Guide to Adding Heavy Whipping Cream To Coffee

I like to experiment with adding milk products to my coffee. This guide will let you know whether you can add heavy whipping cream to your coffee and how to optimize it.

You’ll find the following points:

Let’s make your coffee taste better.

Key Takeaways

• Heavy whipping cream will overwhelm coffee’s natural bitterness and give it a subtle, sweet taste.
• Add 1–2 tablespoons of heavy cream to coffee.
• Heavy whipping cream isn’t the same as whipping cream; it has more milk fat.
• Heavy whipping cream has 36% or greater milk fat; the highest among milk products.
• It is keto-friendly.

Can You Put Heavy Whipping Cream In Coffee?

Yes, you can use heavy whipping cream in coffee. Heavy cream is an excellent addition to coffee, providing a richer and creamier taste due to its high fat content (at least 36%).

Heavy whipping cream is a popular choice for those looking to make their coffee thicker, richer, and creamier, and you can use it as a substitute for half-and-half or milk in coffee.

How Much Heavy Whipping Cream to Use in Coffee

Add 1 or 2 tablespoons (15–30 ml) of heavy whipping cream to an 8-oz cup of coffee. Start off with 1 tablespoon, then add more if you don’t notice much of a difference in taste and texture.

There’s no difference in heavy cream you’d add when considering cold or hot coffee drinks.

Why Use Heavy Whipping Cream in Coffee?

Here’s a summary of why you should add heavy cream to your coffee:

• Taste: Dulls bitterness.
• Texture: Makes your coffee silkier.
• Heat: Keeps your coffee hotter for longer.

The following sections will emphasize these points. Thus, you should keep reading.

1. Taste

The high fat content in heavy whipping cream dulls your coffee’s acidity, resulting in a subtle, sweet taste.

Because of its dulling properties, heavy cream is a great milk product to add if you accidentally over-extract your coffee. Over-extracting your coffee or espresso means you burnt it, which will result in a bitter taste.

The heavy cream’s flavor and fat content will help mask this bitter taste.

2. Texture

Heavy whipping cream will make your coffee have a heavier and thicker texture due to its high fat content. With this texture, your coffee will feel silky when drinking.

3. Heat

Your coffee will stay hotter for longer when adding heavy whipping cream to it. That’s because you add a single or a couple teaspoons of it. Versus the ¼ or ⅓ cup of chilled milk you’d add.

See the keyword I added? Chilled. Since you have less heavy cream, you don’t have much of a cream that would cool your drink. Keeping it warmer for longer.

4. Potential Benefits

Here are the potential benefits of adding heavy cream to your coffee:

• Enhanced Flavor: Makes coffee more palatable for those who find it too strong.
  • Its slightly sweet and buttery notes can also complement and enhance the coffee’s natural flavors.
• Increased Energy: Heavy cream is high in fat, which can provide a slower and more sustained energy boost compared to the quick pick-me-up from caffeine.
• Potential Nutritional Benefits: A good source of essential fatty acids, including conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been linked to some health benefits like immune function [1].
  • It also contains vitamins A, D, E, and K, though small amounts.

It also has high fat content, which is nice for folks on a ketogenic (keto) diet. It’ll help you feel fuller for longer. Reducing the time you’ll feel hungry.

Wow. Heavy whipping cream is so cool. How would you add it to your coffee? Let’s see.

How to Add Heavy Whipping Cream to Coffee

The following sections will cover different ways to get and add heavy cream and add it to your drinks.

Don’t skip this next paragraph, it’s a critical tip.

When using heavy cream in cold brew or iced coffee, I recommend using a shaker or electric frothing tool. Doing so ensures that all ingredients, fats, and oils bind together consistently.

Here we go.

1. DIY Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of whole milk
• ⅔ cup of melted butter

Steps:

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Once melted, remove from the heat and let it cool.
3. Add your milk to the butter and whisk until combined.
4. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

You can also use a high-powered blender to blend the melted butter and milk. Regardless, I recommend chilling to give your cream a thick consistency.

This technically isn’t heavy whipping cream, though. It’s a concoction that’ll give you a cream with a similar taste and texture. Because to have heavy cream, you’d need 36% milk fat. Have fun doing the tests to see whether your cream has enough milk fat.

If you want heavy whipping cream, buy it from the store.

2. Whipped Cream Containers

Buy heavy cream from brands such as Organic Valley or Land O Lakes and pour a tablespoon of it into your drink. Coffee Mate and other similar brands don’t offer individual heavy whipping cream packets you can add.

Or see if your local supermarket or hypermarket has it in powdered form. I couldn’t find it online or in any local stores, though. But you may have better luck.

This last point requires you to already have heavy whipping cream.

3. Ice Cubes

Freeze heavy cream in an ice cube tray. Once you have cream cubes, store them in a sandwich bag for future use. Once you’re ready for a drink, throw an ice cube or 2 into your drink and let them melt.

