This is a relatively simple recipe to create your own copycat cool whip style topping in a pinch. This delicious do it yourself recipe can be used in place of its store-bought counterpart in your favorite recipes.
Cool Whip Original is made of water, hydrogenated vegetable oil (including coconut and palm kernel oils), high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, skimmed milk, light cream (less than 2%), sodium caseinate, natural and artificial flavor, xanthan, and guar gums (for thickening), polysorbate 60, sorbitan monostearate, sodium polyphosphate, and beta carotene (as a coloring).
Our version is quite simplified, made of gelatin, milk, sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla. Cool whip is a topping, but if you’re looking for a more natural option with fewer ingredients, you’ll love our stabilized whipped cream recipe.
How to Make Homemade Cool Whip from Scratch
Chill a small mixing bowl. In a small bowl, Soften gelatin with 2 teaspoons cold water, then add boiling water, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved.
Allow cooling for about three minutes. Place ice water and dry milk in the chilled bowl. Beat at high speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, still beating, then the coconut oil and gelatin.
Finally, add the vanilla. If you want your cool whip to be creamy white, use clear vanilla extract. Otherwise, it will have an off-white color. Place the bowl in the freezer for about 15 minutes then transfer to the refrigerator until ready for use. Stir gently before using to retain creamy texture. Makes 2-3 cups.
Chef Hints you don’t want to Miss:
Definitely chill the bowls and whisk before making the recipe. This will cut your beating time in half. It takes a LONG time to get Stiff peaks using Nonfat dry milk. Next, USE Nonfat Dry milk. The full-fat version does NOT work.
Copycat Cool Whip Recipe
You’ll Need:
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
Two teaspoons cold water
3 tablespoons boiling water
1/2 cup ice water
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk (with 1/8 tsp guar gum mixed in) Guar gum is optional
4 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons oil (I used coconut)
1 tsp vanilla (you should use clear vanilla if you don’t want your topping to be tinted light brown!)
Makes about 3 cups
- Chill a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, soften gelatin with 2 teaspoons cold water, then add boiling water, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Allow cooling for 2-3 minutes.
- Place ice water and dry milk in the chilled bowl. Beat at high speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
- Add sugar- 1 tablespoon at a time, still beating, then oil and gelatin. Fold in the vanilla extract.
- Place in freezer for about 15 minutes then transfer to the refrigerator until ready for use.
- Stir before using to retain creamy texture. Makes 2-3 cups.
Chef Hints you don’t want to Miss:
You can substitute Splenda for the Sugar if you want to make a no-sugar version.
**Update** Although this goes in the freezer for the first 15 minutes or so- it becomes a very, light, fluffy topping. If, however, you freeze it for extended periods of time, the fluffiness goes away and it takes on a soupier texture.
As my husband says, It tastes like Cool Whip but doesn’t feel “extra creamy” like cool whip.
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i know you can store cool whip in the freezer for an extended time. can you do that for this as well, or does it need to be used immediately?
You can freeze it, but it changes the texture and it needs to be thawed in the fridge, without disturbing, much like the original store bought product. You cannot nuke it or leave it out on the counter.
for my dad’s birthday, he always wanted a cherry chip cake with homemade whipped cream for the icing. the homemade stuff is sooo much better than store-bought, that is 100% for sure!
my husband loves cool whip i am so going to try this
sound so good and easy got to try it
I have one even easier than this. Ice cold whipping cream and powdered sugar to taste. That’s it.
Chill bowl, pour in the cream and a little powdered sugar and mix with a electric mixer and whisk by hand. Light, fluffy and delish!
what i meant was, mix with an electric mixer, or, by hand with a wisk.
I too was wondering why one would bother with all of those ingredients. I just use heavy whipping cream, the only differences are I use a little vanilla or almond flavoring and Truvia instead of sugar.
Here in NZ our cream is very rich in fats, and many people can not have it anymore.. This recipe is brilliant for those wanting to lose weight or can not have fats.. many that have their gallbladder out get ill in some way or another after eating whipped cream from NZ, this has solved my catering problem..
I wonder if subbing a TBLS of butter or cream for all of the oil would give it that extra creaminess? I do have recipes calling for cool whip but did not know I could make it at home. Another project for this weekend…