15 Absolute Best Add-Ins For Homemade Whipped Cream
Making whipped cream from scratch is a beneficial cooking skill to have in your arsenal. It requires minimal ingredients and not much effort. Once you've mastered making your own batch at home, you'll find that you're able to make it for many occasions — even if it's just to make your weekday coffee feel like a celebration. We enjoy making it at home for anything from a topping on a hot milk steamer to cheekily using it as a dip for fruit. While whipped cream is often relegated to a warm cup of hot chocolate, there are so many other ways that you can utilize it to elevate your favorite dishes. Although plain whipped cream is a delight on its own, you may want to consider sprucing it up with some flavorful add-ins.
These options will allow you to take your recipe in any direction, whether you want something sweet or savory. They can also alter the taste, texture, and consistency of your whipped topping, which is important to remember when deciding what recipes to use it with. For example, while finely chopped herbs might provide a slight change in texture, sour cream gives your whipped cream a moderate tang. The fun part then comes with how you can use the whipped creams in your desserts, meals, drinks, and cocktails.
Honey
Honey makes for a delicious addition to your homemade whipped cream when you want to switch up the sweetness profile. You can use honey whipped cream for pie, cakes, ice cream, sundaes, or to top off a latte. It's delicious enough to eat on its own, but it also pairs wonderfully with fruit-based desserts and pastries such as peach cobbler or blueberry pie. And while you could keep it simple by only adding this sticky ingredient to your homemade whipped cream, or you could also include a few drops of vanilla extract and a pinch of fine sea salt. The vanilla, honey, and salt work together to balance the sweetness as well as help structure the cream.
To make this variation, put all your ingredients, including the honey, into a bowl, then whip it until it forms stiff peaks. You'll want to use heavy cream instead of heavy whipping cream for this recipe for the best results. It's the sweet addition that's sure to change your homemade whipped cream recipe forever.
Coconut cream
Although coconut is delicious all year round, it feels particularly magical during the summer. You can almost feel the sun on the back of your neck and hear the waves crash onto the sand with a coconut beverage in your hand. You can upgrade your whipped cream with a tropical pantry ingredient, like coconut milk or coconut cream, to infuse this flavor into your favorite seasonal beverages. Or, dollop it onto coconut custard pie or a tasty pineapple coconut poke cake.
One of our favorite ways to use this ingredient is to spruce up our cocktails. Spoon a heap onto a coconut martini or a piña colada. Or, make a Painkiller cocktail with rum, orange juice, pineapple, cream of coconut, ice, and nutmeg, then top it with a scrumptious glob of coconut whipped cream. You could even layer into the cocktail by starting with a layer of thick cocktail base, like the aforementioned beverages, and topping it with the coconut whipped cream, repeating until you reach the rim.
Sour cream
Sour cream might sound like an odd, tangy addition to whipped cream, but it's not as funky as you'd think. To make a more complex version of this sweet topping, add a bit of sour cream to your heavy cream before you get to mixing. You don't want to add too much; just a few tablespoons or less will suffice. You could add the sour cream after the stiff peaks are formed for a subtle, more complex flavor.
The sour cream whipped cream works well with fruit dishes since the tartness of the sour cream complements the acidity of certain fruits. Try it with tart fruit desserts, including those with passionfruit, kumquat, tart cherries, oranges, lemon, lime, grapefruit, cranberries, or rhubarb. For example, a passionfruit cake or sour cherry crisp would make for a perfect pairing with this whipped cream variation. It's a creamy, decadent topping to make when you want something unexpected and richer than your average whipped cream.
Matcha
Matcha's earthiness works well with the cream and sugar to create a unique (but delicious) whipped cream combination. Make your whipped cream as you normally would, and then add the matcha powder when it's starting to form its peaks. You can reduce the chance of clumpy matcha or lumpy whipped cream by sifting your matcha powder beforehand. It's also important to keep an eye on it once you add the matcha because you don't want to overwhip the cream. Then, give it a taste, and you'll be ready to go.
Your matcha whipped cream will be the talk of the town — or at least the gathering you bring it to. It's a stunning shade of green that will draw the attention of all who see it. But the color isn't the only wow factor; the matcha itself brings a mellow taste to the whipped cream. Add a little bit to the top of matcha muffins or matcha pancakes, accompanied with some fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey.
Cherry pits
When was the last time you used a cherry pit? Usually, it's the first part of the cherry that gets tossed in the garbage. After all, there are whole devices to pit cherries because nobody wants to use that part of the fruit other than for planting. With this hack, you can stop throwing away cherry pits and get your money's worth of that seasonal fruit by utilizing the pits to make a cherry-infused whipped cream. Keep those pits and any cherry remnants in a container with heavy cream overnight for a cold infusion, then remove the pits and make your whipped cream as usual.