You may have read through this entire post without knowing what heavy cream is. Let’s fix that.

What’s Heavy Whipping Cream?

Heavy whipping cream, or heavy cream, is the high-fat portion of dairy milk, containing 36% milk fat. It’s different from other dairy products because, as in the U.S. FDA’s definition, “it must contain not less than 36% milk fat [2].”

Folks commonly used to make butter, whipped cream, and add creaminess to various dishes such as coffee, baked goods, and soups.

The cream is pasteurized and homogenized to kill pathogens, extend shelf life, and improve stability.

You can use the term heavy whipping cream interchangeably with heavy cream. As both contain 36% or more milk fat and are suitable for making whipped cream. Some heavy whipping creams may contain additives such as carrageenan to aid in stabilization and easier whipping.

There’s also whipping cream, which isn’t the same as heavy cream.

Heavy Whipping Cream vs. Whipping Cream

Whipping cream has a lower percentage of fat (30%), while heavy whipping cream has 36%. Since there’s more fat in the latter, the bubbles hold firmer for longer.

Now that you know the differences, how do you add whipping cream to your coffee?

Heavy Whipping Cream vs. Whole Milk vs. Half-and-Half vs. Heavy Cream

Here’s a table that summarizes the differences between these different milk and cream types:

Heavy cream has the highest calories. It, along with heavy whipping cream, aren’t ideal for anyone watching your calories. But they’re keto-friendly due to not having many carbs and having high(ish) fat content.

Thus, you’ll feel fuller without needing to eat more.

Whole milk is the only dairy product on this list that isn’t keto-friendly due to having 12 grams per 8-oz glass. It also has the lowest fat percentage, which isn’t optimal for a ketogenic diet.

Can you use heavy whipping cream instead of milk?

Yes.

Heavy whipping cream gives you a creamier and thicker coffee compared to milk. Plus, it’s a better choice for lactose-intolerant individuals due to having less lactose. However, note that cream lacks the taste of milk and won’t alter the coffee’s flavor as much.

Why isn’t heavy cream on the table? Because according to the U.S. Food Drug Administration, “heavy cream” and “heavy whipping cream” are the same food [3].

If you don’t have heavy whipping cream, substitute it with heavy cream. You won’t notice much of a difference other than the fat content, calories, and a bit of extra protein.

Summary: If you’re on a keto diet and want a drink that’ll provide a creamy texture, opt for heavy whipping cream. However, it won’t give you as sweet a taste as whole milk. Half-and-half has a more subtle taste. And heavy cream has a higher fat content.

Coffee Recipes That Use Heavy Whipping Cream

Use these recipes that call for heavy whipping cream and coffee.

1. Viennese Coffee

Ingredients:

• 1 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp. powdered sugar
• Pinch of vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions:

1. Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract (if using) until stiff peaks form.
2. Pour the hot coffee into a warmed mug.
3. Gently spoon the whipped cream on top of the coffee, taking care not to submerge it.

2. Caramel Latte

Ingredients:

• 1 shot espresso or strong brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup milk, warmed
• 1–2 tbsp. caramel syrup
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)

Instructions:

1. Make the caramel latte by combining espresso or coffee, milk, and caramel syrup in a mug. Stir well.
2. Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
3. Top the latte with the whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.

3. Spiced Pumpkin Latte

Ingredients:

• 1 shot espresso or strong brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup milk, warmed
• 2 tbsp. pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice mix
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine espresso or coffee, milk, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin spice mix in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm, but not boiling.
2. Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
3. Pour the latte into a mug and top with the whipped cream. Sprinkle with nutmeg if desired.

4. Dalgona Coffee

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. instant coffee (choose a good quality brand for best flavor)
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. hot water (not boiling)
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
• Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
• Milk of your choice (cold or hot)

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the instant coffee, sugar, and hot water.
   1. Using a hand mixer or electric mixer on high speed, whisk for 5–7 minutes until thick, creamy, and pale brown.
2. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. If desired, add the vanilla extract at this stage.
3. Fill a glass with your preferred amount of milk. Gently dollop scoops of the whipped coffee base on top of the milk.

And that’s all. Thanks for reading.

FAQs for Whipping Cream in Coffee

For the most frequently asked questions (and their delicious answers) about whipping cream in coffee, head over to our dedicated FAQ section now.

Is Heavy Whipping Cream in Coffee Keto-Friendly?

Heavy whipping cream is keto-friendly, and you can use it in various ketogenic recipes, including coffee.

Will Coffee Cause Heavy Whipping Cream to Curdle?

Heavy whipping cream is less likely to curdle in coffee compared to milk due to its higher fat content. The extra fat in heavy cream allows it to heat to higher temperatures without curdling, and you can whip it easier.

Conclusion

Heavy whipping cream differs from other milk products since it has the highest percentage of milk fat (36%+). This high fat content makes your coffee have a subtle, sweet taste and will make it thicker.

Want to learn about how to make other coffee drinks? Check out this guide.