Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (2024)

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Don’t let that precious leftover heavy cream go to waste! Here are sweet and savory recipes using heavy cream, in everything from soups to pudding.

By

Claudia Cash

Claudia Cash

Claudia has been a contributor for Simply Recipes 2017, writing numerous articles focused on cooking on a budget, quick and easy meals, and kid-friendly foods.

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

and

Robin Shreeves

Robin Shreeves

Robin Shreeves is a food and beverage writer.

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

Updated March 27, 2024

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Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (1)

Heavy cream (also called heavy whipping cream or whipping cream) is something most of us buy for a special occasion or a particular recipe. And, often, there's some leftover.

If every time you open the fridge there's leftover heavy cream begging you to use it up, we're here to help you figure out how. Heavy cream has so many uses in both sweet and savory dishes that there’s no reason it should sit unused in the fridge.

  • Chicken Breasts with Mustard Cream Sauce

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (2)

    This simple dish can be on the table in under 30 minutes from start to finish. It’s light and slightly salty (thank you, capers!) and can be served over rice or with a fresh side salad.

    Uses 1 cup heavy cream.

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  • Rotisserie Chicken Alfredo

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (3)

    Cut down on cooking time by using a rotisserie chicken and making the alfredo sauce ahead of time. This dish is a giant win for everyone in the family!

    Uses 2 cups heavy cream.

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  • Cheesy Crustless Quiche with Broccoli and Ham

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (4)

    The custard in this quiche is so rich and filling, you won’t even notice there isn’t a crust. The trick to this creamy filling is the heavy cream and generous amount of egg yolks!

    Uses 1 1/2 cups heavy cream.

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  • Fettuccine with Creamy Tomato Italian Sausage Sauce

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (5)

    This rich and creamy pasta dish will have everyone licking their plates clean. It’s the absolute definition of comfort food at its finest.

    Uses 1 cup heavy cream.

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    Continue to 5 of 25 below.

  • Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (6)

    You can actually serve this for dinner on its own, or you can use it as a 1-for-1 replacement for canned condensed soup! While there are few ingredients in the recipe, you’ll want to prep everything ahead of time to ensure things come together smoothly!

    Uses 1/4 cup heavy cream.

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  • Creamy Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Spinach

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (7)

    You will be hooked after one bite of this creamy soup and wonder how you’ve lived without it. It’s practically effortless to throw together and the sounds of everyone slurping it up will be proof that you’ll need to make it time and time again!

    Uses 1/2 cup heavy cream.

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  • How to Make Whipped Cream

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (8)

    There is nothing better than fresh whipped cream, and it’s the perfect way to use up any heavy cream you have left over. There are so many desserts you can serve it with, but you can also freeze it if you have leftovers!

    Uses 1 cup heavy cream.

    Get Recipe

  • Easy Lemon Pudding

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (9)

    This pudding is truly a delight! It’s tangy and fresh and only needs 4 ingredients. You simply warm up all the ingredients and then let it set. It’s as easy as that!

    Uses 2 cups heavy cream.

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    Continue to 9 of 25 below.

  • Peanut Butter Pie

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (10)

    If your sweet tooth needs a little love, this is the pie for you. It’s silky, mousse-like, and has intense peanut butter flavor. If you happen to have leftover sauce, spoon it over ice cream!

    Uses 1 cup heavy cream.

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  • Chocolate Pavlova with Whipped Cream and Raspberries

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (11)

    Pavlova is an absolutely show-stopping dessert, and it’s surprisingly easy to make! The clouds of whipped cream and tart raspberries are the perfect complement to the meringue.

    Uses 1 1/2 cups heavy cream.

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  • How to Make Crème Brûlée

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (12)

    No need to be intimidated by this scrumptious dessert! With easy to understand step-by-step instructions, you’ll be hearing that crack of the hard sugar surface in no time!

    Uses 2 cups heavy cream.

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  • Banana Cream Pie

    This is the pie of your dreams and our trick to making it even better? Using a vanilla wafer crust and a custard vanilla filling flavored with vanilla bean paste. It’s rich, decadent, and positively swoon-worthy.

