Totally Transform Standard Whipped Cream With Canned Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin-flavored everything has become a fun end-of-the-year tradition that is meant to warm the tastebuds and the soul. If you are a lover of everything pumpkin from old-fashioned pumpkin pies to the modern pumpkin cream cold brews, there's a new trick that will help you make this autumn even more pumpkin-y: pumpkin purée whipped cream. Pumpkin purée whipped cream is the perfect topping for any kind of dessert from vanilla ice cream and chocolate brownies to pumpkin-flavored treats like cakes and pies. Plus, of course, it would be hard to find a more perfect topping for a pumpkin spice-flavored cup of joe.

While you can buy cans of pumpkin-flavored whipped cream in the store, if you really want to impress your dinner guests (or just enjoy the rich flavor for yourself) nothing beats the taste of freshly whipped cream. On top of that, the addition of fresh pumpkin purée mixed with either your favorite store-bought or homemade pumpkin spice gives you control of the flavors and allows you to play around with the levels of warmth and sweetness to find the perfect combination.

The best thing about homemade whipped cream is that it is surprisingly quick and easy. In fact, whipping up a bowl of pumpkin purée whipped cream should only take around 10 minutes. It doesn't take much more than choosing your favorite vanilla whipped cream recipe and whipping long enough to get stiff peaks going. Just make sure to be gentle when folding in the pumpkin purée and pumpkin spice mixture, so as not to overwork the cream.

Many cooks seem to agree that the ratio of heavy cream to pumpkin purée should be about 3 to 1. However, if you want your whipped cream to have even more pumpkin pungency, you can also use a 2 to 1 ratio. It is important to note that the more pumpkin purée you add, the heavier and less airy your whipped cream will be — so striking a balance is important.

If you want to infuse your pumpkin purée with extra flavor before adding it to the whipped cream, take a page out of Ruth Reichl's book and roast the purée with the spice mixture in the oven for a few minutes. This will give the seasonings a chance to bloom and really bring out their warm aromatic qualities, as well as bring some toastiness to the pumpkin. Just make sure to let it cool sufficiently before incorporating the cooked purée into your whipped cream.

While pumpkin purée whipped cream has obvious uses when it comes to holiday and seasonal desserts, that doesn't mean that this delicious pumpkin treat has to be reserved for special occasions. In fact, there are plenty of ways to incorporate this pumpkin-infused whipped cream into your every day and make it a tradition for the whole family. A little pumpkin whipped cream on top of a stack of waffles or pancakes is a great weekend breakfast addition — bonus points if they already include the seasonal gourd (think flourless banana pumpkin pancakes).

You can also simply add a dollop of pumpkin whipped cream to your daily cup of joe. Whipped cream goes great on both hot and iced coffee and can be used in place of pumpkin-flavored creamer or cold foam. For kids (and people who don't really like coffee) a cup of hot chocolate topped with pumpkin whipped cream is a great way to wind down and warm up in the cool autumn weather. It's a far more versatile sweet condiment than it might first appear.