Heavy Whipping Cream In Coffee

Oh, that creamy goodness. There are few drinks more pleasantly decadent than a coffee drink topped with heavy whipping cream.

In this article, we give you all the steps you need to use heavy whipping cream in coffee and create your own mouth-watering drinks.

Replacing Milk for Heavy Whipping Cream

Adding milk to coffee is a natural step for most people. After all, the most popular coffee drink in the United States is a latte – and the name literally just means ‘milk’ in Italian.

So yes, coffee and milk go well together.

If you have been considering stepping up your dairy game by going beyond milk, you might wonder if it’s ok to add whipping cream (or whipped cream) to coffee.

And the good news is that, yes, whipping cream and coffee make a great team. So go right ahead and drink coffee with heavy whipping cream.

Why Brew Coffee With Heavy Cream In Coffee

Adding heavy cream to coffee can change your beverage entirely. Heavy whipping cream is the fattiest part of milk that rises to the top and then gets separated when it’s processed.

When you buy a container of whipping cream, you’re getting the highest possible amount of fat content.

Adding that extra fat to your coffee gives you a mouthfeel that’s unbeatable.

When you mix coffee with heavy cream, you add a silky smoothness that no other ingredient can provide. Heavy whipping cream in coffee is fantastic for strong coffees that beg for a full, thick body.

Although the health benefits of heavy cream could be a subject of debate, Keto dieters are encouraged to add high fat to their diet in an effort to aid weight loss. So if you want to follow a Keto diet, putting heavy whipping cream in coffee is a delicious way to get that extra fat.

Also, cream in coffee has an undeniable visual appeal. Look at a beverage made with heavy whipping cream, and you can see the silky body it creates. 

And due to the heavyweight, you can experiment with making layered drinks. However, keep in mind that the heavier liquid (in this case, the whipping cream) will sink to the bottom.

To successfully layer coffee, consider adding the heavy cream layer first. Then add the lighter-weight black coffee. If you’ve whipped it, the added air makes it light, so it will float on top. 

What does heavy whipping cream taste like in coffee? 

Heavy whipping cream in coffee will change everything, both the flavor and texture.  The first thing you’ll notice when you drink coffee is the thick, heavy feel on your palate. Then you’ll be hit by the rich flavor.

And since most heavy whipping cream doesn’t have sugar in it, the beverage won’t be overly sweet. That way, you can add your own flavorings, sugar, or syrups to give it just the right sweet touch.

You can find heavy cream that is designed specifically for coffee drinks. Coffee creamers have added sugar and flavors that might be to your taste when you want extra flavor. 

From Iced Coffee To Flavored Brews

Take a look in your local supermarket, and you’ll find coffee creamer flavors such as Pumpkin Spice, Vanilla, Hazelnut, and many others. Whenever you want to jazz your coffee up with little effort, pour a bit of flavored creamer in your hot coffee or iced coffee. 

Keep in mind that if you have a very delicate or fine specialty coffee, sugar, flavorings, heavy cream, and a coffee creamer will cover up the outstanding features it has. Unfortunately, that means you will no longer be able to appreciate the original body, acidity or the flavors of origin. 

Now let’s talk about what heavy cream does to 3 popular coffee drinks.

Heavy Cream In Espresso

Espresso is an extremely popular way to consume coffee, preferred around the world as a fast jolt of flavor and caffeine. However, those who aren’t used to the strong taste of an espresso might look around for the creamer to cut any bitterness or to add sweetness.

When you add heavy cream to espresso, you can expect the look to change considerably. Your intensely dark beverage will suddenly become much lighter. Depending on how much you add, the coffee will change from dark brown to light beige.

A dollop of heavy cream will also mask any bitterness in the espresso. You’ll get a creamier texture using heavy cream than if you go with combining skim milk (fat-free) and cream mixture. 

I don’t recommend putting cream that you’ve whipped in espresso since the sweet topping creates an extreme contrast with the bitter shot below.

Creamy Frappe With Half and Half  

At Starbucks, it’s called a Frappuccino. At home, you can call your creamy frappe coffee anything you’d like.

Making your coffee frappe with creamer instead of half-and-half will make it thick like a smoothie full of coffee cream. 

The resulting frappe will have a paler look than regular coffee. Keep an eye on the coffee-to-cream ratio so that the frappe still has a brown color and still retains some coffee flavor.

There are three approaches you can take when making a creamy frappe:

• add heavy cream to the coffee while blending the frappe
• whip cream and add it to the top of the finished beverage
• do both – add heavy cream to the frappe, then top it off with whipped cream

Add black coffee, creamer, sugar, and ice cubes to a blender and mix until smooth. You might want to add syrups (caramel or chocolate are my favorites!) to finish off the beverage. You can even make this smoothie with instant coffee and vanilla extract.               

Irish Coffee with Whipped Cream

An Irish coffee just doesn’t seem all that Irish until you’ve added the heavy cream. And don’t forget to top it off with a dollop of whipped cream.

Irish coffee is an elegant drink, with the deep brown color of the brewed coffee contrasting with the light tufts of heavy cream that’s been whipped. The strong whiskey taste gets balanced out by the heavy body of the cream and the sweetness of sugar.

Milk and half-and-half just can’t stand up to the tastes of this bold beverage, so stick to heavy whipping cream when you make Irish coffee.

Okay…So How do You Add Whipping Cream To Coffee? 

Use it right out of the container

If you want to drink coffee with the added hit of heavy cream, you don’t even need to whip it. Use it right out of the container and pour it into your favorite beverage or coffee frappe.

It will lend its thick body to coffee, although it won’t have all the magic of cream that’s been whipped.

Use a can of whipped cream

To add that whipped dazzle to your coffee drink, you can take the easy route and buy a can that’s already whipped. It’s as simple as shaking the can, pointing the nozzle at the drink, and pressing the nozzle to release the cream.

Be careful not to get the nozzle too close to the coffee since it could shoot the cream too quickly into the drink and make the hot contents spill out.

Whipping cream at home

And lastly, you can whip the cream at home. There are two basic ways to whip cream.

With a hand mixer

You can use a hand mixer to beat your heavy cream. Chill the mixer bowl in the freezer. Don’t forget to chill the beaters, too. Once they’re nicely chilled, add heavy whipping cream to the bowl.

Whip on high until soft peaks form.

Carefully add the cream by tablespoons into your drink.

With a whipping cream dispenser

You can also use a whipping dispenser. This kind of dispenser uses pressurized gas to whip the cream.

Follow the manufacturer’s directions to charge the gas canister. Shake well, then add the foamy cream to the top of your preferred drink.

Frequently Asked Questions