I brought this dip to a party last weekend and it vanished.
As in, gone-zo.
In about 15 minutes.
People were raving about it and it was one of those things that I just threw together.
I had a little bit of leftover pumpkin puree from a batch of Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars (Vegan, GF)…
…And since I always have Cool Whip on hand in the freezer, I figured what the heck.
And this dip was whipped up in 15 seconds flat.
A little Cool Whip (you could also use real homemade whipped cream, TruWhip, homemade coconut cream, ReddiWhip, or even yogurt or cream cheese) and a pinch of seasonings and a few stirs later and this Whippy Dippy was the hit of the party.
The dip upstaged my new dress. I hate it when that happens.
And the whole “recipe” takes about 15 seconds to make. Just grab a bowl, dump everything in, stir, and be a hit among your friends.
And it’s a very loose recipe at that. Just get the pumpkin and the white stuff in the bowl and take it from there based on your own taste preferences and what you have on hand.
No need to go out and buy anything, but I’m pretty sure all the pumpkin hoarders have cans and cans of pumpkin puree on hand.
And more than likely you’ve got a freezer full of Cool Whip like I do you have yogurt or cream cheese on hand and that will be just dandy.
You could dip rotting broccoli stalks in this stuff and make them taste amazing.
Or dip crackers, bread, sugar snap peas, a microwave banana oat cake, carrot sticks, apple wedges, or whatever into it.
Or use it as a topping, i.e. like a butter or spread, on things like toast, muffins, on top of a bowl of oatmeal, on pancakes, whatever.
I even froze some and made “Pumpkin Ice Cream”.
Scott begged me to make it again and he’s not even that into pumpkin stuff. He’s not a blogger, after all.
It will make anything better. Promise.
It’s like hard street drugs: Dangerous, addictive, and don’t start using because you won’t quit until you’ve run out.
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Caramel Pumpkin Whip Dip (With Vegan, Gluten Free options)
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c Cool Whip (alternatives include: TruWhip, ReddiWhip, Cream Cheese, Toffuti Cream Cheese, Greek Yogurt, Soy Yogurt, homemade whipped cream, homemade coconut milk whipped cream, etc. Or, you can add those in addition to the Cool Whip but you may need to increase the amount of pumpkin puree and other sweeteners/spices)
1/4 c brown sugar (to taste; can also omit or use maple syrup, stevia, agave, etc.)
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp cinnamon, optional
1/8 tsp vanilla extract, optional
2 tbsp caramel sauce, optional (if using, you can add it to the mixture or drizzle over the top of the finished dip)
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until incorporated. Keep extra chilled in the refrigerator or the freezer (it turned into wonderful “ice cream”). Keeps for many days in the refrigerator (use common sense) and I am sure you can make it and freeze it in batches and then defrost as necessary.
Suggestion: Double, triple, quadruple the recipe as needed. One 15-ounce can of pumpkin is about 2 cups so if using 1 can of pumpkin puree you’d want to use about 2 cups of Cool Whip and increase the other seasonings in proportion or to taste.
To Keep Vegan: Use homemade whipped cream with coconut milk and/or vegan caramel sauce (Google for recipes, there are lots)
To Keep Gluten Free: Make sure the whipped cream/whipped topping that you’re using and the caramel sauce if using it are GF
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This stuff is beyond good.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Grab a spoon and get busy.
No wait, grab a ladle. Grab the biggest scooping device you have.
And go to town just scooping in on everything.
Or just eat it straight from the ladle. You don’t even need to spread it on anything. The “eating peanut butter by the spoonful at midnight in front of your refrigerator” method works very well with this dip, too.
Questions:
1. Do you like Cool Whip?
I know some people don’t like Cool Whip and they prefer real whipped cream or dairy-free/vegan alternatives such as making their own “whipped cream” with coconut milk, but I do love Cool-Whip.
I also really like Miracle Whip. I love Vegenaise and like mayo but there is something about the tangy zip of Miracle Whip that I love. Cool Whip, Miracle Whip, whippin’ good.
2. Do you like Pumpkin?
Yes, I have gotten into pumpkin this year:
Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars (vegan, GF)
Pumpkin Spice Latte (vegan, GF)
Caramel Maple Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (easy vegan, GF adaptations)
…to name a few.
But I wasn’t always as into it as I am now. I think the blogosphere is rubbing off on me.
But I am ready for pepperminty, chocolatey, Christmas-season flavors now.
3. What do you like to bring to parties that just vanishes?
The other thing that I bring and that no one ever suspects is even remotely “healthy” is Chocolate Mousse. It just happens to be vegan, gluten free, raw/no-bake but I don’t bother telling anyone that until the bowl is licked clean.
No one ever guesses the secret ingredient. I don’t even tell anyone that it’s not full of butter, sugar, eggs or that I didn’t slave away on it until they are begging for more and for the recipe.
When I tell them what they ate, everyone’s jaws usually drop and there’s lots of “No Ways!”
