They say the best inventions are born out of necessity!
And Stabilized Vegan Whipped Cream is so necessary!
But wait! I thought vegan whipped cream was more stable than cow cream from our past lives!??
While that is true of some vegan whipped creams but more recently I learned not all whipped creams!
Since I can only find Country Crock Vegan Whipping Cream near me where I live I have had to come up with a workaround so it is usable in all of my recipes!
That workaround is this new recipe for Agar Stabilizer for Vegan Whipping Creams!
New vegan products have been hitting the market for many years now but over the last year there seems to be an explosion and a serious race to get new products out!
This is great news for veganism, but also bad because what I have learned in my recent experience with testing all the vegan whipped creams, that this race doesn’t always mean great quality products!
For example my Chocolate Cream Pie Cake where I used Country Crock Whipping Cream for the first time.
Taste was great, whipped up like a charm but the stability as a filling inside my multi layered cake was a total fail!
And don’t even get me started about Califia Farms! I’ll never buy that brand again!
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE ABOUT COMPARING ALL THE VEGAN WHIPPED CREAMS!
*not sponsored by any brands mentioned in this article!
Notes for Success:
The one main thing I have to point out especially if you did not watch my video for Comparing all the Vegan Whipped Creams is that not all vegan whipping creams need stabilizer!
I had always been a fan of SILK brand but can no longer get that where I live, and SILK does not need stabilizer!
My homemade recipe for Vegan Whipped Cream also does not need stabilizer!
Cans of coconut milk used for making vegan whipped cream do not need stabilizer!
So be sure your favorite brand or recipe for whipped cream actually needs this agar addition before proceeding and the only way to do that is to test your whipped cream ahead of time!
Pay attention to the strength of agar you are using in comparison to the one that author of the recipe is using, I typically use 900 strength in my recipes SPECIFICALLY THIS BRAND BY Landor Trading Co *not sponsored
The recipe below makes a BULK portion that you can store in your refrigerator for months until you need to use it
Each portion will be the perfect amount to remelt and use to stabilize 2 cups of liquid whipping cream
For a single recipe to whip 2 cups of liquid whipping cream simply divide the finished bulk stabilizer rubbery disc by 4 OR make a single batch of ¾ teaspoon agar : 3 Tablespoons water
In the video I mention that a high speed mixer with a whip attachment is crucial to the success of this stabilizer mixing in properly. What I mean by that is something that has the power similar to my Kitchen Aid stand mixer *not sponsored
WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO WHERE I SHOW YOU HOW TO MAKE THIS
Bulk Stabilizer for Vegan Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- Powdered Agar 3 teaspoons
- Water 12 Tablespoons
Instructions
- In a small sauce pot combine the powdered agar and warm water and whisk to dissolve the agar
- Over high heat stirring often bring the solution up to a rolling boil and allow to boil for 20 seconds while whisking constantly
- Pour this solution into a heat proof glass or bowl and allow to set to cold and firm
- It will feel like a very firm rubbery disc once it is set
- Unmold it from the vessel you have used and then cut it into 4 equal portions
- Store in a ziploc bag or clean container in the refrigerator until needed
- Once you need to stabilize 2 cups of liquid cream, you will melt 1 portion of the agar stabilizer (which is equal to ¾ teaspoon of powder agar and 3 Tablespoons of water) using a small saucepot or the microwave to melt it and then add it HOT to the high speed whipping cream just after it comes to the peaks you desire. I usually whip to medium firm peaks and then add the agar stabilizer to it and whip for another 30 seconds
- *Be sure you are using a high speed whip attachment for this or you may get chunks of agar in your cream since agar will set immediately upon touching cold ingredients
Notes
Bulk stabilizer will stay fresh for up to 3 months in the refrigerator. I place mine in a ziploc bag and store in the back of the refrigerator for when I need it in a moments notice
Sheila A.
Couple of questions…
First, how do you know if you have a high speed whisk attachment? I have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer with a whisk attachment and I have a handheld Kitchen Aid mixer with a whisk attachment. Will either or one of them work?
Second, you’ve had luck with Silk? I have bought it twice and both times I couldn’t get it to whip at all. I gave up on it. I did just see some at a local grocery store the other day so maybe I’ll give it another chance.
Gretchen
The high sped power of a Kitchen Aid STAND mixer is unmatched, so yes this is what I mean when I say that (I will update this post to make it more clear~ thank you for pointing that out)
I have had great success with SILK brand but cannot get it near me anymore. All of my local stores that carried it have all now switched to Country Crock.
The SILK did not need anything! It was so stable and would get more stable upon refrigeration!
Heather Dolmage
Is this recipe Gluten free and Nut free?
Gretchen
yes
Corina
Hello 👋🏿 how much do I add if I just need one cup of whipped cream ?