    Uses 1 cup heavy cream for the filling plus 1 1/2 cups heavy cream for the stabilized whipped cream topping.

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    Continue to 13 of 25 below.

  • Homemade Chocolate Truffles

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (14)

    Something this decadent can't be so simple to make, can it? Yes, it can. These candies use the best chocolate for the ganache. Flavor them to your preference.

    Uses 1/2 cup heavy cream.

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  • Scalloped Turnips

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (15)

    Cream, butter, and onions bring out the savory best in turnips in this bubbly and browned casserole.

    Uses 1/2 cup heavy cream.

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  • Chocolate Ganache

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (16)

    This rich and luxurious frosting can be thick or thin depending on how much cream you use. It's a decadent topping for layered cakes, sheet cakes, cupcakes, or a glaze for ice cream, donuts, or eclairs.

    Uses 1 1/2 cups heavy cream.

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  • Chicken Marsala with Pancetta and Cream

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (17)

    This chicken Marsala gets a flavor boost from pancetta. It's similar to bacon but it's salt-cured not smoked.

    Uses 6 tablespoons heavy cream.

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    Continue to 17 of 25 below.

  • Pumpkin Pie Bars With Candied Ginger Whipped Cream

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (18)

    The pumpkin pie bars are the star here, but they get support from a candied ginger whipped cream that complements the pumpkin flavor perfectly. Use a piping bag to make the whipped cream look fancy or simply spoon dollops of it.

    Uses 1 cup heavy cream.

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  • Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (19)

    Who can pass up Swiss cake roll? Roll chocolate cake in whipped cream and cover with a thin layer of chocolate ganache. Have a big glass of milk nearby for this one. You're going to need it.

    Uses 1 1/2 cups heavy cream.

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  • Ambrosia Salad

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (20)

    The dressing for this classic fruit salad (with marshmallows and slivered almonds) uses heavy cream. It's sweet and retro and everyone loves it.

    Uses 1 cup heavy cream.

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  • Walnut Mocha Torte

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (21)

    This German-style torte has a light, mocha flavored whipping cream frosting. It's almost flourless (there is a 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs in it), and its texture comes from ground walnuts and whipped eggs.

    Uses 1 cup heavy cream.

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    Continue to 21 of 25 below.

  • Caramel Nut Tart

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (22)

    You can use almost any mixture of nuts to make this tart, as long as they are fresh. A spiced cinnamon and nutmeg crust makes this a delicious fall-flavored treat.

    Uses 2/3 cup heavy cream.

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  • Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Parmesan Lemon Cream Sauce

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (23)

    This quick lemony-sauced pasta dish is a delicious, convenient weeknight meal. Keep frozen shrimp in the freezer to whip this up in an instant.

    Uses 3/4 cup heavy cream.

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  • Peach Cobbler

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (24)

    When peaches are in season, making cobbler is a must. A topping spiced with nutmeg covers the fresh peaches, giving it a warm, fall-is-on-its-way vibe.

    Uses 2/3 cup heavy cream.

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  • Caramel Sauce

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (25)

    This is an easy caramel sauce made from just butter, sugar, and cream. Spoon it over ice cream, add it to coffee or hot chocolate, or dip apples into it.

    Uses 1/2 cup heavy cream.

    Get Recipe

    Continue to 25 of 25 below.

  • Creamy Chestnut Mushroom Soup

    Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (26)

    This rich, luxurious, and slightly sweet soup hits the spot with cremini mushrooms and chestnuts. A touch of cream makes it silky.

    Uses 1/4 cup heavy cream.

    Get Recipe

Put Leftover Heavy Cream to Use in These 25 Sweet and Savory Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can you do with old heavy cream? ›

Use Expired Heavy Cream to Make Butter.

But what we really loved was Hamilton's use of expired heavy cream: Turn it into butter for cooking (as opposed to butter you'd use to top bread at the dinner table). Whisk your cream at medium-high speed in a stand mixer.

