How to Make Whipped Cream

How to make homemade with three simple ingredients! This fresh sweetened whipped cream is light and billowy with the perfect texture. Use it to top your pies, cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, trifles and so much more! You’ll never go back to the store-bought stuff after you try this.

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You guys know I love a great shortcut, but sometimes making something from scratch is worth it like this Homemade Whipped Cream. It’s made with three simple ingredients, is lightly sweetened and takes all of five minutes to make! You can use a fancy stand mixer to make it or your basic hand mixer. If you want a serious workout you can even make it by hand with a bowl and a whisk! Not gonna lie, I go the mixer route and save my workout for the gym!

Growing up, I was no stranger to Cool Whip and canned whipped cream. It was used to top all of our desserts like Apple Pie, Trifles, and Apple Crisp just to name a few.  I love some Cool Whip! But, sometimes I like to whip up a batch, especially for special occasions and holidays.

It might seem like a simple thing, but I’ve talked to people who are intimidated to make their own, so I thought, I gotta write a post! If you’ve ever been confused about soft peaks versus stiff peaks when it comes to it. I’m here to clear it up for you once and for all! I’m sharing all of my tips for making it plus photos so you can see what it should look like depending on how stiff you want it!

How do you make Whipped Cream?

If you’d rather skip my (very helpful, I think) tips and tricks, essential cooking info, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to this delicious recipe – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.

• heavy cream
• granulated sugar or powdered sugar
• clear vanilla extract

What is it Made of?

Basic whipped cream is made with just heavy cream! If you whisk heavy cream at medium to medium-high speed it creates air pockets that cause the cream to expand. The air also gives the cream structure. For sweetened whipped cream you just add some sugar and I like to add some vanilla extract, too, for more flavor.

What tools do I need?

You have three options for making it:

• The easiest way to make it is with a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
• If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a handheld mixer and whip the cream in a large mixing bowl.
• If you don’t have either, you can use a large bowl and a whisk and whip the cream by hand. This is a great way to get an arm workout!

Whichever method you use, it’s important to keep an eye on the cream as you whip it so you can check how stiff it is. Some recipes call for soft peaks or stiff peaks, so you want to know when to stop whipping! Also, (fun fact!) did you know if you overwhip cream it will eventually turn to butter? We’re not doing that today, but we might need a homemade butter post at some point!

Soft Peaks!

Soft peaks are just what they sound like – whipped cream that has some structure but is still pretty soft. When you first start whipping cream, it will turn foamy. The next stage is soft peaks, which means when you hold the whisk, it “peaks” at the end of the whisk hold for a few seconds before melting back into themselves.

Medium Peaks!

The medium peak stage happens when the whipped cream has more structure and the peaks hold well and don’t melt into themselves. The peaks stand on their own but may curl back a bit at the tip.

Stiff Peaks!

You know when you’ve reached the stiff peak stage when you lift the whisk and the peaks stand straight up without curling back on themselves.

Is Whipping Cream the same as Heavy Cream?

Whipping cream and heavy cream are essentially the same thing, but with different fat content. Heavy cream has 36% or more milk fat while whipping cream usually has 30% to 35% milk fat. You can use either to make it.

What is Whipping Cream made of?

Whipping cream is a dairy product that contains 30% to 35% milk fat. You can use it to make Whipped Cream.

How do you eat Whipped Cream?

Besides treating yourself to some straight from the bowl, my favorite way to eat it is on desserts like pie, brownies, cake, and dessert bars! You can also use it to make trifles, mousse, and frosting.

How store it?

It will keep in the refrigerator for two to three days, although it’s best served right after you make it! It may lose some of it’s structure if it’s stored in the refrigerator so I don’t recommend making it ahead.

Can you whip cream by hand?

You can make it by hand! All you need is a large bowl, a whisk and some arm power! All you do is whisk until peaks start to form, just like you would do with a mixer.

Can I flavor it?

You can flavor it with different flavor extracts like almond extract, mint extract or other extracts. You can also flavor it with peanut butter, chocolate, espresso or coffee, and with different kinds of fruit purees.

Are you already thinking about all the desserts you can top with some Homemade Whipped Cream? So many possibilities! If you need some ideas here are my favorite ways to use it!

What to Serve with Homemade Whipped Cream

• Pumpkin Pie
• French Silk Pie
• Pecan Pie
• Strawberry Pie
• Homemade Angel Food Cake
• Pumpkin Angel Food Cake
• Pumpkin Bars
• Strawberry Upside Down Cake
• Pumpkin Dump Dessert
• Tiramisu
• Stuffed French Toast

Try it and love it? Rate it, please!!! ? Seriously though a five-star rating below will make my day! If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your beautiful homemade Whipped Cream!!

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

 

5 from 6 votes

Whipped Cream Recipe

Easy homemade whipped cream recipe with only three ingredients!

Prep:5 minutes mins

Total:5 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 c. heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 2 Tbsp powdered sugar or granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp clear vanilla extract

Instructions

• Chill mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes or overnight. You don’t have to do this step but it will help the peaks form faster. We recommend a glass bowl or stainless steel bowl.
• Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in chilled bowl. Start blending at low speed and then increase to medium-high speed.
• Continue blending until the cream increases by about double in size. This might take a while so be patient.
• For Soft Peaks blend mixture until it resembles the texture of melted ice cream. It will retain light swirl marks when you lift the beaters out of the mixture.
  
• For Medium Peaks blend until it retains more significant swirl marks that are closer together when you life the mixer out of the mixture. It will have the classic consistency of a dollop on a pumpkin pie.
  
• For Stiff Peaks continue mixing until it has tight swirl marks and resembles Cool Whip. It will have a consistency that you could ice a cake with. Don't over mix If you over mix it will turn into a butter like consistency.
  
• Use immediately or cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. I would recommend using it within 24 hours or it will lose the creamy texture, it still works it’s just not quite as creamy!

Tips

How long does Whipped Cream last?

It will keep in the refrigerator for two to three days, although it's best served right after you make it! It may lose some of it's structure if it's stored in the refrigerator so I don't recommend making it ahead.

Can I flavor it?

You can flavor it with different flavor extracts like almond extract, mint extract or other extracts. You can also flavor it with peanut butter, chocolate, espresso or coffee, and with different kinds of fruit purees.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 56kcal (3%), Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g (2%), Fat: 5g (8%), Saturated Fat: 3g (19%), Cholesterol: 20mg (7%), Sodium: 6mg, Potassium: 11mg, Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 217IU (4%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 10mg (1%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.