Trader Joe's Coconut Whipped Topping

The pros: Trader Joe's Coconut Whipped Topping is ideal for someone who can not have dairy products but still want to have whipped cream. However, this is not quite as neutral in flavor. If you like coconut, then you'll like this.

The cons: This item is priced higher than regular whipped cream and due to social media buzz about it, it seems to have disappeared off of store shelves.

The verdict:  

Trader Joe's has been sneaking in a lot of new vegan items. First it was the Vegan Pesto, then the Almond Nog, and now this. Just in time for the holiday season too. Whipped cream has traditionally been a dairy product. While this is not called "coconut whipped cream" because it contains no cream. This is instead a whipped topping perhaps with a certain audience in mind. Lots of people either are lactose intolerant, can't or choose not to have dairy. So that has led to Trader Joe's creating products like this. But is it any good? So far, the pesto was a complete standout and the Almond Nog was pretty good.

Now, I'm not vegan or lactose intolerant. In fact, there is a segment of the population that can have dairy all day long without any consequences. I'm one of the lucky few, or according to the article I am among 35% of the population who can literally have dairy with every meal and never have any issues. Now, this leads to an interesting question. How does it compare against its dairy competitor?

In terms of visual appearance, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. In terms of texture, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. In terms of taste, there is no way you could confuse this with regular whipped cream. This is a coconut topping and there is no hiding the big flavor of coconut. So I would caution that this might to compliment every dessert in terms of flavor pairings. With a coconut cream pie, chocolate or vanilla dessert item, I would absolutely reach for this. However, there is the possibility of a flavor pairing conflict.

For $3.29 this is priced slightly higher than regular whipped cream, but for some people this is a great alternative. With the right pairing, this is a great product. As long as you don't expect the flavor to be as neutral as its dairy alternative, this is a safe bet whether you are dairy-free or not. While some might be inclined to think of this as a substitute, I would rather think of this as a flavored topping. It's well done on its own, but it does need to be paired with the right dessert to be enjoyed to its fullest. I

Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:

The can of Trader Joe's Coconut Whipped Topping:

The nutritional information:

The ingredients:

How to use this properly:

Sprayed on to some orange Jell-O:

Would I buy this again? Trader Joe's Coconut Whipped Topping might not pair well with pumpkin pie (in my opinion), I can see lots of other desserts where this would be an awesome pairing. I liked it and would consider buying this again.

Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.

Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!