Is Cool Whip on your shopping list for your Easter menu this year?
Easter desserts are all about light, sweet, and festive flavors – strawberry or lemon pies, angel food cakes, berry trifles, just to name a few. And, of course, whipped cream is a popular topping, not just this time of year, but all year long! It pairs perfectly with fresh berries in the spring, ice cream treats in the summer, warm pies in the fall, and hot cocoa in the winter. We all know, it just seems to add a comforting sweet homemade feel to any dessert.
And let’s be honest, Cool Whip is just so darn convenient! While it ranks high on the convenience scale, it doesn’t stack up so well on the nourishment scale. Most people don’t realize there is a lot going on in that plastic white tub. And it’s definitely NOT COOL!
All About the Ingredients
When you are on a REAL food journey, you are always discovering more about the ingredients in the products you are eating. Sometimes you find yourself stopping to ask, “what exactly is in that?”
How many of us use Cool Whip without even thinking about the ingredients? That was us! Early in our REAL food journey, I will admit, we occasionally bought the canned version and used it as a topping for fruits and a variety of desserts. And our daughter even used it as a topping for her pancakes.
EEK! Here comes the revelation…this is not REAL food! Have you looked at the ingredients? It may shock you!
What exactly is whipped cream?
It’s pretty simple – it’s whipped cream of milk.
When whisked or mixed, the fat in the cream holds tiny air bubbles which makes it double in size and become light and fluffy. Add some sweetener and maybe some vanilla. And there you have it, the sweet topping we all love! But since the REAL stuff has fat and calories, food scientists swooped in to “rescue” us with Cool Whip. But here’s the catch: when you ditch the fat, you have to fill it with something – and it’s typically not something that nourishes your body.
In the late 1960s, Cool Whip was invented to solve the issue of developing a whipped cream with a longer shelf life. This whipped-like product could be transported frozen to the store, and then refrigerated prior to serving. Plus, the ultimate convenience factor – no more whipping and beating required!
Here is the ingredient breakdown:
REAL Whipped Cream: cream, sweetener (if desired).
Cool Whip: Water, Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Coconut and Palm Kernel Oils), Skim Milk, Contains Less than Two Percent of Light Cream, Sodium Caseinate (from Milk), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Xanthan and Guar Gums, Modified Food Starch, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Monostearate, Sodium Polyphosphate, Beta Carotene (Color).
Cool Whip Translation: Water + some artificially sweetened hydrogenated oil + a few industrial strength fluffifiers.
A side note on trans fats
You may find some whipped cream varieties at the store that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Whenever you see this ingredient, you should know that means trans fats are present. These “partially hydrogenated” oils increase the shelf life of foods, improve flavor or texture, or reduce costs. The FDA has determined trans fats are not safe for human consumption. They raise your LDL cholesterol, lower your HDL cholesterol, and are a significant contributor to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and some studies show a link between trans fats and cancer.
Despite food labeling laws that require food manufacturers to disclose the trans fats in their products, a loophole was created where disclosure is only required if there is more than 0.5 grams per serving. You will still find them occasionally in some baked goods, fried foods, packaged snacks, creamers, frozen processed foods, and even in some microwave popcorns. Trans fats may prolong food shelf life, but they won’t prolong yours!
“Natural” Alternatives
When you visit your local store, you are likely to find one or two “healthier” alternatives to Cool Whip. At our local store, we found a couple of options:
TruWhip is marketed as a more natural alternative. It is light and fluffy and we thought it had a marshmallow-like taste and texture. While it is a slightly cleaner option (especially if you are trying to avoid hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, or other ingredients you wouldn’t keep in your pantry), it is still a highly-processed dessert topping.
CocoWhip is another option that has shown up in recent years. It is also marketed as a healthier option, especially for people trying to avoid dairy. It also has a light and fluffy texture. We thought it had a richer and creamier texture than the TruWhip and had a slight coconut flavor. Like TruWhip, it is a cleaner alternative to Cool Whip. And it is dairy-free. But it does still have some extra ingredients that you probably don’t keep in your pantry.
If you are wanting the convenience of being able to grab a container of whipped topping from the store for holiday celebrations or the occasional gathering, either of these would be better choices than Cool Whip.
Whip Up Your Own
Your best bet for a creamy, dreamy indulgence will always be to make your own so you can control the ingredients. It’s easier than you might think, and there are a variety of ways to make it:
- Traditional whipped cream (heavy cream and sweetener)
- Coconut whipped cream (full-fat canned coconut milk – or coconut cream – and sweetener and vanilla)
- Cashew whipped topping (soaked cashews, sweetener, vanilla and lemon juice)
- Greek yogurt whipped cream (plain Greek yogurt, heavy cream, sweetener and vanilla)
- Aquafaba whipped topping (aquafaba – or liquid from canned chickpeas – and sweetener, vanilla, and cream of tartar)
We did our own at-home taste test on all of these versions! Make 5 different kinds of whipped cream toppings?! We were willing to make the sacrifice and do the work for you! Ha! One important tip we discovered is to place your mixing bowl and whisk or mixer blades in the freezer for 5-10 minutes (or more) before making the whipped cream. Temperature greatly affects how light and fluffy it will get and how long it will stay that way. Each version we made stayed good in a covered container in the fridge for 2-3 days, with the exception of the Aquafaba version – it began to deflate and get watery after about one hour in the refrigerator.
