Perfect Whipped Cream Recipe
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Make this easy homemade Whipped Cream recipe with just three ingredients and these easy tips in less than 5 minutes for the perfect whipped cream! Includes guide with success tips!
Fresh homemade whipped cream is so easy to make with just 3 ingredients and in 5 minutes without needing a heavy stand mixer! It tastes so delicious that you’ll turn to this recipe time and again! Follow my essential tips to learn how to make the best homemade whipped cream recipe!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy Recipe. You’ll just need three ingredients and 5 minutes for the perfect topping for your desserts, drinks, and more.
- Simple Ingredients. The three ingredients used in this delicious recipe are ingredients that we all know and most likely already have in our refrigerator and pantry. No artificial or unknown ingredients in this wholesome recipe!
- Perfect Peaks and Holds Shape. Follow my tips that result in sturdy, perfect peaks that hold their shape!
Homemade whipped cream is one of the easiest and most frequently made recipes in my kitchen! It is an essential recipe that I turn to time and again and can practically make with my eyes closed.
I love to use my fresh whipped cream to serve on any number of desserts throughout the year, from strawberry shortcake, sweet potato pie, and my Mama’s cream cheese pound cake. I also love it served with drinks like hot chocolate, a great cup of coffee, and my mocha punch for parties! It makes mornings even more special on top of a stack of buttermilk pancakes, waffles, my family’s favorite French toast. The possibilities are endless!
But first, let’s start with the basics.
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
To make it, you’ll need just three ingredients. You’ll need the following:
- heavy whipping cream – I prefer to use heavy whipping cream vs. whipping cream as I find that it holds its shape longer and produces a creamier result. It also works well if you plan to pipe your whipped cream or use it to fill pastries. I explain the differences between heavy cream, whipping cream, and heavy whipping cream below.
- sweetener – you are able to choose your favorite sweetener to use. I generally use confectioner’s sugar, honey, or maple syrup. Confectioner’s sugar provides the most classic and flavor-neutral sweetener on this list.
- flavorings – the options for flavoring are endless! My go-to for classic whipped cream is to use vanilla extract. You can also flavor with liquors, other extracts, and spices. See my favorite flavorings below.
How to Make Whipped Cream
To make it perfect every single time, you must start cold. Then go high.
That’s it. That’s the trick. It sounds simple, but it’s oh-so-important.
- Start Cold
Chill your mixing bowl and whisk (yes, even those to your electric mixer) in the freezer for about 20 minutes to get as cold as possible. You’ll also want to make sure that your heavy whipping cream is as cold as possible, too.
- Go High
Add all of your ingredients into your super chilled mixing bowl and whisk together on high speed for about a minute until stiff peaks form. And you are done!
How to Make Flavored Whipped Cream
If you’d like to add another flavor to your recipe, you can substitute the vanilla extract, taste it, and add a bit more if you think it is needed.
You can also use honey or maple syrup instead of sugar, which adds flavor. You may decide that you don’t need to add anything else. Both options taste amazing.
If you add more liquid to the recipe, you may need to whip it a bit longer than one minute to reach the stiff peak stage.
Flavor Options for Whipped Cream
- Honey – Replace the sugar with honey
- Maple – Replace the sugar with maple syrup
- Cinnamon – Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- Coconut – Use 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
In addition to the above recipe substitutions where the vanilla or sugar is replaced, the following options keep those ingredients with some delicious additions.
Chocolate Whipped Cream
To make a chocolate version of this recipe, whisk three tablespoons of cocoa powder with the sugar and follow the recipe as written. All other ingredients and instructions remain the same.
Strawberry Whipped Cream
To make the strawberry version, follow the recipe as written until soft peaks form. Then, add 1/4 cup chilled strawberry jam or puree and beat again until medium peaks form. If not using immediately, store, covered, in the refrigerator.
How to Make Stabilized Whipped Cream
To make stabilized whipped cream, you will want to use an additional ingredient to help it last longer in the refrigerator. I like to use cream of tartar if I know that I will be making mine well in advance of serving. By adding a little cream of tartar to your heavy whipping cream, it will generally last much longer in the refrigerator.
For each cup of heavy whipping cream, add 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar along with the confectioner’s sugar when whipping.
Can Homemade Whipped Cream Replace Cool Whip?
Yes! Absolutely. This homemade whipped cream easily replaces frozen whipped topping (aka Cool Whip) in recipes. You will use an equal amount of whipped cream as Cool Whip is called for in a recipe.
Note that the amount of heavy whipping cream you use will double in volume in whipped cream. Therefore, if you need 2 cups of whipped cream, you will use 1 cup of heavy whipping cream.
What is the Difference Between Heavy Cream, Whipping Cream, and Heavy Whipping Cream?
- Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are essentially the same. Both contain at least 36% milk fat. The key word to remember here is the word “heavy,” as it means higher milk fat. It will make a whipped cream with stiffer peaks, holds form longer, and is great for filling pastries. It is my preferred cream to make perfect whipped cream every single time. I prefer to make whipped cream from heavy cream.
- Whipping cream, also called light whipping cream, contains between 30 to 35% milk fat. You can certainly use it in this recipe. It will just not produce the same stiff, well-formed peaks or hold shape for any length of time. It is best used immediately. I will use it on top of my hot chocolate from time to time.
Source for milk fat requirements: USDA.
How to Recover if Overmixed
Overmixed whipped cream will curdle and become lumpy. Slowly fold in 1 tablespoon at a time of fresh, liquid, heavy whipping cream by hand with a spatula until the lumps disappear.