Cherry-based desserts are an obvious choice to pair with your cherry whipped cream, but this topping also goes very well with chocolate (particularly dark chocolate), nuts, or other stone fruits like peaches or nectarines. Try a scoop of whipped cream on your dark chocolate cake, or serve it with chocolate-covered strawberries or cherries. Next time you pit cherries for a cherry pie, save the pits to make this delicious whipped cream.
Fresh or dried herbs
Fresh or dried herbs open up the possibility of making a savory whipped cream. While fresh herbs will give it more color, fragrance, and a slightly more potent flavor, you can use dried herbs if that's what you have on hand. Herbs like chives, scallions, basil, rosemary, mint, cilantro, thyme, tarragon, parsley, or oregano make great vegetal flavors for your whipped cream. Mix and match the herbs or use ones that are already in the dish you want to pair it with, like a tarragon lentil soup with tarragon whipped cream. Herby whipped cream enriches creamy soups, grilled seafood, roasted vegetables, and potato dishes. For example, add it to a loaded baked potato or seared scallops.
The trick to making this recipe is to heat your herbs of choice in a pan with the cream to allow for an infusion. Let it simmer, then turn off the heat and let the herbs steep in the warm liquid for around 30 minutes. From there, you can strain off the leaves and stems before preparing the rest of your recipe. For extra texture, gently fold in a small amount of chopped herbs. You'll want the pieces to be fully incorporated, but you don't want the peaks to break down.
Malted milk powder
While it might not be the most common add-in, malted milk powder is the secret to elevating whipped cream. Malted milk powder is made of a mixture of barley flour, wheat flour, and evaporated milk. You'll often find it used in milkshakes, sodas, and candies like chocolate malt balls.
To make your malted milk powder whipped cream, add a spoonful to the cream before you start the whipping process. Then, taste as you go to decide if you'll need more. You can sprinkle in more sugar if you prefer it to be sweeter or omit the sugar if you want a more balanced whipped cream. We also recommend dropping in a couple of drops of vanilla extract for extra oomph.
The malt flavor might be an acquired taste for some. If it's not really up your alley, you could add milk powder, coconut milk powder, or rice malt syrup instead. Add a dollop of your malted milk powder whipped cream to just about any sweet treat, pie, hot chocolate, cake, or even a fresh batch of brownies for a unique flavor.
Whiskey
Use whiskey for next-level boozy whipped cream. A Japanese whisky will add smoky and caramel notes to your topping that would pair wonderfully with a sprinkle of cinnamon or clove or a cinnamon dessert like a spiced baked apple crumb. Pair bourbon whipped cream with pumpkin or pecan pie, or use Irish whiskey whipped cream for something chocolatey, such as flourless chocolate torte or chocolate cream pie.
To make this alcohol-infused variation, pick which whiskey you like to use and complement it with ingredients related to its tasting notes. Make your whipped cream as usual and wait for the stiff peaks to form before adding your whiskey into the mix. You can also customize your topping with other ingredients to help it better suit your pairing. For example, a little bit of orange zest or chocolate shavings will further add a refreshing element to your whiskey whipped cream. Or, go in the opposite direction and transform it into a more savory, whiskey-whipped treat with a small amount of miso or sea salt flakes.
Instant pudding mix
Your whipped cream will never be the same again when you add instant pudding mix to it. It will keep your homemade whipped cream fluffy and opens up the possibility of many flavor options. After all, you don't have to use the standard chocolate or vanilla pudding instant mix; you can pick any flavor powder, whether chocolate, butterscotch, banana, cookies and cream, lemon, white chocolate, or pistachio. Stick with one flavor or experiment with a mixture, like half chocolate and half banana. It allows room for creativity, especially if you want to pair it with a dessert with a couple of components, like a chocolate banana cream pie.
To make your upgraded whipped cream, you'll need cold heavy cream, instant pudding mix, vanilla extract, and confectioners' sugar. The pudding mix already has sweetener, so you don't have to add as much sugar as you normally would use to make whipped cream. But you can adjust the sweetness after giving it an initial test. Whip everything together in a mixer on high until stiff peaks begin to form. The instant pudding mix not only provides flavor and color, but it helps the whipped cream maintain its shape by acting as a stabilizer.
Olive oil
How exactly does olive oil factor into a whipped cream? It provides a complementary profile similar to that of olive oil and ice cream, creating a robust flavor you won't forget. It makes for an unusual duo that could be compared to the funky pairing of fries and milkshake. While this dynamic combination isn't for everyone, trying out new flavor matches occasionally doesn't hurt. This is the perfect thing to make if you want to expand your palate.
