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Whipped Cream Technique (dairy-free)

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vegan Whipped Cream served in a mason jar with a stainless steel strawI love the simple things in life… and Homemade Whipped Cream is one of those things.   I have a list of “my most powerful kitchen tools” (blender. food processor, spiralizer, dehydrator…)

The ISI Whipped Cream Dispenser may be late to getting on my list, but it now has earned a permanent place.  You can make whipped cream by hand with a hand mixer but with one of these dispensers you can create five times the volume of the ingredients that go into the canister.

How does it work?

For the unit to create whipped cream, you will require a charger, which is made of pure N2O (Nitrous Oxide) gas which is odorless and tasteless.  It’s totally food-safe, and it’s what you find in aerosol cans of whipped topping.

N2O is extremely soluble in fatty compounds; it is dissolved in the fatty cream until it leaves the canister. Therefore the whipped cream only becomes a solid or foam when you press the lever. A whipped cream dispenser needs to be shaken after the cartridge is inserted so that the gas can bind with the fats in the cream.

Simple Recipe

To create the whipped cream in the photo to the right, I combined one can of chilled  Full-fat coconut milk and one dropper full of NuNatural liquid stevia in the blender. Once creamy, I poured it into my ISI Whipped Cream Dispenser, shook it, and I was ready to go.  You can use other liquid sweeteners, add extracts such as vanilla, and a drop of your favorite essential oil. Another option is my Raw Cashew Whip Cream recipe.

Why does the nozzle keep clogging?

When adding the ingredients into the whipping cream dispenser, make sure they are lump-free and smooth. This will prevent clogging.  If you are unsure, you can always put the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer before pouring it into the canister. I have found that not ALL canned full-fat coconut milk works. Some get too lumpy when chilled.

How much will it make?

I can only speak for the ISI brand, others may differ, but for a 1 pint of ingredients, you need one charger.  That one charger will turn 1 pint of “cream” liquid into roughly 4-5 pints of whipped cream!   Once the chargers are empty, you can recycle them along with other household metals. Another good thing is that the Chargers never expire so you can keep them handy in the pantry.

How long will it last (expiration date)?

The “cream”  that is stored in the canister will stay fresh for as long as the shelf life of your “cream” was before adding it.   Depending on the ingredients used that can be up to 14 days. In reality, it gets used far too quickly so I really can’t speak beyond a few days. :)

Can I use low-fat ingredients? (cream, milk, coconut milk)

In my experience, low-fat doesn’t work well… so I am going to blunt and just say, “No”  The whipping cream must have a minimum fat content of 28% to produce whipped cream with a dispenser. I tried to use fresh Young Thai Coconut meat, blending it to a cream, but with this unit but it didn’t work. When I pressed the nozzle, it came out in a liquid state and looked as though it had separated.  Perhaps more experimenting is required.  A stabilizer seems to be required. Below I started a list of canned coconut milk that I have tested and noted whether it worked or not. The ones with guar gum work. You can start reading about guar gum (here).

Wish to Sweeten the Whip Cream?

Wait to add the sweetener until after you have whipped the coconut milk and know what the consistency is of your cream. If the cream is really soft, adding a liquid sweetener might thin it down even more. So in this case, you will want to use sugar that has been powdered. If the texture is thick and waxy, a liquid sweetener will help to smooth it out.

Sugar-Free Options

Standard Sweeteners

Flavoring Ideas

Where can I get one of these?

 

20 thoughts on “Whipped Cream Technique (dairy-free)

  1. chiaramente says:

    Hi,

    I did not find the instructions, ingredients and quantities!

  2. Daniela says:

    Hi Amie-Sue,
    As I got tired buying the coconut whipped cream ready made I got an ISI canister and I am so proud! Now, I know when I used to make the whipped cream from coconut milk I would keep it in the fridge overnight and use only the solid part for the regular mixer. In this canister do I use the whole canister of coconut milk (without keeping it in the fridge to separate)? I could not find instructions for coconut milk for the ISI whipper…Please let me know,
    Thank you,
    Daniela

    • amie-sue says:

      Good morning Daniela,

      When I use the canned coconut milk, I chill it but only for the purpose of it being nice and cold. I then dump the contents in the blender (solid and liquid parts), add a little sweetener of choice (use liquid form only), a pinch of sea salt and then blend it together. You can add a dash of vanilla too, I have used different flavorings when goofing around. :) Then pour it into the canister.

      If you coconut milk is at room temp, that is ok too… just mix everything together in a bowl and pour in. I use the blender above if it is chilled to work out any lumps.

      Be sure to only use full-fat coconut milk too.

      I hope this helps and hope to hear how it goes! Blessings and happy whipping! hehe amie sue

  3. Daniela says:

    That was quick :) I will definitley mix things in it for flavourings (thanks for the tip). I am having fun already ;)

    Love,
    Daniela

    • amie-sue says:

      That is why I am here Daniela… to answer your questions as soon as possible and today I just so happen to be “johny on the spot” available. hehe Enjoy … ooooh. also remember to slowly press the trigger when squirting your whip cream on your treat. If you do it to fast, air will sputter out. :)

      • Daniela says:

        Hello Amie-Sue,
        So, finally I was trying out the coconut whipping cream made out from the same coconut milk you used ( I got few other types to try it out. Miked with some vanilla and maple syrup and was delicious, right after I made it but as I did not use the whole content of the can at once I put it in the fridge. The next day nothing would come out… is that because the coconut milk solidified in the canister? Not sure if it is the whipper or I did something wrong in the process. Any idea? Thank you, Daniela.

