New for the Holidays: Califia Farms’ Vegan Heavy Whipping Cream

|Updated Nov 16, 2022
Califia Farms

Americans are increasingly choosing plant-based alternatives over cow's milk, irregardless of the dairy industry's efforts to make sure we all "Got Milk." Now another need is being met with plant-based dairy, which is that of bakers and home cooks who have missed out on the option to use a non-dairy heavy cream to make whipped cream. Now, just in time for the holiday pie-baking season, Califia Farms introduced its innovative dairy-free heavy whipping cream, Heavy Whip, designed to give home cooks a functional replacement for its dairy-based counterpart.

Califia Farms states that its new unflavored and unsweetened product can be used in soups, salad dressings, creamy desserts, and much more. The multi-functional dairy-free ingredient will help cooks produce traditional animal-based recipes as fully vegan. The vegan whipping cream, made from coconut oil, features a non-GMO, Kosher, and non-GMO recipe.

“At Califia, we're passionate about celebrating the irresistible goodness of plants, and we saw an opportunity to create a plant-based swap for dairy-heavy whipping cream without compromising on taste and functionality,” Suzanne Ginestro, Califia's chief marketing officer, said. “Heavy Whip allows any recipe's ingredients to shine through and makes it easier than ever for consumers to experiment with plant-based options."

To help debut this new product, Califia Farms recently teamed up with celebrity chef Carla Hall to release the digital cookbook "Comfort Kitchen: A Dairy-Free & Plant-Based Recipe Collection." Heavy Whip is included in two recipes including a Creamy Mushroom Soup and a Flaky Biscuit Shortcake with Mixed Berries.

“I am thrilled to introduce this new recipe collection with Califia Farms,” Hall said. “I love cooking and baking with their products, and their new, dairy-free Heavy Whip is a game-changer for cooks! It’s an ideal one-to-one swap that makes the creamiest, dairy-free soups and works equally well as a 100 percent plant-based dessert topping and as an ingredient in so many other recipes. I had so much fun creating these delicious, comfort food recipes and can’t wait for everyone to try them!”

Heavy Whip is available at Whole Foods Markets, Sprouts, and other retail locations across the United States for a suggested retail price of $4.89 per 16.9-ounce container.

Avoiding Dairy for Your Health

Picking a plant-based alternative to dairy is associated with several significant health benefits. By eating and drinking dairy, the risk of disease, strokes, and heart attacks is significantly higher than those who follow a plant-based diet. For example, dairy consumption is linked to an 80 percent higher risk of breast cancer and a 60 percent increased risk of prostate cancer.

For athletes, regular dairy consumption leads to higher levels of inflammation, slowing recovery time and greatly increasing your risk for injury. And since plant-based options contain less saturated fat than conventional cow-based milk, choosing plant-based alternatives is associated with a 21 percent lower risk of heart disease.

Plant-Based Alternatives to Dairy

Califia Farms is helping hungry vegan shoppers avoid dairy with Heavy Whip, and several other brands have developed plant-based alternatives to conventional dairy products. Currently, half of Gen Z consumers feel embarrassed purchasing milk, increasing the need for plant-based options everywhere. So, check out these lists of the best vegan dairy products:

For more plant-based happenings, visit The Beet's News articles. 

6 Best Dairy-Free Protein Shakes

When you skipped lunch to get to boot-camp class and now have to race back to the office without eating, it's good to have a couple of options for refueling on the go. So we taste-tested the best plant-based shakes, each one with about 15 grams or more of plant-based protein and fewer carbs, sugars and artificial flavorings.

Healthy breakfast smoothie with chia seeds on white background

The 6 Best Protein-Loaded Dairy-Free Shakes

Ripple is making waves—this was our hands-down favorite of all the plant-based protein shakes we tried. Creamy and almost milkshake-like in texture when chilled, the Salted Caramel variety is divine and a solid stand-in for a sweet snack or dessert any day. Vanilla, coffee, and chocolate also earned high marks, with the only downside being the high sodium content in these shakes.

Healthy breakfast smoothie with chia seeds on white background

The 6 Best Protein-Loaded Dairy-Free Shakes

Happy Viking was launched by Venus Williams when she couldn’t find a workout recovery drink that she liked enough to make it a regular ritual. With plant-based protein and a rich chocolaty taste, HV satisfies every craving while delivering a blend of clean, pea and brown rice protein along with nutrients like potassium and iron to your body. While we can’t all hit a forehand like Wiliams, now we can replenish our muscles after a workout the way she does. Keep these at your desk or bring one in your bag for those moments when you want chocolate but also something healthy.

Healthy breakfast smoothie with chia seeds on white background

The 6 Best Protein-Loaded Dairy-Free Shakes

At first, this bottle was slightly annoying to open, as it not only has a plastic seal but a foil seal covering the top that was tricky to remove. However, both the Cold Brew Coffee (perfect for a morning commute) and vanilla flavors were delicious enough to make up for it. We loved how this drink is free of the top eight allergens, stevia, and sugar alcohols; is high in fiber; and it comes in more outside-the-box flavors like Cookies N Cream and Turmeric Golden.

Healthy breakfast smoothie with chia seeds on white background

The 6 Best Protein-Loaded Dairy-Free Shakes

Three cheers to Oath for incorporating oat milk in vegan protein shakes. The creative flavors of this organic drink enticed us to want to try them all. While we didn’t love Matcha Chai, the others—including Golden Turmeric, Indian Rose and Double Chocolate—made for smooth sipping. With 210-260 calories apiece, these are heartier than some other shakes, thanks to the addition of both almond and pumpkin seed protein (and MCT oil in the Turmeric variety).

Healthy breakfast smoothie with chia seeds on white background

The 6 Best Protein-Loaded Dairy-Free Shakes

A protein drink called Soylent Complete Protein is the latest product from this company, known for its meal-replacement products. More than just a protein shake, Soylent includes nootropics said to boost energy and focus. This bottle, like OWYN, features the pesky double seal, but the reward is inside: The chocolate drink is velvety and luscious (you could have fooled us that this was actually chocolate milk), and it’s packed with vitamins and minerals, including 100% of the daily recommendation for vitamins B6 and B12.

Healthy breakfast smoothie with chia seeds on white background

The 6 Best Protein-Loaded Dairy-Free Shakes

Known for its protein bars and protein powder, Aloha recently added plant-based protein drinks to its lineup. Made with a blend of pea and brown rice protein, coconut milk and MCT oil, these are free of any artificial ingredients and only contain 5 grams of sugar. The angled top on the cardboard container is slightly awkward to drink from, but the silky shake makes up for it. We like the vanilla flavor best, beating out chocolate sea salt (we missed the salt here) and coconut.