This vegan tofu whipped cream is made with silken tofu, cashews, and maple syrup. It’s a dairy-free, whole foods spin on whipped cream that’s rich in healthful fats and protein. Plus, it’s versatile and easy to make!

We’re coming up on the season of festive desserts. From pie to cake to brownies and beyond, it’s the jolliest time of year to bake.

With all of that baking comes the need for simple decorations. And while I’m a pretty decent baker, the truth is that I’m a terrible decorator. My piping skills lack much to be desired, my frosted cakes are a mess, and I can’t seem to get buttons or smiles onto gingerbread people.

Thank goodness for decorations that are simple and taste good. Sometimes a dusting of powdered sugar is enough to make me happy. A scoop of vanilla ice cream can easily do the trick.

But the easy decoration that I rely on most is probably dairy free whipped cream. And it has taken me a while to find a homemade version that I really like.

This silken tofu whipped cream changes everything.

The magic of silken tofu

There are several types of tofu, and each type has its own properties. As a result, different tofu varieties have different optimal recipe uses.

I use firm and extra firm tofu for my much loved tofu scramble recipes and tofu egg salad. Extra firm is my choice for baked and marinated tofu, like the balsamic tofu cubes I’ve been putting on everything lately. It’s also what I use for my herbed tofu feta.

Silken tofu, on the other hand, has a smooth texture and soft consistency that makes it ideal for blending and puréeing. I use it in salad dressings, as a nutrient-dense base for soups, in my favorite creamed spinach dip, and in the silken tofu chocolate pudding that pairs so nicely with today’s whipped cream.

Blended silken tofu will thicken slightly in the fridge as it cools. For this tofu whipped cream, I combine two creamy, plant-based ingredients that I love—silken tofu and cashews—for a light, smooth, spoonable texture.

Silken tofu health benefits

Silken tofu will give you the opportunity to create creamy textures in vegan cooking while also adding plant protein to your recipes.

Unlike conventional dairy and coconut, which is often used to make vegan whipped cream, silken tofu is low in saturated fat. Instead, it’s rich in polyunsaturated fat, which may help to lower cholesterol levels.

One of the many things I love about this tofu whipped cream is that it’s such a good source of the “good fats” that are associated with heart health. The fat in cashews is primarily monounsaturated fat. This means that the finished cream is much lower in saturated fat than coconut-based whipped creams.

How to make whipped cream from silken tofu

Silken tofu gives the whipped cream its lightness and mild flavor. Cashews then help to thicken the mixture. If you’ve made my all-purpose cashew cream, then you may already have guessed that the cashews serve an additional purpose. They enhance the rich creaminess of the tofu whipped cream.

To make the tofu whipped cream, you’ll need only to blend these two base ingredients in a powerful blender or food processor.

Chilling is an essential step in this recipe, and it can’t be shortened or skipped.

Right after blending, the tofu whipped cream will be rich and luxurious but on the loose side. After a minimum of 4 hours of chilling in the fridge, it will be denser and perfect for spooning and scooping onto all of your favorite treats. I’ve found that the whipped cream continues to thicken the longer the leftovers are stored.

Texture notes

Is the texture of this whip exactly like traditional whipped cream?

Not quite. The tofu whipped cream isn’t super airy or fluffy. However, it does have some lightness, and you’ll likely see some tiny air bubbles incorporated into the whip after blending. It’s scoopable, not runny, and it’s perfect for dolloping onto slices of pie or pots of pudding (as you’ll see).

Tofu whipped cream ingredients

Part of what I love about this DIY whipped cream is the short ingredient list. You won’t need much aside from the tofu and cashews. Here’s the rundown:

Silken tofu

The star of this wholesome whip. My silken tofu of choice is made by Nasoya, which is my-go brand for all things tofu!

Nasoya tofu is the country’s #1 brand of tofu. It creates not only organic, non-GMO tofu varieties that are ready for seasoning and cooking, but also convenient tofu products. The brand’s Tossables and Plantspired Superfood Skillets can help home cooks to easily incorporate more plant protein into their diets.

I love Nasoya’s silken tofu because it’s fresh, the flavor is mild and neutral (which makes the tofu extra versatile for both savory and sweet recipes), and it comes in a generous, 16-ounce package.

Cashews

Be sure to use raw cashews for the whipped cream, rather than roasted and/or salted. I recommend soaking the cashews in hot or boiling water for ease of blending, especially if you don’t have a powerful blender. However, if you soak them in room temperature or cold water for at least two hours, that’s also fine.

