Monday, December 1, 2014

Why Store-Bought Whipped Toppings Are Not Cool

Okay, so I may have embellished the grocery checkout line story in the intro, but all the important parts are true. You can quickly and easily make your own whipped topping that’s not only less expensive, but vastly superior in quality. By the way, you may know this stuff by its more common name, whipped cream.

I’d like to apologize in advance to all the people who will lose their jobs when whipped topping factories start closing down after this video goes viral. Hey, you had a good run. But really, who in their right mind would buy that stuff again, after seeing what’s in there, as well as how incredibly simple it is to make yourself?

Just be sure to buy, “Heavy Whipping Cream,” also sold as “Heavy Cream.” This should have a fat content of around 34-36%, and as long as it’s nice and cold, will make perfect whipped cream, every time. As I explain in the video, these are not egg whites, and require no special finesse. Regular whipping cream will work, but it doesn’t have the same rich, decadent feel.

I’d like to think the only reason people buy "tub topping," is because that’s what they (and their parents) have always done, and simply don’t know there’s such an easy alternative. Well, now you know, and with plenty of holiday desserts still to top, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 8 large dollops:
1/2 cup cold heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp white sugar, or to taste
1/8 tsp vanilla extract

30 comments:

Toshiko Suisei said...

I visit my parents every week or two and of course always open the fridge to see what yummies are in there. Back in June the fridge peek found Jell-o in a bowl next to a tub of that white stuff. HUGE surprise -- hadn't had any in many, many, many years.

"Mom can I have some Jell-o?" She said she "made it from memory" which translates from Japanese to her English to everyone else's English as "on a whim of nostalgia."

I took a spoonful of the whip-coated jiggly... then I couldn't swish some orange juice fast enough to get that oily, chemical taste out of my mouth! It was almost worse than that time I tried a Twinkie again!

Unknown said...

Can powdered sugar be used as well? How would it change the whipped cream?

Unknown said...

Can powdered sugar be used instead? How will this affect the whipped cream?

Xindy said...

Thanks, Chef John. Can you whip the cream in a blender?

Chef John said...

Yes you can use a blender, but it's very risky!

Chef John said...

Yes you can use powdered sugar, tastes the same to me.

Dog said...

I just use an electric egg-beater to whip cream. Why would anyone buy whipped cream?

Unknown said...

Dear Chef John,

Can you make a large batch of this whipped cream and freeze it?

mgh said...

We used to get the "whip cream" (I guess by law due to the lack of any heavy cream it can only be called a "topping") from the spray can. Then one day I made the effort to it from scratch and I never looked back. I usually use powdered sugar and either vanilla extract or a splash of Cointreau or some other boozy flavor (Amaretto or Baileys work very well in the flavor department as well).

Unknown said...

How stable is this? Will it last a day or two in the fridge?

inchrisin said...

Awesome vid, John. Have you tried to add gelatin or cornstarch to keep the texture overnight? I hear that's how some people try to cheat having to do this right before eating dessert.

Chef John said...

For those asking, this is not stable, and should only be made before using! Don't think you can freeze this.

Novonia said...

lol, I wonder what your price for heavy cream is mine - for 16 ounces is 4$. I can get the whipped topping for 99c and that's 8 ounces.
I know the volume on the whipping cream increases, but does it really do it enough to make it cheaper?

Unknown said...

Novonia, they are two completely different products. Cool Whip = vegetable oil + HFCS + gum base. It tastes nothing like the "real" stuff. It's like Taco Bell vs. authentic Mexican.

Unknown said...

Amen to that! I always have a pint of heavy cream on hand. Kool Whip is awful.

deach said...

How could you make something called topping and not put it on top of anything?

Chef John said...

You didn't watch all the way to the end, did you?

Chris K. said...

This is really great with blueberries marinated in lime juice and sugar. Garnish with some mint. Delicious.

Brenda A. said...

Powdered sugar usually contains cornstarch, so it actually works really well to stabilize the whipped cream.

Julia said...

I am so amazed by the food industry's marketing skills that have taught most of us to believe that we cannot make something we can buy in a tub, jar, or box for waaaaaay lots of money. I make whole-grain mustard in something like 11 seconds for something like 11 cents a jar, and most of my friends think I'm lying. The others think that there is something fishy going on with my mustard because it doesn't keep its taste for several years in the refrigerator.
I'm telling you Chef John, you ought to go on a crusade.

Gahuga said...

A comment on stability:
Many heavy creams these days (including organic brands like Horizon) contain carrageenan. Check the ingredient list on container of the brand you usually buy. If it does, the whipped cream will last for a couple of days, no need to worry about the gelatin trick. Meaning if you make a chocolate pie and cover the whole thing with whipped cream, it will be just fine. I don't have any experience past a few days though...

Unknown said...

Chef John, you are hilarious! I love watching your videos and laughing while I learn...thanks!

Nicole said...

Thanks Chef John!
I made this last night just to see if it was really that easy-- it was! Never going back to the tub stuff. The whip paired nicely with some raspberries and coffee last night.

Blog of X said...

Can I substitute the sugar with agave instead, or would it not come out the same?

lulu said...

You go, Chef John! Today, Big Food. Tomorrow, the world? d:)

Dan and Hilary said...

I just wanted to chime in and say Thanks for posting this Chef John. My family appreciates good simple food and have been making whipped cream like this for as long as I can remember and then some.

I feel sometimes that basic cooking skills gets lost, ida know, just a theory...

This is why I watch every video because you cover everything from burgers that fit into hot dog buns to cassoulet. Keep up the good work and thanks again for the attention to such 'small' details...

Unknown said...

I almost didn't believe you when you said it would only take a 2-4 minutes of whipping to get the right texture. Lo and behold, I spent about 5 minutes and quite nearly over-whipped it. Tastes amazing, and I thought that I didn't like whipped cream. Goes great with some froyo! Thanks Chef :)

Unknown said...

Dear Chef,

You made our Christmas dessert so special with the DIY whipped topping. It was so darn easy - just like you said. Thank you for your video. Happy New Year!

Neen said...

Chef John, any chance you're responding to comments on this 4 years later? If so, do you happen to know if 8 dollops might be the equivalent of a 12 oz tub of Not-So-Cool stuff or if I should double or even triple? ...P.S.: my 3 yr old referred to the librarian, Mr. John, as "Chef John" if that's any indication as to how much we enjoy your videos and even more so trying your recipes!!!! You Sir, ROCK!

Unknown said...

Nothing is "cool" about cool whip. That stuff is an abomination.