14 Unexpected Ways To Use Whipped Cream

Whipped cream is one of the most versatile toppings ever created. You'll see it adorning an array of desserts, from pumpkin pie to ice cream sundaes, and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages alike. Its creamy base, which is made simply by whipping high-fat cream until it's fluffy and stable, can elevate these classics, but it turns out that some unconventional recipes, both savory and sweet, can benefit from a dollop of homemade whipped cream or store-bought varieties, too.

The main reason why whipped cream can be used for so many of these uses is that it's a blank slate. Use a sweetened version or omit the sugar altogether; stick with the classic creamy flavor, or introduce flavorful herbs, spices, and syrups to give it a more unique profile — it's all up to you. When you break it down, it's just aerated cream — so simple yet so divine. The next time you end up with leftover whipped cream or want to broaden your culinary horizons, check out this list of ways to put it to use.

We can see your raised eyebrow from here. Whipped cream is far from the most common ingredient in a pasta dish, but that doesn't mean it can't be useful in certain contexts. Cream is a common addition to pasta sauces, including Alfredo, so adding a little bit to your pasta in its whipped form isn't that odd.

The main benefit of adding a dollop of unsweetened homemade whipped cream to your pasta before serving is to lighten the mouthfeel but still make it rich. Sauces like Alfredo and carbonara are very heavy and dense, so stirring in a spoonful of stabilized whipped cream can help make the finish velvety and smooth without the need to add extra cream, cheese, or butter. You don't need to add a ton of it; just a couple of dollops should do the trick.

Cream-based sauces aren't the only ones worthy of this unconventional addition. You can try folding some homemade whipped cream into your tomato sauce to counteract the acidity of the sauce. Or, if you want something a little lighter and more herbaceous, try stirring in some whipped cream with your pesto. Regardless of the sauce you're making, it's important to always use unsweetened whipped cream since you'll want to have control over the sweetness and flavors at work.

Creamy salad dressings are not a new thing. If you want to give a thin and otherwise sad dressing a boost, consider stirring some whipped cream into it. Depending on the type of dressing you're making — and whether any other sweeteners are in it, like honey, agave, or maple syrup — you may be able to get away with adding a little bit of sweetened whipped cream to the mix. Some salads, like Jell-O salad and ambrosia salad, are primed for the flavor and texture of sweetened whipped cream. However, most applications are going to call for unsweetened whipped cream, seeing as sweetness is not the primary flavor your (savory) dressing should have.

Think of your whipped cream as a replacement for a mayo, sour cream, or yogurt-based dressing. You can cut the whipped cream with any of these ingredients to give your recipe some body without disrupting its flavors. For a simple one, try adding some herbs, like dill or parsley, to a bowl with sour cream and whipped cream. Or, for a grilled corn or elote salad, try cutting some of the mayo in your dressing with whipped cream. The key is not to overdress your salad and to always fold in the whipped cream, rather than rapidly mixing it, to prevent it from deflating and turning mushy.

There are few uses for whipped cream on this list that can be implemented using a can of sweetened whipped cream or Cool Whip. Adding it to your next batch of sweet potatoes is one of them.

Sweet potatoes, as their name suggests, are naturally sugary and almost caramel-tasting. The flavor concentrates after you bake or roast them, which is why they're often topped with sweet toppings like marshmallows, pecans, and sometimes even chocolate. Adding a scoop of whipped cream to the top of your sweet potatoes, as if you were stuffing a baked potato, will add a light, creamy mouthfeel and complement the sweetness of the tubers.

You can also fold it into mashed sweet potatoes to help make their texture extra creamy and sweet. For optimal flavor, try adding a little vanilla extract or cinnamon to your homemade whipped cream, then slather it on. This will create better flavor synergy with the sweet potatoes. Whipped cream can also be used in sweet potato-based desserts, including pie and casserole. Just be sure that your dessert has cooled down a little bit; that way, you won't have to worry about your topping sloshing off.

Adding whipped cream to your French toast or short stack of pancakes isn't uncommon, but many other breakfast foods that can benefit from this ethereally light and creamy concoction. If you're making a batch of homemade crêpes, for example, you may want to try spooning in a little whipped cream before folding it over. The cream will soak into the warm crêpe and complement a range of sweet fillings, including Nutella, peanut butter, fruit, and honey.

