Impact of Pea Protein–Pectin Emulsion Gels Containing Soybean Oil on the Whipping Performance of Non-Dairy Whipping Cream

A non-dairy whipping cream was developed by partially replacing cocoa butter substitute with pea protein–high-methoxyl pectin (PP–HMP) emulsion gel containing soybean oil. The effects of substitution levels (10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%) on the properties of the pre-whipping cream emulsion and the resulting whipped cream were systematically investigated and compared with those of commercial whipped creams. The properties of the pre-whipping emulsion (apparent viscosity and particle size) and whipped cream (hardness, adhesiveness, elastic modulus, and thixotropic loop area) degraded with increasing PP–HMP emulsion gel substitution levels. Overrun and partial coalescence of fat reached their highest values at the 20% substitution level, at which point the whipped cream also exhibited a uniform microstructure and excellent shape retention. The overrun, hardness, and foam stability of non-dairy whipping cream containing 20% PP–HMP emulsion gel were comparable to those of the commercial whipped cream. These findings demonstrate the potential of PP–HMP emulsion gel as a fat substitute for developing non-dairy whipping cream with reduced hydrogenated fat content.