Enjoy your tea and coffee with homemade dairy-free cream substitutes. And top off your dessert and garnish your cake with homemade dairy-free whipped cream alternatives. Below you’ll find recipes for dairy-free, nut-free, coconut-free, egg-free and fat-free cream and whipped cream substitutes.
If you read my blog regularly, you know that I’m allergic to milk products. So all my recipes are dairy-free and some are also vegan. Because I loved whipped cream before I developed the dairy allergy, I thought I’d try store-bought whipped cream substitutes. But they left me disappointed: They didn’t whip very well, and I didn’t like their artificial – and sometimes even chemical – taste. But that didn’t stop me: I searched the internet for homemade dairy-free cream substitutes.
Most homemade cream substitutes are just whipped coconut milk. And whipped coconut cream tastes … well like coconut. 😉 While the coconut flavor goes well with some desserts, such as tropical fruit desserts, the flavor is sometimes too overpowering. Dairy-free and coconut-free cream substitutes are difficult to find! But then I found many dairy-free and coconut-free cream alternatives in old recipe books. Yay! They’re usually called ‘Mock Cream’ or ‘Mock Whipped Cream’. Some of the dairy-free cream substitutes are used as creamer in tea and coffee, and some are used as toppings for desserts and cakes.
The last recipe – the 1920s egg-free whipped cream substitute – is my favorite: It looks like whipped cream and it tastes good! 😀 Unfortunately I haven’t found vegan whipped cream alternatives yet: All dairy-free whipped cream substitutes below contain either egg or gelatin.
Dairy-Free Cream Substitutes
Victorian Mock Cream
‘It is a good substitute for cream and gives the coffee a fine taste.’
- 1 pint (soy) milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp sugar
‘Put one pint of rich sweet milk into a porcelain saucepan and set it into a pan of boiling water over the fire, beat the white of one fresh egg with one teaspoonful of white granulated sugar to a stiff foam, then beat the yolk and stir the white into it and stir it quickly into the hot milk, (it must not boil) and take it off the fire. Beat it together a minute and then pour it into a cream pitcher.’ (Domestic Cook Book, 1888)
Victorian Mock Cream With Egg Whites
- 1/2 pint (soy) milk
- 1 tsp arrowroot
- 1 egg white
‘Pour half a pint of boiling milk on a teaspoonful of arrowroot well mixed with a small quantity of the milk. Stir the mixture well; have the white of an egg well beaten, and when about half cold add it, and place the whole over a slow fire until it nearly boils – then strain for use.’ (The Young Wife’s Cook Book, 1870)
Victorian Substitute For Milk Or Cream
In tea ‘it is difficult from the taste to distinguish it from rich cream.’
- 1 egg
‘Beat up the whole of a fresh egg in a basin, and then pour boiling tea over it gradually, to prevent its curdling’. (The Illustrated London Cookery Book, 1852)
Victorian Imitation Cream
- 1 tbsp arrowroot
- 1 oz sugar
- small piece of butter
- 1 pint warm (soy) milk
Beat arrowroot with a little cold milk, add the other ingredients, ‘then put it into hot water and stir it one way, until it acquires the consistence of cream.’ (A Cyclopædia of Practical Receipts, 1845)
Victorian Nut Cream
- nut butter
- water
‘The nut butter can be easily mixed with water, forming an emulsion, and by thinning it sufficiently, it makes an excellent substitute for cream and milk.’ (Guide For Nut Cookery, 1898)
Cream To Serve With Fruit Pies
- 1 pint milk
- pinch salt
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot
‘Scald the milk, with the salt and sugar; reserving a little of the milk in which to rub the cornstarch. Add this to the milk when boiling and stir till thick as cream. Serve in a pitcher when cold, as a substitute for cream for those who like this accompaniment.’ (How To Cook Well, 1886)
Birch’s Receipt For Mock Cream
- 1/2 tbsp flour
- 1 pint (soy) milk
- 1 egg yolk
‘Mix half a spoonful of flour with a pint of new milk; let it simmer five minutes to take off the rawness of the flour; then beat up the yolk of one egg, stir it into the milk while boiling, and run it through a fine sieve.’ (The Complete Cook, 1843)
Victorian Substitute For Milk
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 pint hot water
‘Three eggs and break them into a basin, beat them well, then add hot water (gradually) half a pint, and beat them again until quite smooth.’ (The Cyclopædia of Practical Receipts in All the Useful and Domestic Arts, 1841)
Edwardian Emergency Cream
‘This will not “whip” but is for use in place of plain cream on fruits, puddings, etc.’
- 1/2 cup cold milk
- 1 cup hot milk
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
‘To the stiffly beaten whites add sugar and corn starch, beat constantly and add gradually the cold milk. Heat a cupful of milk to boiling point, melting the butter in it, beating in the first mixture. When thickened like cream, remove from fire, strain, and set on ice.’ (The Progress Meatless Cook Book, 1911)
Dairy-Free Whipped Cream Substitutes
1910s Mock Whipped Cream Filling
- 1 large sour apple
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg white
- vanilla or grated rind of 1/2 lemon
‘Peel and grate the apple, add white sugar, egg white; beat all together a long time, flavor with vanilla or grated lemon rind. Mix the apple with the sugar as soon as possible or it will turn dark.’ (The International Jewish Cook Book, 1919)
1940s “Whipped Cream” Topping
‘You may like this “whipped cream” topping for desserts better than the real stuff!’
