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This whipped cream recipe makes perfect homemade whipped cream that is perfectly sweet, holds its shape, and tastes better than store-bought!
With 3 ingredients and 3 simple steps, you’ll be a DIY whipped cream pro when you follow my easy whipped cream recipe.
This is the Best Recipe for Whipped Cream!
Whipped cream is the perfect topping for so many delicious desserts and is essentially a dessert staple!
It’s often used on top of pies, brownies, cupcakes, in trifles and cream puffs, and countless other desserts. After you follow my steps and tips below, you will know how to make the best homemade whipped cream recipe, so consider all of your desserts upgraded from here on!
If you’ve been relying on store-bought cans of whipped cream from the grocery store with all kinds of crazy ingredients, you may be shocked at how easy making homemade whipped cream can be once you follow my 3 easy step-by-step instructions below.
Technically, this recipe is considered chantilly cream due to the addition of sugar and pure vanilla extract, so if you want to really impress your friends and family, tell them you’ve topped their dessert with homemade chantilly cream!
Keep reading for my tried and true tips for making sure you get the best results every time you make homemade whipped cream, including things you might not have heard of before, like freezing the mixers from your electric mixer and freezing your bowl ahead of time!
What is Whipped Cream?
Whipped cream is one of the most popular and versatile dairy products that is often used as a topping and sometimes a key ingredient in many desserts.
It is made by whipping cold heavy cream, which is the thick, high-fat layer of milk that rises to the top naturally or is separated from whole milk. In this whipped cream recipe, it is combined with sugar and vanilla extract for sweetness and flavor.
Cool Whip vs Whipped Cream
Cool whip and whipped cream are often confused with each other, and understandably so! However, they are actually quite different. The key differences between cool whip and whipped cream are:
- Ingredients: Cool Whip is made with a combination of water, hydrogenated vegetable oils (such as soybean and coconut oil), high fructose corn syrup, and various stabilizers and emulsifiers to create a stable whipped texture. Whip cream is made by whipping cold heavy cream with other simple ingredients like sugar and vanilla extract.
- Dairy: Cool Whip is a non-dairy product, while whipped cream is a dairy product because its main ingredient is heavy cream.
- Texture: Cool Whip is made to be more stable than homemade whipped cream. It holds its shape for longer periods. Homemade whipped cream has a lighter, airier texture due to the incorporation of air during the whipping process. However, it can deflate and lose its shape over time.
- Taste: Cool Whip has a milder, sweeter taste compared to whipped cream, and some people find it less flavorful due to the absence of dairy. The flavor of whipped cream is rich and creamy, with a subtle sweetness that can be adjusted to taste by using more or less sugar when making the homemade version.
Fresh Whipped Cream Ingredients
Unlike the canned stuff, homemade whipped cream only has three simple ingredients. This easy recipe is healthier than store-bought, fresher, and more tasty! Get the full recipe with measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Cold heavy whipping cream: You can use organic heavy cream or regular heavy cream.
- Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioners sugar
- Vanilla extract
Heavy Cream vs Heavy Whipping Cream
The main difference between heavy cream and heavy whipping cream is the slight difference in fat content, with heavy whipping cream having a slightly lower fat percentage. However, the difference is minor, and most of the time they can be used interchangeably in recipes.
Even though heavy whipping cream has a slightly higher fat content, the choice between the two often comes down to personal preference and what’s available in your local store.
How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream
- When you follow these three easy steps below, you’ll have perfect homemade whipped cream every single time. Keep reading to get the full recipe with measurements and ingredients below.
- Place a metal or glass mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the chilled bowl from the freezer. Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, and beat with an electric hand mixer for 4-5 minutes on high speed, or until stiff peaks form / it’s scoopable with a spoon and holds its shape.
- Use on cakes, cupcakes, pies, hot cocoa, etc. Place leftovers in a container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Types of Peaks
The terms “soft peaks,” “medium peaks,” and “stiff peaks” refer to the different stages of whipped cream’s texture. The peaks represent the points where the whipped cream forms and holds shapes when the mixing process is paused. Here’s a breakdown of each stage:
- Soft Peaks: When you begin whipping cream, it will first reach the soft peak stage. Soft peaks are achieved when the cream is thickened, and when you lift the whisk or beaters from the mixture, the cream will form gentle peaks that slightly bend over at the top.
- Medium Peaks: As you continue to whip the cream, it will progress to the medium peak stage. At this point, the cream becomes thicker, and the peaks formed will hold their shape better than soft peaks. When you lift the whisk, the peaks will stand up more firmly, but the tips may still curl over slightly.
- Stiff Peaks: With further whipping, the cream will eventually reach the stiff peak stage. Stiff peaks are achieved when the cream is fully whipped and has a thick and stable texture. When you lift the whisk or beaters, the peaks will stand upright without bending over at all, holding their shape with a sharp point.
How to Use this Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe
There are so many great ways to use this fluffy homemade whipped cream! You can use it as a topping for cakes, cookies, brownies or any of your favorite desserts, or as a main ingredient in some delicious desserts. Here are some of my favorite recipes to use whipped cream in:
- Chocolate pudding pie
- Topping for strawberry brownies
- Topping for hot fudge sundaes
- Topping for mini lemon cheesecakes
- Topping for banana pudding brownies
- Topping for strawberry shortcake cupcakes
- Topping for classic pumpkin pie or my easy pumpkin pie bars
- Grasshopper pie
- Topping for banana pudding
- Eggnog pie
- No bake peanut butter pie
How to Store DIY Whipped Cream
Place homemade whipped cream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. It doesn’t last as long as the store-bought stuff because it doesn’t have all of the added ingredients.
Best Whipped Cream Recipe FAQs
You can substitute whole milk for heavy cream to make homemade whipped cream, however, you would need to add an additional stabilizer such as gelatin to replace the high fat content of heavy cream. The high fat content in heavy cream allows for the incorporation of air during the whipping process, resulting in the light and fluffy texture of whipped cream, so for best results it is best to use heavy cream.
Adding powdered sugar to the whipped cream helps make the whipped cream fluffy, and helps it keep its shape for several hours. It’s also important to avoid over-beating, as this can cause separation.
The best secret to perfect homemade whipped cream is to start with cold heavy cream and freeze your bowl and beaters for 15 minutes before making your homemade whipped cream.
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DIY Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1 pint cold heavy whipping cream, 2 cups
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place a metal or glass mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the freezer. Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, beat with an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes on high speed, or until stiff peaks form / it’s scoop-able with a spoon and holds its shape.
- Use on cakes, cupcakes, pies, hot cocoa, etc. Place leftovers in a container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I came on site because I wanted a good, easy apple crisp recipe. While getting ingredients I happened to read about a homemade whipped cream recipe using just 3 ingredients and easy. I’m baking now!!