Is Cool Whip gluten-free? Yes! Cool Whip is gluten-free.
While cool whip does not contain a gluten-free label, the product ingredients are naturally gluten-free. Woo hoo! No gluten in cool whip.
This delicious, whipped topping has been around since 1966. It is a perfect dessert topping or fruit pairing. This topping is a great way to spice up any gluten-free sweet treat. Keep reading for more information about Kraft’s gluten-free Cool Whip.
Manufacturer
We did reach out to Kraft-Heinz Company to ask whether or not cool whip is gluten-free, unfortunately, they did not respond.
However, all of the ingredients in Cool Whip are gluten-free. Cool whip does not have a gluten-free claim on the label; therefore, could potentially be cross-contaminated with gluten.
As always, use our best judgment when deciding whether or not a product meets your gluten-free needs.
Ingredients
All of the ingredients in cool whip are free of gluten. The following is a list of ingredients in Kraft’s Cool Whip Original:
- Water
- Corn syrup
- Hydrogenated vegetable oil
- Skim milk
- Light cream
- Sodium Caseinate
- Natural and artificial flavor
- Xanthan and guar gum
- Modified food starch
- Polysorbate 60
- Sorbitan Monostearate
- Sodium Polyphosphate
- Beta carotene
Per the label, Cool Whip “contains 0g of lactose per serving.”
Therefore, this cream topping is safe for those with gluten-free needs and/or lactose intolerance. However, we do not recommend a cool whip for those with a milk protein allergy.
Modified Food Starch
But wait? Is the modified food starch gluten-free? Yes! Since the label only reports that this product contains milk and does note that it contains wheat we can assume that the modified food starch is made from corn.
Varieties
Cool Whip comes in many different varieties, keep reading to see which may be best for your dietary needs. Let’s compare the nutrition facts!
Cool Whip Original
The original creamy topping is our go-to. It is typically found in the freezer aisle at your local market.
Cool Whip Original Ingredients
Serving: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 25
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Total fat: 1.5 g
- Sugar: 2 g
Cool Whip Extra Cream
The cool whip extra cream is also gluten-free and has a much creamier mouthfeel than the original. This is because the first ingredient list is skim milk. In the cool whip original, water is the first ingredient listed meaning it has more water than any other ingredient.
Cool Whip Extra cream Ingredients:
Serving: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 25
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Total fat: 2 g
- Sugar: 2 g
This one has a half gram of extra fat. If you like creamy stuff we recommend picking the cool whip extra cream variety!
Cool Whip Lite
The Cool Whip lite variety is also gluten-free. This variety is lower in fat as they do away with the light cream.
We noticed it tasted less creamy. If you are watching your saturated fat intake and do not care for creamy toppings this cool whip may be for you. It is also slightly lower in calories. During our taste test, we found the extra 5 calories to be worth the extra-creamy mouth feel.
Cool Whip Lite Ingredients:
Serving: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 20
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Total fat: 0.5 g
- Sugar: 2 g
Cool Whip Sugar-Free
As the name suggests, this variety of cool whip is the lowest in sugar. It is also gluten-free! Kraft uses aspartame to sweeten this variety. This is an artificial sweetener known as “Equal” or “Nutrasweet.”
If the “fake sugar” taste bothers you, avoid the Sugar-Free Cool Whip. If you are watching your blood sugar control this may be an excellent option for you.
Cool Whip Sugar-Free Ingredients:
Serving: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 20
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Total fat: 1 g
- Sugar 0 g
Cool Whip Fat-Free
The fat-free version of Kraft’s cool whip is free of gluten. For this variety, they remove the light cream and skim milk and add extra hydrogenated vegetable oil. We personally did not enjoy the flavor of this one.
However, if you are adamant about lowering your dietary fat intake this may be the best choice for you.
Cool Whip Fat-Free Ingredients:
Serving: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 20
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Total fat: 0 g
- Sugar 1 g
Our Favorite Cool Whip
Our favorite Cool Whip is hands down Kraft’s Extra Cream Cool Whip! That gluten-free, lactose-free variety had the most balanced and delicious flavor for us.
Frozen or Thawed
How do we eat our Cool Whip thawed or frozen? Sometimes we enjoy it straight out of the freezer like ice cream but most often we let it thaw in the fridge for 2-4 hours.
Per Kraft, Cool Whip can last two weeks in the fridge or much longer in the freezer. See the bottom of the container for details.
How To Eat
Creamy, gluten-free Cool Whip is a great way to add some spice to your sweets, fruits, and beverages. It can even be used to make many desserts.
We love a dollop on top of our coffee or hot latte.
Or dipped in fruits, pictured here are strawberries topped with cool whip.
We think you will love a dollop on top of our gluten-free pumpkin cheesecake.
Make Your Own!
Check out our Vegan Cool Whip recipe.
In Summary
Cool whip is regarded as celiac safe and gluten-free. However, Cool Whip is not dairy free.
All varieties of cool whip listed above are gluten-free. Hooray!
If you are looking for a dairy-free variety we recommend making your own with our Vegan Cool Whip recipe!