How to Make Whipped Cream Without Heavy Cream (From Butter and Milk)

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Learn How to Make Whipped Cream Without Heavy Cream (From Butter and Milk), and discover an incredible new method for creating luscious whipped cream. With just a few common ingredients and 10 minutes of hands-on time, this kitchen hack will rock your world!

• No heavy cream, no problem! In this clever recipe, I use whole milk and melted unsalted butter to make whipped cream. Whole milk alone doesn’t have a high enough fat content to whip up, but combining it with butter gives the necessary amount of fat. Melting the butter first ensures the mixture emulsifies well and produces a smooth, creamy topping.
• Use it as whipped cream or simply as heavy cream: Follow the recipe to the end to make whipped cream, or if you’d like to simply make heavy cream, skip the whipping. After you finish blending the melted butter and whole milk, you’ll have a mixture that’s identical to heavy cream. Use it as you would use heavy cream in casseroles, pasta dishes, sauces, or soups.

Per fans’ requests and questions, this recipe was created to offer a versatile solution. This recipe delivers thick, rich, creamy whipped cream, not some kind of whipped cream substitute, but real homemade whipped cream ready to use to top your favorite cake, pie, cheesecake, pudding, hot chocolate, frosting, or ice cream or to dollop on fruit. You can modify the recipe to suit your preference: make it unsweetened (that’s the way I prefer my whipped cream!), or add in sugar and vanilla for a sweetened version.

Table Of Contents

• What is Whipped Cream Made Without Heavy Cream?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make Whipped Cream Without Heavy Cream
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Whipped Cream Recipes

What Is Whipped Cream Made Without Heavy Cream?

• Whipped Cream Made Without Heavy Cream is a dessert topping made with whole milk, unsalted butter, and optional sugar and vanilla extract. The butter is melted and combined with whole milk in a high-speed blender, and then the mixture is thoroughly chilled before whipping.
• The high-speed blending process emulsifies the mixture, making it cohesive by evenly distributing the two ingredients so it comes together as a whole. A high-speed blender, such as a Vitamix or Nutribullet, is a must. You’ll need a powerful machine to whip the milk and melted butter enough to emulsify them. You can also use a food processor or an immersion blender, but they won’t work as well.
• If you’d love to make whipped cream, but heavy cream is hard to come by where you live, or you don’t have heavy cream on hand and you can’t get to the store, or you’d just like to try a cool alternative way of making whipped cream, this recipe is for you!

Tools You Need

• Saucepan (optional) or microwave-safe bowl
• High-speed blender or an immersion blender or food processor
• Electric hand mixer or a stand mixer or whisk

Key Ingredients And Why

Whole milk

• Whole milk provides dairy flavor, a moderate amount of fat (3-4%), and liquid, which is necessary to create whipped cream’s light and fluffy texture.
• Whole milk is essential in this recipe. You can not use low-fat or non-fat milk because it won’t whip up well.
• The liquid in whole milk is also needed to dissolve the sugar, if using.

Unsalted butter

• Butter, with its high-fat content, combines with the milk to make a mixture that has a fat content that mimics heavy cream. The fat helps hold air bubbles in the mixture, giving it a thick texture.
• You must melt the butter so that it mixes smoothly with the milk and is thoroughly emulsified (meaning the fat and liquid come together to form a cohesive mixture).
• Be sure to use unsalted butter so you don’t end up with salty whipped cream!

Granulated sugar

• Sugar helps sweeten the mixture, so if you prefer a sweeter taste to your whipped cream, be sure to use it.
• Sugar can also help stabilize the whipped cream by making it slightly thicker.
• Substitutes: You can use sugar substitutes of your choice from my Sugar Substitute Chart.

Vanilla extract

• Vanilla extract enhances the other flavors and adds its own warm, slightly floral sweetness.

How To Make Whipped Cream Without Heavy Cream

Make the milk and butter mixture

1. Combine the milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and warm, stirring constantly, just until the butter melts. This step can also be done in the microwave.

2. Transfer to a blender and blend on the highest speed for 5 minutes. Every 30 seconds, lift the center of the cap to release steam.

3. Pour the mixture into a small bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent skin from forming.
4. Let it come to room temperature before refrigerating it for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

Whip the cream

5. Stir in the sugar and vanilla extract if using, and then pour the mixture into a medium bowl and, using a handheld electric mixer, whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes until desired stiffness is reached.
6. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Milk can easily bubble over when being heated and throw off your measurements, so be sure to keep stirring and keep an eye on it.
• The butter you use must be unsalted, or your whipped cream will be very salty!
• Five minutes seems like a long time to blend, but it will ensure that the milk and butter stay emulsified as the mixture cools. If they separate, you won’t be able to whip it up.
• Steam can cause pressure inside the blender that can cause the cap to blow off and make a big mess, so be sure to occasionally shut off the blender and lift off the top for a second to release the steam.
• The mixture must be thoroughly chilled before whipping. If you need to speed up the process, you can put the bowl of cream in an ice bath, stir for a few minutes until it’s cold, and then refrigerate for one hour.
• If you don’t have a handheld mixer, you can use a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
• You can whip the cream to any stage you want: soft peaks, medium, or stiff peaks.

Make Ahead And Storage Instructions

• Make ahead tips: 
  • You can make the milk and butter mixture and keep it in the fridge for up to four days before whipping.
  • The whipped cream will keep in the fridge for up to two hours.
• How to store leftovers: 
  • This Whipped Cream without Heavy Cream is best enjoyed the day you make it.
  •  Leftover whipped cream will keep for two hours in the fridge.

FAQs

How do I ensure my Whipped Cream without Heavy Cream has the best texture?

Making Whipped Cream without Heavy Cream isn’t difficult, but you do have to use melted butter, mix the milk and melted butter thoroughly in a high-speed blender until emulsified, and chill the mixture thoroughly before whipping.

• How do I make sure my whipped cream isn’t oily?
  • The mixture may be oily if it doesn’t emulsify completely. Be sure to use a powerful blender or, if you don’t have one, a food processor or immersion blender, and use the highest setting.
  • Be patient! You have to blend for about five minutes.
• What do I do to ensure my whipped cream is smooth and not grainy?
  • Watch the butter carefully. You want it to be thoroughly melted but not overly heated. Butter with unmelted pieces or extremely hot butter could cause clumping or graininess.

When I’m ready to whip the emulsified whole milk and melted butter mixture into whipped cream, how do I ensure it’s perfectly light and fluffy?

• The unwhipped cream must be thoroughly chilled to whip up correctly. Chilling your beaters and mixing bowl in the freezer helps as well.
• You can whip the mixture to soft peaks, medium peaks, or stiff peaks, but be sure not to overwhip! This will make it too thick and more like butter than whipped cream.
• Note that whole milk is essential in this recipe. Reduced or non-fat milk will not whip up correctly.

More Whipped Cream Recipes

• Guide to Perfect Whipped Cream
• Stabilized Whipped Cream
• Coconut Whipped Cream
• Crème Fraîche Whipped Cream
• Chocolate Whipped Cream

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