Battle of the Whipped Creams: Store-Bought vs. Homemade

Something we're giving thanks for this time of year? Canned whipped cream. It's cheaper and faster than homemade, and even our resident food snobs admit that it's delish. What's even better? That nozzle makes it super simple to create a professional-looking pie topping (or to just mainline the stuff right into your mouth). Prep: 0 minutes, Price: 58¢ per cup

If you're making dessert from scratch, odds are you're willing to spend a few minutes whipping heavy cream into soft peaks. A dollop on your pecan pie looks pretty, tastes great, and is easy to customize (see recipe below). But for a busy hostess (or for weeknight ice cream sundaes!), the canned version wins, hands down. Prep: 5 minutes, Price: $1.08 per cup

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 2 tsp. confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Wanna mix things up? Add a dash of vanilla extract or a couple of pinches of citrus zest to the cream before whipping.