No More Dream Whip? Try These Easy-to-Find Substitutes for Your Next Dessert!

Everyone loves Dream Whip! Sweet, creamy, and airy Dream Whip adds so much to desserts, but how do you get by without it!?

Dream Whip is an extraordinary pantry mix that when combined with a dash of vanilla and milk becomes light and fluffy whipped-cream-like treat. It is loved for its shelf stability, ease of use, and irresistible flavor, but that doesn’t mean there are no alternatives! If you are looking for a healthier choice or just want to try something new there are plenty of options for you! Here are some great ideas for Dream Whip substitutes.

Uses for Dream Whip

This is a pantry mix for a whipped dairy dessert topping. While it may be a topping, the applications of this treat are far more vast! Dream Whip is loved by home chefs for being able to add the creamy, whipped, dairy flavor that desserts need without as much risk of spoilage. It is perfect for adding to fruit salads, gelatin desserts, icebox cakes, and more!

Is Dream Whip Healthy?

In short, not really. Dream Whip is particularly high in calories, but it is high in sugars and carbs. It also uses ingredients like dried corn syrup that may cause one to seek out a healthier alternative.

Dream Whip and any of its substitutes should be treated as a dessert. It is a sweet treat that offers few nutritional benefits and should be enjoyed as part of a balanced lifestyle.

What Makes A Good Dream Whip Substitute

To copy the original, a good Dream Whip substitute should have a dairy-like creaminess and satisfying whipped texture. A few other factors in choosing the right substitute are the type of treat being made, ingredients on hand, and dairy or non-dairy. Some of these swaps even offer more nutritional benefits or dairy-free choices to please a wider audience.

The 5 Best Dream Whip Substitutes

No.	Substitute	Store-Bought or Homemade?
1	Cool Whip	Store-Bought
2	Whipped Cream with Gelatin	Homemade
3	CocoWhip	Store-Bought
4	Swiss Meringue	Homemade
5	Whipped Cream and Cream Cheese	Homemade

1. Cool Whip

Cool whip is a refrigerated whipped dessert topping. It is made from a mixture of cream, skim milk, high fructose corn syrup, and vegetable oil. It can be found in just about every store’s refrigerated section. It has a texture and taste that is very similar to that of the Original Dream Whip.

Cool Whip, just like Dream Whip, works as a dessert binder, topping, and more! It is a perfect substitute for icebox cakes, gelatin desserts, toppings, shakes, and just about anything else imaginable.

One great benefit of Cool Whip is that it is ready to use as soon as you buy it. It also does not melt. If you use this Dream Whip substitute for a treat that will be on display you don’t have to worry about wilting.

2. Whipped Cream with Gelatin

Whipped cream is the original dessert topping and it makes an excellent Dream Whip substitute. Whipped cream is made from whipping cold heavy cream and powdered sugar. This substitute works best when the whipped cream is homemade. 

The key to making this swap work is using a whipped cream that has been stabilized with gelatin. Adding gelatin to the whipped cream recipe ensures that it can be piped and will not wilt. This version of whipped cream works as an equal substitute for Dream whip in almost every recipe.

Unfortunately, whipped cream has to be homemade. Luckily, making this treat is very similar to the easy process of making Dream Whip. Whipped cream with gelatin can even be frozen, so this treat feels very similar to Dream Whip.

3. CocoWhip

This Dream Whip substitute is wonderful for anyone who does not want dairy. CocoWhip is a coconut-based whipped dessert topping made from coconut milk and cane sugar. It can be found in the refrigerated section of most major grocery stores.

CocoWhip is an amazing product with a light and fluffy texture that may fool people into thinking it is really Dream Whip. The flavor of CocoWhip is sweet with underlying hints of both vanilla and coconut. It can be used in place of Dream Whip in all recipes.

This wonderfully dairy-free Dream Whip substitute has so much going for it. It’s safe to freeze CocoWhip and it does not melt. Combine that with the fact that it can be used by a much wider audience, and this might just be the perfect Dream Whip substitute.

4. Swiss Meringue

This whipped frosting can be an excellent substitute for Dream Whip. Swiss meringue is a frosting made from butter, sugar, and cooked whipped egg whites. This substitution has to be made at home and is easiest to produce with an electric mixer or stand mixer. A large amount of butter and eggs in this substitute make it a pretty heavy dessert.

Delicious Swiss Meringue has a great texture for piping, toppings, cakes, and more. It can be used as a substitute for Dream whip as a topping, in icebox cakes, or even in milkshakes. Its flavor is sweet and full of vanilla so it is an even flavor substitute for Dream Whip.

Swiss meringue takes some technique to produce, so this substitute is best for those with plenty of culinary confidence. When made correctly it will only melt in very high temperatures. Swiss meringue also freezes very well.

5. Whipped Cream and Cream Cheese

One surprising way to create a stabilized whipped cream is with cream cheese. The resulting mixture is sturdy and sweet enough to use in almost every instance that Dream Whip would be used. This substitute must be homemade from heavy cream, powdered sugar, and cream cheese.

Whipped cream and cream cheese make the perfect swap for Dream Whip in toppings, icebox cakes, and more. It has a light and sweet flavor that is similar to Dream Whip only with a little more tanginess from the cream cheese. Thanks to the combination of cheese and cream this swap is very high in fat and not for the lactose-intolerant!

This stabilized whipped topping will hold up without melting until temperatures reach fairly high levels. Whipped cream with cream cheese can also be frozen. This substitute works for most Dream Whip dishes, but it does have a cheesier overall flavor than Dream Whip.

The Runner-Up

The runner-up for best Dream Whip substitute is Cool Whip. It has a strikingly similar texture and flavor to Dream Whip, but with the benefit of being ready to use from the store. This Dream Whip substitute makes a great swap in cakes, shakes, and so much more!

Best Overall Dream Whip Substitute

The best substitute for Dream Whip is CocoWhip. It has so many great attributes that make it the perfect stand-in for Dream Whip. It is dairy-free, yet still wonderfully creamy. It has a flavor very similar to that of Dream Whip, so people may be surprised to hear that it is not the real thing. 

Choosing this Dream Whip substitute is as easy as a dream! CocoWhip comes from the store ready to use, can be frozen, and will not melt. It has healthier ingredients than the Dream Whip, so this substitute can benefit you in more ways than one!