
Cool Whip is an iconic American brand of whipped topping manufactured by Kraft Heinz. It is a staple in many North American households and is used as a topping for desserts and in no-bake pie recipes. While it is marketed as a whipped cream substitute, its first ingredient is water, followed by hydrogenated vegetable oil, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, and skim milk. The product also contains emulsifiers, stabilizers, and thickeners, which have been linked to various health issues. Cool Whip's high sugar content and the presence of synthetic wax have also been noted. Despite this, it remains a popular choice for consumers, with some even using it as an ingredient in candies and desserts.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Brand | Cool Whip |
| Manufacturer | Kraft Heinz |
| Type | Whipped topping |
| Ingredients | Water, hydrogenated vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, skim milk, light cream, sodium caseinate (milk derivative), natural and artificial flavor, xanthan and guar gums, polysorbate 60, sorbitan monostearate, beta carotene (coloring) |
| Nutritional Information (per 2 tbsp) | 15-25 calories, 1-1.5 g fat (0.5-1.5 g saturated fat), 0 mg sodium, 1-2 g carbs (0 g fiber), 1-2 g sugar, 0 g protein |
| Health Concerns | Hydrogenated oils (linked to heart disease), high fructose corn syrup (weight gain, obesity, diabetes, trace amounts of mercury), polysorbate 60 (organ toxicity, diarrhea, tumors in lab mice), sorbitan monostearate (skin, eye, respiratory irritants, stomach disruptions) |
| Dietary Considerations | Originally non-dairy, now contains skimmed milk and sodium caseinate (milk protein). Certified kosher, but contains lactose. |
| Texture | Different from whipped cream, does not require physical whipping and maintains texture without melting |
| Shelf Life | Longer than cream when frozen |
| Taste | Different from whipped cream |
| Price | Nearly 50% more per ounce than whipped cream |
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What You'll Learn
- Cool Whip's ingredients include water, oil, corn syrup, skim milk, and light cream
- It is a non-dairy product, but contains sodium caseinate, a milk derivative
- Cool Whip is sold frozen and must be defrosted before use, unlike whipped cream
- It is used as a topping for desserts and in no-bake pies, but has a longer shelf life than cream
- Cool Whip was invented by food scientist and chemist William Mitchell in 1966

Cool Whip's ingredients include water, oil, corn syrup, skim milk, and light cream
Cool Whip is an American brand of whipped topping manufactured by Kraft Heinz. It is used in North America as a dessert topping and in some no-bake pie recipes. It is sold frozen and must be defrosted before use. Cool Whip has a longer shelf life than cream while frozen, but it costs nearly 50% more per ounce. It was introduced in 1966 by the Birds Eye division of General Foods, now part of Kraft Heinz.
From its name, you would think that the cream part of this "whipped topping" would be more prominent. However, Cool Whip is primarily made of syrupy oil. In fact, when it first debuted in stores in 1966, Cool Whip was a dairy-free product. It was originally marketed as being "non-dairy", but as of 2018, it includes skimmed milk and sodium caseinate, a milk derivative.
Some of the ingredients in Cool Whip have been associated with negative health effects. For example, hydrogenated oils have been linked to heart disease, and corn syrup has been associated with weight gain, obesity, and diabetes. Other ingredients, such as polysorbate 60 and sorbitan monostearate, have been linked to organ toxicity, diarrhoea, and tumours in lab mice.
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It is a non-dairy product, but contains sodium caseinate, a milk derivative
Cool Whip is a popular American brand of whipped topping manufactured by Kraft Heinz. It was originally marketed as a non-dairy product, but since 2018, it has contained skimmed milk. Despite its low percentage of skimmed milk, Cool Whip was classified in Jewish dietary traditions as dairy because of the sodium caseinate it contains. Sodium caseinate is a milk derivative, a protein derived from milk.
Cool Whip was first introduced in 1966 as a dairy-free product. It was initially created by food scientist William A. Mitchell, and it quickly became the largest and most profitable product in the Birds Eye line of products. Cool Whip's key advantage was that it could be distributed frozen, giving it a longer shelf life than cream.
However, despite its original dairy-free formulation, Cool Whip has always contained the milk protein casein, also known as sodium caseinate. This milk derivative is what led to its classification as a dairy product in Jewish dietary traditions.
Today, Cool Whip contains skimmed milk as its fifth ingredient, preceded by water, hydrogenated vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup, and corn syrup. Despite its low percentage of dairy, Cool Whip is now considered a milk product and is labelled as such for consumers.
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Cool Whip is sold frozen and must be defrosted before use, unlike whipped cream
Cool Whip is an American brand of whipped topping manufactured by Kraft Heinz. It is sold frozen and must be defrosted before use. This is unlike whipped cream, which is usually chilled, not frozen, and can be used straight from the refrigerator. Cool Whip's ability to be sold frozen was a key advantage of its invention, allowing for easier storage, shipping, and saving. It also meant that the product could be mass-produced and distributed more easily.
Cool Whip was first introduced in 1966 by the Birds Eye division of General Foods, now part of Kraft Heinz. It was originally a dairy-free product, but today it contains skimmed milk and sodium caseinate, a milk derivative. This means that present-day Cool Whip is not vegan or keto-friendly.
