Homemade Whipped Cream

When you learn how to make homemade whipped cream, you can transform breakfasts and desserts into gourmet dishes with a dollop of delicate, fluffy goodness. Whipped cream is a versatile, adjustable recipe that you can make to your liking with your favorite sweetener.

Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe

As you get older, you learn better ways of doing things. For example, when I was younger, my family used to make fruit salad with store-bought tubs of Cool Whip. It was a staple at everything from Sunday brunch to our holiday gatherings.

But now, I have come to love making things homemade, especially whipped cream. So now our whipped cream fruit salad has all the nostalgia of our family time but with the even better, fluffier, creamier addition of homemade whipped cream.

Whether it's a big dollop of whipped cream over fresh fruit or over a warm treat like grilled peaches, it's truly one of my favorite ways to elevate my food. Homemade whipped cream in place of cool whip is the best dessert decision you could ever make!

It's the perfect topping for pumpkin pie, ice cream, and cakes. And once you learn how to make whipped cream, you'll want to learn how to make whipped cream frosting for strawberry shortcake cupcakes! The fun just doesn't stop!

Why You'll Love this Recipe

There are so many reasons to love this simple recipe:

• Homemade whipped cream doesn't have the added gums and preservatives that the store-bought stuff does. It's just real-food ingredients and an out-of-this-world flavor.
• You only need three ingredients to make this recipe, and you can find them all at your local grocery store.
• It only takes 5 minutes to make the best homemade whipped cream recipe. You won't really add much time in the kitchen and it's so much better than store-bought whip!

Ingredients

This easy whipped cream recipe is a game changer. Here are the simple ingredients you’ll need:

• heavy cream or whipping cream: This is key. Milk or half-and-half don’t contain enough fat to make whipped cream. Cold heavy cream will make the best whipped cream ever!
• sweetener: Pick your choice of sugar, honey or sugar substitute. Maple syrup, agave syrup and even stevia are all tasty options.
• vanilla extract: Use some pure vanilla extract as an optional addition to add extra flavor. It makes a world of difference to this homemade recipe.

How to make Homemade Whipped Cream

Homemade whipped cream is incredibly easy to make! You'll never want store-bought again once you see how simple it is:

As far as tools go, you’ll need either a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer. You can also use a whisk and make it by hand, but be prepared to pull out the elbow grease!

The trick to making fluffy whipped cream is paying attention to the texture. If you don’t whip it long enough, you’ll have runny whipped cream that doesn’t hold its shape. But if you whip it too long, you’ll wind up with a crumbly texture that resembles butter.

As it begins to thicken up, you’ll want to turn the mixer off every 15 seconds or so.

Add the cream to the cold bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or into a mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Whip whipping cream on high speed until peaks begin to form.

Once the cream is whipped, add in your sweetener and vanilla and mix for another minute. Taste test and add more sweetener if you prefer.

The whipped cream is done when stiff peaks form.

Sweeteners for Homemade Whipped Cream

There are various way to sweeten this homemade recipe. No matter what you use, it will be the best topping on all of your favorite desserts. Here's some options on what you can use:

• granulated white sugar
• confectioner’s sugar
• brown sugar
• honey
• agave nectar
• maple syrup
• sugar substitute, such as Stevia or Truvia

I tend to make my homemade whipped cream recipe with honey instead of sugar. I prefer a natural sweetener, especially in a recipe that is fruit-based like my Christmas fruit salad.

If you are sensitive to sweetness, you can start with ½ tablespoon of your preferred sweetener. My biggest tip is to make sure you don't over-sweeten your whipped cream so that the end result is the perfect texture and flavor.

How To Store Whipped Cream

Leftovers won't last for a very long time, but you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. If it falls, just whip it up with a fork before serving.

How to Use Homemade Whipped Cream

Whipped cream is amazing on just about everything — that's why it's a favorite recipe of mine. We love it at breakfast on top of a stack of blueberry pancakes.

But it is also perfect for adding to desserts, whether it’s the star like these whipped cream pies or on the side of your favorite cake. I love both vanilla ice cream and whipped cream on top of warm peach cobbler or raspberry crisp too.

Adding it to drinks is another easy way to use up any leftover homemade whipped cream. You could add it to the top of this cookies and cream milkshake or spoon it over the perfect cup of coffee.

What will you use your homemade whipped cream for? I’d love it if you shared in the comments!

Tips for Success

Before making whipped cream, read these few tips to ensure it comes out perfectly fluffy and fun:

• Give the whipped cream taste once the sugar is dissolved, after about 30 seconds or so of whisking. If it needs more, add a tablespoon at a time. This is the easiest way to ensure you don't make the mixture too sweet.
• For best results, whip cold cream with an electric mixer in a chilled bowl. Keeping the whipped cream cold will help make the structure better!
• Don't over-whip your cream or you'll make it lumpy instead of smooth and fluffy. It's important to whip it for just the right amount of time.

FAQ

More Sweet Topping Recipes

• Cinnamon Frosting
• Maple Frosting
• Coconut Whipped Cream
• Vanilla Buttercream Frosting