reciped you’re coming up with next 🙂
Raspbelyse
Yeah, that is about right. I got rid of the calculations so I can’t double-check but trait to aim for 32% to 36% fat content if you can.
Julie
Thanks for this! I think I’ll use the Oatly with 7g of fat per cup. I’m hoping to use this with the creme patisserie to stabilize it further for a cookie number cake. I think the chocolate flavor from the cacao butter will be fantastic with the blueberry macarons that will be on the top for decoration!
Kelly Stoochnoff
Sadly, mine would not whip. Not sure why, used unsweetened soy milk, cacao, and refined coconut fat. It was in the fridge for 4 hours before trying to whip (added the xanthan gum just before whipping).
Raspbelyse
Was it well emulsified and thick before whipping? Mine gets a bit thicker than regular whipped cream. It also need to be very cold before whipping