Homemade Whipped Cream

Learn how to make fresh sweetened homemade whipped cream with only 3 simple ingredients. With its light and billowy texture, whipped cream is the perfect topping for pies, cakes, cupcakes, crepes, cheesecake, trifles, and so much more! 

I originally published this recipe in 2018 and have since added some new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips. This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.

One reader, Michelle, commented: “I was really surprised by how much better this tastes than store-bought whipped cream. This is easy to make and delicious. The vanilla really elevates the flavor. There’s no reason to purchase whipped cream ever again. ★★★★★“

After years of buying frozen whipped topping and cans of store-bought whipped cream filled with who-the-heck-knows-what, I can say with confidence that HOMEMADE whipped cream tastes 100% better in both the texture and flavor departments. Fresh whipped cream is made with just 3 simple ingredients and comes together in only a few minutes. It’s so creamy, so light, and so so so delicious.

Whipped Cream Video Tutorial

What You Need

1. Electric mixer: handheld or stand mixer with whisk attachment
2. Mixing bowl
3. Cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
4. Sugar to sweeten
5. Pure vanilla extract (or homemade vanilla extract)

A Note on the Sugar: Some bakers swear by granulated sugar in whipped cream; others swear by confectioners’ sugar. If you’re only working with a couple Tablespoons, it doesn’t really make a difference. But if you’re working in larger batches, you may begin to taste the granules of granulated sugar.

You could also use brown sugar, and I love doing that for certain desserts, like pecan pie cheesecake and butterscotch pie.

Did you know? Because we’re sweetening the whipped cream and flavoring it with vanilla extract, this is called crème chantilly in French. 🙂

How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream

1. Start with cold heavy cream. The colder the cream, the easier and more successful it will whip. Cold cream also creates the lightest whipped cream! Slightly warm or room temperature cream does not equate to whipped cream. If you’re ambitious, you could even chill the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or the freezer for 15 minutes.
2. Whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla together on medium-high speed. This speed is perfect for whipped cream, which will whip air into the cream at a medium pace. I find that high speed easily over-whips cream, and low speed under-whips cream.
3. Don’t walk away! Whipped cream only takes a couple minutes, but it’s only a few seconds between soft whipped cream and over-mixed whipped cream. Over-mixed whipped cream is curdled and grainy. Soft whipped cream, the ideal sweet spot, has a billowy and smooth texture. Stand by your mixer so you know when it’s ready.
4. Look for medium peaks. What are medium whipped cream peaks? When you lift the beaters or whisk out from the bowl, a semi-sturdy peak should form on them. The peak will slightly droop down, but not lose its shape entirely. It won’t be too soft and liquid-y, it won’t be heavy and curdled. Don’t be afraid to stop the mixer and check the consistency of the whipped cream as you go.

Looking for flavored whipped cream? Try adding tequila and lime like we do for these mini margarita cheesecakes, strawberry filling like we do for strawberry shortcake cupcakes, almond extract like we do for berry icebox cake, or espresso powder and cocoa powder as detailed in these flourless chocolate cake and mocha chocolate pudding pie recipes. For more ideas, check out all these flavors!

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How to Fix Over-Whipped Cream

If you accidentally over-mix the cream, and it looks curdled and heavy, pour in a little bit more heavy cream, and fold it in gently by hand with a spatula until it smooths out.

Can Whipped Cream Replace Cool Whip?

Yes. This homemade whipped cream can replace Cool Whip (store-bought frozen whipped topping) in recipes. Use the same amount.

The amount of heavy cream you use doubles in volume as you whip it. So if you need 2 cups of whipped cream, use 1 cup of heavy cream. (Plus the sugar to sweeten, and vanilla extract.)

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What Is the Difference Between Heavy Cream and Whipping Cream?

This can definitely be confusing! Their difference is in the percentage of milk fat. Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream contain 36% milk fat and whipping cream (without “heavy” in the title) is a little lighter, with 30% milk fat.

They can all be used interchangeably in most recipes, but when it comes to whipped cream, heavy cream/heavy whipping cream will hold its shape longer. They are ideal for homemade whipped cream.

Can I Pipe This Whipped Cream With Piping Tips?

Yes, you can pipe this whipped cream on your desserts. I recommend using large star tips and my favorites include Wilton 8B (as shown on this lemon cake), Wilton 1M (as shown on this ice cream cake, peanut butter pie, and blueberry cream pie), and Ateco 849 (as shown on this cookies & cream pie). You could also just spread whipped cream on your confections with a knife, large spoon, or icing spatula.

For a sturdier whipped cream that you could use as a stable frosting for layered cakes, try my whipped frosting. It’s exactly what we used for this cookies and cream cake, with the addition of Oreos!

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What to Serve With Homemade Whipped Cream

There are so many options!

1. Pavlova, of course!
2. Lemon Berry Trifle
3. Angel Food Cupcakes
4. Strawberry Shortcake
5. Banana Cream Pie
6. Ice Cream Cake with Homemade Hot Fudge
7. Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding
8. Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
9. Cheesecake, Lemon Cheesecake, or Cheesecake Pie
10. Choux Pastry & Eclairs
11. Chocolate Swirl Pistachio Ice Cream
12. Crème de Menthe Pie
13. Lemon Cake
14. Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie, or Sweet Potato Pie (or really any of your Thanksgiving pies!)
15. Pumpkin Pie Bars or Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
16. Cranberry Curd Tart
17. Crepes or on Tiramisu Crepe Cake
18. Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
19. Pecan Pie or Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie
20. Flourless Chocolate Cake
21. Chocolate Lava Cakes or Peanut Butter Lava Cakes
22. Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
23. Pecan Pie Cheesecake
24. Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie
25. Caramel Turtle Brownie Pie
26. Key Lime Pie or Key Lime Pie Bars
27. Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie
28. Apple Pie
29. Mille-Feuille (on it’s own or mixed with pastry cream!)
30. Dutch Baby Pancake
31. Skillet Brownie
32. Baked Apples or Maple Baked Pears
33. As a filling for your favorite cupcake recipe (see my How to Fill Cupcakes tutorial for exactly how to do this—so easy!)

And on ice cream, milkshakes, waffles, pancakes, berries, and so many more wonderful dessert recipes!

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