This homemade whipped cream recipe is light, airy, and easy to make with 3 ingredients! Better than store-bought, it's delicious on cakes, pies, and more.
Learn how to make whipped cream! This homemade whipped cream recipe is easy to make in minutes with just 3 ingredients: heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. It’s plush, airy, delicate, and lightly sweet. Take it from me, as someone who bought the canned stuff for years and thought it was pretty great—homemade whipped cream is so much better.
I recently made this whipped cream recipe to serve with my lemon olive oil cake and realized that I’d never shared it on the blog. It’s such a lovely finishing touch for desserts like cakes, pies, crisps, and crumbles that I thought it deserved a home here. The next time you’re looking for a simple way to take a treat over the top, make this whipped cream recipe!
Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe: What You Need
You need these basic ingredients and equipment to make this whipped cream recipe:
- An electric mixer with a whisk attachment – Either a stand mixer or hand mixer works. Technically, you can also make whipped cream by hand with a whisk, but it would take quite a bit of whisking—definitely more than my arm would be up for! I recommend using a mixer for this recipe.
- A mixing bowl – Metal is best. I like to chill my bowl before making whipped cream, and metal retains its cold temp well.
- Powdered sugar – Also called confectioner’s sugar. It adds sweetness and helps stabilize the cream. Granulated sugar will work here too, though you might notice a bit of a grainy texture in the cream.
- Pure vanilla extract – For warm depth of flavor. Feel free to skip it if you don’t have it on hand.
- And heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, of course! Make sure it’s cold before you start to whip.
Is heavy cream the same as heavy whipping cream?
Essentially, yes. Both heavy cream and heavy whipping cream have at least 36% milk fat, as required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“Whipping cream” or “light whipping cream” is a different product with a lower fat content: 30-36% milk fat. It will also work in this recipe, but it won’t hold its shape as well. I recommend using heavy cream (aka heavy whipping cream) for the best results.
How to Make Whipped Cream
Step 1: Chill the Bowl. 15 to 30 minutes before making whipped cream, pop your mixing bowl in the fridge to chill. This will help the cream whip up nicely and hold its shape. Short on time? Put it in the freezer for up to 15 minutes to get it colder faster.
Step 2: Combine the ingredients. Place the cold cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the chilled bowl. Whisk on low speed to incorporate the sugar into the cream.
Step 3: Whip the cream, watching closely. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 4 to 8 minutes, or until medium to stiff peaks form. Watch closely and don’t hesitate to stop the mixer to check the cream’s progress. It can easily go from just-right to over-whipped.
Medium vs Stiff Peaks
To check the cream’s stiffness, lift the beaters out of the cream and hold them upside down.
- With medium peaks, the cream will form a peak that gently folds back into itself, yet holds its shape. (See the photo above.) I love this texture for serving with desserts like strawberry shortcake and dolloping onto crepes.
- With stiff peaks, the cream’s peak will stand upright. I like stiff peaks for piling onto whole pies or cakes, like my lemon olive oil cake.
What to Do If You Over-Whip the Cream
Whipped cream can go from having perfect stiff peaks to verging on butter in a matter of seconds. If you accidentally over-whip the cream and it starts to curdle, not all is lost!
- Stop the mixer.
- Use a spatula to fold cold heavy cream into the over-whipped cream 1 tablespoon at a time.
- It will relax back into a smoother, fluffier texture.
How to Store
Homemade whipped cream keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
It may deflate slightly with time. If it does, I like to use a whisk to whip it up again by hand before serving.
What to Serve with Homemade Whipped Cream
Homemade whipped cream is a wonderful topping for your favorite desserts and sweet breakfast dishes! Here are a few great ways to use it:
- On pies, like my homemade cherry pie, apple pie, or pumpkin pie
- On fruit crisps, cobblers, and crumbles, like this apple crisp, rhubarb crisp, or peach cobbler
- On cakes, like my lemon olive oil cake or strawberry shortcake
- On breakfasts like crepes, French toast, or waffles
How do you like to use whipped cream? Let me know in the comments!
Homemade Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, 1 pint
- â…“ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- 15 to 30 minutes before you plan to make whipped cream, chill the bowl of your stand mixer or another large metal or glass bowl in the refrigerator.
- Combine the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the chilled bowl. Using a stand mixer or electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk on low speed to incorporate the powdered sugar into the cream, then increase the speed to medium and whisk for 4 to 8 minutes, or until medium to stiff peaks form.
- For medium peaks, stop beating when the cream retains some ripple marks when you lift the whisk attachment out of it. If you turn the whisk upside down, the peak of the cream will hold its shape but gently fold back into itself. I like this texture for serving with desserts like strawberry shortcake and apple pie and dolloping onto crepes.
- For stiff peaks, continue beating until the cream holds strong ripple marks when you lift the whisk attachment out of it. If you turn the whisk upside down, the tip of the cream will stand upright. I like this texture for piling onto whole cakes and pies.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Whipped cream is best used within one to two days, as it loses some volume over time.