In our experience, the coconut, cashew and yogurt versions froze and thawed really well. The traditional whipped cream, with the heavy cream, was still really good after freezing and thawing, just a little less fluffy. And, the Aquafaba version never got solid when frozen and then, when thawed, turned very watery.
The Results?!
#1: Our top favorite was the REAL DEAL…the whipping cream (with maple syrup added). I guess nothing beats the real thing! It was light and fluffy, and the texture was the closest to Cool Whip. If you also decide this is your favorite, we aren’t saying to go crazy and eat this everyday but it’s an excellent choice to enjoy as an occasional treat!
Ingredients: 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 to 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup.
Directions: Place the heavy whipping cream in a very cold bowl. Using a whisk or mixer, beat the cream until it is thick and creamy (forms stiff peaks). Blend in 2 Tbsp of maple syrup, taste and add another tablespoon of maple syrup if desired.
#2: Coconut milk came in as our second favorite. The coconut cream turned into a rich, thick and creamy topping. It’s a good alternative if you are looking for a dairy-free option. It was definitely thicker (less fluffy) than the CocoWhip version and had a bit of a coconut flavor.
Ingredients: 1 (13.5 oz) can full-fat (not lite) coconut milk, 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup, 1/2 tsp vanilla. Note: you could use a 5.4 oz can of coconut cream as a substitute for the can of coconut milk.
Directions: First, place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator – upside down – for several hours or overnight. Remove the can of coconut milk from the refrigerator and let sit for a few minutes. Open the can right-side up and you will find that the cream has separated from the liquid at the top. Use a spoon to scoop out the cream into a very cold bowl. With a mixer, whip this coconut cream until it is thick but smooth. Add the maple syrup and vanilla and whip again. {Note: if using a can of coconut cream instead of coconut milk, put it in the fridge for several hours or overnight so it is cold when you whip it.}
#3: It was close, but the Cashew Cream squeaked out a third-place finish. We liked the nutty, sweet flavor. It definitely had a grainier and thicker texture. And it wasn’t as light and fluffy like some of the other options. It can still satisfy a sweet whipped topping craving and is a good dairy-free alternative. We experimented with and without the lemon juice and adding it definitely helped create a slightly creamier texture.
Ingredients: 1 cup cashews, 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/8 tsp salt, 4 to 5 Tbsp cold water.
Directions: Place the cashews in a bowl covered with water (enough water to cover at least 2 inches over the cashews) and let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain the cashews and place them in a food processor or blender, along with the maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Blend until well combined. (A high-speed food processor or blender works best, so depending on the speed of yours, you might have to be patient and blend for 3-5 minutes.) You may need to scrape the mixture from the sides of the food processor to get everything well combined. Add water, one tablespoon at a time until the mixture is smooth and creamy (we used 5 Tbsp).
#4: The Greek yogurt alternative was good, but with a “yogurty” flavor and texture. It resembled a lighter, whipped Greek yogurt. It was really good as a topping with fresh berries and nuts. Depending on how you are using it, just know it still has that “yogurty” flavor.
Ingredients: 4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup, 1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions: Place the heavy whipping cream in a very cold bowl. With a whisk or mixer, beat the cream until it has thickened and doubled in size. Add the yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla and beat again until the mixture is smooth and thick (stiff peaks will form).
Not sure how to rank it: The Aquafaba whipped topping was better than we expected but has some disadvantages. This was our first experience with Aquafaba, which is the liquid from canned chickpeas. This liquid contains proteins and starches, which give it the structure and foaminess needed to create stiff peaks. We mixed it for almost 10 minutes and, sure enough, it became light and airy. It had kind of a cloud-like texture, and it practically vanishes when it hits your tongue (a little like cotton candy does).
We used 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, and it still had a bit of a salty “bean” flavor. Adding more powdered sugar would give it more of a sweeter flavor profile. (Comments from others online mentioned that while it would work, adding pure maple syrup would darken the mixture so most people chose to use powdered sugar and to keep it fluffier.) Unlike the other versions, it also deflated and got a little watery after an hour or two in the fridge. While we were pleasantly surprised, we would probably default to whipping cream or coconut cream as our preferred options.
Ingredients: Liquid from 1 can of chickpeas (about 1 cup), 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Directions: We used a stand mixer because it requires 9-10 minutes of whisking / beating. Place the liquid in a mixing bowl and whisk or beat it until foamy (a couple minutes). Then add 1/4 tsp cream of tartar and beat for 5 more minutes. Add 1 tsp vanilla and beat another 2 minutes. Then slowly add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and continue beating until it becomes light and airy, with stiff peaks.
Find Your Favorite!
We hope this is helpful. Whether you’re going dairy-free, trying to limit your oils, or just trying to eat more REAL foods, these alternatives are a sweet step in the right direction. And always remember a little goes a long way!
I have been using the plant-based alternative to whipping cream. I love the taste for whipped topping or using as cream base for certain soups and dishes.