Learn How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream with only 3 simple ingredients! It's an easy way to make your own perfectly fluffy and delicious topping at home.
Learn how to make your own homemade whipped cream with only 3 ingredients, 5 minutes, and a good whisk.
You'll never buy pre-made again. Use it to top desserts, fresh fruit, or just eat it right out of the bowl!
Watch the video below on how to make homemade whipped cream
What is whipped cream?
This whipped cream recipe is made by combining heavy cream with a sweetener and whipped with a whisk until it is light and fluffy.
Sometimes it's referred to as Chantilly cream and is perfect for topping desserts, turning it into icing for decorating cakes, or mixing with cream cheese to make some extra decadent frosting.
It's a simple dessert that can also be used for breakfast on top of a bowl of fruit or to top a basic dessert, like a bowl of ice cream.
This easy topping is healthier than buying it pre-made from the store too. There’s really no reason you can’t whip up a bowl right now!
Ingredients
There are only three ingredients in this simple but delicious recipe.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream is necessary because of the milk fat that it contains. Light cream, Half and Half, or whole milk will not whip up on their own due to their lower fat content, unless powdered gelatin is added.
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar is best because the crystals are super fine and they blend in with the cream without leaving crunchy bits behind.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract gives it a subtle vanilla flavor and balances out the sugar.
How to make whipped cream at home
There's no need to buy ready-made, artificially flavored whipped cream in a can or plastic container anymore, when you can make your own at home!
1. Use well-chilled heavy cream and pour into a large mixing bowl (chill the bowl if making on a hot and humid day). Beat with a hand mixer.
2. Pour in the powdered sugar to add sweetness and a smooth consistency.
3. Use a touch of pure vanilla extract for a flavor boost.
4. Whisk the cream, sugar, and vanilla just until firm peaks form (about 5-8 minutes). Be careful not to over-whip!
Tips for success:
Here are a few tips for success and variations you can try.
- Add flavors to infuse your whipped cream like coconut, chocolate or cocoa, coffee, cherry, strawberry, pineapple, lemon, maple, bourbon or honey.
- To make this recipe vegan, you can replace the cream with a dairy-free option.
Can I substitute different milk?
There are various ways to make whipped cream without heavy cream. If you want to cut down on fat or just don’t have any on hand, you can substitute various other kinds of milk with an additional ingredient.
If you want to make whipped cream dairy-free, you can substitute oat milk, almond milk, or coconut milk. You’ll need to add gelatin to oat or almond milk to make it thicken up.
Coconut milk has a higher amount of milk solids that it doesn’t need an additive.
You can also use half and half or whole milk with the addition of powdered gelatin. This ensures that the milk can become a more solid-state and can be whipped.
How can I tell when to stop whipping?
There are four stages to a stabilized whipped cream consistency.
- When you first start stirring you’ll begin to get soft peaks that fall right over when you lift the mixer into the air.
- After stirring a little longer, you’ll see medium peaks that have some shape but the very tops fold over gently.
- Hard peaks are when the cream stays in perfect peaks when lifted straight out of the bowl and flipped over.
- The last stage is over-mixed. This happens when you continue mixing after hard peaks have formed. Your dessert will no longer look smooth, but instead, will break apart and be grainy in texture.
The best place to stop whipping cream is either the medium peak or hard peak stage depending on what you’ll be using it for.
If you’ll be using it in another dessert, you can stop at medium peaks. If you want to top cheesecake, you’ll probably want stiff peaks.
How to fix over-whipped cream
Have no fear if you've over-whipped your cream! There is a way to save it, but only if it hasn't turned into butter yet and you have a little heavy cream left.
Using a hand whisk, gently whisk in a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream until it's light and fluffy again.
How to use whipped cream
- as frosting for a cake or cupcakes
- add to vanilla pudding, chocolate pudding, tapioca pudding , and butterscotch pudding
- on a big slice of pie or an easy fruit cobbler
- top an ice cream sundae
- make a pretty trifle or pavlova
- in a bowl of fresh fruit
- dollop a little on brownies or blondies
- use it to make Chocolate Hazelnut Rice Dream, my version of a popular Epcot Walt Disney World dessert
How to store:
If you have any leftover homemade whipped cream, you can save it for up to three days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
When you pull it out, it may need to be stirred or even lightly whipped again to get it back to the perfect consistency.
FAQs:
The addition of powdered sugar makes whipped cream lightly sweetened, but you don’t need to add any at all! This makes it perfect for all kinds of dessert toppings.
Whipped cream can be the perfect addition to a keto diet when it’s made without adding sugar.
If you don’t have a stand mixer or don't want to whip it by hand, you can definitely use a hand mixer to make whipped cream. Be prepared to whip a little longer than you need to with a stand mixer, however.
If you whip it by hand, use a balloon whisk to get the quickest results.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a comment and a rating below to let me know! I LOVE to hear from you!
Homemade Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream (make sure it's well chilled)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large metal mixing bowl, pour in the 1 cup of chilled heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla.
- Beat with a balloon wire whisk, using a hand mixer, a stand mixer, or by hand, just until the cream reaches stiff peaks. Be careful not to over whip the cream or it will turn grainy (and will eventually turn into butter if whipped too much).**See tip below in recipe card on how to save over whipped cream**
- Use immediately or cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Recipe Notes & Tips:
- If cream is slightly over-whipped and it hasn't turned into butter yet, use a hand whisk to gently whisk in a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream until it's light and fluffy again.
- Make sure the cream is very cold so it whips easily and quickly.
- If making on a hot and humid day, chill the metal bowl and whisk to help the cream stay cold while whipping it.
- Use a balloon whisk for the quickest and easiest results.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
- Can re-whip if leftover mixture separates.
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