Place the can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight for at least 24 hours.
Chill a small-medium size bowl in the freezer for a few minutes.
Once you are ready to whip, remove the can from the fridge without shaking it. Slowly turn it upside down, and then open the can.
You will see the liquid coconut milk (the part that did not solidify) will now be at the top of the can. Slowly pour out this liquid into a bowl or cup. This coconut milk liquid is not used in this recipe. Save it to make a green smoothie.
Once you have poured out the liquid, the part that remains is the hardened coconut cream.
Scoop out this coconut cream into the chilled bowl (note, do not use too large of a bowl otherwise it will be difficult to whip).
Using a stand mixer or a electric hand mixer and beat until fluffy. Start on low speed and work your way up to a higher speed until you start to see stiff peaks forming.
Half way through, add the sweetener and vanilla extract and continue to beat.
It's best to serve this whipped cream immediately. If you store it in the fridge, it may slightly harden and loose it's fluffy texture, but you can remove it from the fridge and whip it again before using.
Notes
Coconut Milk:- Be sure to use full-fat coconut milk for this recipe, otherwise it will not work.- They also sell coconut cream, which is the thickened part of the coconut milk once it's been refrigerated. This should work as well, but you will need to add more sweetener if using an entire can of coconut cream. (note that I personally have never used a can of coconut cream for this recipe)- I have used Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk for this recipe many times and it's turned out great.Sweetener:- I prefer to use powdered sugar, but you can use any other sweetener, such as maple syrup or agave nectar. They taste good and work well.- Note that if you use liquid sweeteners, your end result may not be as fluffy or stiff because you are adding more liquid to the cream.