20 Incredible Heavy Cream Recipe Ideas

Have you ever bought a carton of heavy cream for a recipe, and after using a portion of it, the rest gets shoved on the refrigerator door? It’s happened to the best of us! Luckily, heavy cream is a versatile ingredient that can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. It helps to keep a list of heavy cream recipe ideas, so if you have a few tablespoons or a cup left, you’ll be prepared!

What to make with heavy cream

Heavy cream is one of the most versatile ingredients. It can be used to make a pasta sauce or soup creamy. It’s the base for sweet whipped cream on top of desserts or ice cream. The possibilities are endless!

Soup recipe ideas with heavy cream

Adding heavy cream to soups adds flavor to them, as well as makes them creamier. These four soups need some cream to change the body of the soup:

1. Pumpkin soup

This pumpkin soup makes a great light lunch in the fall! Bring canned pumpkin, chicken broth, and vegetables to a boil, and let them simmer. Purée the mixture and add cream and brown sugar.

2. Creamy mushroom soup with chives

This creamy mushroom soup includes cremini and shitake mushrooms for an earthy flavor. It also contains russet potatoes for starch and a touch of heavy cream for a richer body!

3. Creamy shrimp & tomato chowder

Diced tomatoes and heavy whipping cream add richness to this creamy shrimp and tomato chowder! Serve with warm focaccia rolls.

4. Butternut squash bisque

Get ready for fall with this butternut squash bisque! Cook the squash, carrots, onion in vegetable broth until tender. Purée the veggies in a blender until smooth, and return to the pot. Add in the cream.

Savory recipe ideas with heavy cream

Adding heavy cream to pasta changes the texture of the sauce, while meat dishes often benefit from a creamier sauce:

1. Creamy shrimp and veggies

This creamy shrimp and veggies dish would be perfectly served over angel hair pasta! It calls for peppers and broccoli, but you can mix it up. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

2. Creamy gnocchi with corn & arugula

Using shelf-stable gnocchi and frozen corn will make this creamy gnocchi with corn and arugula even easier. The cream sauce combines cream, cream cheese, pasta water, and spices!

3. Chicken with creamy mushrooms

This chicken dish is prepared with a creamy mushroom sauce made out of button mushrooms, capers, white-wine vinegar, and heavy whipping cream. Everyone gets a generous chicken breast!

4. Linguine with creamy white clam sauce

This linguine and clam sauce dish is quite healthy since it uses whole-wheat pasta, a chopped tomato, and fresh basil! It only uses a touch of heavy cream to flavor the clam sauce.

5. Filet mignon with pepper cream sauce

Who doesn’t love a juicy steak? This filet mignon with pepper cream sauce offers a peppery kick with a cream sauce prepared out of brandy, beef broth, and heavy cream! Serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables for a nice dinner.

6. Dijon tarragon cream chicken

For this dijon mustard cream chicken, you’ll feel like you are dining at a fine French restaurant. In reality, it’s the perfect and easy weeknight dinner since chicken breasts are prepared in a fine mustard and tarragon cream sauce!

7. Creamy pappardelle primavera

This creamy pappardelle primavera tastes luscious and rich thanks to the sauce’s goat cheese, butter, heavy cream, and leaks! Every piece of noodle is smothered in sauce.

8. Chicken breasts in caper-cream sauce

This chicken dish is so easy to make! Season chicken breasts with lemon pepper, dill, and garlic powder and cook them in butter over medium heat. Prepare the sauce with heavy cream and capers.

Sweet ideas with heavy cream

Heavy cream enhances desserts! It’s used in ice creams, fillings, and chocolate ganache:

1. Sweet cream biscuits with strawberry gravy

These summery biscuits with strawberries are a twist on biscuits and gravy! The biscuits are made with heavy cream, and the gravy is prepared with milk, cream of wheat, and sliced strawberries.

2. Strawberry cream roll

This strawberry cream roll is ideal for a special occasion! Bake the cake until it pulls away from the pan easily. Turn the cake on a powdered sugar-covered towel and allow it cool while you combine the strawberry cream mixture.

3. Honey-almond flan with bourbon whipped cream

This dessert can be prepared ahead of time and unmolded at the dinner table. The bourbon whipped cream can even be mixed earlier too!

4. Brown sugar-peach ice cream

Fresh peaches taste sweet, and they pair beautifully with brown sugar in this ice cream! It’s easy to make in an ice cream maker in 4 hours at home.

5. Georgia peach homemade ice cream

This peach ice cream tastes even better after the flavors meld together for a day in the freezer. It uses three different kinds of cream: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and half-and-half. However, you can use heavy cream and make it extra creamy!

6. Eggnog-gingerbread trifle

This holiday season, combine eggnog and gingerbread into this seasonal trifle! It’s easy to make with a gingerbread cake, homemade whipped cream, and vanilla pudding mixed with eggnog.

7. Double-berry custard pie

This double-berry pie lets you use any of your favorite berries. It’s an easy no-bake recipe with a prepared graham cracker crust! You just need to combine vanilla pudding mix with heavy cream and cook the berries.

8. Chocolate ganache cake

If you love chocolate, this chocolate ganache cake is for you! It’s got multiple types of chocolate, toasted almonds, and espresso powder in it. The homemade ganache made out of heavy cream and melted chocolate tastes rich.

Final thoughts on heavy cream recipe ideas

Heavy cream is a staple in many fridges. In most recipes, you can use heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, or half-and-half, depending on what you have left in your house. It’s easy to find heavy cream with Instacart!

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