One of our favorite places to add whipped cream is to a bowl of oatmeal. Oatmeal made with milk can be very heavy, while oatmeal made with water can be flavorless. Making it with water but adding a little spritz of whipped cream will help lighten the mouthfeel and impart just enough sweetness and fat to the oats. If you want to go the extra mile, consider making a flavored whipped cream. Brown sugar cinnamon is an excellent option that's compatible with many classic oatmeal additions, including fruit and nuts, while a little drizzle of honey will add extra sweetness and complement garden-fresh blueberries quite well.

Dunkin' and Starbucks insiders are probably no strangers to the concept of adding whipped cream to coffee, seeing as how both brands offer iced and frozen beverages topped with it. But it might seem a bit strange to add it to hot coffee. When you add a dollop of it to a steaming cup or your favorite milky café beverage, you'll find that the cream dissolves easily into the coffee, bringing a light mouthfeel and touch of sweetness to the beverage. Not only does it make the drink look cooler, but it can also be used as a replacement for regular cream and sugar.

Using flavored whipped cream to enhance your coffee is a very smart way to use this leftover ingredient. You'll want to consider what flavors work well with coffee before you decide which ones to add to your drink. We love making maple whipped cream by adding a drizzle of the sweetener to the cream, and it complements a range of dark or light roast coffees. You could also make one with chai spices. Cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves would all add a warming mouthfeel to your drink and would be especially tasty in a hot autumnal latte, served with a slice of pumpkin bread or apple strudel.

Store-bought frosting isn't the most pleasant canned good in the world. It's usually sickly sweet, hard to spread, and nothing like what your grandma used to frost her cakes with. But when you add whipped cream to your frosting, you'll find that it becomes super airy, easier to spread, and somehow less cloying. Plus, it will add extra bulk to your frosting, helping you extend your recipe even more.

You may have heard the simple trick of whipping store-bought frosting before spreading it, but this technique takes things one step further. Once you've removed your frosting from the can, add homemade whipped cream to the bowl. The key is to use homemade whipped cream rather than the stuff from the can. Canned whipped cream can be too light and airy, whereas fresh homemade whipped cream will add structure to your frosting. There is no exact measurement for the amount of whipped cream you need, so just add it incrementally until it reaches your desired consistency. Measure it with love — or something like that.

If fudgesicles are one of your favorite nostalgic ice cream truck treats, you might want to take a peek at this hack. You can easily make popsicles using your leftover homemade whipped cream and whatever tasty add-ins you have lying around. For a classic fudgesicle, combine your whipped cream with sweetened condensed milk and cocoa powder. If you like a sweeter pop, you can always add more sweetened condensed milk to the whipped cream before pouring it into your molds.

Fruit can also be added to your pops. Simply blend your fruit of choice with a little bit of sugar (which will help balance the tartness) and alternate layering it in your molds with the whipped cream mixture. You can also blend the cream and the add-ins together if you prefer a more homogeneous pop.

There are many flavor options to choose from. If you're a creamsicle lover, you may want to try layering a thick, sweet orange concoction with the whipped cream or try a lemonade base for a refreshing summer treat. After a few hours, your pops will be ready to eat.

No hot chocolate is complete without a decadent whipped cream garnish. If you have a surplus of Cool Whip hanging around your fridge, you can do more than just add a dollop to the top of your mug before serving. There are several ways to go about this. The first involves adding your homemade whipped cream or Cool Whip to an ice cube tray (preferably a silicone one, since you can just pop the cubes out when they're done).

The other option is to freeze a wax paper-lined sheet pan of the whipped spread, then, after four hours (or once the whipped cream has hardened), cut out your own shapes with cookie cutters. The sliced frozen whip can be stored in more wax paper so that you can pull them out when you're ready to serve. Since they are made with frozen cream, they can soften if they're exposed to room temperature for long enough, so it's best to wrap them tightly and store them in a freezer bag (to prevent any smells from tainting them) and only pull them out when you need them.

The Fluffernutter — the peanut butter-marshmallow fluff sandwich — might have a little bit of competition, courtesy of the Japanese whipped cream sandwich. Its name accurately describes everything that it has going on: a thick layer of whipped cream sandwiched between two slices of bread. Typically, you'll see these sandwiches studded with fruit, including mandarins, berries, and kiwis, making them a refreshing summer snack or dessert — especially if you have a loaf of bread sitting on your counter that looks like it might be past its prime.