Cool Whip is typically used as a topping for desserts, such as pies, milkshakes, and fruit. It is also used in no-bake pie recipes and as a substitute for whipped cream in recipes that call for a longer-lasting topping that does not require physical whipping and will not melt over time.
Cool Whip has a longer shelf life than cream while it is frozen and can be stored in the freezer for three to four months. Once it is defrosted, it can be kept in the refrigerator for one to two weeks. An opened tub of Cool Whip can last in the fridge for seven to ten days.
In terms of nutritional value, Cool Whip is mostly just fat and sugar. A 9-gram serving provides 25 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and 2 grams of carbs, with less than 2 grams of sugar. While opting for real whipped cream instead of Cool Whip would save you some calories, fat, and sugar, it is important to note that Cool Whip also contains several other potentially harmful ingredients, such as hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and chemically-derived substances like polysorbate 60 and sorbitan monostearate, which have been linked to various negative health effects.
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$59.49

It is used as a topping for desserts and in no-bake pies, but has a longer shelf life than cream
Cool Whip is an American brand of whipped topping manufactured by Kraft Heinz. It is commonly used as a topping for desserts and in no-bake pie recipes. One of the reasons for its popularity is its convenience as it does not require physical whipping and can maintain its texture without melting over time. Cool Whip is sold frozen and has a longer shelf life than cream while it remains in a frozen state.
Cool Whip was introduced in 1966 by the Birds Eye division of General Foods, which is now a part of Kraft Heinz. Within two years of its introduction, it became the largest and most profitable product in the Birds Eye line of products. Cool Whip was originally marketed as a non-dairy product, but as of 2018, it contains skimmed milk and sodium caseinate, a milk derivative. The presence of caseinate, a milk protein, meant that Cool Whip was classified in Jewish dietary traditions as dairy, even before skimmed milk was introduced.
The first ingredient in Cool Whip is water, followed by hydrogenated vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, and skim milk. It also contains less than 2% light cream, sodium caseinate, natural and artificial flavour, xanthan and guar gums, polysorbate 60, sorbitan monostearate, and beta carotene.
While Cool Whip has a longer shelf life than cream, it does not have the same flavour or texture as whipped cream and costs nearly 50% more per ounce. Additionally, some of its ingredients have been associated with negative health effects. For example, hydrogenated oils have been linked to heart disease, and corn syrup has been associated with weight gain, obesity, and diabetes. Polysorbate 60, another ingredient in Cool Whip, has been linked to organ toxicity, diarrhoea, and tumours in lab mice, while sorbitan monostearate has been identified as a skin, eye, and respiratory irritant.
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Cool Whip was invented by food scientist and chemist William Mitchell in 1966
Cool Whip, an American brand of whipped topping, was invented by food scientist and chemist William A. Mitchell in 1966. Mitchell, born in 1911 in Minnesota, had a long career in food science and chemistry. He worked for General Foods Corporation from 1941 to 1976 and created many iconic products that shaped the food landscape of the Boomer generation. These included Pop Rocks, Tang, and powdered egg whites.
Cool Whip was introduced to the market in 1966 as a non-dairy whipped topping that could be stored frozen. It was originally made without any milk products, but today it contains a small amount of skimmed milk and sodium caseinate, a milk derivative. The original recipe included water, hydrogenated vegetable oil, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, and light cream. Cool Whip was designed to be convenient, with a longer shelf life than cream and the ability to be stored frozen. It also eliminated the need for hand-whipping cream.
Mitchell's work reflected America's mid-century fascination with convenience foods. He understood the importance of amplified flavors and attractive colors in product development. His creations were often influenced by his own experiences, such as his time working with sugar crystallization tanks as a teenager. Mitchell received over 70 patents during his career, and his innovations continue to leave a lasting impact on the food industry.
Cool Whip quickly became a popular product, and within two years of its introduction, it became the largest and most profitable product in the Birds Eye line of products, which was then a division of General Foods. Today, Cool Whip is sold by Kraft Heinz, and the company still sells 200 million tubs annually. While the product has faced criticism for its use of certain ingredients, it remains a beloved and nostalgic treat for many consumers.
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Frequently asked questions
Cool Whip is a brand of whipped topping manufactured by Kraft Heinz. It is used in North America as a dessert topping and in some no-bake pie recipes.
Cool Whip's first ingredient is water, followed by hydrogenated vegetable oil, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, skim milk, light cream, and less than 2% sodium caseinate (a milk derivative), natural and artificial flavor, xanthan and guar gums, polysorbate 60, sorbitan monostearate, and beta carotene (as a colouring).
Cool Whip was originally marketed as non-dairy, but since 2018, it has contained skimmed milk and sodium caseinate, a milk derivative. Even before skimmed milk was introduced, Cool Whip was considered dairy in Jewish dietary traditions due to the presence of sodium caseinate.
Cool Whip contains several ingredients that may be toxic or unhealthy, including hydrogenated oils, which have been linked to heart disease; high-fructose corn syrup, which has been associated with weight gain, obesity, and diabetes; and chemically derived substances like polysorbate 60 and sorbitan monostearate, which have been linked to organ toxicity, digestive issues, and skin, eye, and respiratory irritation.
Alternatives to Cool Whip include real whipped cream, which can be made at home by whipping heavy cream, and vegan whipped cream options.











































