Pressure Cooker Toasted Cream

Toasted Cream

This Pressure Cooker Toasted Cream is a wonderful way to take advantage of the flavorful toasted notes that occur when heavy cream is cooked until it reaches the Maillard reaction and browns. It offers cream some of the same lovely flavor notes that you get when you brown butter, so you can think of toasted cream (or browned cream) as browned butter’s creamier sibling. Though there are several ways to toast cream, I’ve found that the easiest way is simply to cook the cream in my Instant Pot with a dash of baking soda.

What is the Maillard reaction?

The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food a characteristic toasted flavor. For heavy cream, this reaction is amplified when it reaches a heat around 285-300° F (140-149° C). The browning is further encouraged with a bit of baking soda — just 1/4 tsp is enough for 16 oz (2 cups) of heavy cream.

What should I use toasted cream for?

• Drizzled on top of oatmeal — like this Oatmeal with Roasted Pears (coming soon!)
• Drizzle over fresh fruit or a fruit crisp — like this Spiced Pear Crisp
• Use in your coffee or hot chocolate
• Add to pan sauces — like this Whisky Cream Sauce
• Add it to pasta dishes — like this Gorgonzola Pasta with Browned Butter Lemon and Broccolini
• Add to soups that require cream — like this Roasted Broccoli Cauliflower Soup
• Use it to add extra creaminess to risotto at the end of cooking — Like this Risotto with Mushrooms and Peas
• Whipped and added on top of pie — like this Maple Pumpkin Pie (coming soon!)

Can I whip toasted cream?

Yes, you can whip toasted cream. However, I find that it takes just a little bit longer to whip and will not whip quite as smoothly as traditional non-toasted heavy cream or as lightly as traditional whipping cream. To whip Instant Pot toasted cream. strain the cream and chill first before whipping for best results, then whip as you would traditional heavy cream. My preference is to strain the cream into a Weck jar and use my immersion blender to whip.

Can I use other methods to make toasted cream?

Yes, in fact, this post was inspired by this Serious Eats post which offers two different options for making toasted cream — via sous vide for 24 hours or in individual jars using a (presumably traditional) pressure cooker for 2 hours. I have not tried either of these exact methods, however, so I cannot speak to them.

The difference in my method is:

• I specifically use an electric pressure cooker – the Instant Pot Ultra 6 qt is what I currently use
• I do not portion my cream into jars to steam over a rack, it goes directly into the bowl insert of my pressure cooker
• I only cook my cream for 1 hour, then let the pressure release naturally

What tools do I need to make this recipe?

• An electric pressure cooker — I use an Instant Pot Ultra 6 qt
• Liquid measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• A whisk
• A fine-mesh strainer
• A medium jar or medium storage bowl

Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

Looking for more recipe inspiration?

Love this Pressure Cooker Toasted Cream? Here are some more easy butters and sauces to flavor to your meals:

• How to Make Compound Butter
• Romesco Sauce
• Avocado Chimichurri Sauce
• Basil Walnut Pesto
• Lemon Herb Tartar Sauce

Pressure Cooker Toasted Cream

• Author: Whip & Wander
• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Come to Pressure/Depressurize Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 32 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Sauces
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This Pressure Cooker Toasted Cream is a wonderful way to take advantage of the flavorful toasted notes that occur when heavy cream is cooked until it reaches the Maillard reaction and browns. It offers cream some of the same lovely flavor notes that you get when you brown butter, so you can think of toasted cream (or browned cream) as browned butter’s creamier sibling. Though there are several ways to toast cream, I’ve found that the easiest way is simply to cook the cream in my Instant Pot with a dash of baking soda.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 16 oz (2 cups) heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

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Instructions

1. Pour the heavy cream to the bowl of your Instant Pot insert. Sprinkle in the baking soda and whisk to combine.
2. Secure the lid and cook on high for 1 hour. Once it finishes its cooking cycle make sure to hit cancel on the “keep warm” function if your machine automatically sets to that after cooking. Allow the machine to natural release pressure fully (otherwise you are likely to have cream spraying out of your steam vent).
3. Once fully depressurized, remove the lid. The toasted cream mixture will have a dark brown skin on top that you’ll want to discard. I like to strain the mixture into a glass jar or storage bowl through a fine-mesh strainer. This will help catch all of the pieces of skin and ensure your toasted cream mixture is smooth. You can use the cream immediately for dishes where you would appreciate warm cream or allow it to cool slightly then store in the refrigerator to finish chilling before whipping or using over dishes that require chilled cream.

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Notes

Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

See the post above for additional methods for making toasted cream.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 200
• Sodium: 47 mg
• Fat: 24 g
• Saturated Fat: 14 g
• Carbohydrates: 2 g
• Protein: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 80 mg

Keywords: heavy cream, toasted cream, instant pot