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! 

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.

What You Need

1. Electric mixer – hand-held or stand mixer with whisk attachment
2. Mixing bowl
3. Cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
4. Sugar to sweeten
5. 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 of the stuff, 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. I include this in the notes below to remind you.

Did you know? Since we’re flavoring the whipped cream with vanilla extract, this is called Crème Chantilly in French.

How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream

1. 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 in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or the freezer for 15 minutes.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Look for medium peaks. What are medium whipped cream peaks? When you lift the beaters or whisk out from the bowl, a slightly 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.

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.

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.

What to Serve with Homemade Whipped Cream

There are so many options!

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 2 cups