Candy Cane Whipped Cream

Candy canes are a Christmastime favorite and this Candy Cane Whipped Cream is a festive holiday addition to your morning latte, holiday desserts, or even pancakes or waffles. I won’t say a word if you choose to just eat it with a spoon. Haven’t made homemade whipped cream before? Check out my tutorial for How to Make Whipped Cream.

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In terms of easy holiday recipes, this is a winner. Fluffy whipped cream (there’s nothing like homemade!) filled with peppermint flavor and colorful chunks of candy canes is a festive addition to the season.

Crush a few candy canes and bring this treat to a holiday brunch or as part of a decadent holiday dessert. Or, make a batch for yourself to store in the fridge and top your morning lattes.

Because this recipe uses crushed candy canes, it definitely has some crunch. The candy cane pieces will soften and even start to dissolve in the whipped cream over time, but if you prefer to skip the crunch altogether you can still make a peppermint whipped cream. Make a plain peppermint variation simply using the peppermint extract as called for in the recipe and skipping the candy cane pieces.

Three Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

1. Hello festive! The pretty chunks of red-and-white candy pieces in the cream are so pretty topping holiday desserts or lattes.
2. No questionable ingredients. When you make your own homemade whipped cream, you can skip all of the icky ingredients contained in the spray cans.
3. Totally customizable! You can adjust the sweetness, amount of candy, and even the texture of the whipped cream to suit your preferences.

Tips & Tricks for Making Whipped Cream

I go into a lot more detail in my Homemade Whipped Cream tutorial, but here’s a few tips and tricks for making the best homemade whipped cream.

• Chill a metal bowl and beaters/whisk before starting. Using cold equipment increases the stability of the whipped cream and helps it last longer.
• Purchase “heavy cream” or “heavy whipping cream” to make homemade whipped cream. Skip products called “whipping cream” which is a lower fat product and won’t yield the desired results.
• Use whipped cream immediately or refrigerate immediately and use within several hours for the best texture.

Find even more helpful hints in my super-detailed Frequently Asked Questions About Whipped Cream post!

Ingredients You Will Need

This is a pretty short ingredients list!

Heavy Whipping Cream – as mentioned earlier, be sure to grab a product labeled “heavy whipping cream” or “heavy cream” so that the fat content is high enough to create a lofty (and stable) finished product.

Powdered Sugar – also known as “confectioners’ sugar”, this is what we’ll use to get some sweetness!

Peppermint Extract – I purchase mine at Aldi and it’s great for all things holiday baking.

Peppermint Candy Canes – the red-and-white colors of traditional peppermint candy canes are so pretty!

How to Make Candy Cane Whipped Cream

The printable recipe card below goes into complete detail, but here’s a brief overview of the recipe.

First, crush up a few candy canes! I do this with a rolling pin and a zip-top bag.

Then, use a chilled bowl & whisk to beat up heavy whipping cream. I aim for “medium” peaks.

Sprinkle in the crushed candy pieces and gently fold in. Oh so yum.

Note that the chunks of the candy cane mean that this one can’t be piped. If you need to pipe it, skip adding the candy cane pieces within the whipped cream and just sprinkle them on top of the piped cream.

What are peaks in whipped cream?

Making whipped cream? A peak is simply the visual of what’s on the end of the whisk when you turn off the mixer and either raise the mixer head or pull the hand mixer away from the bowl.

• Soft peaks – These are peaks that just flop over. A soft billowy cream that melts in your mouth. Fantastic for topping desserts like strawberry shortcake or cobbler. Best for scooping and swirling, not piping. I often stop mixing at this point and whip the cream a bit more by hand with a whisk and use it.
• Medium peaks – A peak of cream that holds its shape, but flops over at the top. Medium or stiff peaks are best for piping. This is the ideal whipped cream texture in my opinion!
• Stiff peaks – A stiff peak of cream that holds its shape and does not flop at all. This is a tricky stage to reach because it’s really easy to overdo it! Great for piping.

Variations

• Note that this peppermint whipped cream can be made without the candy cane pieces if you wish. The peppermint extract provides plenty of holiday flavor.
• Because this whipped cream cannot be piped (the candy cane pieces are too large), it works best for spooning/swirling on top of desserts. If you need it to be piped, skip adding the candy cane pieces into the whipped cream and just use them to top the dessert after piping.
• You can experiment with trying different candy cane flavors, but you will of course want to leave out the peppermint extract. You will also want to be careful how much you mix in the candy cane pieces. The bleeding that occurs with the red-and-white peppermint pieces is pretty, but candy canes with more colors may just end up turning the mixture brown–and we certainly don’t want that!

How to Store the Whipped Cream

Fresh whipped cream is best eaten immediately, though it can be stored in the fridge for several hours before using. It will also keep in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, but it will start to separate and the texture won’t be as good.

I keep mine around for a few days and use it for breakfasts, coffee, etc. no problem. If I’m preparing it for guests, I will always make fresh for the best texture.

This variety with the candy cane pieces does tend to “weep” or separate a bit more than other varieties. You can whisk it back up or just scoop off the good stuff from the separated water.