Almost every vegan whipped cream recipe you’ll find online is American, and almost all of them say the same thing: chill a can of coconut cream overnight and whip the solid part. It works. It also tastes like coconut, which is a problem when the dessert underneath doesn’t.
Australian shelves have more options than that now, and a few of them whip better than coconut does. Here’s what you can buy here, what it costs, and which ones are worth it.
Why plant cream is harder to whip
Dairy cream whips because it’s full of fat globules that link up around air bubbles and hold them there. The fat is the structure. Below about 35% there isn’t enough of it, which is why light cream never works.
Plant creams have to build that structure from somewhere else. Most of the commercial ones use coconut oil, sunflower or canola oil, with emulsifiers and stabilisers doing the job dairy fat does on its own. That’s why a carton of oat milk won’t whip and a carton of oat cream sometimes will. The difference is what’s been added.
It also means the label matters more than it does with dairy. “Plant-based cream” covers products that whip beautifully and products that never will.
A note on lactose-free
Lactose-free cream is not vegan. It’s ordinary cow’s cream with the lactose broken down, so it whips exactly like normal cream and is the easy answer for lactose intolerance, not a dairy allergy. If that’s who you’re cooking for, our guide to lactose-free whipped cream is the one you want. Everything below is plant-based.
What’s on Australian shelves
| Product | Base | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Oatly Whippable Creamy Oat | Oat | from $4.00 |
| Nature’s Charm Oat Whipping Cream | Oat | from $5.75 |
| Nature’s Charm Coconut Whipping Cream | Coconut | from $5.90 |
| Flora Thickened Plant Cream | Plant oil blend | $3.95 to $7.95 |
| Vegan Life Whipping Cream | Non-coconut | from $6.50 |
| Schlagfix Vegan Spray Cream, 200ml | Ready-to-spray | $6.50 to $7.63 |
| Honest to Goodness Organic Coconut Whipping Cream | Coconut | from $8.95 |
The purpose-made whipping creams are the ones to buy. A product with “whipping” on the label has been formulated to hold air — a generic plant cream has not, and no technique rescues it.
The coconut method
Still the cheapest route, and the one that works with a tin from any supermarket.
- Buy full-fat coconut cream, not coconut milk, and not the light version. Check that the fat is high and the ingredient list is short.
- Chill the tin overnight, at the back of the fridge where it’s coldest. Ten hours is the minimum and longer is better.
- Open it without shaking. The solid cream has set on top and the watery liquid is underneath.
- Scoop the solid part into a chilled bowl and leave the liquid behind. Save it for a curry.
- Whip it cold, with icing sugar and vanilla to taste. It comes together fast.
Two things go wrong. If the tin didn’t separate, it was either too warm or an emulsified brand that won’t split — different brand next time. And if it turns grainy, it’s over-whipped, which coconut does sooner than dairy.
The coconut flavour is the real limitation. On a chocolate tart or a mango dessert it’s an asset. On a plain scone it’s a distraction, which is why people search specifically for a no-coconut version.
Making it in a dispenser
Most guides stop at the bowl, and the bowl is where plant cream is at its most frustrating.
A whisk has to force air into a liquid that doesn’t want to hold it. In a dispenser, the cream charger dissolves nitrous oxide into the fat under pressure and the foam forms as the gas expands on the way out. The gas does work the fat structure would otherwise have to do, which is why a plant cream that won’t hold peaks in a bowl will often still foam from a nozzle. It won’t hold as long as dairy once it’s out, so dispense it close to serving.
The method is the same as dairy. Fill to the line, one 8g charger per 500ml, shake four or five times, and keep it cold. Give plant cream longer in the fridge than you would dairy before you charge it.
It also answers the question people actually ask — where to buy vegan squirty cream. Schlagfix’s spray can is about the only ready-made one you’ll come across, at roughly $7 for 200ml, and it isn’t in the big supermarkets. A dispenser and a carton of oat whipping cream gets you the same thing for less, in whatever quantity you want, without hunting for it.
Getting it to hold
Plant creams soften faster than dairy, and coconut is the worst of them in heat, because coconut oil starts going soft around room temperature.
Gelatine is out, so the usual vegan swap is agar, though cornflour is easier to handle and more forgiving if you’re not measuring carefully. Agar has to be dissolved in hot liquid and cooled before it goes anywhere near the cream, which takes planning. Our guide to stabilising whipped cream works through the dairy methods and how each one behaves, and the principles carry across.
If the cream refuses to thicken at all, that’s usually the product you’ve bought. Our guide to cream that won’t whip covers the dairy-side causes, most of which apply here too.
Frequently asked questions
What is vegan whipped cream made of?
A plant oil doing the job dairy fat does, held together with emulsifiers. Homemade versions are typically the solid part of a chilled tin of coconut cream.
Which plant cream whips best?
One sold specifically as a whipping cream. Oat-based whipping creams hold well and taste neutral, which makes them the most versatile. Coconut whips reliably but brings its flavour with it.
Is there a vegan whipped cream that isn’t coconut?
Yes. Oat whipping creams and several plant-oil blends are coconut-free, and at least one Australian brand markets itself on exactly that. Read the ingredients, because plenty of products labelled plant-based are coconut oil underneath.
Can you use a cream charger with vegan cream?
Yes, and it often works better than a whisk does. Use a plant cream sold for whipping, keep it very cold, and charge it the same way you would dairy.
Is lactose-free cream vegan?
No. It’s still cow’s cream, just with the lactose broken down so it’s easier to digest. It’s the right choice for lactose intolerance and the wrong one for anyone avoiding dairy.
Get chargers delivered across Melbourne
We deliver food-grade cream chargers and dispensers across Melbourne: 10 to 15 minutes in the CBD, around 30 minutes to the suburbs, including late nights and weekends. If you’re buying your first one, our guide to choosing a whipped cream dispenser covers sizes and materials. Pay by cash, card or PAYID. All sales are 18+ for culinary use.
