Food Allergies: Dairy-free, casein-free Whipped Topping

What whipped topping do you have if you are avoiding all dairy including casein?  We have not had whipped topping for my children since we took dairy and all milk proteins out of their diet.  Thanks to a good friend, Gloria Tilley, we now have whipped topping!!  We are excited and delighted.  Now, I preface this with the following: it doesn't contain the best ingredients, so it is a "once-in-a-while" treat, and it will probably take something to get your local health food store or grocery store to get it in.  But for the occasional treat for your children, or you if you are allergic or intolerant to dairy----it is so worth it!  What product makes a whipped topping free of all dairy?  Rich's® RICHWHIP® Non-Dairy Topping Lactose Free.  Let me show you a picture of the product and then I'll give you the ingredients.

Rich's® Non-Dairy Whipped Topping in two different sizes

About nine or so years ago, I had heard about this product, but I could never find it.  Repeated requests to my grocery store managers did not produce the result of me getting this product.  Eventually, I gave up and decided that wasn't worth it.  A few weeks ago, Gloria was talking about making whipped topping for her children, who are also on the gluten-free, dairy-free diet.  I couldn't contain myself as I interrupted her to ask what was she using to make the whipped topping.  Rescue hero Gloria then told me that she was driving to the Rich's® store to purchase the whipped topping!!  I couldn't get the directions fast enough!!  I promised myself that I would take my children there as a reward if I got certain tasks done that week!  (I know, isn't it ridiculous how I motivate myself???)

I was motivated.  By Thursday we were driving around the west side of Buffalo with our directions and map trying to find Rich's®.  We found the store just before it closed and talked to an employee about the non-dairy whipped topping.  It was heavenly.  The store employee told me that the larger can (pictured above) contained the same ingredients as the little carton.  I bought some for myself and some for my friend Sara.  It was like winning the lottery!  I put all of it in the freezer except for one of the cartons which I let defrost in the refrigerator as the carton instructions directed.

The very next day, we invited our dear friend, Linda Breitbach, over for coffee and we whipped up the whipped topping!!  It was so fun!!  It whipped up just like real whipping cream if you have ever whipped cream in a mixer.  The kids put it on some cake and cookies, oh goodness who cares what they put it on.  They were just so elated to have whipped topping!! 

Here are the ingredients:  Water, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated coconut oil, partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, Contains less than 2% of the following: carbohydrate gum, sugar, polysorbate 60, polygycerol esters of fatty acids, salt, sodium alginate, soy lecithin, artificial flavor, sodium citrate, natural flavor, colored with tumeric and annatto extracts.  Are they great ingredients?  Obviously not.  But every child deserves a treat once in a while, and every so often I'll allow my kids to indulge.  Now, watch for the decadent cream pie recipe I'll be posting very soon.  Do you have any other whipped toppings for your children?  I know people who can have nuts can do lots of things to have a "topping" that is similar.  We can't eat any nuts, so other than tofu, I'd be interested to hear what you are whipping up for whipped topping. 
Happy Holidays,
Love,
Lisa

Comments

[Jennifer]

Mimicreme is supposed to be releasing a nut based whippable topping soon, but since you have tree nut allergies that wouldn't work for you. There is another whipped topping out there made by soyatoo that is rice based and comes in a can that you spray like the real whipped cream in the cans. http://www.veganstore.com/soyatoo-rice-whip-topping/Page_1/982.html

I like this and my autistic son LOVES it. Rich's is not available here in the deep south and I am not sure we could use it since we are soy free and it has questionable ingredients like natural and artificial flavors. I don't like companies that use vague terms like that.

[Lisa A. Lundy]

Thanks for the suggestion about TRUwhip, however anyone with a milk allergy like ours should NOT use TRUwhip because it contains a milk protein (casein) that could cause an allergic reaction. It is a wonderful suggestion for people who are not IgE allergic (highly allergic) to milk and milk proteins, however TRUwhip DOES contain milk in the form of casein, a milk protein. Thanks again for the comment!
Love,
Lisa

[Andi]

Don't know if you know about or can use the following product, but it is worth checking out: TRUwhip

It is gluten-free and does not have all of the BAD stuff listed in Rich's. It is a frozen product, similar to Cool Whip, but without the crap in it. Try googling it online to read product ingredients. Most whipping creams, etc. have carrageenan in, which even if you can tolerate dairy is a huge problem for me and many others with food additive sensitivities.

[Robyn Higginbotham]

Lisa,
I have been looking for this product for months and no grocery store around me will sell it. I have emailed distributors and they do not and will not deliver to Virginia. My son has dairy and egg allergies and his 2nd birthday is on the 21st. Our 2nd baby due any day now and I am trying to put everything together for the "party", not knowing if this next child will have allergies and scream for the first 4 months of life. Anyway, is there any way you could ship me the whipped topping and I would pay the shipping? Or if you have another idea please let me know.
Thank you--
Robyn Higginbotham