Cream is a popular food in England, whether it’s to dollop on puddings and cakes. But it’s very high in cholesterol and most dairy cream on sale is not from free-range cows. So here are some plant-based versions to try.
Cashew cream (Ela Vegan) is a good all-rounder that is good for savoury dishes like korma curries. Also see the post on enjoying a vegan afternoon tea (for how to make or buy vegan ‘clotted’ cream).
Avoid nuts for allergies & young children. Despite images of cats lapping bowls of cream, they are lactose-intolerant and should not be fed dairy. Read up on keeping people & pets safe in the kitchen.
Most dessert ‘cream’ is made with coconut cream (Addicted to Dates). Chilling a can of coconut milk overnight turns it sold – just pour off the water and then mix the coconut with sugar to make your own cream). Here’s a simple video to help. Choose real vanilla (fake vanilla sometimes uses beaver extract) and organic powdered sugar (other versions may contain egg).
Where to Buy Good Vegan Cream
The Coconut Collab makes a rich double cream (you would never the difference in taste) in easy-to-recycle packaging. The coconuts are harvested by humans with hooked bamboo sticks (not slave monkeys).
Dollop on your morning porridge or pancakes. Add to fruits, yoghurt and sugar to whizz up a fruit frappe, or use to sandwich cakes. Most councils now take plastic packaging (if not, recycle at supermarket bag recycling bins).
Free from palm oil and GM ingredients, this company works with communities to plant thousands of trees in southeast Asia, to support fragile ecosystems and offer sustainable income for local people. It’s also working to plant mangroves (a third have been lost to coastal development, pollution and natural disasters over the last 50 years).
Also look in stores for Elmlea Double Cream (the plant-based version is free from palm oil and can be whipped up for desserts, poured over puddings or stirred into sauces or pasta). There’s even a brandy version.
For professional use, Flora has now ditched palm oil in all its products (including margarine) and offers a good double cream for kitchens, cafes, restaurants and hotels. Made with coconut and rapeseed oil, this has 65% less climate impact than dairy double cream.
Monkey-Friendly Organic Coconut Cream
Coconut Whipping Cream is great to dollop on desserts. Made with organic Sri Lankan coconuts (and guaranteed no monkey slave harvesting), chill this overnight then pour into a bowl and whip into a cream. This company also makes light coconut milk, cream coconut and coconut milk powder (use in smoothies, soups, curry, porridge and ice-cream).
How to Make Vegan Pastry Cream
To fill tarts, choose vegan pastry cream (Addicted to Dates) that is thicker than custard, and ideal for French desserts.
Why Don’t Vegans Eat Dairy?
Dairy cream is made by separating the fat from the milk (butterfat) which of course is high in cholesterol. When cream is agitated to leave behind the butter, the resulting liquid is buttermilk (often used in recipes like scones).
However, many people with health and environmental concerns no longer eat dairy, nor do vegans (often due to concerns over cow welfare, as most most male baby calves are either shot dead or exported to become veal, in the dairy industry – separate from the beef industry).
If you do buy or eat dairy cream, ensure it’s from free-range certified organic cows, who have access to pasture and don’t have their calves taken away from them, shortly after birth.
Cows and their calves are particularly close, and often they will call to each other for days, after being separated. If you’ve ever heard the haunting calls at a nearby farm, it would have upset you.
