6 Canned Whipped Cream Brands, Ranked

Of all the things that one might top their dessert with, it's hard to beat good old canned whipped cream. Whether it's a slice of pie or an ice cream sundae, the sweet, creamy, and aerated goodness of whipped cream is the perfect cooling complement. It's easy enough to make whipped cream at home, but there's simply no denying the sheer convenience (not to mention deliciousness) of canned whipped cream.

While it's true that canned whipped cream is a delicious refrigerator staple, it's also true that not all brands of whipped cream are created equal. Just about any grocery store is going to stock Reddi-wip — arguably the most popular of all the whipped cream brands out there — but you'll also likely find specific store brands depending on where you shop. To help determine which whipped cream deserves a permanent spot in your fridge, I tried several different whipped cream brands – sticking to plain or "original" flavored and foregoing dairy-free alternatives — before ranking them. I paid attention to two main factors: flavor and consistency. It's safe to say that all of the whipped creams were creamy, but there were a few that stood out from the rest in terms of their exceptionally sweet and fresh flavor and perfectly dreamy, whipped texture that was neither too stiff nor too liquidy.

If you do most of your grocery shopping at Target, then you'll know that the mega-chain has a few store brands, including Favorite Day. One such product in the Favorite Day lineup is none other than this original whipped cream, or whipped dairy product if we're being technical. The original flavor is not the only option in Favorite Day's whipped cream lineup — you could also find an extra creamy version, cold foams, or even seasonal flavors like caramel apple.

While you could seek out other Favorite Day whipped cream products, I'm not so sure that you'd want to after sampling the original version. Ultimately, I can't sit here and say that this product was disgusting or completely inedible, but it definitely was my least favorite of all the whipped creams I sampled for this ranking. There was such a strange aftertaste that hit immediately after that initial creamy flavor settled on my tongue, something cloyingly sweet and not at all how whipped cream should ideally taste. 

I found the flavor of this whipped cream more distracting than anything else, and though it did initially hit those desirable creamy and sweet notes, it transformed into something a little too cloying. The texture of the cream was fine, not too thick or too runny, but ultimately I couldn't get past the flavor to consider ranking this one any higher.

Whole Foods 365 brand certainly isn't limited to just whipped cream, but if you were to stumble into Whole Foods in search of such a product, you'd be in luck. Unfortunately, based on a lackluster flavor and texture, this whipped cream may be one 365 product better left on the shelf.

Right off the bat, it was very obvious that this whipped cream had a watery, runny consistency (and yes, I did give the can a good shake before squirting out the whipped cream, same as I did for all the cans). And, hey, it'd be one thing if the whipped cream was a little runnier but still had a strong creamy flavor, but that just wasn't the case here. This whipped cream tasted watered down, and as such, any other flavor notes, like creaminess, sweetness, or maybe even hints of vanilla, were quite muted. 

I could see this product appealing to those who actually prefer a more mellow whipped cream, but realistically, I can't imagine a scenario where I'd choose this option over others on this list. While there was nothing outwardly awful about the flavor of Whole Foods' whipped cream, there was nothing great about it either. 

Aldi is a treasure trove for cheap foods, groceries, home goods, and just about everything in between. Unsurprisingly, the budget grocery store maintains a well-stocked dairy section, and one such product you might find there is Friendly Farms whipped dairy topping.

The first thing I noticed when tasting this whipped cream was how much it tasted like straight-up milk — not necessarily cream, but milk. So, yes, it was undeniably creamy either way, but there was a certain lack of richness that kept this whipped cream from being something great. I didn't necessarily find the milky flavor to be off-putting or anything like that, but it did seem a bit unexpected in a lineup of whipped creams that tasted, well, like cream. The sweetness level was on point with this one, so I have to give it some credit for that. I simply couldn't get past the fact that this whipped cream almost tasted watered down, but by milk instead of water — milked down, if you will.

