Can You Use Heavy Whipping Cream In Coffee? Heavy Whipping Cream Recipe

For those who are not familiar with the art of coffee making, sometimes, a change in ingredients like milk can cause you to panic. In such situations, you may consider using substitutes, like heavy whipping cream in your coffee.

Is It Possible To Add Heavy Whipping Cream To Coffee?

Fortunately, yes. After all, heavy whipping cream is a dairy product as well. So heavy cream along with other products mentioned below would be great to replace milk.

You may simply just run out of milk, or you could be looking for a change. Either way, you can safely experiment with some new recipes with our guide. Perhaps you will even have another go-to coffee recipe. Who knows?

Heavy Cream, Whipping Cream, Half-and-half, And Milk: What Are The Differences?

You may be thinking: Such a lengthy list! With all the different dairy brands on shelves, you could be overwhelmed trying to choose one for your daily sip of coffee.

Don’t feel discouraged just yet, because the difference is easy to spot. Once you get to know your ingredients well, browsing through aisles of dairy goods would not be tiring anymore. Keep in mind that the differences boil down to the fat percentage in each type. The percentage you see in the containers is the amount of fat in the dairy by weight. So let’s get into it.

Heavy cream and whipping cream

Heavy cream, also called heavy whipping cream, is the richest among all. Heavy cream contains a fat percentage of 38% and is the thickest part on top of the milk. Whipping cream ranks second with 35% fat.

Both can offer a thick, creamy texture to your drink, even though a high-fat percentage means that they carry lots of calories. At the same time, they contain vital nutrients like vitamins or calcium.

Half-and-half

As the name suggests, half-and-half contains half milk and half cream. The two ingredients are mixed in equal proportion, and the result is a mixture with around 12% fat. Of course, the percent may vary, though not too much, depending on each country’s standard.

In America, the percentage of fat in half-and-half products is between 10.5 and 18%. It’s an exciting fact that half-and-half is one of the most frequently used creams for coffee in the U.S. After all, it’s the perfect combination of milk and cream, with a higher fat level than milk, yet much lower than heavy cream.

Milk

There’s a myriad of milk types for you to choose from, but we can reduce the number to 4 main selections:

• Whole milk: with about 3.5% of fat, whole milk’s fat is the closest to raw milk harvested from a cow. Whole milk comes with a lot of health implications. Some may say it’s unhealthy, while others believe the health benefits from consuming whole milk are plenty.
• Reduced-fat milk of 2% milk has 2% fat in the milk, while low-fat or 1% milk contains only 1% fat. These two don’t actually vary much in the amount of fat they carry. Most of the time, you only choose between them for a particular recipe requirement.
• Skim or fat-free milk: all fat is removed, thus having a lower amount of calories per 100g of milk. There’s no reason why you should give up milk when you’re on a diet, especially when milk contains so much healthy nutrition like vitamin B12, B2, or B5.

Further Reading: Whole Milk vs. Skim Milk

How Will Your Coffee Taste With Heavy Whipping Cream?

Suppose you’re already familiar with the taste and texture of milk in your coffee. Then you may see some noticeable changes with your drink with heavy cream. But, of course, not all changes are bad if you know how to handle your coffee properly.

In general, your batch will come out silkier and denser. However, don’t expect your drink to be sweet if you only add heavy whipping cream to it. Heavy whipping cream doesn’t contain sugar, so add some sugar for flavor if you have a sweet tooth. For a lovely scent, a few drops of vanilla will do the trick.

If you’re a big fan of adding milk to your coffee, heavy cream can be just as good a substitute for your emergencies. You only need to put in a little heavy whipping cream at first, as it is thicker and heavier than milk.

After having a taste, you can decide whether you want more heavy cream in your beverage. If you’re into trying out new drinks, your coffee could turn out tasty, and you can quickly end up loving it.

Ways To Process Heavy Whipping Cream for Coffee

Now that you understand more about heavy cream, it is essential to learn how to deal with it the right way. Unlike milk, heavy whipping cream has a thicker, heavier texture. Therefore, treating it the same way as you do with milk may create a disaster.

Again, with such a rich texture, be careful with the amount of heavy cream you put in your coffee. A preferred alternative would be topping your drink with heavy cream. Here are some tricks up your sleeve for a fantastic cup of coffee, heavy cream added:

• If your coffee is warm or hot, heat the heavy cream before adding it to the drink.
• Prefer your drink served cold? No problem, just cool or fridge your heavy cream before adding it to your iced coffee.

Remember, a significant difference in temperature between the coffee and the heavy whipping cream will lead to curdling. Very acidic coffee beans can also curdle the cream. Another tip is to put everything in a blender with sugar or vanilla for the ultimate sweet treat.

• Frothing: besides milk, you can also froth your heavy cream. Frothing makes the liquid more foamy and fluffy. Therefore, frothing heavy cream can make your drink much less creamy than adding it straight to the coffee.
• Whipping: Heavy cream is best whipped cold. Whip the cream until it reaches soft-peak so that it won’t blend into the coffee. Notice when you turn the whisk upside down, the cream forms a curvy peak that’s soft and falls back quickly. You can serve the whipped heavy cream with cold coffee drinks like frappé.

Related post: How To Make Sweet Cream Cold Foam | Homemade Cold Foam Guide

Coffee Recipes That Go Well With Heavy Whipping Cream

With these two familiar recipes, your heavy whipping cream will definitely come in handy. A splash of heavy cream could even be a creative twist you can showcase to friends or family. On top of that, the recipes require simple ingredients that should always be available for coffee lovers.

5-minute espresso topped with whipped cream

Prepare your coffee as you normally do: Brew a cup of espresso. Then, whip the heavy cream cold while letting your coffee cool down as well. Next, use a spoon to pour the whipped cream gently into your coffee cup. Tada! There’s your fresh cup of coffee to start the day.

Frappé

Frappé is a Greek-origin drink made by combining espresso, sugar, milk, and ice. Blend the mixture ‘til it’s smooth. Add some heavy whipping cream on top, then dust on some chocolate or matcha powder to your liking. What a slushy drink for a beautiful day at the park!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best way to use heavy whipping cream with coffee?

The best way is to use heavy whipping cream as a topping in your coffee for a little diversity in flavor.

Will I get fat if I use heavy whipping cream frequently?

Unfortunately, yes. Even though heavy cream is rich in nutrition, it also contains a significant amount of calories. With every 119 grams of heavy whipping cream, you take in a whopping 400kcal.

Can I use heavy whipping cream if I’m lactose intolerant?

Sure. Because heavy whipping cream contains almost no lactose, you can actually have some in your coffee without worrying about the discomfort afterward.

Can I use heavy whipping cream in coffee when I’m on a keto diet?

Yes. Heavy whipping cream is the perfect low-carb, high-fat alternative for milk and other dairy products in coffee if you’re following a keto diet.

How do I froth heavy whipping cream?

It’s straightforward, actually. Besides heavy whipping cream, you also need powdered sugar and a frother. Mix the sugar and cold heavy whipping cream in a mason jar, then whip the mixture for about a minute with the frother.

Conclusion

It won’t hurt to experiment with something new like heavy whipping cream every once in a while. For the occasional times you run out of milk, it’s not the end of the world. Heavy cream is not only a great alternative, but it’s frequently used in so many coffee-related drinks too.

Nonetheless, be mindful of the calorie intake you’re getting from consuming heavy whipping cream. In addition, you might want to cut down on high-fat dairy products if you’re trying to be healthier. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to some dream-like creamy, silky coffee blend every now and then.

Further reading: Best Nespresso Machines For Latte (2021 Complete Buying Guide)