This unique, sweet sandwich is typically made with Japanese milk bread, but that doesn't mean your trusty Wonder Bread is out of the running. The sandwich is typically served crustless — a win for picky eaters — and sliced diagonally so that the filling is exposed. Once you're ready to assemble, slather a thick (we're talking an inch thick) layer of whipped cream on your slices, add your fruit, and fill in any gaps with the whipped topping. If you're using large pieces of fruit, it may be helpful to mark where they are using a toothpick so that you get the most Instagram-worthy slice out of your fruit sando. This sandwich is traditionally left in the fridge for 20 minutes to 1 hour so that the cream can set and soften the bread slightly, but we wouldn't blame you for eating it on the spot either.

You probably haven't looked at a container of whipped cream and thought, "Oh yeah, soup!" But like so many of the other uses for whipped cream on this list, you have to lower your inhibitions and get creative. Unsweetened whipped cream (or even a sweetened one, if you're working with a very acidic tomato soup or an autumnal butternut squash one) can make your dish's mouthfeel extra creamy. If you're using a homemade batch of whipped cream, try to only use it once it's at the soft peak stage — rather than at the point when it reaches stiff peaks. That way, it will easily meld into your hot soup and infuse it with flavor.

One of our favorite ways to use whipped cream is to add it to a creamy potato leek soup. The sharp flavors of the leeks are softened by the cream, while the extra fat helps make every bowl super hearty. You can also add it to a creamy carrot-ginger soup, where the cream would cushion the spices and brightness of the ginger.

There are seemingly endless toppings that you can add to your toast, but one that you may have never thought of is whipped cream. While many spreads, like avocado, Nutella, peanut butter, and even plain butter, can be heavy and dense, whipped cream is not. It offers a creamy but light mouthfeel, allowing the authentic flavor of the bread and other toppings to shine. Plus, you can combine it with conventional sweet toast toppings, including fruit jam, freeze-dried berries, lemon curd, fruit compote, chocolate, or honey, to create a unique breakfast side. If you're feeding a kiddo, you may even want to add a few sprinkles to give your whipped cream a magical, dessert-like feel.

The one major caveat here, which is especially relevant for toast, is that it can't be piping hot when you add your whipped cream to it — otherwise, the cream will turn into a puddle and make the bread soggy. Let your slice cool after it's exited the toaster before adding your whipped cream and other toppings.

Although it's delicious in taste, whipped cream alone doesn't make for a good frosting. It's very light and airy, so when you go to assemble a cake, you may find that it sloshes off to the sides or makes the entire thing unstable. But once you add a stabilizing agent to your leftover whipped cream, you'll be in business. There are numerous agents you can use. Gelatin is one, though you'll need to allocate some time for it to bloom and cool down slightly before you add it to your whipped cream base. Once the gelatin is adequately bloomed, stream it into your bowl or mixer with the whipped cream. From there, it can be piped or spread directly onto your dessert.

Another cheap alternative — which is a great option if you are a little wary of using gelatin — is to use instant pudding. You can choose either a vanilla flavor to mesh seamlessly with the whipped cream or any other instant pudding variety. Mix up the instant pudding with milk (essentially, preparing it according to the package directions) before combining it with your whipped cream. This combination offers the perfect airy yet creamy consistency that can elevate an array of sweet treats from cupcakes to whoopie pies.

Yes, an ice cream sandwich is already delicious on its own. But you can make an even better one by adding whipped cream to your store-bought sandwich or homemade version. While a light, fluffy whipped cream straight from the can may not cut it, adding a thick slab of Cool Whip will.

There are several ways to go about this. If you prefer a light ice cream in your sandwiches, try combining your ice cream with the Cool Whip before stuffing it between your cookies or wafers. This is also a handy hack if you're using a thick, premium ice cream or want to stretch your pint a little bit farther.

You can even use Cool Whip for your sandwiches in lieu of the ice cream. Stuff your sandwich "bread" with the spread (it should be at room temperature so that it's easier to work with), and let the assembled sandwiches harden in the freezer again before enjoying. The Cool Whip will soften in a warm environment, so just be sure not to leave the sandwiches out for too long.

There are many ways to ensure that your mashed potatoes are as creamy as possible. You can try adding a creamy addition to make your starchy side decadent, including mayo and sour cream. Now, you can include whipped cream on that list. Obviously, you'll want to use unsweetened whipped cream here, as you don't want to alter the flavor of the spuds too much. Just like how you would add a little cream to the bowl before serving, you can add a few dollops of whipped cream instead.

Whipped cream is compatible with a whole host of other mashed potato additions, including butter, chives, bacon, or cheese. You may even want to mix your whipped topping with herbs, like freshly chopped chives or parsley, before stirring it into your potatoes. That way, the herbs will be well distributed and complemented by the whipped cream's unique mouthfeel.