Do you love whipped cream, but worry about added calories and fat? Do you feel like you have seen it all when it comes to Starbucks drinks with whip cream?
This article discusses the role that whipped cream plays in Starbucks coffee shop beverages, and what makes Starbucks whipped cream so good.
Starbucks whipped cream is so good that it is an excellent place to start when discussing homemade whipped cream recipes, serving techniques, inventive uses, and nutritional information.
Starbucks Whipped Cream (Overview + Ingredients Used)
While there are different drizzles, sprinkles, and toppings that can go on Starbucks whipped cream—the recipe itself is generally the same in all cases and Starbucks makes it by using vanilla-flavored heavy whipping cream.
The high-fat content of heavy whipping cream is what causes it to have a characteristic waxy-looking appearance, in contrast to other whipped products with lower butterfat content. (This is discussed in greater detail below in the Starbucks whip cream recipe.)
Naturally, this does make anything you order with whipped cream at Starbucks have a higher fat content and more calories than it would otherwise.
People on keto diets would actually have no problem with heavy cream whipped cream because they prefer to get most of their calories from fat or protein.
The bad news is that the Starbucks whipped cream recipe is not really keto-friendly because of the vanilla syrup.
As of yet, while Starbucks has other sugar-free options, it offers no sugar-free Starbucks whipped cream recipe.
As of yet, there is no dairy-free Starbucks whipped cream recipe, but many customers are pushing for more dairy-replacement options.
In Starbucks' defense, the prospect of making whipped cream without dairy presents some challenges, and it's not easy to make a Starbucks whipped cream recipe that's totally dairy free.
Whipped cream requires something with a sufficiently high fat content to hold soft peaks with tiny bubbles of air after whipping.
Gelatin is sometimes used to enhance whip cream texture; however, gelatin is made from animal collagen, so this would be a good Starbucks whipped cream recipe for lactose-intolerant people, but vegans still wouldn't be able to have the Starbucks whipping cream.
All iced coffees and cold brews (including nitro) at Starbucks come with whipped cream as an option.
Whipped cream is also optional for most iced mochas, hot chocolates, macchiato, flat whites, lattes, espressos, and Americanos—as well as most of their hot-coffee equivalents.
Whether a given Starbucks beverage has whipped cream as an option seems to be up to Starbucks recipe developers.
For example, a latte does not, by definition, include whipped cream, but you can sometimes get it as a topping at Starbucks.
It is available with the basic latte and the Starbucks Blonde Vanilla Latte.
Ordering Whipped Cream At Starbucks (How-To)
Starbucks whipped cream recipe creates a light and cold topping which adds a richness to summer beverages, but its snow-like appearance and creaminess make it ideal for Christmas, fall, and hot winter beverages, too.
Ordering whipped cream at Starbucks is easy; in fact, sometimes, you might have to make a point of asking to have it omitted.
Note that a few drinks have whipped cream as a definitive ingredient, an example being the Espresso con Panna.
However, many drinks that do not normally come with whipped cream do have it as a possible topping. In these cases, you can choose serving size—normal, extra, or light.
I know some people who love whipped cream to the point that they could just eat it by itself; they really experience it as comfort food. Thankfully, Starbucks has something for everybody.
You can order a light serving for the elegance, a larger amount if you are a whipped-cream lover, or even just a cup of pure whipped cream.
In fact, Starbucks will gladly provide a free whipped cream cup for children or pets (this is a “secret menu” item), as long as you are also ordering a beverage off the regular menu.
Similarly, you might be able to get Starbucks baristas to make you a Starbucks Pink Drink with whipped cream, even though whipped cream is not actually offered as a topping for this beverage.
How To Make Starbucks Whipped Cream At Home (Recipe Card)
Ingredients To Make A Starbucks Whipped Cream At Home:
The Starbucks whipped cream recipe is basically just heavy whipping cream and Starbucks vanilla syrup and/or vanilla extract.
The Starbucks whipped cream recipe can be altered to make it somewhat lower-fat whipping cream.
(Some people can change the Starbucks whipped cream recipe to make it with half and half, but generally, you need a higher butterfat content to create a long-lasting and well-textured whip.)
So, it is no wonder Starbucks uses heavy whipping cream for all its beverages with whipped cream on top. Also, it is what to use if you want a true copycat Starbucks whipped cream recipe.
As for the Starbucks vanilla syrup within the Starbucks whipped cream recipe, you can buy it—in regular and sugar-free versions.
You could also try other flavored syrups from Starbucks in your favorite drink (e.g., hazelnut, cinnamon dolce, or caramel brulée) that are similarly available for purchase.
However, it is possible to create a copycat Starbucks vanilla syrup at home—with water, sugar/sugar substitute (e.g., stevia, brown sugar, honey, etc.), and vanilla extract.
