Is Dream Whip Dairy-Free?

Dream Whip is a type of powdered whip that is commonly used for decorating baked goods. People often use it for adding some extra oomph to cappuccinos or lattes. Being sold in dry form, dream whip can be prepared as needed by adding milk to the powder.

Is Dream Whip Dairy Free?

Dream Whip contains some ingredients sourced from animal products, making it fall in the non-vegan category. The powder for Dream Whip is often put in the dairy-free category when in fact, it contains sodium caseinate and whey. Both these components are sourced from milk, a dairy product obtained from animals.

Read on for everything you need to know to get a clear idea about whether Dream Whip is dairy-free or not. 

What Is Dream Whip?

Dream Whip is a trendy whip cream powder that home bakers commonly use. It makes adding a layer of delicious whip cream to your desserts pretty easy. 

You don’t have to sit and whisk the raw materials to get a smooth and silky whip cream mix. All you need to do is empty the sachets, add the required amount of milk and vanilla flavoring, and mix it. 

It only takes a few minutes of mixing before the powder takes the desired consistency. The result is a beautiful, light, and fluffy whipped cream that can be used on any dessert of your liking. 

This product is highly economical. You get four sachets with one pack, and mixing two sachets is enough to cover a sufficient amount of dessert. If you make a lot more than necessary, you can store the rest and use it later. It won’t lose its beautiful consistency. 

The box label marks Dream Whip as 100% vegetarian, which is 100% true. However, it is not fit to be consumed by a vegan. 

What Makes Dream Whip Non-Vegan?

To answer the question, it is essential to look at the ingredients of the product carefully. 

The Dream Whip powder is in the non-dairy category, but it is wrong. The powder contains two ingredients that are sourced from milk. 

Sodium Caseinate

Sodium caseinate is a compound that comes from casein. Casein is a common protein found in the milk of mammals. Cow’s milk is a rich source of casein, and it gives the milk the required texture and consistency. 

Casein is one of the essential components of any milk-based product like ice cream, cheese, and milk itself. 

The casein protein is often separated from milk to be used individually in other food items. It helps in changing the texture of foods by making them thicker than usual. It is also used as a stabilizing agent to increase the shelf life of food. 

Sodium caseinate is a listed ingredient on the label of Dream Whip. It might not be milk in its proper form, but it is sourced from mammals like cows. 

This confirms the presence of lactose in the powder and therefore removes it from the non-dairy category. 

Whey

Whey is the second protein that is found in milk, along with casein. It is often separated from the casein to be used in different food items. 

Whey is commonly sourced as a byproduct of the cheese-making process. 

Whey is a complete protein in itself. It consists of nine essential amino acids, making it a popular choice among gym enthusiasts and health-conscious people. 

Even though whey has low levels of lactose, it is still sourced from milk. 

This further confirms a strong dairy presence in the Dream Whip powder. 

What Are Other Non-vegan Whip Creams to Avoid?

Dream Whip is not the only powder in the market that has been pushed into the vegan category. People are often fooled easily because of a lack of knowledge about the core source of many ingredients. 

Many popular brands sell their products in the non-dairy category despite the presence of casein and whey in them. 

If you come across the products mentioned below, steer clear of them as they are not vegan.

Cool Whip 

Cool Whip is a popular whip cream categorized as “non-dairy” despite sodium caseinate in it. 

The label on the packaging clearly says that the product contains skim milk and sodium caseinate. These two ingredients are good enough a mention for vegans to ignore Cool Whip completely. 

Apart from that, Cool Whip also contains some vegan-friendly ingredients sourced with high disregard to animals. Palm oil tops the list in this category. 

Even though palm oil is purely a plant product, palm oil production has risked the rainforests. This has made many vulnerable species lose their habitat and destroyed their ecosystem. 

This news is indeed troubling, and it may make you reconsider your palm oil consumption. 

Reddi Wip

When it comes to ready-made whip cream options, Reddi Wip is another popular product in the market. 

The company has tried to address the changing dietary needs of their customers and accommodated the same in their product. 

There are two very popular variants of Reddi Wip that are completely dairy-free. These are coconut milk and almond milk whip cream. Both these products have a fantastic texture and consistency. You will not for once notice that they aren’t made from traditional ingredients. But even though the product is dairy-free, it is not vegan-friendly. 

Since it is a canned item, it consists of mono and diglycerides. These additives are needed to stabilize the product for longer shelf life. 

However, these two components are made from hydrogenated fatty acids, which might contain some trans unsaturated fatty acids. Trans unsaturated fatty acids are sourced from core animal produce.

So, a food item you are using under the vegan category may contain trans-unsaturated fatty acids. Due to lack of knowledge, it can be ignored very easily. 

Vegan Whip Cream Alternatives

It might not be very pleasant to see some of the famous brands being listed as non-vegan. But that does not mean that you have to eliminate this delicious delight from your diet. 

There are a few vegan-friendly options that you can give a try and make your desserts rich again!

Soyatoo Soy Whip

The name is enough to convince a vegan to buy this delicious whip cream. 

It is one of the most popular alternatives to dairy-based whip creams, and it tastes delicious. 

The primary ingredients in this product are soy milk, coconut oil, sugar, beat root syrup, and natural vanilla extract. All these are 100% organic, adding to the richness of the cream. 

You can enjoy adding this light and yummy delight to your fruit bowls, coffee, desserts, etc., and give your sweet tooth a tasty treat.

Easy Whip

Easy Whip is also a commonly chosen whip cream option by vegans. 

What makes this product unique is the ability to mix it with any kind of liquid before whipping. 

This means that you are not restricted to milk. You can choose a vegan milk option instead. Or, if you are feeling adventurous, you can use some fruit juice. The powder does not add any taste of its own. So, you can mix a sweetener of your choice. 

Homemade Vegan Whip Cream

If you are not convinced about whip creams being 100% vegan-friendly, you can always make some yourself. 

Use this easy recipe to DIY a delicious batch of whip cream that you enjoy with the dessert of your choice. 

Coconut Whip Cream

Coconut is a beautiful ingredient. Its flavor and texture add richness to anything and everything. Because of this reason, coconut milk is the perfect choice to make some lip-smacking whip cream at home. 

• Get a full-fat good quality coconut milk or coconut cream. 
• Keep it in the fridge overnight to make it nice and chill. The cream will get hardened due to cooling. 
• Put the desired amount of cream in a mixing bowl. 
• With the help of a whisk or hand mixer, start mixing the cream. 
• Continue the process till you get a light and fluffy cream mixture.
• You can add a sweetener of your choice or leave it unsweetened to make it a healthy option.

The above method is the simplest possible way to get a delicious batch of whip cream that you can enjoy without worrying. 

To Sum It Up

So far in the read, it must be clear that labels don’t always tell the truth about the product. It is, therefore, necessary that you educate yourself properly. 

Knowing the sources of the common ingredients being used in a product can help you judge it better. You will not be fooled by brand labels and will stick to your dietary needs. 

If the brand disappoints you, there is always the option of making some rich and delicious cream at home!