Either way, I'd say that Aldi's Friendly Farms whipped cream is a viable option for your desserts, especially if you don't mind super strong milk flavor as opposed to a super strong heavy cream flavor. Also, despite a slightly unusual flavor, the consistency of the whipped cream itself was decent, not too stiff but not too liquidy. Ultimately, however, there are better options out there.

Perhaps the most recognizable of all the store brands out there, Walmart's Great Value brand has a seemingly endless array of products, ranging from ice cream to coffee pods. And of course, no Walmart refrigerated section would be complete without Great Value-branded whipped cream. While certain Walmart products may be hit or miss, I'd definitely argue that the whipped cream leans more toward hit territory.

I appreciated the consistency of the whipped cream from the second I sprayed it into my little bowl. Perfectly aerated but not stiff or too thick, Walmart certainly nailed the consistency of its whipped cream, if nothing else. Fortunately, I'd say that the chain also got the flavor of the whipped cream right, albeit in a way that didn't really make the whipped cream stick out in any notable way. It hit all the right notes in terms of being creamy and subtly sweet, truly representative of the most neutral, no-frills whipped cream one could possibly find (and a true middle-ground in terms of this ranking).

Obviously, it's not a bad thing for a whipped cream to have a classic, no-frills flavor, so I do think that Walmart's Great Value whipped cream is a good option for those purists out there. Of course, being a true middle-ground flavor does mean that there are a couple of others out there that are just a bit tastier.

Depending on where you live, there's a good chance that you've never even heard of Lucerne Dairy Farms, much less have tried any of its products. Being based in the Midwest, I've seen plenty of Lucerne products in my day, specifically at Jewel grocery stores. Though I've never thought much of Lucerne either way, after having tasted its whipped cream, I'm completely sold.

I'd argue that Lucerne's whipped cream had the thickest texture of all the options on this list, but not in a way that made it any less delicious to eat. In fact, the thickness directly corresponded with the richness of the whipped cream — this stuff was so incredibly rich and creamy that it almost reminded me more of Cool Whip than whipped cream itself. This absolutely decadent level of richness really worked for me personally, and I could see this stuff making for the perfect accompaniment to pumpkin pie. 

Despite how much I enjoyed this whipped cream, I did find that second place was the best place to rank it, simply because I could see the thickness and richness of this particular option almost being too much for some people out there. And ultimately, there was one whipped cream that trumped Lucerne's version.

Despite trying some rather tasty store-brand whipped cream options for this ranking, ultimately, name-brand Reddi-wip wins the title of best whipped cream (at least of the ones that I personally tried). Reddi-wip truly does have the canned whipped cream formula down both in terms of flavor and consistency, making it the absolute top-tier option for finishing off any dessert, be it a milkshake, cobbler, or anything in between.

For starters, the consistency of Reddi-wip's whipped cream was just about anything one could reasonably hope for or expect from canned whipped cream. It was perfectly aerated but not too thick, and certainly not liquidy. There was also such a distinct smoothness to this whipped cream, both in terms of consistency and flavor. It also tasted wonderfully creamy (not too milky or too rich), and I also found it to have stronger notes of vanilla than other options on this list.

Reddi-wip does have an entire lineup of whipped creams, including extra creamy, zero-sugar, and dairy-free versions, but I'd recommend sticking with the original flavor. This product struck the perfect balance between creamy and sweet, and when in doubt at the grocery store, you really can't go wrong with original Reddi-wip.

When ranking these whipped cream brands, I paid close attention to flavor, creaminess, and consistency. Of course, I went into this knowing that all of these products would taste quite similar, so I was very nitpicky when pointing out those whipped creams that perhaps had a strange aftertaste (like Favorite Day) or watery consistency (like 365). I favored those whipped creams that had a thick consistencies, rich flavor, and a nice balance between creaminess and sweetness.

In terms of how I conducted the sampling, I sprayed a little bit of each whipped cream into a small bowl and gave it a taste. I waited about 20 minutes in between trying the whipped creams so I could get a clear impression of each flavor. I also shook each can an equal amount before spraying, about 10 seconds, to ensure that I'd judge each whipped cream's consistency and texture fairly.