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
- Electric mixer: handheld or stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Mixing bowl
- Cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- Sugar to sweeten
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
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.)
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!
What to Serve With Homemade Whipped Cream
There are so many options!
- Pavlova, of course!
- Lemon Berry Trifle
- Angel Food Cupcakes
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Banana Cream Pie
- Ice Cream Cake with Homemade Hot Fudge
- Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
- Cheesecake, Lemon Cheesecake, or Cheesecake Pie
- Choux Pastry & Eclairs
- Chocolate Swirl Pistachio Ice Cream
- Crème de Menthe Pie
- Lemon Cake
- Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie, or Sweet Potato Pie (or really any of your Thanksgiving pies!)
- Pumpkin Pie Bars or Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
- Cranberry Curd Tart
- Crepes or on Tiramisu Crepe Cake
- Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
- Pecan Pie or Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Lava Cakes or Peanut Butter Lava Cakes
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
- Pecan Pie Cheesecake
- Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie
- Caramel Turtle Brownie Pie
- Key Lime Pie or Key Lime Pie Bars
- Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie
- Apple Pie
- Mille-Feuille (on it’s own or mixed with pastry cream!)
- Dutch Baby Pancake
- Skillet Brownie
- Baked Apples or Maple Baked Pears
- 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!
Print
Homemade Whipped Cream
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups
- Category: Frosting
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Learn how to make fresh sweetened homemade whipped cream with only 3 simple ingredients. With its light and billowy texture, it’s the perfect topping for pies, cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, trifles, and so much more! This recipe is also in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240g/ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar or confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3–4 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks, and are the perfect consistency for topping and piping on desserts. If you accidentally over-whip the cream, and it looks curdled and heavy, pour in a little bit more cold heavy cream, and fold it in gently by hand with a spatula until it smooths out.
- Use immediately or cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Use immediately or cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Freezing prepared whipped cream sometimes causes it to lose its creamy texture, but it definitely works.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Double Batch: This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. 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.
- Sugar: Some bakers swear by granulated sugar in whipped cream; others swear by confectioners’ (powdered/icing) sugar. You could also use brown sugar. If you’re working with just a couple Tablespoons of sugar as listed in the recipe above, 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, so confectioners’ sugar is the way to go.
Reader Comments and Reviews
It’s so delicious?? Is it thick enough to do a basic decoration on a cake?
Hi Nayely, you could do very simple piping with this whipped cream. Whipped cream is best piped and served as soon as possible, but it will hold its shape for a few hours. It will start to wilt as time goes on. If you’re looking for a more stabilized light topping, you might enjoy this not-so-sweet whipped frosting!
Hi! Will this cover a 2 layer 9inch round cake?
Hi Liz, this yields 2 cups, so that should be plenty for just the outside of your cake. Enjoy!
Hi there! How do I stabilize the whipped cream so that it doesnt melt? Im planning to gift a few mini cheesecakes and would love for the whipped cream not to melt.
Hi Vee, sometimes we’ll use this method with gelatin if we need to stabilize it: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/18041/stabilized-whipped-cream-icing/ Or, you might enjoy our whipped frosting recipe instead.
Just made a half batch for a coffee drink topping, and my daughter and I wound up eating the entire bowl on its own! Simple and delicious! Use confectioners sugar and its better than cool whip!
Can i substitute non dairy heavy cream and still have the same result?
Hi KG, we’re unsure of results using a non dairy heavy cream. Let us know if you try!
I have been making real whipped cream for many decades, but a couple of years ago I wanted to convert a friend’s recipe that called for Cool Whip which I wouldn’t ever use. I found that adding a tablespoon of pudding to the above ingredients stabilized the whipped cream nicely making a perfect substitute. I used Giardeles white chocolate, but regular vanilla would likely be just as good
I loved this recipe so very much! Easy peasy and delish! Thank you!!!!
This recipe is so easy and way better than store bought. Fun tip, I left mine in the fridge too long and it got runny. I was able to rewhip it and it turned out great the second time around
Thank you so much for all the extra info. My whipped cream is so much better now
Easy and delicious! Use this on so many desserts. Loved seeing this in your top ten!
Great recipe!!!! No sense in buying cool whip anymore. This is way better.
So easy and so much better than store bought.
I love absolutely everything I find on this site! Thank you so much for creating such a helpful baking resource! Your recipes are the best!
I 2nd this message. This is my go to site for looking for new things to bake / make, and every single thing I have made from this site is “the best X I have ever had”. I also LOVE the fact that there is an explanation on “why”, in the recipe’s. I loved watching Alton Brown back in the day because he explained “why” stuff worked.
Thanks Sally (and your team)!
If I double the recipe, do you recommend granulated or confectioner’s sugar?
Either is fine!
My handheld mixer is broken- any chance I can do this by hand?
Hi Ellen, absolutely. It will take several minutes of whisking. You could also put the ingredients in a large jar that tightly seals and shake it vigorously for several minutes until thickened.
Thank you for the detailed instructions. I was going to make a coconut cream pie with this whipped topping for Thanksgiving. Then I started to think perhaps it is not the best time. It is an hour to my daughter’s house, at least an hour before we eat and a while before dessert is served. From your comments after sitting out for 2-3 hours it may start to lose its fluffiness. Do you agree? I still have time to pick out a different pie recipe if you agree time will not be on my side.
Hi Margaret, my best recommendations here would be to make the pie ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator at your daughter’s house until it’s time for dessert, and then make the whipped cream fresh just before serving, if that’s possible for you to do there. It only takes a few minutes to make the whipped cream and spread it on the pie, so it can be done quickly after dinner. Hope this helps!
Thank you for all your great recipes. Everything I’ve tried has been really good. I appreciate your tips. I’ve learned a lot. Thank You
This is the first time I’ve ever made Whiped Cream and it was easy with these instructions, I was looking in the mixing bowl with my fingers on the switch when I saw it turn to perfect.,
I love this recipe, thank you so much!!
So if I wanted to double the recipe do I double all ingredients or just the whipping cream
Hi Wendie, double all the ingredients.
Can’t wait to try it. What do you think about maple extract for the whipped topping over your pumpkin pie bars?
Sounds delicious!
I love this recipe have used it for years but when I want to make sure the whipped topping lasts on a cake that sits out without drooping I buy Rich’s or Pastry Pride whipped topping sold in the frozen refrigerated section. It tastes great and holds up all day without drooping. It comes in vanilla and chocolate. You can gel coloring to the vanilla whipped topping.
How would I go about saving the leftovers?
Hi Kayce, Use immediately or cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Freezing prepared whipped cream sometimes causes it to lose its creamy texture, but it definitely works. You can store in a covered bowl or air-tight container if freezing.
I only have 1 thinner, wire beater with my 2 small paddle beaters for my hand held electric mixer. For whipped cream, do I only use 1 beater?
Yes, you can use the 1 beater on the handheld mixer.
Can you use gel colors to make colored whipped cream
Hi Tammy, yes! You can add a couple drops of gel food coloring with the rest of the ingredients– that’s no problem.
I stick the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes so everything is cold before whipping!
Can I store this in a piping bag inside a sealed container? Just for a couple hours?
Hi Melissa, yes, that should work just fine!
Very easy to make. The grandkids love it. Thank you!
Hello! Can I add food coloring to this? My daughter wants an angel food cake with pink frosting for her birthday.
Hi Annie, yes! You can add a couple drops of gel food coloring with the rest of the ingredients– that’s no problem.
this is the best whipped cream! if we have leftovers, I freeze it in globs on waxed paper–ready for hot drinks in the winter!