Homemade Whipped Cream (How To Make Whipped Cream) (2024)

This simple Homemade Whipped Cream recipe makes the most perfect, lightly sweetened whipped cream imaginable. Made with just 3 simple ingredients and ready in just 5 minutes, it really is the perfect topping for cakes, pies and ice cream! We love it with Coconut Cream Pie and Chocolate Pound Cake!

Homemade Whipped Cream

There is nothing better or more simple than homemade whipped cream. It takes dessert to tthe next level and can be enjoyed on waffles, served along side fresh berries, or used to top various pies and cakes. and crisps

It takes just three simple ingredients and about 5 minutes to make so there’s simply no reason you shouldn’t be making your own at home.

Once you try homemade whipped cream and see how easy it is to make, you’ll never use the stuff from a can again.

Those soft, pillowy clouds of light sweetness are impossible to resist.

Soft Peaks vs. Medium Peaks vs. Stiff Peaks

Whipped cream is super versatile and can be used in a variety of ways. Depending on how you plan to enjoy it, you will want to beat the heavy cream to different consistencies.

Soft peaks are defined as peaks that don’t hold their shape with the beater or attachment is lifted out of the bowl. They create a peak and then instantly fall over and back into the bowl.

Medium peaks are what you see in the left image in the collage below. The peak holds it shape but the top falls over slightly.

Stiff peaks (also known as firm peaks) stand straight up and hold their shape with the beater is lifted out of the bowl or the whisk attachment is removed. You can see that in the right image in the collage below.

You can read more about defining peaks here.

Is Heavy Cream The Same As Heavy Whipping Cream?

Heavy cream vs heavy whipping cream is a topic that I have seen debated a number of times. For the purposed of making whipped cream, you can use either. What you really need is the fat content that is present in both heavy cream and heavy whipping cream. They both contain at least 36% milk fat which makes it more stable and more likely to retain it’s soft, cloud-like texture and not return to a liquid state.

Whipping cream, while less commonly found, can also be used but contains much less milk fat, some as low as 30%. While it can still be used to make whipped cream, it will likely return to it’s liquid state much quicker and should be enjoyed immediately after it’s made.

What To Serve With It

There is no wrong way to enjoy whipped cream, heck, my kids grab the whisk attachment and attack it like they haven’t eaten in days.

Whipped cream is delicious on hot beverages like this Slow Cooker Peppermint White Hot Chocolate or Vanilla Chai Tea Latte. We also enjoy it served with fresh fruit or on No Bake Lemon Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, Key Lime Pie. It’s also delicious served with fruit crisp or cobbler recipes like this Cherry Almond Crisp.

It’s also a beautiful addition to desserts like this Chocolate Pound Cake, No Bake Raspberry Cheesecake

You can’t go wrong serving it alongside some No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream serve with Strawberry Sauce and Caramel Sauce either.

How To Make Pipe-able Whipped Cream

To make whipped cream that you can pipe on top of pies and other desserts, you need to take it firmly to stiff peaks.

Once you see that you have stiff peaks, check to see if it’s firm enough to pipe. Give it another quick spin in the mixer if it needs a bit more stiffness. It doesn’t take much at all to go for stiff peaks to curdled cream well on it’s way to butter, so be careful.

If you find yourself with whipped cream that is too stiff or thick and appears a little lumpy (curdled), add one tablespoon of heavy whipping cream at a time and incorporate on low speed or or with a whisk until the lumps disappear. You may need to do this 3 or 4 times. Do not use a speed higher than low or you will just cause more lumps.

Worse case scenario, you enjoy extra thick whipped cream, it will still taste delicious.

Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag with your desired tip and pipe on pies, strawberry shortcake, ice cream or whatever your heart desires.

Whipped Cream Ingredients

Whipped cream is really just heavy whipping cream whipped into a fluffy consistency but served like that, it won’t have a lot of flavor. Instead, it’s usually sweetened and flavored. Here are the three ingredients you’ll need to make a lovely sweetened whipped cream that’s the perfect accompaniment for so many treats:

• cold heavy whipping cream or heavy cream – the colder the better. Not only will the cream whip up faster it will also be smoother and lighter. I often pop into the freezer for about 15 minutes before I add it to the mixer bowl.
• powdered sugar/confectioners’ sugar – this is my preferred sugar because it quickly dissolves and the whipped cream doesn’t feel grainy as it sometimes can when granulate sugar is used.
• vanilla extract – you’d be surprised at how little flavor whipped cream has if you don’t add a little extract. Vanilla is the perfect flavor because it goes with everything.

How To Make Whipped Cream

1. Chill the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, along with the heavy whipping cream.
2. Pour heavy whipping cream into mixing bowl and beat on medium to medium high speed with the whisk attachment until the cream gets bubbly and starts to thicken.
3. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
4. Continue beating on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form being careful not to over beat.

Use whipped cream immediately or cover and store in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two.

Trish’s Tips and Tricks

• Chill everything. The bowl, the whisk attachment, even the cream can be popped in the freezer for 10 minutes before you start. The colder everything is, the faster the whipped cream can be made. That being said, I have use room temp bowls and attachments numerous times with total success. Especially if I am someone else’s house and had to bring my stand mixer with me. I will ask if I can put the heavy whipping cream in the fridge but won’t bother with the bowl or whisk attachment. It may take a few minutes longer but that’s totally fine.
  
• Once you hit soft peaks, don’t walk away. You will be shocked at how quickly the whipped cream can from soft to thick and pipable. Great if that’s what you want, not so great if you’re planning on serving dollops on top of a pie. Check every few spins to make sure you get the consistency you’re looking for.
• Just like with cake batter or cookie dough, scrape down the sides of the bowl. If you don’t you’ll likely end up with a very thick cream in the center and runny cream along the edge of the bowl. Chilling your bowl actually will help with this so one more reason to do so.

FAQs

Variations To Try

Try a different flavor extract, peppermint for Christmas, lemon for summer or maple for the fall. A little goes a long way so don’t get crazy. I like to do half vanilla extract and half of another flavored extract for a lovely balanced flavor.

What To Serve With Homemade Whipped Cream

1. Coconut Cream Pie
2. Raspberry Peach Crumble
3. Key Lime Pie
4. Lemon Strawberry Trifle
5. Strawberry Shortcake Roulade
6. No Bake Lemon Pie
7. Watergate Salad

How To Make Whipped Cream