How to make coconut whipped cream

Allow me to use this blog to change your life...

You've heard of whipped cream? That cold, creamy goodness that sits proudly in a sweet fluff atop your favourite desserts and beverages? Smooth and white, and able to make even the healthiest bowl of fruit taste like a dream? 

Guess what? I know how to make it healthy! 

Imagine having a go to recipe to enjoy all the luxurious perks of silky whipped cream but with no dairy, no refined sugar and a boat-load of health-promoting properties. 

Enter: canned coconut milk. It is made from the meat of a coconut and contains a decent amount of fat -- but in a good way! The fats found in coconut have been shown to help memory and treat dementia. It also contains iron and other important minerals like magnesium. Most canned coconut milk will separate into a clear-ish thin liquid and a white solid layer when chilled. This is exactly what we need to make healthy whipped cream! If yours doesn't separate when chilled try buying a cheaper brand. Weird advice but it works. 

Step 1: chill your can of coconut milk. It needs to be the full fat kind not any "light" version. The longer you chill the better but a few hours should work. I also put my kitchen aide mixer (or whatever bowl you'll use for whipping) in the freezer. Colder the better! 

Step 2: flip the can upside down and open. The liquid we don't need is on top. Carefully pour the liquid off, but save it! It's a great liquid for a smoothie. You should now have a half can of super cold coconut "cream". 

Step 3: whip the coconut in your chilled bowl on high. Once it starts to thicken add 2 tablespoons of tapioca starch to stabilize it. You can skip this step if you absolutely have to but it does help. Now add whatever sweetener you like: honey, maple syrup, stevia. Sweeten to taste. If you'd like a similar stabilizing effect without tapioca starch try icing sugar to sweeten. Also add a splash of vanilla extract. Keep whipping until it is firm. At this point you can use it or keep in the fridge to chill further. 

That's it! Life changed!