5 Best Ways to Thicken Heavy Cream

Heavy cream can sometimes be a difficult ingredient to work with. While some recipes allow you to just pour it in and mix it up, others use it to thicken things up.

This high-fat cream is used in a wide variety of recipes, from ice cream, sour cream, soups and various sauces to even homemade butter.

When heavy cream doesn’t thicken the way you need it to, it can be incredibly frustrating. In most cases, heavy cream thickens easily, but there are times when it can disappoint you.

Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to help thicken heavy cream if you run into difficulties.

What are the best ways to thicken heavy cream?  The best ways to thicken heavy cream are to store it in a cold place or to boil it. You can also thicken it by adding gelatin, flour or cornstarch.

In this guide, we will detail the top 5 ways to thicken heavy cream. We’ve got some helpful tips, including best practices, as well as some things you can add to heavy cream to thicken it without changing the flavor of the cream.

Using these handy methods, in no time you’ll be enjoying a cream that’s thick enough to your liking, instead of wanting to throw it all away in frustration.

Stay with us for the best ways to thicken heavy cream and much more.

What is heavy cream?

Heavy cream is often found in the dairy section of your supermarket.

You can find heavy cream, whipping cream, liquid cream, double cream, and evaporated milk, and they are all a bit similar, but they are all unique in their own way.

If a recipe calls for heavy cream, you’ll probably need regular heavy cream or perhaps whipping cream , but you can also use a substitute and add a thickening agent to it as well. It really depends on what you’re doing.

Heavy cream is also often referred to as whipping cream, so these terms are mostly interchangeable.

When the milk is made, there is some fat content that rises to the top (because it is high in fat) and that part is removed from the milk. That’s heavy cream. It usually has between 36 and 40% fat.

It is the dairy product with the highest fat content. The next closest is whipping cream, but it’s only 30% so it’s still quite a bit less.

It’s the fat content that gives heavy cream the ability to thicken or use it to thicken things you can do.

Due to its high fat content, heavy cream whips very well and tends to hold its shape as well.

It is the best dairy product to thicken or whip compared to others. Furthermore, heavy cream is known for its long shelf life and can also be frozen and used later.

These are some of the common uses for heavy cream. 

• sour cream
• sauces
• Whipped cream
• Ice cream
• cookies and scones
• Meat soup or cake
• various soups
• Frosty
• Cake shop
• Dressing
• creamy sauce
• Eggs
• Oatmeal
• Recipes with potatoes
• Cake shop
• Irish cream
• Homemade butter or cheese

These are just a few examples, but there are many other things that heavy cream can be used for, such as fillings and casseroles, among other things.

Explanation of the 5 best ways to thicken heavy cream

Now you know the basics of heavy cream and the kinds of things it’s often used for. Let’s talk about the best ways to thicken it if for some reason it doesn’t thicken.

Some of these tips may include adding some type of thickening agent, while others may include best handling practices.

We have a ton of options and you may want to consider checking them out before you even try to thicken your cream.

Before you start adding something to thicken heavy cream, know your recipe and understand how it might affect it.

You can choose something specific to thicken the cream depending on the recipe you are using and the other ingredients it contains.

1. Keep it cold

One of the best practices that you can use is to make sure that the heavy cream is very cold.

The best way to be able to thicken the cream as needed is to make sure you chill the cream and don’t take it out until you need it.

When cream is heated, it does something to the fat content, so it doesn’t thicken or stabilize in the same way.

In the end, you work and beat and kill your arm trying to thicken it up and still get disappointed.

If you want that thickening to occur and a nice fluffy texture, your cream has to be very cold.

One of the easiest measures you can take is to store the heavy cream in the refrigerator and not let it sit for a long time before using it.

Cold cream thickens much better in general. This is one of the most common mistakes when handling heavy cream, and many people don’t realize it plays a big part.

2. Boil it

You can boil heavy cream and then whip it to shape. However, you will have to be very careful if you decide to follow this process, since it is not as simple as putting it on the fire and boiling it.

By boiling heavy cream you run the risk of accidentally burning it and also altering the flavor a bit.

Although the flavor may be slightly altered, it will help you achieve that thickening, and any flavor changes will be subtle.

If you pay attention and keep a close eye on the heavy cream, you probably won’t burn it, but you will have to be cautious and watchful as it could burn quite easily.

Boiling heavy cream is considered to be very time consuming and can also be very complicated at times. You have to take care of the cream while you work and it requires close monitoring.

When you start to heat the heavy cream, it is essential that you whisk it continuously from start to finish.

It is your constant stirring that will help reduce the chance of cream burning and also ensure that its flavor is not affected by the process.