Can You Freeze Whipped Cream?
YES! Place large spoonfuls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flash freeze. Once frozen, you can then place it in freezer-safe containers and freeze it. When ready to use, thaw for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
- as a filling or topping in recipes such as Strawberry Shortcake, Trifle, Cream Puffs, French Silk Pie, Pavlova
- Cake and Pie: as a dollop on a slice, such as Pecan Pie, Sweet Potato Pie, or Coconut Cream Pie
- Fresh fruit like macerated strawberries and fruit salad
- Topping on Hot Chocolate or a mocha
Here’s my Perfect Whipped Cream recipe. I hope you love it!
Perfect Whipped Cream Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (238 g) cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons (24 g) sugar, confectioner's sugar, honey, or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) vanilla extract, or other extracts or flavorings
Instructions
- Prep. Place mixer bowl and whisk in freezer for at least 20 minutes to chill.
- Whip. Pour heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla into the cold bowl and whisk on high speed until medium to stiff peaks form, about 1 minute. Do not over beat.
- Serve. Serve immediately or see notes for how to store and freeze.
Notes
- Honey – Replace the sugar with honey
- Maple – Replace the sugar with maple syrup
- Cinnamon – Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- Coconut – Use 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract.
- Chocolate Whipped Cream – Whisk three tablespoons of cocoa powder with the sugar and follow the recipe as written above.
- Strawberry Whipped Cream – Make the recipe above until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup chilled strawberry jam or puree and beat until medium peaks form again. If not using immediately, store, covered, in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
can you use the whipped cream as a frosting for your chocolate cake and also how long will it hold up on the cake. thankyou
Tammy, if you use this whipped cream for a frosting you would have to refrigerate the cake which could dry out the cake. Make sure the cake is in an airtight container if refrigerating. I would use the stabilized whipped cream if using as frosting. It should last about 2 days in the refrigerator.
Covers it all and ratios are just right. Thank you!
Since I have yet to see any 36% cream, 35% is the local norm, is there any way to up the ante so to speak? I don’t think adding a spot of butter would do the trick, because you would introduce some water at the same time ???
Hans, heavy whipping cream has between 36-40% fat content. Whipping cream have 35% fat content. The whipping cream with the 35% should be fine, just make sure it is very cold when you whip it.
I got distracted and left my cold mixing bowl and beaters on the counter in the summer heat so they were room temperature by the time I made the whip cream. It is less stable as you warned us, but I was still able to spread the top and sides my strawberry shortcake cake yesterday and has maintained its structure (didn’t melt or slide off)…maybe because I put it in the fridge right away afterwards. I’ve been using this recipe for the past 3 years to go with the pumpkin pie I bring for Thanksgiving making it the right way…freezing the bowl and whisk…and it always comes out great. Everyone loves it…they eat it as though it’s ice cream. I love simple, easy, fast, and delicious recipes like this one which is a definite keeper. Thank you!
Hi Irene, I’m so glad this recipe still worked so well with room temperature bowl and beaters. I always like to hear that a recipe is a success time after time for someone. Thanks for letting me know.
Perfect every time! Thank you! So much better than store bought!
Thanks, Rachel. I think it tastes so much better, too, and with all natural ingredients.
Which attachments to my hand mixer should I use for making whipped cream? I have the two regular beaters, one whisk, or two that are spiral like. ??? Does it matter?
Susan, I use the whisk attachment is best for whipping cream.
I pre-froze my stainless steel bowl as well as the whisk, and had the cream in the freezer for about 15min before starting. I used regular whipping cream, since that’s what i had bought. I also made my own powdered sugar from another recipe (mixed on high in food processor: 1c granulated sugar + 1Tbsp cornstarch).
I combined the 3 ingredients in my frozen bowl. At first, i had mixer on low, to keep it from splashing out of my bowl, but i couldn’t get the mixture to be anything more than cream. So i added another tsp of powdered sugar and added ¼tsp cream of tarter for a stabilizer. Still, it was just cream, but a bit heavier and creamier. i was sure it wasn’t overwhipped cuz it didn’t curdle or have lumps. So I kicked the mixer into high-gear and tried to avoid hitting the bottom of the bowl with the wisk… and to my surprise, it worked in about a minute or two! I got some small peaks, more than I’d hoped for. And it was so delicious, although a little sweet since i had added extra sugar in my desperation. Nevertheless, it was a total hit on strawberry shortcake served along with my honey’s breakfast!
Great recipe! I try to make most things at home with organic ingredients to avoid preservatives… this was a great substitute for Cool Whip in the banana pudding my husband just had to have!
Hi Beth! I’ve never liked Cool Whip so have used homemade whip cream for the dessert recipes my mom and grandmother taught me as well as ones accumulated throughout my life! Being 1/2.Southern, banana pudding made from scratch the vanilla pastry cream, vanilla wafers and whip cream make the dessert quite rich!
I have a question. Do you have to put the whisk and bowl in the freezer, because my freezer is kind of full. It definitely seems like an outstanding recipe, based on the comments! Thanks for the recipe!
Katee, when the fat in the heavy cream is really cold, more air whips into the cream for a more stable whipped cream. If the bowl, whisk, and heavy cream are warm, it takes longer to whip the cream and it is less stable. You can place these in the refrigerator until they are cold if you can’t place them in your freezer. I hope you enjoy!
can I use a hand mixer? and if so, are there any changes to the recipe if so?
Murphy, you can certainly use a hand mixer to make this whipped cream. You don’t need to make any changes to the recipe. I hope you enjoy!