Is cool whip vegan?
Cool whip is known to many as a popular cream that can go well with many desserts, it is used as a topping for cakes, puddings, pies and can even be used in smoothies, combined with hot chocolate or even as a fruit dipper. The manufacturers of this topping, Kraft made it to be creamier in texture, have a sweet taste and can stay for a longer time than most standard creams. It can even stay semi-solid when kept at warm temperatures, cool whip will last for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator if it is thawed at least once.
Kraft also assured that cool whip can be frozen, defrosted, refrigerated and the consistency remains unchanged or unaltered. All these advantages made it to be higher in price too. Even with all these goodness, there are questions most people always ask before using cool whip. One of them is if it is a vegan food. Note that a vegan is different from a vegetarian. While a vegetarian does not eat meat, poultry meat and seafoods; a vegan excludes meat, seafood, poultry meat and every other food products which comes from animals like honey, eggs and milk.
By-product which are from animal agriculture like whey, gelatin and lard are avoided by vegans. You may ask yourself what a vegan will have to eat, they eat foods like beans, nuts, rice, wheat and other grains, pasta, bread, vegetables, tofu and others. There are also vegan milks made from almond, pea, hemp, soy and nuts. In fact, many manufacturers of products like brownies, cookies, ice cream are producing vegan varieties.
Why do some people choose to become vegans?
One of the reasons is because of ethics, vegans believe animals should have freedom to live just like human. They are against the psychological stress and the oppression these animals go through in order to produce the foods we consume.
Another is for health purposes. According to an article published by the National Library of Medicine in 2016, high consumption of red meats especially can increase the chances of cancer, heart diseases, and type 2 diabetes. To avoid these diseases, vegans eat plant-based diets to lower their chances. Vegan diets are helpful in reducing unwanted weight and also to lower obesity.
IS COOL WHIP VEGAN
Cool whip is that delicious topping you cannot stay away from but for a vegan, you have to stay away after knowing it is not to be consumed by you. Before we conclude if cool whip is vegan or not, let us take a look at the ingredients:
- Water
- Hydrogenated vegetable oil (palm kernel oil and coconut oil)
- High fructose corn syrup
- Corn syrup
- Skim milk
- Light cream(less than 2 percent)
- Sodium caseinate (an emulsifier that is derived from milk)
- Natural and artificial flavor
- Xanthan & guar gums (thickeners)
- Polysorbate 60 (thickener)
- Sorbitan monostearate
- Sodium polyphosphate (an emulsifier and preservative)
- Beta carotene (coloring)
Before 2018, the manufacturers of cool whip designed and marketed it to be a diary free product, which means it can be consumed by both vegans and those who have diary intolerance. There was no skim milk, light cream and Kraft even labelled it as diary free. However, the ingredient “Sodium caseinate” was used in it, this may be in little quantity but it means the product was not entirely vegan or diary free.
Recently, changes have been made in the ingredients for cool whip, the ingredients like skim milk, light cream and even sodium caseinate have been added. These ingredients in cool whip has prevented the product from being referred to as a vegan product or diary free food. Also, the manufacturer has cancelled all claims of cool whip being diary free.
Apart from the milk and cream that is used in making cool whip, most vegans do (especially those who are going through the journey for their weight loss) not consume the product because of the calorie content. Cool whip has 25 calories per serving, in fact, it has 15 more calories than the normal whipped cream. Other nutritional information that may also support not consuming cool whip by vegans are:
- 2% sugar
- 8% saturated fat
- 1% carbohydrate
These nutrients are not really good for weight loss.
ARE THERE OTHER VEGAN ALTERNATIVES TO COOL WHIP
Because of vegans and those with diary intolerance, many manufacturers of whipped cream have come up with ideas of making alternative options. This means that vegans do not have to miss having delicious desserts with whipped cream. Not just one brand, but many brands are incorporating non milk and diary ingredients in their products. Some of the alternatives are:
1. Soyatoo Soy Whip: You may think that these vegan products will lack that sweet taste, creamy and rich texture; this is not the case with Soyatoo Soy Whip. It comes in a carton or pressurized can unlike cool whip that comes in a cup or bowl. This brand is lactose free, gluten free and has no diary too, apart from these things, it is also organic. Soyatoo Soy Whip is your perfect choice for baking cakes, pies, mousses and sundaes. You can add it to your hot drinks like chocolate or coffee to enjoy the sweet, creamy taste.
2. So Delicious CocoWhip: If you are looking for a whip that is somehow to cool whip, that is So Delicious CocoWhip but the difference is apart from the diary and lactose qualities is that while cool whip can easily melt when it is used in or placed on warm desserts, CocoWhip does not.
So Delicious CocoWhip has coconut milk as one of its ingredients, this does not make it have a strong coconut flavor, rather it tastes like vanilla. It has a thick and creamy texture with a sweet taste and can be prefect for dessert toppings. It can stay in the refrigerator for about a week as it can easily change to mild and light fluffy whipped cream. So Delicious Cocowhip is certified vegan by Vegan Action.
3. Silk Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream: Alternative for those on weight loss and also vegan, this is the best option. Not only is this product diary free, it is also gluten-free, carb-free, and sugar-free. People who avoid soy can also go for it because it is made without soy.
The absence of sugar makes it to have a neutral taste, you can add powdered sugar to any other flavor essence if you want to use it as toppings. Some go for is also gluten-free, carb-free, and sugar-free as it allows them to put the right quantity of sugar they want. This product comes in a liquid form which means it can be used in coffee, smoothie and hot chocolate.
4. Gay Lea Real Coconut Whipped Cream: This is perfect for people avoiding soy in their diet because it has no soy in it. It has a delicious taste and contains no diary products. Gay Lea Real Coconut Whipped Cream is certified vegan by Vegan Action and is also certified Non-GMO. You can keep this product in the refrigerator for a long time as it has a long shelf life.
5. Truwhip Vegan Whipped Topping: Truwhip Vegan Whipped Topping has varieties of products, so be sure to check if it is labelled as vegan before using. The vegan product contains no artificial color, no fructose corn syrup and it is certified as non-GMO.
CAN YOU MAKE VEGAN COOL WHIP
If you are not too sure of getting 100% vegan whipped cream, you can make yours at home. This way, you are mindful of the ingredients you are using and you can also source for organic products too.
To make a vegan, sweet and creamy whipped cream, you should follow these steps:
- Refrigerate an unopened can of coconut cream overnight
- Open the can carefully without shaking it.
- Scoop out the quantity of thick coconut cream you will need into a bowl. Make sure you scoop from the top and leave water behind in the can.
- Whip the cream slowly with a blender or a mixer until you have a light, thick, and fluffy consistency. Be sure it looks like a real whipped cream.
- If you want your cream to have a sweet taste and any flavor, you can add powdered sugar and vanilla essence to the bowl.
- Blend or mix thoroughly till every part has been worked on.
- Pour in a container, cover and store in the refrigerator for at least a week.
Your creamy, thick and delicious whipped cream is ready. This process takes at least 30 minutes and the ingredients are just very few.
CONCLUSION
Being a vegan does not mean you have to let go for awesome foods like whipped cream. Cool whip is considered the best topping cream because if it’s numerous bonuses like long shelf life, creamier texture, delicious taste and versatility.
But, cool whip contains ingredients like skim milk, light cream and sodium caseinate which are all diary products. In order not to miss out on the amazing taste and uses of whipped cream, there are many manufacturers that produced vegan whipped creams. They can be easily seen in supermarkets. You can also make your whipped cream at home if you follow the steps we outlined. You are a vegan but you should have access to good foods too.