Is Cool Whip Vegan?
Wondering if your favorite dessert topping is vegan-friendly? Unfortunately, all Cool Whip products contain dairy ingredients. They also contain other tricky ingredients you should know about. Keep reading to discover which non-vegan ingredients to watch out for in your next go-to whipped topping!
What Is Cool Whip?
You may have thought this product was vegan because it's often considered an "imitation whipped cream". However, this does not mean it's non-dairy. It simply means it doesn't require whipping, and will hold its airy texture and creamy taste throughout its shelf life.
Cool Whip is often used as a dessert topping, or mixed into melted chocolate or other melted sweets to give them a mousse-like texture. Many also like to place a dollop of Cool Whip over their hot chocolate, as a whipped cream substitute.
Main Ingredients In Cool Whip
Let's take a closer look at the ingredients in Cool Whip and see which qualify as vegan-friendly, not so vegan, or totally non-vegan!
High-Fructose Corn Syrup
High-fructose corn syrup is not derived from animals, and does not have a direct negative effect on non-human animals. However, if you believe that veganism should extend to humans, you may argue that this ingredient is harmful to our health, and its consumption should not be encouraged within the vegan community.
This highly-processed sweetener is made of corn starch, which is broken down into glucose and later fructose, through an enzymatic process.
When consumed in excess, HFCS has been associated with insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and even Type 2 diabetes. The only organ that can process fructose is our liver, where it triggers extra production of fat and cholesterol, and can even lead to liver failure. HFCS has also been shown to increase our appetites, motivating us to eat even more processed foods produced with this harmful sweetener.
If you come across a whipped topping made with high-fructose corn syrup, we'd suggest opting for a healthier pick if possible!
Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
Another not-so-healthy ingredient, hydrogenated palm oil is both harmful to human health and to animals. In fact, palm oil production is a major cause of deforestation and habitat loss.
We'd also like to point out that palm oil on its own is very high in saturated fat. However, in its hydrogenated form, it's even worse for our health. Hydrogenated oils contain trans fats, and although the label on Cool Whip lists 0g of trans fats, this only applies to a 2 tbsp. serving.
A loophole many companies who produce foods with trans fats use is to make the serving size small enough so that they can legally list zero grams on the label. However, if we were to increase this serving size to a more realistic portion (let's face it; few people stop at just two spoonfuls), it could quickly translate into an unhealthy amount of trans fats. Trans fats can raise our LDL (bad) cholesterol, increasing our risk of heart disease.
So, while we don't know if this is the case or if Kraft has found a way to remove all trans fats from their Cool Whip, we certainly wouldn't recommend risking it.
Light Cream
This is the first totally non-vegan ingredient on the list, however it's a significant one. Cream is derived directly from dairy production, promoting the abuse that animals suffer within this industry. If you're already vegan, we doubt it's necessary to go into details about how these animals are exploited, however we will simply point out that cows in the dairy industry are still sent to slaughter after experiencing very short, painful, and unfulfilling lives.
In addition to this cruelty, even 'light' cream contains harmful amounts of fat and dietary cholesterol, which again, are likely not reflected on the Cool Whip label due to the tiny and unrealistic serving size.
Sodium Caseinate
Sodium caseinate is also derived from a dairy protein called casein, making it unsuitable for vegans. This is one to watch out for even in seemingly non-dairy products, including 'non-dairy' whipped toppings or plant-based whipped toppings. In fact, some vegan organizations consider this product 'vegan-friendly' because it contains no animal ingredients in the final product. However, it is still animal-derived, meaning its production supports the animal agriculture industry.
Powdered Sugar
Mainly in the US, refined sugar may be processed using animal bone char. So, while the powdered sugar used in Cool Whip or any other whipped topping for desserts may not be vegan if it was purchased in the US, those in Canada or Europe can be sure this ingredient is vegan.
Is Kraft Cool Whip Vegan?
So, is Cool Whip vegan? No, Cool Whip is not vegan-friendly as it contains dairy-derived ingredients, as well as several potentially non-vegan ingredients. If you want to indulge in a vegan version of this dessert topping, you can go for one of the dairy-free alternatives listed below! These are often made of full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream blended with cane sugar to replicate the fluffy texture produced by heavy whipping cream.
Is Lite Cool Whip Vegan?
Sadly, Kraft's Lite Cool Whip is not a great topping for your vegan treats, either. It's made with hydrogenated palm oil, sodium caseinate, and even natural flavors, which can include non-vegan ingredients. Overall, it's also an ultra-processed food, made with almost no natural ingredients. This makes it a poor choice for our health, as well.
Vegan Alternatives to Cool Whip
Ready to find some dairy-free whipped creams to dollop over your vegan ice cream and hot chocolate? Keep reading to discover the best whipped toppings made with zero dairy ingredients!
Reddi Wip Non-Dairy
The vegan community was thrilled to learn that Reddi Wip would be coming out with not one, but two non-dairy whipped toppings! Both are totally vegan-friendly, made with plant-based ingredients like coconut and almonds. Their Coconut variety does have a bit of a coconut flavor, so if you prefer a more neutral taste, you can always go for Almond Non-Dairy Reddi Wip! Both are delectably creamy, light, and fluffy, so simply choose the base flavor you prefer, and use it to take your vegan desserts to the next level!
Shop On:
Truwhip Vegan
You will not believe this plant-based whipped topping contains zero dairy-derived ingredients! It's unbelievably creamy, non-GMO, and is free from artificial colors and flavors. Truwhip Vegan is also made with mostly natural ingredients and real cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup.
That said, it does contain palm oil, so keep this in mind. Still, it has been Vegan Certified by Vegan Action as it does not contain any directly non-vegan ingredients.
Shop On:
Native Forest Coconut Cream
Another option is to purchase coconut cream and powdered cane sugar, and mix them together at a high speed with an electric hand mixer for a few minutes! This will result in a creamy, airy whipped topping that is also much healthier and less processed than any store-bought option.
Shop On:
Ultimately, there are many ways to enjoy this delicious, sweet dessert topping. Try one of these methods today and let us know what you think. Thanks for reading!