Olive oil whipped cream might be an even better place to start since it's more subtle than ice cream. This unexpected pantry staple makes a more neutral whipped topping, particularly if you leave out the vanilla and sugar. You can also choose an oil for your recipe based on its flavors. For example, use a fruitier olive oil for fruity or sweet desserts, instead of one on the bitter or grassy side.
The options for what you can make with this recipe vary. You can use your rich olive oil whipped cream to top a dense, oil-based cake or make a savory olive oil whipped cream to use with salad, stuffed mushrooms, or grilled steak.
Bitters
Cocktails often call for bitters, but the ways to use them extend beyond a boozy beverage. It's a surprising ingredient you need to start adding to your whipped cream to infuse unique, enticing flavors. It might not be something you'd think to include at first, but you can take the flavors wherever you want to go. Whether you choose orange, cardamom, ginger, cherry cacao, aromatic, or one of the many other flavors, it can sway your whipped cream to new heights.
Are you still feeling dubious about bitters in whipped cream? Start with some classic flavors like mint or orange. These varieties are more common and functional for desserts and drinks. If you have a certain dessert in mind, you can use particular bitters to work with it. Make a chocolate peppermint cheesecake or a mint julep cocktail topped with a tablespoon of mint bitters whipped cream. Or, make cardamom-infused milk for your coffee, then top with cardamom bitters whipped cream for an exceptional morning treat.
Spices
Spices, particularly warming ones, are a delightful and effortless add-in for your whipped cream. The powders won't mess with the texture, and you can drop in as much or as little as you'd like, depending on how potent you want your topping to be. Plus, most of us have at least a few spices in the cabinet. A spiced whipped cream goes with nearly any dessert, including pumpkin pie and French toast. Or, you could also place it on beverages like a frappe, hot toddy, or cream soda.
Make a batch of cinnamon whipped cream to pair with a delicious cinnamon coffee cake, pop it atop a cozy pumpkin spice latte, or dunk it into cinnamon scones. Your spice options could include clove, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, star anise, or a combination. For example, we recommend trying a pumpkin pie spice blend with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Meanwhile, cardamom whipped cream or cardamom ginger whipped cream would be a delightful addition to a morning coffee.
Citrus zest
Citrus zest can give your whipped cream a punchy kick, whether you're using it from lemons, limes, grapefruits, kumquats, navel oranges, clementines, yuzu, or bergamot oranges. Picture lemon bars with lemon whipped cream, or try it with your next citrus cake to heighten the flavor. You don't have to stick to using the same fruit for both the whipped cream and the dish you're serving it, either. You could pair a kumquat whipped cream or a lemon-lime whipped cream with an orange chiffon cake or citrus almond tart.
Have some fun with it! Luckily, whipped cream isn't something that takes hours to whip up. Once you make it a couple of times, you can feel comfortable enough to experiment with it. A citrusy whipped cream would go great on a slice of rhubarb pie or rhubarb cobbler. Add a tablespoon of grapefruit whipped cream onto a fresh lemon posset. And if you have access to other citrus fruits like daidai or oroblanco, give it a go with those, too.
Nut butter
Get nutty by creating a whipped cream with your favorite nut butter. This is the perfect topping to make when you want to embellish your dessert or drink. After all, peanut butter whipped cream dolloped on top of a similarly-flavored mudslide might be the most decadent combination out there. Make nut butter whipped cream by whipping heavy whipping cream in your mixer until firm peaks form. Once it reaches the desired stiffness, gently add in your nut butter of choice by slowly folding it in. Use a ¼ cup of nut butter for each cup of cream.
A peanut butter whipped cream goes great with peanut butter icebox cake, pie, and cheesecake bars. You can use any nut butter, whether it's peanut, pistachio, almond, cashew, pecan, or macadamia, or choose something on the flavored side, like products infused with salted caramel or maple. Almond butter whipped cream tastes marvelous with nutty coffee cake or atop your favorite waffle recipe.
Coffee powder
When you want a pick-me-up, try infusing your whipped cream with coffee. It's a pretty uncomplicated process that involves mixing the whipped cream base with coffee granules or instant espresso powder. You'll want to whisk them together by hand or use your mixer to ensure the granules dissolve thoroughly. Keep an eye out for any clumps, and make sure to scrape the sides for any hidden bits. Everything should come together once the stiff peaks form. Your whipped cream should have a light brown hue, but it depends on the potency of your coffee and how much you add.
Supercharge your whipped cream with an extra tablespoon or two of the powder. Or if time allows, you could opt to boil your heavy whipping cream and coffee powder, store it in the fridge, and let it sit overnight for a full infusion. Coffee whipped cream goes well with any latte, coffee-based beverage, or dessert like a toasted marshmallow coffee milkshake or an espresso mud pie.