No dessert is complete without a satisfying dollop of whipped cream. Your strawberry shortcake, French silk pie and trifle wouldn’t be the same without it.
Yes, the whipped cream in a can seems like a shortcut. But honestly, making homemade whipped cream is a snap! Just whip up this recipe while you wait for the after-dinner coffee to brew.
What is the difference between heavy cream and whipping cream?
For homemade whipped cream, rely on heavy cream or heavy whipping cream for rich, airy whipped cream. You can also find cartons labeled “whipping cream” at the store, but it doesn’t have as much fat content and won’t whip up as well.
Because of the fat content needed to create this dessert topper, you won’t get the same result using milk, half-and-half or nondairy milks.
Ingredients for Homemade Whipped Cream
- Heavy whipping cream: Keep your whipping cream in the fridge until the last second. Cold ingredients and tools will help you get the most volume. Keep extra on hand just in case you accidentally overwhip. Happens to the best of us!
- Confectioners’ sugar: Also known as powdered sugar, confectioners’ sugar is preferred over granulated sugar as it dissolves more easily. No one wants grainy whipped cream.
- Vanilla extract: You only need a touch of good vanilla to accent your delicate whipped cream.
Directions
Step 1: Start whipping the cream
Before you begin, chill your beaters and bowl. Pop them in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes. Cool tools will help the cream beat up more quickly.
Add your cream to the chilled bowl and beat until it begins to thicken. You’re not looking for peaks here—just for the cream to start to get a little body.
Step 2: Whip to soft peaks
Once slightly thickened, add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla.
Continue beating until soft peaks form. When we say soft peaks, we mean when you lift up the beaters, the cream will cling but the peaks of the cream will not stand up straight. If you overbeat, you’ll get stiff peaks instead of soft peaks. Stiff peaks hold their peak and overall shape better, but they are a bit too rigid for the pillowy dollop we want from homemade whipped cream.
Editor’s Tip: If your cream is whirling away in a stand mixer, you might be tempted to step away and tackle another task. Don’t do it! It’s easy to overwhip cream. Overwhipping cream—when the cream gets thick and the water starts to separate from the mix—creates butter.
Homemade Whipped Cream Variations
- Add cocoa and coffee: Make chocolate or coffee whipped cream with a tablespoon of cocoa and a teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso granules. They’re lovely on this coffee cheesecake.
- Make it peanut butter-y: Use two tablespoons of smooth peanut butter to make a nutty whipped cream. We absolutely love it on this chocolate cream pie and contest-winning no-bake peanut butter cheesecake.
- Use a touch of hazelnut: Keep the vanilla extract and add a splash of hazelnut liqueur for hazelnut whipped cream. The flavor pairs perfectly with this salted dark chocolate tart and our flourless chocolate cake.
- Whip up something tropical: Mix in lime zest and rum extract. This mojito whipped cream is perfect for our Caribbean coconut rum cake or margarita tres leches cake.
How to Use Homemade Whipped Cream
Serve whipped cream on any dessert, from dark, decadent chocolate desserts to bright tropical desserts—and everything in between.
- Finish desserts: Smooth (or pipe with a piping bag and tip) whipped cream on a layered trifle recipe, gorgeous Australian pavlova or cheesecakes that crack after baking.
- Top a slice of pie: Whipped cream pairs well with almost any type of pie, whether it completely covers a custard-filled banana cream pie or tops a slice of a Thanksgiving pumpkin pie or pecan pie.
- Create diplomat cream: Fold whipped cream with pastry cream to create diplomat cream. Diplomat cream is sometimes found in cream puff, eclair, cake and doughnut fillings.
- Use on breakfast treats: Yes, breakfast! Top your paper-thin crepes, thick and custardy bread pudding, waffles and pancakes with a dollop of whipped cream.
- Sip with a drink: Spoon homemade whipped cream on hot chocolate, fall drinks like pumpkin spices lattes, magical Butterbeer and milkshakes.
How to Store Homemade Whipped Cream
Whipped cream tastes best and has the right consistency right after it’s made, so enjoy your desserts with whipped cream the same day, or the next day at the latest.
The good news is that whipped cream can be made in any size batch. If you only need a bit, use a few splashes of cream, a few teaspoons of confectioners’ sugar and some vanilla.
Can I make homemade whipped cream ahead of time?
Yes! To make whipped cream in advance (we mean a few hours—not days), slightly under-whip the mixture. Then cover and refrigerate. You can beat it briefly to the right consistency before serving.
Homemade Whipped Cream Tips
Can homemade whipped cream replace Cool Whip?
You can use homemade whipped cream as a substitute for whipped topping such as Cool Whip in most recipes. However, there will be changes in the texture and stability, and it’s not a 1-to-1 substitution. Cool Whip uses stabilizers to keep its shape, whereas homemade whipped cream relies solely on gravity. You can make stabilized whipped cream (see our recipe below), but it’s still not a 1-to-1 substitution.
How do I make stabilized whipped cream?
For whipped cream that will last a few days, stabilize it by adding unflavored gelatin. Sprinkle a teaspoon of unflavored gelatin over 2 tablespoons of water and microwave for 5 to 10 seconds. Let cool.
Then, after making our homemade whipped cream recipe, slowly drizzle in the gelatin mix. This will help the cream hold its shape for several days instead of several hours. This type of cream is also good for piping.
Can you make whipped cream without a mixer?
Yes, you can whip cream by hand with a regular balloon whisk. Just pour the cream into a deep bowl and whisk away by flicking your wrist. This being said, whipping cream by hand takes stamina!
Peggy Woodward, RDN, Senior Food Editor, contributed to this article.
