Homemade whipped cream is one of those simple recipes that makes just about any dessert feel extra special. With only 3 ingredients and a few minutes, you get a light, creamy, billowy topping that tastes so much fresher than anything from a can or tub. Use it on pies, cakes, cupcakes, cheesecake, trifles, crepes, fresh berries, and 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. ★★★★★“
When compared to frozen whipped topping and store-bought whipped cream from a tub or can, 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 creamy, light, and utterly delicious.
Whipped Cream Video Tutorial
Here’s Why This Recipe Works
- Cold cream whips best. The colder the cream, the easier it is to trap air and build volume.
- Confectioners’ sugar keeps it smooth. Granulated sugar works in small amounts, but confectioners’ sugar blends in seamlessly.
- Medium-high speed is the sweet spot. It incorporates air steadily without rushing you into over-whipped, grainy cream.
- Medium peaks are ideal. Soft enough to spoon and dollop, sturdy enough to hold shape.
Here’s Everything 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)
Did you know? Because we’re sweetening the whipped cream and flavoring it with vanilla extract, this is called crème chantilly in French.
Choose Your 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.
Confectioners’ sugar is my top choice because it dissolves easily and keeps the whipped cream smooth. Granulated sugar works in a pinch, especially in small amounts, but you may notice a slight grittiness in larger batches. Brown sugar is another great option when you want a deeper caramel-like flavor, especially with pies or fall desserts, like pecan pie cheesecake and butterscotch pie.
How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream
- Start with cold heavy cream. The colder the cream, the more successfully it will whip. Cold cream also creates the lightest whipped cream! Slightly warm or room-temperature cream will not whip properly. 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 before you begin.
- Whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla together on medium-high speed. This speed incorporates air steadily without rushing the process. 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 do medium peaks look like? 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 or liquid-y, and it shouldn’t be heavy or 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. (Pictured below.)
For more ideas, check out all these flavors.
You could also try cinnamon whipped cream, which is what I use to top banana pudding:
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 cold liquid 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.
Heavy cream roughly 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 usually be used interchangeably in 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.
Look for the word “heavy” on the carton.
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.
What to Serve With Homemade Whipped Cream
There are so many options!
- Pavlova, of course!
- Lemon Berry Trifle
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Banana Cream Pie
- Ice Cream Cake
- Homemade Chocolate Mousse
- Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
- 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
- Pumpkin Pie Bars or Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
- Cranberry Curd Tart
- Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
- Chocolate Lava Cakes or Peanut Butter Lava Cakes
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
- Pecan Pie Cheesecake
- Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie
- Key Lime Pie or Key Lime Pie Bars
- Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie
- Mille-Feuille (on its own or mixed with pastry cream!)
- Dutch Baby Pancake
- 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 one of my favorites, lemon cheesecake:
And on ice cream, milkshakes, waffles, pancakes, berries, and so many more wonderful dessert recipes! Once you make whipped cream from scratch, it’s hard to go back. It’s quick, fresh, endlessly useful, and makes even the simplest dessert taste like a masterpiece.
Yes. Homemade whipped cream is best enjoyed fresh, but you can make it up to 24 hours ahead and store it in the refrigerator. If it loses a little volume, gently whisk it again before serving.
Absolutely. You can freeze it in any freezer-safe container or bowl for up to 3 months. Or you could pipe or dollop it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer container. (Great for topping hot chocolate!)
Usually the cream wasn’t cold enough, didn’t contain enough fat, or needed more whipping time. Be sure to use cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream and whip until medium peaks form.
No. Half-and-half and milk do not contain enough fat to whip into whipped cream. For best results, use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
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 Instructions: You can freeze prepared whipped cream in any freezer-safe container or bowl for up to 3 months. Or you could pipe or dollop it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer container. (Great for topping hot chocolate!) Thaw in the refrigerator. After thawing, whipped cream may not be quite as creamy as it was when fresh.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Make Sure the Heavy Cream is Cold: For best results, use cold heavy cream or cold heavy whipping cream.
- Do Not Use Whipping Cream, Half-and-Half, or Milk: Whipping cream (without “heavy” in the title) has a lower milk fat percentage; it works but will not hold its shape quite as long. I strongly recommend heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. Likewise, avoid half-and-half or milk because they do not contain enough fat to whip properly.
- 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
Hi, I want to use this recipe to ice an angel food cake, so can I ice the cake the day before and keep the cake in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving? Thank you!
Hi Fariha, the closer you can wait to frost the cake before serving, the better, but that should be okay!
I wonder if you have ever tried to include ricotta cheese to make it a ricotta whip? If so, how much ricotta would you include/substitute to that recipe?
