Whipnotic Proves Flavored Whipped Cream Is ‘Not Niche,’ Expands Distribution

Banking on its innovative design and playful identity, Whipnotic is on a path to whisk new life into the whipped cream category as it expands its distribution to the West Coast.

Using a patented nozzle technology, Whipnotic adds fruit juice to whipped cream creating a colorful, flavored version of the dessert in four flavors: Strawberry Swirl, Peach Mango, Vanilla Salted Caramel and Brownie Batter. The sweet innovation is positioned as a premium product targeting health-conscious consumers with its gluten-free, keto-friendly and low-sugar attributes.

Though on the surface flavored whipped cream might seem like a somewhat niche category, the product has found early success among a broad swathe of consumers spanning both natural channel and conventional grocery shoppers.

Whipnotic, which launched in late 2022, lined up a big partnership at the beginning of the year in over 300 Kroger stores. Now, the brand has made its entrance into California in a retail partnership with Los Angeles-area Bristol Farms in all the chain’s locations. The brand has also landed a deal to be in 70 ShopRite locations across New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Jersey.

The brand has sold nearly 20,000 cans this month, quadrupling its sales year over year,, said co-founder and president Tracy Luckow, who founded the brand with her sister Lori Gitomer. “This year alone we’ve grown 176% and it’s not a typical season for whipped cream.”

What is the season for whipping cream?

“Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Whenever it’s family get-togethers with all ages is when whipped cream really shines,” Luckow said, adding that according to her research about 60% of Americans eat whipped cream every day.

In 2023, whipped cream was a $1.2 billion category in U.S. grocery, according to Nielsen multi-outlet data provided to the brand. For flavored whipped creams, the category is up 24% versus a year-ago period.

Where is all this whipped cream going?

“People are switching to at-home coffee consumption, so the coffee foams, creamers and flavored whipped creams are really the substitutes that are all growing in grocery,” Luckow said.

The brand has found success sampling in non-traditional venues like fashion boutiques and bars. New consumers are also coming to the brand through social channels like TikTok and Instagram where Whipnotic does well as a “visual, multi-sensory fun” brand, Luckow said.

The fun comes from Whipnotic’s proprietary nozzle that infuses colorful fruit juice and essence into the low-sugar whipped cream as it is being swirled onto coffee, dessert or “just eaten in a cone by itself,” she said.

As the brand has grown, Whipnotic has been innovating its nozzle technology to meet consumers where they are. The new nozzle will be able to hold 25% more flavoring for consumers who have “cheated the system” to get more flavoring out.

Luckow and her sister are about to launch Whipnotic’s improved nozzle while also dedicating resources to automating the company’s production process with new machinery in order to meet the increased demand. The brand expects to have 40 times its current capacity once it has implemented its new manufacturing equipment.

The company buys its whipped cream in partnership with Alamance Foods but self-manufactures its nozzles.

In order to fuel its growth, Whipnotic is currently raising a bridge round to the $2.5 million seed investment it took in last year and the $800,000 it raised from friends and family. The brand hopes to take in about $4 million by the end of the summer.

Existing investors include GTM Investments, East Dune Holdings and Crenshaw Ventures.

Even though the brand has found success drawing investment, Luckow is confident the brand can whip up new investment in a category that has been relatively untapped.

“The category is not niche; it’s growing pretty rapidly,” Luckow said.