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup fresh grated apple
‘Beat two egg whites stiff, add 3/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar and continue beating. Then add 1 cup grated fresh apple and another 1/4 cup of the sugar, still beating. Flavor the fluffy mixture with a little lemon juice.’ (Chicago Tribune, 1946)
Victorian Whipped Cream Substitute
- a good teacupful of (soy) milk
- a pinch of soda
- 1 heaping tsp cornflour
- 1 heaping tbsp sugar
- 2 eggs whites
‘Heat a small teacupful of milk, with a pinch of soda in it, and stir into it the cornflour, which should be previously wetted with a little cold milk, add the white sugar, and cook for three minutes. Pour the mixture into a small basin, and beat in the frothed whites of 2 eggs; whip to a cream, and let it get cold.’ (Tasty Dishes, 1880)
Marshmallow Fluff
Substitute for whipped cream – delicious with meringue crumbs and fresh berries.
- 2 egg whites
- 100g sugar
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 gelatin sheet
Soak the gelatin sheet for 5 minutes in cold water, then dissolve in 1 tbsp hot water. Cook sugar and water till the sugar is dissolved. While beating the egg whites, slowly pour the syrup and dissolved gelatin into the egg whites.
1920s Mock Whipped Cream Substitute – Egg-Free
Whipped cream topping for cakes, fruit and fruit salads, desserts, coffee, cocoa, tea, iced coffee …
- 2 tbsp flour
- 125g sugar
- 1/2l water or (soy) milk
- 3 gelatin sheets
Soak gelatin sheets for 5 minutes in cold water. Stir together flour, sugar and water or soy milk, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the soaked gelatin sheets. Beat until stiff. (Kiehnle Kochbuch, 1969 [1921]) If you want, you can flavor the whipped cream substitute with homemade vanilla sugar or homemade vanilla extract.
I love being able to make these all from scratch. They are sooo much better than store boughten.
Thanks so much, Tracy! Yes, you’re right, they are so much better than store-bought substitutes and you know what’s in them!
What great substitutes, I will sure be trying some of these. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great weekend and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
Thanks, Helen!
I’ve never heard of a gelatin sheet before – learned something new!
Thanks for stopping by, Roseann!
Wow thanks so much for laying all this out! I can’t believe all the different ways to make it. I remember having a lot of trouble finding a great dairy free whipped cream recipe the year that my son had to go dairy-free. Thanks so much!!!
Thanks so much, Kathleen! 🙂 I’m glad you like them!
I’m lactose intolerant so can’t do cream either. Very interesting recipe, I don’t think I am comfortable with the raw eggs though (got food poisoning from them as a kid) but good to know my options 🙂
Thanks for sharing at #bloggerspotlight
Thanks, Hil! If you don’t want to use raw eggs, you can try the last egg-free recipe. And you can cook the Victorian Whipped Cream Substitute like pudding even after you’ve added the egg whites to make it safe. I got food poisoning too as a kid but after eating chicken in a restaurant.
I will let my sister know of these recipes by pinning them for her..She is lactose intolerant…
I loved the beautiful photos with clear explanations 🙂
Thanks, Lisa, and thanks for pinning! 🙂
They are a great substitute for the real cream, and all look great. I didn’t know that we can make dairy free cream with these ingredients. Thanks for sharing with Fiesta Friday.
Thanks so much, Sadhna! 🙂
Lina, I’m not allergic to milk products but read this with great interest because I have dairy-free friends. AND because I’m always interested in food history, which you’ve presented here so beautifully. I’m not sure I’ll ever try any of these, but I’m glad to know where I can find them if I decide to.
Thanks, Jean!
Glad you were able to find some whipped cream substitutes! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Thanks for stopping by, Jann!
Who would have thought there were so many ways of making whipped cream! Great post! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare. Please include a link to the party next time you share a recipe with us, thanks:)
Thanks for stopping by, Monika! There is a link back to your party on my link party page.
They are homemade and they all look so yummy! Thank you for sharing at Sweet Inspiration Link Party 🙂
Thank you, Christina! 🙂
Oh my god! I love this post…I love the fact you have found sooo many alternatives to milk and cream from old recipe books. So clever! Am off to share 🙂
Thanks so much and thanks for sharing, Vicki! 🙂
Thank you for these great ideas! We appreciate you linking up to #merrymonday & hope you will link up with us again!
Thanks, Michelle!
i had no idea there were so many different options. Once again you have shown me interesting things I had no idea about! Thanks for shairng. Pinning.
Thank you and thanks for pinning, Julie! 🙂
I didn’t realise these were so many different versions of fake cream – I still love the real stuff
Thanks for stopping by, Amber!
Lina, You could try to sub out the eggs with aquafaba which is the liquid from a can of chick peas. I’m not sure how much would equal one egg but you could start with a quarter cup.
Thanks for the tip, I’ve already used homemade aquafaba to make a vegan whipped cream substitute.