Hi Lalo, we haven’t tested anything like that. It may be best to search for a recipe that specifically uses ricotta. Let us know if you find one you enjoy!
Wonderful recipe! Love it!
Hi this is almost exactly what I was looking for and can’t wait to make some. I am wondering if I can substitute Splenda instead of using sugar. Do you know if that would work?
Hi Cathy, We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a whipped cream recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
I want to use this on the mini key lime pies I’m making. I’m baking the pies Sunday evening to bring to work on Monday. When is the best time to make and add the whipped cream? Monday morning before work? Will it liquify if they sit in the fridge a couple hours after topping them?
Hi Misty, you can make the whipped cream up to 24 hours in advance; cover tightly and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it. If I were in your situation, I would do that the night before and then top the mini pies Monday morning. Hope they turn out great!
I love it when you come up whenever I make something. They are always delicious!!
I love this recipe so much
Newbie to making whipped cream from scratch as I’m trying to eat more foods without additives & preservatives. This is the perfect recipe. Turned out GREAT! Thank you!
Your mixer is beautiful!
It turned out so well!!
Worked great, thanks!
Wrong. “Whipped” cream was like soup when I used it hours later.
Hello, I wish to stabilize, will corn starch work? And how much? Blessings.
Hi Abby, we haven’t tested corn starch, but sometimes we’ll use this method with gelatin if we need to stabilize it: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/18041/stabilized-whipped-cream-icing/
Can I add cocoa powder to this recipe to turn it into chocolate whipped cream (or even replace some of the powdered sugar for cocoa powder)?
Hi Ella, we haven’t tested it, but have seen other recipes that use one 1 TBS of sugar and then use 1 TBS of cocoa powder with the 1 cup of cream. Let us know if you try it!
I’m making a fresh blueberry cream pie which calls for cool whip. The recipe calls for 1 can of Sweetened condensed Milk. I’m making whipped cream from scratch, so do I still put Confectioners sugar and vanilla in the whipped cream?
Hi Kelly, we would!
Can you add this to your pie ahead of time. Will it keep the peaks for a few hours if you need to take it somewhere?
Hi Tamara! It will hold peaks for a couple hours, as long as it is kept cool and out of direct sunlight.
First time making homemade whipped cream, and I’m 65 years young!
Loved it, so very easy, and deliciously creamy❤️
I may never go back to store bought !
Great recipe and helpful tips. Won’t be bookmarking due to crazy amount of ads that make reading almost impossible. Sorry!
I have to agree with you Kara, it’s frustrating when all you really want to do I make a recipe
I’m not gonna lie I don’t know if it’s because I’m not American or what but it’s a bit to sweet for me so if you don’t like cream to sweet try using less sugar. Other than that just makes a yummy cream!
I just used heavy whipping cream in a recipe for eggnog (the cooked kind), and it was great! The last step is folding the whipped cream into the cooked egg, milk, and cream mixture. Thanks for all the tips here.
Could you please send me the recipe. I’d appreciate it thank you
I made this along with the Dutch Baby Pancake recipe. I put my mixing bowl and attachment in the freezer prior to making it and I used heavy whipping cream. It took more than the suggested 3-4 minutes for mine to get the correct consistency. However, once it did, the whipped cream was delicious. My daughter is making it again to top a pie. We are definitely keeping this recipe and no longer buying whipped cream from the store. It was very easy to make.
This is delicious. It’s also fairly easy. We decided to leave off the meringue and use freshly whipped cream.
can i subtitute heavy cream for double cream
Hi KLC, we haven’t tested it. Double cream has more fat that heavy cream, so should whip up beautifully and will be more rich. Let us know if you try.
This was my first time making whipped cream and it was perfect. I think the amount of sugar and vanilla extract listed in the ingredients are perfect. I made the whipped cream it to go with pancakes and strawberry syrup and the added whipped cream was perfect in that it wasn’t too sweet. Thank you.
Can I add a bit of lemon zest for a nice zip to this whipped cream?
Definitely.
I used to have this recipe but lost it. This is the first time I saw how to fix it when it starts to get chunky. Thank you so much. I used to just throw it out but to learn how to fix it is awesome. Thank you.
Loved the recipe! It was very very tasty!
Can I pipe this on top of peanut butter pies then freeze until ready to use? I love this recipe
Hi Debbie, Freezing prepared whipped cream sometimes causes it to lose its creamy texture, but it definitely works.
Followed this recipe to the t, but it was not fluffy and light like whip cream is..what did I do wrong?
Hi Delana, 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!
I agree with using the cold whipping cream I also put my metal mixing bowls and dental attachments from the mixer in the refrigerator to get them cold too it helps