Name: Homemade Whipped Cream
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: American
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

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. ★★★★★“

hand holding whisk attachment with whipped cream

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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. 🙂

homemade whipped cream in a glass stand mixer bowl

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
Homemade Chocolate Mousse
Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
Cheesecake, Lemon Cheesecake, or Cheesecake Pie
Brioche French Toast
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!

Homemade Whipped Cream

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 151 reviews

Author: Sally McKenney
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 cups
Category: Frosting
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

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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

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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.

Sally McKenney

Sally McKenney is a baker, food photographer, and New York Times best-selling author. Her kitchen-tested recipes and step-by-step tutorials have given millions of readers the knowledge and confidence to bake from scratch. Sally’s work has been featured on TODAY, Good Morning America, Taste of Home, People, and more.