--- title: Whipped-Cream Shortage 2016 description: Thanks to a shortage in nitrous oxide, which aerosolizes the cans, whipped-cream purveyors are cautioning holiday shoppers to buy now. canonical: https://time.com/4602360/whipped-cream-shortage/ author: Raisa Bruner article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-12-14T21:41:37.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:39:29.076Z og:title: Our Nation Is Facing a Dire Whipped-Cream Shortage og:description: People are not happy og:url: https://time.com/4602360/whipped-cream-shortage/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf07aed6d96d7bfc7/6988b2f87cdbac1f5fd56946/whipped-cream-coffee.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: High Angle View Of Coffee With Whipped Cream og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Our Nation Is Facing a Dire Whipped-Cream Shortage twitter:description: People are not happy twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf07aed6d96d7bfc7/6988b2f87cdbac1f5fd56946/whipped-cream-coffee.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Nation Is Facing a Dire Whipped-Cream Shortage During Prime Dessert Season  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Dec 14, 2016 9:41 PM UTC  Yamaki Yuri / EyeEm—Getty Images  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Dec 14, 2016 9:41 PM UTC Stock up on canned whipped cream during your next jaunt to the grocery store, because we—as a nation—might be running out soon. That’s right: the most important topping (or [stand-alone ingredient](http://healthland.time.com/2010/11/29/alcoholic-whipped-cream-another-binge-drink-in-a-can/?iid=sr-link1), for some) in the dessert world is in dire short supply this holiday season. According to [the _Chicago Tribune_](http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-canned-whipped-cream-shortage-1214-biz-20161213-story.html), this terrifying fact is all due to a national shortage in nitrous oxide, the gas used to make aerosol cans of whipped cream function the way they’re supposed to ([among other things](http://healthland.time.com/2012/01/26/demis-drug-what-is-nitrous-oxide/?iid=sr-link9)). According to the _Tribune_ an accidental explosion at a major [nitrous oxide plant](http://weartv.com/news/local/cantonment-explosion-came-from-nitrous-oxide-tanks) in Florida in August appears to be one of the main culprits behind the supply chain setback. In the meantime, chains like coffee shop Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf are admitting that some of their drinks might have to be served sans whip, while some grocery shoppers are [already noticing](http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/12/whipped-cream-shortage-coming-for-holidays.html?mid=twitter%5Fgrubst) signs up signaling the lack of sweet topping in stores… and soon, absent from pies. Popular brand Reddi-wip is feeling the effects. A spokesperson for Conagra, the brand’s parent company, [told the Boston Globe](http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/12/14/nitrous-oxide-shortage-means-your-pie-may-lack-whipped-cream-christmas/frEQ5TaxxulC11j1tx2RyI/story.html?event=event25) that the full supply will be “up and running by February,” but in the meantime consumers should “stock up early.” > [](https://twitter.com/TheCoffeeBean/status/808019733173833728) > [](https://twitter.com/wsmco/status/808079055648129025) In the meantime, [people are not pleased](https://twitter.com/search?q=whipped%20cream%20shortage&src=typd). But not all hope is lost: there’s still no shortage of heavy whipping cream in supermarkets, which means all it takes to indulge in a fluffy cloud of sweet whip is a little extra elbow grease this holiday season. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4602360/whipped-cream-shortage/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4602360/whipped-cream-shortage/"},"headline":"The Nation Is Facing a Dire Whipped-Cream Shortage During Prime Dessert Season","datePublished":"2016-12-14T21:41:37.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:39:29.076Z","description":"\"Stock up early\"","url":"https://time.com/4602360/whipped-cream-shortage/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Food & Drink","viral"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf07aed6d96d7bfc7/6988b2f87cdbac1f5fd56946/whipped-cream-coffee.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Raisa Bruner","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf07aed6d96d7bfc7/6988b2f87cdbac1f5fd56946/whipped-cream-coffee.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"High Angle View Of Coffee With Whipped Cream","caption":"High Angle View Of Coffee With Whipped Cream","creditText":"Yamaki Yuri / EyeEm—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4602360/whipped-cream-shortage/","name":"The Nation Is Facing a Dire Whipped-Cream Shortage During Prime Dessert Season"}}]}] ```