If you really get into using these syrups a lot, you might want to purchase bottle pumps for added convenience.
The Procedure To Do It At Home
You can make whipped cream using an electric mixer and you keep going until you create soft peaks.
However, to truly imitate Starbucks whipped cream recipe, you need a whipped cream dispenser/maker.
Most homemade whipped cream dispenser models come with whipping cream recipes to get you started. Starbucks uses the iSi Profi Cream Whipper and N20 Cream Chargers.
Starbucks usually keeps the design fairly straightforward—just a swirling pattern—but if you are really serious about a specific presentation, also consider the compatible decorator tips.
This is the 1-Qt. size, but you can get it in a 1-pint size, too. (Note that the amount of actual whipped cream produced is several times the volume of the whipped cream.)
A less-expensive but equally well-rated option is the FineDine Whipped Cream Dispenser which comes with 6 shaping nozzles (3 plastic, 3 metal).
As with the iSi Profi, you can get a 50-pack of compatible chargers for a similar price. No matter the whipped cream dispenser model, you need only shake it a few times.
You can use the nozzles to squirt the whip right out of the whipped cream canister rather than using a piping bag.
Needless to say, people with children often find a whipped cream maker and a whipped cream canister to be a real blessing.
Homemade whipped heavy cream can be used for a variety of things, not just Starbucks copycat beverages.
You can put additives in the dispenser—food coloring, spices (such as pumpkin spice), sweeteners, coconut, blended fresh fruit (strawberry, raspberry, and pineapple seem to be popular choices), cocoa, chocolate syrup, maple syrup, nut butters (such as almond or peanut butter), coffee and coffee flavorings, extracts (as vanilla extract, peppermint extract, or lemon extract), and more. These aren't in the original Starbucks whipped cream recipe, but they work well!
Therefore, you could make whipped cream for your favorite dessert fillings, fruit and/or pancake topping, mousses, alcohol-infused/liqueur-flavored whipped topping (bourbon and Irish cream are popular choices), fluffy party dip, cream puff fillings, soup thickeners, or even savory whipped cream for appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, or entrées.
It would seem that the cream whipper really is an underrated kitchen essential.
Starbucks Whipped Cream Nutritional Facts
A whipped cream topper adds about 70-100 calories to a beverage.
Starbucks vanilla syrup has 80 calories (all in carbs/sugars) per 2 tbsp. serving, but this is more than you get in one serving of whip cream topping.
Most of the calories of whipped cream are fat calories from the heavy whipping cream, with only a few carbs and protein calories.
For example, a normal Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino, which comes with whipped cream and caramel drizzle as toppings, has about 380 calories.
You can reduce it to 300 calories by ordering it without whipped cream; you would also be cutting the fat calories by about 50%.
Therefore, even though it is a dairy product, whipped cream is not suitable for those on a high-protein diet.
Furthermore, many Starbucks beverages with all the fixings have various sweet drizzles or sprinkles on the whipped cream top.
Frequently Asked Starbucks Whipped Cream Questions
Can dogs & cats have whipped cream from Starbucks?
Most cats and dogs are lactose-intolerant to some degree, but some might be able to enjoy a small portion of whipped cream occasionally.
Also, Starbucks whipped cream usually contains vanilla syrup, which could be toxic to some pets.
If you are removing the whipped cream from your own beverage to feed to a pet, bear in mind that it also could have small amounts of coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar-substitute, or other animal-toxic ingredients from the drink.
Is Starbucks sweet cream whipped cream?
Not necessarily. It does have similar ingredients: vanilla syrup, whipping or heavy cream, and milk. It is frequently used as an ingredient or add-on to give milky richness to beverages.
Also, it has a high enough fat content to be whipped, so yes, there are Starbucks drink recipes with sweet whipped cream, and sometimes you can get it added to other beverages.
How long does Starbucks whipped cream last?
If you mean to take it home and put it in the refrigerator, it probably will only have a decent texture for a day—at best. However, it would likely be safe to consume for a few days.
If you make a copycat Starbucks whipped cream yourself, you can keep it refrigerated in the canister for about a week. Still, most people find that freshly whipped cream is the best.
Is Starbucks whipped cream gluten-free?
Yes. By itself, it is a completely safe food for those with Celiac Disease or other gluten sensitivities.
Is Starbucks whipped cream kosher?
Yes. Not everything at Starbucks is kosher, but the whipped cream is.
Conclusion
In terms of nutrition, Starbucks whipped cream has its good and bad points—but really, it is such a great comfort food and beautiful decoration on some of Starbucks’ best drinks.
If you are addicted to the heavy whipped cream like what Starbucks serves, then you might want to start making whipped cream at home.
It is relatively easy—as well as cost-effective and versatile.
