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Sour Cream Makes Whipped Cream So Much Better

Sour cream + whipped cream = a match made in heaven.
By Published Apr. 23, 2021

Whipped cream is an easy thing to skimp on and just buy at the store. But it’s actually supereasy to make at home, it tastes way better, and it uses only a few ingredients you may already have. Plus, you can’t get this whipped cream I’m talking about from a can.

Regular whipped cream does the job, but sometimes it can be rather one-dimensional depending on what you’re using it on. But we’ve created a whipped cream recipe with a twist that’s really delicious, and it’s thanks to a secret ingredient: sour cream.

The purpose of using sour cream is to add a bit of tang to balance and contrast the sweetness that comes with the vanilla and light brown sugar that we also add to the heavy cream. 

This whipped cream can be a great complement to many different desserts that you would usually top with the traditional stuff. It’s the recommended topping for the Strawberry Galette from the latest issue of Cook’s Country and also Cook’s Illustrated’s Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake. (These recipes are behind our paywall, start a free trial to check them out!)

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10 ingredients. 45 minutes. Quick, easy, and fresh weeknight recipes.

But when I first tried this whipped cream, I simply added it to a bowl of freshly cut strawberries and a little bit of angel food cake. And wow. Three different flavors hit your tongue instantaneously. Tartness from the strawberries; sweetness from the cake and whipped cream; and then, finally, the subtle tang that comes from the sour cream, all working in harmony. 

In addition to the strawberries, the next night I tried it on a couple scoops of chocolate ice cream and had a similar experience. The sour cream just adds that extra layer of complexity that regular whipped cream just can’t deliver. I encourage you to give it a try. Here’s the recipe.

Tangy Whipped Cream

Makes 1½ cups

  • 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
  • ¼ cup sour cream, chilled
  • ¼ cup packed (1¾ ounces) light brown sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract

Be sure that the heavy cream and sour cream are cold before whipping.

1. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip all ingredients together on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes.


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