Can I freeze heavy cream? ›

Yes, you can freeze milk, heavy cream and non-dairy milks. However, the overall taste and texture may change once thawed, resulting in a product that's best for cooking and baking.

What is the use of heavy cream in baking? ›

Pastry cream, also known as crème patissière, is used in cream puffs, éclairs, and fruit tarts and is made with heavy cream. Heavy cream can also be whipped and used as a piping for desserts like cookies and cakes.

Can you freeze heavy cream to use later? ›

Yes, you can freeze heavy whipping cream straight from the carton. Whether you intend to cook with it or whip it, it will still be good to go with a bit of stirring after it's thawed. As for heavy cream that's already been whipped, you can freeze that, too.

How long does heavy cream last in fridge after opening? ›

Shelf life: The shelf life of heavy whipping cream can vary depending on the brand, but in general, heavy whipping cream will last for around a week to 10 days after the date of opening, if stored properly.

Is evaporated milk the same as heavy cream? ›

Evaporated Milk – With a similar consistency, you can use a 1-to-1 swap of evaporated milk for heavy cream in most sweet and savory dishes. Its flavor is richer with unique caramelized tones and is not a lower-fat option, but evaporated milk makes do in a pinch.

Is heavy whipping cream the same as heavy cream? ›

Is Heavy Cream the Same as Heavy Whipping Cream? Yes, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the exact same thing. The confusion lies in the fact that they're sold by different brands under two different names.

Is cream the same as heavy whipping cream? ›

According to the labeling standards of the Food and Drug Administration, heavy cream is a cream with no less than 36% milk fat. It may also be called heavy whipping cream (1). In contrast, whipping cream has a slightly lower milk fat content, 30–36%. It may also be called light whipping cream (2).

Can you use heavy cream in your coffee? ›

The verdict: Yes, you can use heavy whipping cream in coffee. In fact, heavy cream can be an excellent addition to your coffee if you enjoy a richer, creamier taste. Heavy cream is a dairy product that contains at least 36% fat, making it much thicker and creamier than milk or half-and-half.

Can frozen heavy cream be whipped? ›

Once it is no longer solid, give it a good shake (or stir) to redistribute the butterfat. Previously frozen heavy cream will behave the same way as refrigerated cream, and will still whip into stiff peaks. In fact, cold cream actually whips better.

Why do people freeze heavy cream? ›

Freezing heavy cream is a simple and effective way to preserve it, but it becomes slightly grainy and separated in texture after defrosting it. Use thawed frozen heavy cream in baked goods and cooked recipes like soups. If you'd like, you can blend it to attempt to re-integrate the texture.

Is heavy cream good for cake? ›

Heavy cream is a good choice when decorating pies or cakes, or for thickening sauces and ganache.

Can you make butter with heavy whipping cream? ›

Heavy cream, whipping cream, or heavy whipping cream are all suitable choices for making homemade butter. Heavy cream, with the highest percentage of butterfat, will yield the most butter; lower-fat whipping cream will yield less.

How do you turn cream into butter? ›

Pour the cream into a jar with a clean marble inside. Screw the lid on tightly. Shake the jar continuously for 5 mins (you can take turns shaking with someone else). The movement of the marble acts as a whisk and helps the butter to churn.

Can I cook with old heavy cream? ›

If there is no mold growing in the container, it is sans clumps that look like cottage cheese, and it doesn't smell as if it has soured, chances are you are good to go ahead and use it. Of course, if you have the slightest reservation, don't feel too bad about dumping that expired heavy cream into the kitchen sink.

Can you turn heavy cream back into milk? ›

No. Cream is mostly milk fat, separated from the rest of the milk. There's a little milk in it, but it's mostly fat. Adding water doesn't turn into into regular, or whole, milk.

Can you make butter out of heavy whipping cream? ›

Heavy cream, whipping cream, or heavy whipping cream are all suitable choices for making homemade butter. Heavy cream, with the highest percentage of butterfat, will yield the most butter; lower-fat whipping cream will yield less.

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