It's Way Easier To Make Homemade Cool Whip Than You Think

Cool Whip is one of those nostalgic foods we continue to eat or impulse buy based on a potential multitude of factors. Whether the reasons are tied to childhood memories, iconic family recipes, or the simple fact that the frozen whipped topping lasts a long time in cold storage, Americans are still lovingly consuming Cool Whip long after its inception in 1966 (via Food History).

According to Smithsonian Magazine, Cool Whip was invented by the late food scientist, William A. Mitchell–a man who developed 70 total patents for various products before retiring in 1976. While Mitchell is also the face behind Tang (the citrusy powdered drink mix) and the iconic Pop Rocks candy, in the '60s, Cool Whip stood out for being a freezer-stable convenience food, and that notion hit close to home for many consumers who had fears tied to dairy rationing in the post-World War II era (per Tedium.).

Cool Whip quickly became a favorite and with other brands like Dream Whip and Reddi-Wip popping up around the same time, The Washington Post claimed liquid dairy cream sales dropped 30% between 1962-1972. Fast forwarding to the present and Statista claims 129.03 million Americans consumed Cool Whip in 2020. Though there may be nothing wrong with continuing to chow down on this freezer-friendly whipped topping, after rereading Cool Whip's ingredient list, you may be convinced to try making your own version at home.

There is something about Cool Whip that is definitely hard to replicate with real liquid cream. Part of what makes Cool Whip so different from true dairy cream is that the imitation whipped topping, according to FoodsGuy, is primarily composed of air and water and contains less than 2% of light cream. In fact, in Cool Whip's early days, there wasn't any dairy at all in the original ingredient list (per Smithsonian Magazine). Marketed as a stable whipped cream alternative, the draw of Cool Whip is in part due to the fact that it comes pre-whipped and can be stored in your freezer for up to six months or in your refrigerator unopened for up to two weeks without losing its uniquely stable structure (per The Cold Wire).

Yet, in order for Cool Whip to last as long as it does, the ingredients do contain quite a few stabilizers. If you tend to shy away from products with too many additives then you may want to steer clear of Cool Whip. KraftHeinz lists the main ingredients in Cool Whip Original Whipped Topping as water, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated vegetable oil, and skim milk with less than 2% of ingredients like artificial flavoring and modified food starch. There's no doubt real whipped cream is healthier than Cool Whip, but there is an easy way to recreate your favorite whipped topping right at home without any artificial stabilizers.

There is good news if you're a fan of Cool Whip but not of all the additives. Serious Eats recently shared a homemade version of the iconic whipped topping and the secret ingredient that allows this homemade version to last in the freezer, just like the original Cool Whip, is gelatin. Made from collagen taken from various animal bones and skin, gelatin is what Ina Garten's homemade marshmallows exist on and an ingredient that is often used in various foods for its thickening and stabilizing properties (via Rousselot).

Serious Eats uses a combination of gelatin, sugar, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, salt, and lastly, heavy cream. To make this Cool Whip alternative, you cook gelatin with sugar and water until the temperature reaches 250 degrees. Then after slightly cooling, you vigorously whip the mixture for five minutes, gradually adding in the small milk additions. After resting in the refrigerator, you then add in the cream. The full instructions are detailed on the Serious Eats website but this homemade version will last up to two weeks in the fridge or three months in the freezer. If you don't have gelatin handy, you can also make Dinner then Dessert's homemade Cool Whip recipe which is stabilized with cream cheese. Now that you know the more natural ways of procuring your favorite whipped topping, give it a try and see how it measures against the original Cool Whip.