Maple syrup

Maple syrup is one of my favorite sweeteners. Here, it imparts a subtle maple flavor without making the cream taste either too sweet or too maple-y. If you don’t have maple syrup on hand, agave syrup will be just fine.

Vanilla

Vanilla extract gives the tofu whipped cream a lovely flavor. I use a whole two teaspoons of extract here, which is significant, but keep in mind that the recipe yields a big batch of whipped cream.

In place of vanilla extract, you can use a teaspoon of vanilla powder or two teaspoons of vanilla paste.

Salt

Salt is an essential ingredient in sweet recipes. It actually enhances their flavor and helps to add a flavor counterpoint to sweetness. I use a pinch of Kosher salt in the tofu whipped cream, but sea salt or iodized salt will also be fine.

How to serve tofu whipped cream

Very simply, you can use the tofu whipped cream in most recipes where whipped cream is called for. The only exception I’d offer is that the texture is less stabilized and looser than some other whipped cream. It isn’t ideal for piping, and it may not work well as a filling between cake layers (that’s where buttercream does the trick).

However, tofu whipped cream is an ideal and wholesome addition to lots of desserts and snacks! Here’s a short list of serving ideas:

• Top a simple slice of torta di mele (apple cake)
• Use as a topping for fresh fruit
• Make your Sunday waffles or pancakes extra special
• Spoon it over a warm, vegan sticky toffee pudding
• Use it to top these seasonal, festive pumpkin cashew pudding cups
• Pair it with gingerbread cake for the holiday season
• Make a brownie sunday with fudgy tahini skillet brownies, tofu whipped cream, and salted date caramel sauce
• Use it in place of the sweet avocado cream in this wholesome vegan breakfast parfait
• Take overnight oats to the next level
• Smother a slice of chocolate mousse pie, cherry pie, or Nantucket cranberry pie

Or, you can use the cream to top another one of my favorite, tofu-based vegan desserts.

A perfect dessert pairing

Silken tofu chocolate pudding is the dessert I’m most likely to make when I’m tired, stressed, rushing, or just not in the mood to turn on my oven.

I’ve always got a package of Nasoya Silken Tofu in my fridge, and the pudding requires very few other ingredients. It’s quick, ridiculously easy to make, and most importantly, it’s delicious. Fudgy, sweet-but-not-too-sweet, and a silky smooth, mousse-like texture that I love.

I eat the pudding on its own often enough, but I’m especially happy when I can top it with a dollop of whipped cream. In the past, this has often been store-bought vegan whipped cream.

Now, I know that I have a more nutritious and wholesome alternative. Tofu whipped cream is also inexpensive to make, and unlike store-bought whipped cream (which I can find in my local store sometimes, but not always), it’s easy to source.

If you want to create these adorable little pudding cups, you’ll need 6-8 small containers. I have a set of 4-ounce mason jars that I use for anything and everything: dressings, dips, little portions of trail mix or granola, and single-serve desserts.

The jars are perfect for my silken tofu chocolate pudding. And, with a little festive decoration, they can also make for a sweet edible gift or party favor for holiday guests.

To make them, divide the chocolate pudding into 8 of the cups.

Top each with a few tablespoons of the tofu whipped cream. Add some shaved vegan chocolate, if you like.

If you want to be really festive, you can add a fancy ribbon.

The pudding and whipped cream cups are cute, simple to make, wholesome, and plant-based. Such a sweet thing to share as the season of giving arrives.

Storing silken tofu whipped cream

Once made, the whipped cream can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. If you’d like to extend its life, you can freeze it for up to six weeks.

If you make the pudding cups, you can freeze them—pudding, whipped cream, chocolate, and all. The silken tofu chocolate pudding, like the whipped cream, is freezer-friendly for up to six weeks.

This means that you can make the pudding and whipped cream this weekend, assemble your desserts, and then serve them to people you love later this month or in December.

Here’s more detail on how to make the whipped cream.

I can’t seem to make it through a single Thanksgiving without becoming much too ambitious with my menu and cooking. I always tell myself that I’ll prepare something that’s reasonable for two people. Then I start thinking about all the holiday foods I want to eat, and I get carried away.

Dessert is of course the area where I overreach the most. It’s good to know that, if nothing else, I’ve got a perfect homemade whipped cream recipe for this year’s celebration. Whether I use it to top one dessert or a totally unnecessary five, it’ll be one part of my meal preparation that’s stress-free.

Hope you’ll enjoy the homemade whip, whether for the holidays or for an everyday treat, too.

xo

This post is sponsored by Nasoya. All opinions are my own. Thanks for your support!

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