The Unexpected Pantry Staple You Should Be Adding To Whipped Cream

Whipped cream is arguably one of the best dessert toppings out there, adding a touch of sweet creaminess to ice cream, pies, waffles, and pancakes, not to mention being a crucial element to a delectable strawberry shortcake. And sure, there are plenty of whipped topping options you can snag at the store, but it's just as easy to make it yourself at home.

According to Allrecipes, all it takes to whip up the fluffy dessert topping at home is heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla, though TODAY suggests that you could still churn out an amazing treat by ditching those last two ingredients. Once you grab your mixer (or a whisk or fork) and read up on the biggest mistakes to avoid, you'll be ready to make up a batch of homemade whipped cream.

But before diving in, it's worth knowing that whipped cream is also fairly customizable. Wide Open Eats' recipe makes itself available to a wide variety of additions, including cocoa powder, cinnamon, lavender, and...olive oil? Yup, according to Better Homes & Gardens, the light green liquid is the pantry staple we're all overlooking when it comes to crafting some delicious homemade whipped cream.

While most people reach for olive oil when marinating a steak or making a homemade salad dressing, olive oil is also a surprisingly amazing addition to dessert items, including whipped cream. "It takes something that's quite familiar — whipped cream — and makes it a lot more dynamic and interesting," chef Seamus Mullen told Better Homes & Gardens about the treat.

Mullen said he came up with the idea for the unique addition to the whipped topping when working on an olive oil chocolate cake recipe for one of his restaurants. He explained that he had originally paired the dessert with an orange zest-flavored whipped cream, but began experimenting with adding olive oil into the topping and was extremely pleased with how well it worked.

So what is it that makes olive oil an excellent addition to whipped cream and other sweet treats? Mullens reminds us that an olive is actually a fruit (an assertion that Healthline backs up) and, therefore, olive oil is — technically speaking — a fruit juice.

The chef suggested using a more fruity olive oil, such as Arbequina, if you're going to try your hand at whipping up a batch of olive oil whipped cream for your next bowl of ice cream (via Better Homes & Gardens). And while you're at it, consider drizzling a little extra oil on top of the frozen dessert as well.