This recipe for a vegan whipped cream takes control of your whipped cream game and says good bye to its dairy-based counterpart. Enjoy!

Whipped cream is the perfect complement to just about any dessert, offsetting sweetness and texture with a touch of creamy neutrality or providing a light backdrop to an otherwise heavy pie, pudding or cake. Because it is so light, we often eat more than we should in any given sitting, and things can get out of hand fast.

Traditional whipped cream may be light as a feather, but at the end of the day it is straight up heavy cream that has been beaten by a mixer or whisked. It is often combined with vanilla and sugar for more taste. In 1 cup, there are 154 calories, 8 grams of saturated fat, 13 grams of total fat, 46 milligrams of cholesterol and 4.8 grams of sugar. There are some nutritional perks to heavy cream-based whipped cream, but nothing to write home about.

Any cream containing 30 percent or more butterfat can be mixed with air through whisking or being beaten to result in a double-the-volume mixture, in which air bubbles are captured by the fat droplets. However, if the whipping continues, the fat droplets adhere to one another and eventually form butter. So think of it this way: traditional whipped cream is basically butter in the making.

Avoid the whiplash of fat calories and animal-unfriendliness inherent in traditional whipped cream and instead make this 3-ingredient vegan whipped cream recipe. You’ll be glad you did.

3-Ingredient Vegan Whipped Cream Recipe

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

1 can full-fat coconut milk (BPA-free version)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Set the coconut milk in the fridge overnight. The next day, a few hours before making the whipped cream, place a stainless steel mixing bowl in the freezer. Open the coconut milk can and scoop out the thickened part and add it to the chilled bowl. Save the juice for a smoothie or soup. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and whisk until evenly combined, smooth and thick or use an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Use the vegan whipped cream as you normally would – atop baked desserts, fruit or coffee. Or, eat as is by the spoonful!

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Whipped cream is full of ingredients that defy its seemingly simplistic nature. Milk often isn’t even the main ingredient! Still, there is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy the familiar flavor and texture of whipped cream. This homemade vegan whipped cream frosting recipe is nice to your body (and animals) while still adding just the right amount of decadence to your summer goodies.

Look at the ingredients in mainstream whipped cream: Among them are hydrogenated vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup, skim milk, light cream, sodium caseinate, natural and artificial flavors, xanthan and guar gums, polysorbate 60, sorbitan monostearate, and beta carotene (color). Hydrogenated vegetable oil is the first listed ingredient, and thus the most prevalent, which is alarming, since hydrogenated oils pose cardiovascular risks. The remaining are there to sweeten, color, and preserve the whipped cream, leaving little to praise in terms of nutritional profile and overall conscience.

In 2 tablespoons of whipped cream frosting, there are 25 calories, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of sugar, and 1.5 grams of saturated fact. These numbers seem measly at face value, but considering how small the serving size is (and how it’s hard to stop at just 2 tablespoons), they quickly add up, leaving absolutely no nutritional benefits behind to compensate.

So why not make a homemade version of whipped cream? This vegan whipped cream frosting recipe is incredibly easy and just as finger-licking delicious as its mainstream counterpart. With this version’s coconut milk base and a touch of vanilla and natural sweetener, the traditional store-bought version doesn’t stand a chance.

Homemade Vegan Whipped Cream Frosting

Makes about ¾ cup

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 ounces) BPA-free coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or agave, sugar, coconut palm sugar)

Directions

Remove the coconut milk from the fridge, open the can, and scoop out the thickened part. Save the liquid for a smoothie or another recipe. In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk or beat the coconut milk with the remainder of the ingredients. Set in the refrigerator to chill and further thicken. Use when needed.

Image: thepinkpeppercorn

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The post Homemade Vegan Coconut Whipped Cream Frosting Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.