Although this is a labor-intensive process and can take a long time, it is also quite simple in terms of the steps you need to follow.

You slowly heat it up to boiling temperature and whisk it constantly to get the texture and thickness you need. 

You will have to be careful to heat the cream slowly to avoid curdling problems. Once it reaches boiling temperature, don’t stop whisking! This is when you will really notice the thickening of the cream.

Cream thickens more as it boils while whipping, so keep whipping as long as your whisk arm can handle or until you reach the thickness you want.

Remember that the flavors may change slightly, but probably not by much. What you should avoid is that the cream burns or it will taste burnt.

3. Try adding gelatin

A common way to thicken heavy cream without adjusting the flavor is to use unflavored gelatin.

Most people don’t even think about this, but it actually works pretty well. You can usually buy plain gelatin in the baking aisle.

If you want the easiest way to thicken heavy cream without altering the flavor, this is the best option out there. Be sure to use unflavored gelatin for the best results.

The hardest part of this process is figuring out how much gelatin you need.

Start by adding small amounts and you can always add more if it still doesn’t thicken as much as you need. 

Most unflavored gelatins include instructions for adding them to heavy cream, so it’s a good idea to refer to those instructions so you don’t mess up the texture and get evenly thick results.

This could easily go wrong if you don’t follow the instructions or don’t add the right amount of gelatin to the cream.

Some potential risks are a change in texture or inconsistent thickness, and only thickening in certain areas of the cream instead of all of it.

Obviously, if you run into any of those issues, it could be detrimental to your heavy cream and change it entirely.

Most of the time, when you add gelatin, you also have to add some water. 

Finally, if you add gelatin to heavy cream, mix it slowly and don’t mix it all at once. So you can mix it as you add it and it will mix better with smoother and more consistent results as well.

This powder comes in a 1 pound package that seals so you can store it. It’s great for thickening and also comes odorless and tasteless.

4. Add flour

Another common way to thicken heavy cream is to add flour. You most likely already have flour on hand in your pantry, so this can be a great solution if you’re in the middle of working with ingredients and need something right now.

Adding flour is another easy process and is also unlikely to alter the flavor. You can use all-purpose flour or some other variant of flour, whatever suits you.

The results will be pretty similar regardless of the type of flour you decide to use. In general, the results with heavy cream will be the same and the flavor should be fine, so use what you have available.

Just like with the gelatin, you’ll need to mix the flour and water together so it really thickens up and doesn’t spoil the texture.

Be sure to use cold water. First you will create almost a paste with the flour and cold water and mix it before mixing it with the heavy cream.

Once you have the flour and water mixture, you can slowly whisk it into the heavy cream.

It shouldn’t clump together, since you mixed the flour and water earlier. Whisk it while adding it slowly to get a smooth and consistent texture during the process.

We recommend adding the flour and water mixture using about a teaspoon at a time and you can add more as you go if you need it thicker.

Add and mix and if you need more thickness, repeat the process until you get what you need.

Although this shouldn’t affect the flavor, some people simmer heavy cream after mixing to reduce the floury taste.

This all-purpose flour is made with unbleached flour and is reasonably priced, too. It is made with quality ingredients and does not contain added preservatives.

5. Add cornstarch

Lastly, another option you can try to thicken heavy cream is to add cornstarch. Adding cornstarch is done almost exactly the same as flour.

The cornstarch can slightly change the flavor of the heavy cream, but it shouldn’t be a significant change.

Be sure to first mix the cornstarch with cold water to make a paste and mix it 1 teaspoon at a time with the heavy cream until you reach the desired thickness.

Again, if the flavor doesn’t seem right, you can always simmer the heavy cream for a few minutes to help make it happen. 

This corn starch is made with pure, organic ingredients. It is one of the best quality corn starches you can find because it is pure and natural in its design.

Related questions

We hope you find this guide on the best ways to thicken heavy cream a valuable resource. There are many options that you can try and any of them will work well for you.

We invite you to review our questions and answers section for some additional details that you might also find useful.

Why isn’t my heavy cream thickening?

One of the most common mistakes with heavy cream is that it simply isn’t cold enough.

If you chill your heavy cream and use it when it’s cold, you’re much more likely to be able to thicken it without adding thickening agents.

Other than that, make sure you whip it well enough, understand that it will take time, and always use the right ingredients in combination with heavy cream.

Is heavy cream the same as whipping cream?

The short answer is no. Although they are similar, heavy cream has considerably more fat content, between 36 and 40%, while whipping cream only has a 30% fat content.

Heavy cream thickens better and holds its shape longer due to its fat content.

Does heavy cream thicken when heated?

You can boil heavy cream and whisk it constantly to thicken. See our details above to learn how to properly use this method.