        • amie-sue says:

          Good morning Daniela,

          Please tell me the exact recipe that you created when making the “cream” to put in the ISI canister. Also what was the volume amount you made? Did you shake it well before you went to use it? Let’s start there. I need more information. amie sue

          • Daniela says:

            I used o can of coconut milk (this one: Native Forest – Coconut Milk Classic Organic Unsweetened) and maple syrup after by taste (I would say a tablespoon) and few drops of vanilla extract. I blend it in the blender until it became homogenous and pour it in the canister. I have a the ISI Easy Whipper that takes 0.5l. It woreked fine right after I made it… but kept in the fridge it just did not work the next day…

            • amie-sue says:

              All sounds good ingredient wise, but did you shake before use?

              • Daniela says:

                Yes, I did… so maybe is the canister? thinking that maybe lost the gas somehow…

                • amie-sue says:

                  When you press on the canister lever do you hear gas coming out? If so, does it sound strong (full force) or weak (and sputtering)?

                  • Daniela says:

                    It comes out some gas… but very weak… and comes some thick liquid…same as the one I poured… which makes me think that the canister loses gas. It might be because the way I close the cap. So it looks like it is a technical problem and not the mixture. But you say that it is okay for coconut milk to be in the fridge one the N2O has been released in the canister? If that, the only thing I can see is the canister so I might go and exchange it….

                    • amie-sue says:

                      It sounds like the gas leaked out and there isn’t enough in there. Please clarify what you said here, “But you say that it is okay for coconut milk to be in the fridge one the N2O has been released in the canister?”

                      You also said, ” It might be because the way I close the cap” please explain how you close it.

                      Please give me a link to the model that you have.

                      When I use my canister, I charge it with the gas and leave the cartridge on the unit and place in the fridge. I know you can take it off and cap it but I never do.

  4. wendyhodsdon says:

    I tried making coconut milk whipped cream today and the mixture separated. I thought it might not be cold enough – so I took it out of the canister, and remixed them, cooled the mixture and it separated again. I was using Native Forest brand without Guar Gum – which may have contributed to the problem. I am thinking about trying so delicious culinary coconut milk in the carton. Hoping that will work better. Suggestions? Do I need to add lecithin if I don’t have a can with guar gum? Thanks – Wendy

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Wendy,

      Can you please share with me the recipe that you used in making your whipped cream? You said that it separated… this was witnessed as it was coming out of the spray canister? What did it look like? I am a little confused about this because it sounds like you are mixing something in a bowl to witness the separation. Please share more details with me so I can better help. Blessings, amie sue

  5. Daniela says:

    I thought maybe I did not screw the cap properly and that is why it released the gas, but double checked and it is okay. Then, the model I have does not allow for keeping the gas canister on. Here is the model I have: https://www.isi.com/en/culinary/products/isi-whipper/easy-whip-plus-mini/ (only mine is 0.5l instead of 0.25l).
    As about the question on milk in the fridge (in canister), I thought maybe because is coconut milk and solidifies in the fridge, that was the reason that it solidified and did not work. But then thinking of the physics behind….mixed with the N2O will not be the same… so by eliminating all the other reasons, it should be the canister…:)

    • amie-sue says:

      Good morning Daniela,

      Thanks for the link to the one you have. I don’t have experience with that one but I don’t see why it would make that big of a difference. If you end up getting the one like mine or just another model in general, keep me posted how it goes. I will add to this posting on how I make the whip from the canned coconut milk. This posting is more about teaching the technique and I provided a recipe on creating a raw version out of the cashews. And sorry that this comments are getting so squished as we keep replying under each other. I am going to see if I can get that fixed. Normally don’t have this many comments in one thread. hehe Blessings, amie sue

  6. wendyhodsdon says:

    Hello Amie Sue – I used the coconut milk from the can, added a Tablespoon of honey, a little vanilla, blended it, put it in the isi whipper. When I was dispensing it in a little bowl, the whipped cream has very large bubbles that pop into a liquid and a solid or fatty layer. The taste is okay – because sweetened coconut milk tastes fine. The fat seems to have a texture and doesn’t keep it in a foamy state. I am wondering if it needed an emulsifier. When I did it with the culinary coconut milk – it works – but it is so thick in the fridge that it doesn’t come out easily. It is nice and foamy.

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Wendy,

      Did you blend the coconut milk, sweetener, and vanilla together in the blender or are you using a bowl. I am not 100% sure that would make a difference but I always mix in a blender, then pour into the canister. Also, make sure that you are shaking it well before each use, make sure the gas is coming out strong, and lastly… press the lever slowly as it starts to come out. If it spits and sputters, hold it upside down and shake again.

      You can try another brand of full-fat coconut milk and see if you get results. amie sue

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