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.

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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.

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Updated May 16, 2022

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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.

    Get Recipe

  • 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.

    Get Recipe

    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.

    Get Recipe

    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 I do with extra heavy cream? ›

Heavy cream has so many uses in both sweet and savory dishes that there's no reason it should sit unused in the fridge.
  1. Chicken Breasts with Mustard Cream Sauce. ...
  2. Rotisserie Chicken Alfredo. ...
  3. Cheesy Crustless Quiche with Broccoli and Ham. ...
  4. Fettuccine with Creamy Tomato Italian Sausage Sauce.

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 does heavy cream do in baking? ›

Heavy cream whips very nicely and holds its shape consistently for a long period of time. So this is the one you should use when making ice creams and cakes and even ganache. It is also used in gravies like Tikka masalas to give them thick and creamy feel.

Can I cook with old heavy cream? ›

Use your sense to make a judgment call

The best thing to do is take a peek and smell it. 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.

Is whipping heavy cream the same as heavy 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. According to the US Food and Drug Administration's labelling standards, heavy cream must contain at least 36 percent milk fat.

What is heavy cream mostly used for? ›

From ice creams to chowders to pasta sauces, many recipes call for anywhere from a splash to a few cups of heavy cream. It whips better and holds its shape longer than its whipping cream counterpart, which is why it's used for everything from pastry fillings to pipings.

Why does heavy cream say not to freeze? ›

Freezing destabilises cream. When thawing you risk the cream separating (with water on one side and fat on the other). However, there is no reason why you cannot freeze dishes containing cream. This is because they are 'protected' by the other ingredients in your recipe.

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.

Can frozen heavy cream be whipped? ›

Yes, you can whip frozen heavy whipping cream. Freezing heavy whipping cream can actually make it easier to whip because the cold temperature helps the fat in the cream to emulsify more quickly.

Can you use heavy cream in cake mix? ›

Beat half a cup of heavy whipping cream in a separate bowl—I use my immersion blender, as it makes for a denser, more stable whipped cream—and then gently fold it into the batter with a silicone spatula. The cream should be mostly incorporated, but a few wispy streaks are more than okay.

Can I use heavy cream in cake? ›

Heavy cream is a great substitute for milk in a baking recipe, but it does need to be diluted slightly. Because heavy cream boasts a fat content of 36% to 40%, using a half cup of heavy cream mixed with a half cup of water will be your best bet for replacing one cup of milk.

Is heavy cream good for cake? ›

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

How can you tell if heavy cream has gone bad? ›

How to Tell if Heavy Cream Is Bad. The first way to tell if your heavy cream is no longer any good is by the appearance of the liquid. Look for obvious signs of curdling or spoilage in the consistency of the cream. If it begins to form lumps and thicken, it has started to spoil.

Does heavy cream go bad in the fridge? ›

Heavy Cream Has a Shelf Life of up to a Month

According to the USDA, heavy cream can be stored in the refrigerator (opened or unopened) for up to a month. This assumes that it has been kept at a constant refrigerator temperature and not left out on the counter for stretches of time.

Is it OK to use expired heavy cream? ›

Some dairy products go off very easily, but an unopened container of heavy cream can last for several weeks past its best-if-used-by date when stored under 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to its high fat, heavy cream will remain usable for up to a month once opened, especially if it's pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized.

How long does heavy cream last after opening? ›

There's no need to worry if you don't plan to use up a whole carton at once, either, as heavy cream stays fresh for a surprisingly long time, assuming it's refrigerated properly and hasn't been left out on the counter. After opening, heavy cream can last for one month.

How long does heavy cream last? ›

How Long Does Heavy Cream Last in the Fridge After Opening? A carton of heavy cream can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month, according to USDA recommendations. This applies to both opened and unopened containers, as long as they're kept at a constant refrigerator temperature.

Can I freeze double cream? ›

The best thing to do is to freeze double cream in it's whipped form, as that way it will keep it's original texture- you can also use the whipped frozen cream for cooking too.. even for making things such as caramel and ganache- which is very handy if you're a baker!

Can I freeze fresh cream? ›

You can freeze small amounts of cream by pouring it into ice cube trays, then transferring cubes to a freezer bag and expelling the air. If you have a large amount, pour into an airtight container and leave a 2cm gap at the top for the cream to expand. You can freeze cream for up to three months.

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