Cream Nutrition Facts

Stir it into your coffee or use it as a taco topper, cream in all its varieties is a fan favorite to add extra flavor to many of our meals, desserts and beverages. Cream was first used by the Romans in the 9th century A.D., but the credit for its modern-day popularity is attributed to the Viennese, who have been using it lavishly for the last 300 years. With all the different types of cream, what exactly is cream?

Cream is the high-fat milk product separated from milk, and it must contain at least 18% milk fat. But different types of cream have different fat content, hence the variety. For example, the half-and-half you might have added to your coffee has between 10.5% to 18% milkfat, while heavy cream (or “heavy whipping cream,” as it’s often called) contains more than 36% milkfat.

Both the amount of fat in cream and its temperature influence how well cream whips. Heavy whipping cream increases more in volume than light whipping cream. And light whipping cream whips to a greater volume than light cream. For best whipping results, choose a cream with a high fat content.

Sour cream results from adding lactic acid bacteria to pasteurized cream at least 18% milkfat. Your tacos and burritos thank you. Want more ways to try out cream? Check out a few of our favorite recipes here.