This delicious and healthy whipped cashew cream is a healthy cool whip substitute, made with 3 wholesome ingredients, and whipped into a stiff texture suitable for piping, dolloping on desserts and as a dessert dip.
Whipped cashew cream is a delicious and dairy free Cool Whip substitute is made with just 3 ingredients and has the velvety texture that can be dolloped on to chocolate pies, chocolate avocado mousse puddings and used as a sweet dip for fruits and cookies.
👉 Use whipped cashew cream on:
cinnamon apple crisp without oats • no bake chocolate pie • chocolate avocado mousse • banana coffee cake
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Why You'll Love Whipped Cashew Cream
- Thick & creamy. Whipped cream has a smooth, sweet flavor, and a vanilla flavor thanks to cashews and vanilla.
- Nutritious. Cashew cream is high in protein and healthy fats as well as a myriad of micronutrients, and none of the additives you'll find in commercial whips such as Cool Whip.
- Plant-based dairy substitute. This vegan whipped cream is easily made in a blender with 3 wholesome ingredients, and is free of refined sugar.
Ingredients
- cashews: You'll need unsalted and unroasted cashews for this recipe. Buy them fresh and keep refrigerated.
- dairy-free milk: Ordinary cashew cream requires water, but I used milk here to make the cream thicker. I used almond milk.
- maple syrup: Any liquid sweetener works here. Date paste also works.
- arrowroot: Arrowroot powder thickens the texture for piping for cupcakes, but it is not necessary for whipped cream that is dolloped as a topping or used as a dip. Tapioca and corn starch also work.
- vanilla: Use a quality brand of vanilla.
- Optional for color: Any berries, fresh or frozen.
See the recipe card at the bottom for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
For more detail, visit the complete and printable recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.
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step 1: Soak your cashews. Place unroasted, unsalted cashews in a bowl, cover them with water, and place in the refrigerator to soak overnight or boil them for 2 minutes.
step 2: Add to blender. Into a blender, put your rinsed cashews, milk, maple syrup, arrowroot and vanilla.
step 3: Blending time. Blend the mixture about 3 minutes or longer to reach a creamy texture - it really depends on the strength of your blender and softness of your cashews.
step 4: Want to color your whipped cream? Blend in some berries. Here, to make it purple, I added 7 blueberries and blended about 1 minute.
Recipe Tips
- For distinct piping, chill your whipped cashew cream in a filled piping bag with tip in place in the freezer for an hour or so to stiffen the texture.
- For best flavor for dolloping or dip, chill your whipped cashew cream in the refrigerator, either an hour or overnight.
- Don't use roasted cashews - they are too dry and won't absorb enough water to whip.
How to Store
- Refrigerated. The whipped cashew cream lasts refrigerated for about 3 days. It may separate in a container, so just stir or even give it a quick blend.
- Frozen. Freeze whipped cashew cream in ice cube trays, and then bag the cubes so you can take out what you need. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and re-blend. Frozen this cream lasts about three months.
How to Make Cashew Cream (liquid)
Plain cashew cream - used as a coffee creamer or cream base for soups or salad dressings - can be made using the same recipe, just a little more liquid. Make cashew cream by blending 1 cup of soaked cashews with ½ cup of milk instead of only ¼ cup. Flavor cashew cream for your coffee shop drinks by adding a teaspoon of cinnamon or ¼ teaspoon of vanilla.
FAQS
Yes, of course, just blend cashews and water, and add arrowroot for a stiffer texture - the perfect healthy substitute for Cool Whip.
Cashews need to be soaked to remove the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that can mess with your digestion.
Yes! Cashews are high in vitamins E, K, and B6, and essentials minerals, and protein - 40 grams per cup! They are considered full of healthy fats, and a natural source of energy.
More Dessert Toppings
- Coconut Butter (vanilla and chocolate)
- Date Paste
- Healthy Chocolate Sauce
- Magic Shell (3 flavors)
- Homemade Marzipan Recipe
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Whipped Cashew Cream (Cool Whip substitute)
Equipment
- frosting bags, tips
Ingredients
cashew cream
- 1 cup cashews unsalted, unroasted, soaked
- ¼ cup dairy free milk
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot or tapioca starch or cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
optional color streaks
- 3-4 berries frozen blueberries or frozen raspberries
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Instructions
Prep
- Submerge the cashew in a pot of water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, drain and rinse. Alternatively, submerge the cashews in a water and refrigerate overnight. Then strain, discard the water, and rinse the cashews off.
Blend the cream
- Add the ingredients to a blender.1 cup cashews, ¼ cup dairy free milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon arrowroot, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Blend for 3 minutes. Taste and add more maple syrup if needed. Blend again.
If adding color
- If you are adding color, toss in 3-4 berries and process briefly until incorporated.3-4 berries frozen blueberries or frozen raspberries
Chill the cream
- The cream tastes better cold for at least 1 hour refrigerated. To pipe it, fill a piping bag with tip and freeze one hour, then pipe.
Shaina Beil says
This looks amazing! I'm really excited to try it. How long does it hold?
Dee Dine says
Thank you Shaina! As a cupcake icing, it droops pretty fast so I would keep it refrigerated until ready to eat. And be sure to add the arrowroot or tapioca powder. Hope that helps! Dee