Thanks for the $100 Visa Gift Card & Pedometer Giveaway Entries
Kind of makes me happy when I take something and the bowl or plate is cleaned out. I usually bring some sort of hummus dip because it’s always easy to throw together. This looks like a winner recipe to take to parties or events.
I’m not a big fan of cool whip…except occasionally on pumpkin pie. :-) I do make something similar with plain yogurt and vanilla stevia. Meghan eats it from a spoon!
you have tons of great dippy recipes…that latest sweet/bean-based dip…I still am soo tempted by that. Havent done beans in sweets…yet :)
My mom used to keep cool whip in the freezer and I ate it like ice cream! It’s deliciousss, I just don’t have much use for it on the regular these days so I don’t buy it. Sounds like you had a nice night to relax with friends- awesome!!
Omg, this looks and sounds AMAZING!! I LOVE cool whip…as in I could (and have) eaten it out of the container with a spoon! ;) And I love pumpkin anything…it’s bordering obsession actually!
I like to make my baked potato salad for potlucks and family get togethers. It’s loaded with cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions. I’ve healthified it a bit over the years and switched out some of the ingredients and the best part is, no one can tell the difference!
I can, did, and do eat it out of the container with a spoon. I grew up with it and married a man who does it too…ha!
I love cool whip, I used to eat it with a spoon out of the tub and much prefer it to the canned whipped stuff. ALso, I have not always been a pumpkin lover, but I am coming around! I’m gonna make this for game night! I bet everyone will love it!
It takes like 4 seconds to whip together and even non-pumpkin lovers will like it. If you make it, LMK!
I grew up eating Cool Whip out of the tub and married a man who does it too. lol
I LOVE pumpkin! LOVE IT! The dip sounds delicious! My hummus goes so fast. I have a group of friends that love garlic as much as we do, so I normally take that…oh and my caramel gooey bars. I swear people lose there sh*t when I walk in the door with a pan of gooey bars.
I want your gooey bars!!
that dip looks amazing!! especially love the mousse at the end though!! love making yummy things from avocados :)
you like avo things?
here! this has been really popular w/ people
https://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2011/05/vanilla-avocado-banana-ice-cream.html
1) I do really love cool-whip but don’t let myself buy it much anymore :( I would sadly go through a tub in a couple of days ;)
2) Oh my gosh, YES! In everything pretty much… I need to find more savory recipes for it now…
3) I normally bring something different to each party… sometimes I try to be all virtuous and bring the “healthy” snack but sometimes I just go all out with a decadent dessert!!
Can you bring this dip to a party if I have one ; )
I think this would be amazing! I do not like cool whip, but I think I just don’t like it plain, with these special ingredients added to it, I think I would like it!
Happy Weekend to you and the family! xoxo
I’ll bring this to a party only if we can compare nail polish, shoes, and body spray :) We HAVE to meet one day!! xoxo
Great pictures, Averie! I love quick and easy appetizer ideas. We’re usually invited to friends’ houses last minutes, so this would be perfect to keep in mind for next time.
I did almost this exact thing last week! I used greek yogurt and added the pumpkin and spices, and then I used maple syrup instead of caramel….I think caramel would be better!
I used to go to a friend’s house in second grade (where there wasn’t much supervision)…and we’d sit in front of the nintendo eating cool whip out of the container! My family always picks on me, “have a little pie with that cool whip!” etc…. it’s so artificial but I still super love it!
My dad AND scott eat cool whip from the container as if it’s ice cream. There are worse things :)
Glad to hear you made a similar concoction. Yes, try caramel sauce if you have any on hand!
That sounds tasty! I couldn’t make it though; I don’t have any parties on my calendar, so I’d eat all of it.
I do like Cool Whip. The ingredients are scary but… so is life! haha Tru whip is a great alternative with MUCH better ingredients and near identical taste and texture. Maybe I’ll get some when I see it. ‘Tis the season for whippy things. :)
Girl that’s why I made the recipe as written, because it makes a single serve, or smaller serve :) portion.
The doubling and tripling of the recipe is where the real fun begins. Ha!
I have had TruWhip in the past and you’re right..great alternative.
Thank you…so much…for all your help today. You and Dustin get gold stars behind your name :)
I’m a so-so on the cool whip but looks like I better keep the fridge stocked, quick afternoon snack and i bet there’s tons of other ways to create similar. Jam?
Well you can always use a healthier cool whip, i.e. TruWhip or make your own whipped cream vegan style w/ coconut milk. Jam is always great, too.
Rotting broccoli stalks. Freezer full of Cool Whip. Addictive. I’m in! LOL. You crack me up. I would never of considered pumpkin puree and cool whip. But it does sound oddly tasty.
Glad you like my jokes. The dip is more than oddly tasty…trust me on this one!
YUM! It sounds amazing. I’ll need to cry it with vegan whip. Thanks!
Ahem, *try* … I think I had little tears in my eyes just thinking about it (and those BARS too!)
yes try the bars! I think you’ll love them. And the dip too :)
“He’s not into pumpkin–he’s not a blogger, after all”–lol!
Now I’m bummed, I wanted to see your new dress!
I didn’t take any pics…left the camera at home for once :)