Or how exactly do I break down the math when the recipe calls for gelatin and I want to substitute for agar ? Thank you for this recipe !
Gretchen
Hi I’m not sure what recipe you are looking at that calls for gelatine so it’s not easy for me to answer that~ however here is more information on AGAR in general
Perhaps I have been unclear in my instruction here, but I write:: For a single recipe to whip 2 cups of liquid whipping cream simply divide the finished bulk stabilizer rubbery disc by 4 OR make a single batch of ¾ teaspoon agar : 3 Tablespoons water
For 1 cup of whipping cream it will be 1/3 teaspoon agar : 1½Tb water which is a difficult amount to boil it will probably disintegrate and evaporate into nothing making it really hard to mix into 1 cup of cream.
Which is why I advise to make the BULK recipe which will give you 4 applications (of 2 cups whipped cream each time you are whipping the cream)
Sorry for the confusion but it really just makes things easier in the long run
Jane
Hi, have you ever tried powdered modified corn/food starch? I had some years ago and it worked perfectly just by sprinkling the powder into the cream. But I haven’t been able to find it recently.
Gretchen
I have not tried that in Whipped Cream but it’s a great idea! I’m going to pick some up since that ingredient is a blast from my past! We used to use it in so many things! here is a link in case you want to grab it CLEAR JEL
I remember using it in my earliest videos and no one could get it or had ever heard of it since it (was) primarily a commercial ingredient
aaron
test out instant pudding mix as well!
Lina
I’m loving your recipes! What cream did you use ? Can I just use regular coconut milk ? And if I’m using the full recipe ? How many cups of milk would I use ?
Gretchen
Hello, thankyou! In the video I explained that I was using Country Crock since that is the only one I can get near me nowadays. In the past I was able to get SILK brand which I prefer 100X more, but cannot get it anymore.
That said coconut milk will not whip, but COCONUT FAT will CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE INFO ABOUT VEGAN WHIPPED CREAM
That said COCONUT FAT does NOT NEED stabilizer since it gets very thick on it’s own
However is step #7 in the recipe it says::
Once you need to stabilize 2 cups of liquid cream, you will melt 1 portion of the agar stabilizer (which is equal to ¾ teaspoon of powder agar and 3 Tablespoons of water) using a small saucepot or the microwave to melt it and then add it HOT to the high speed whipping cream just after it comes to the peaks you desire. I usually whip to medium firm peaks and then add the agar stabilizer to it and whip for another 30 seconds
I think the video explanation does a great job of clarifying all of this information
Sofia
Hello,
I can’t believe how thick the cream turns out!
I’ve seen that xantham gum can be used as a substitute for agar agar. Do you think xantham gum powder would work here?
Gretchen
Yes I use xantham in my Homemade Recipe CLICK HERE
Ellen O
Would this stabilizer would work for a Vegan Ermine Frosting?
Ellen O
I bake my daughter’s birthday cakes due to many severe food allergies. She loves the Ermine frosting but it’s very heat sensitive. We do 1/2 vegan sticks and 1/2 shortening (Crsico without trans fats since we’re in California). I usually have to keep the cake in the fridge until it’s time to serve. And even then, it’s melting by the time people start eating.
Gretchen
Yes it’s true it is the most fragile Buttercream recipe
Gretchen
I think it would work! Could be added hot to the custard
Ellen
That’s great news! I will try it for my daughter’s birthday party this Saturday. Can you tell me how much I should use for recipe that would yield enough for one 8-9” cake with 2-3 layers?
Gretchen
SO I see the recipe (without the video tutorial) can seem confusing since I make a bulk recipe.
But if you read step 7 it says: Once you need to stabilize 2 cups of liquid cream, you will melt 1 portion of the agar stabilizer (which is equal to ¾ teaspoon of powder agar and 3 Tablespoons of water) using a small saucepot or the microwave to melt it and then add it HOT to the high speed whipping cream just after it comes to the peaks you desire. I usually whip to medium firm peaks and then add the agar stabilizer to it and whip for another 30 seconds
That 2 cups of liquid cream should be enough (once whipped) to cover a 3 layer 8 or 9 inch cake
Ellen
Would this amount be the same for vegan Ermine frosting? I wasn’t sure if it would be the same as they yield the same prepared amount or if I’d need to adjust for the different ingredients and process.
Gretchen
Since I have not tried it in Ermine icing I would be guessing the same as you. I would probably start with a full teaspoon of agar added to the custard
Carly Butler
In the video you mentioned stabilizing I think the country crock with chocolate, would vegan white chocolate also work and how had you gone about it ? I’m making a vegan gf Swedish princess cake and want to insure the whip cream can hold up
Gretchen
So I add cooled ganache to my whipped cream for an instant chocolate whipped. You can do the same thing with white chocolate! Just add about 1/2-1/2 cup COOLED white choco ganache to the whipped cream just at the last monment