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Homemade Whipped Cream
Make homemade whipped cream with just 3 ingredients and in only 5 minutes! Once you taste fresh sweetened whipped cream, you’ll never want to grab a tub or can from the grocery store again. It’s the perfect accompaniment to fruit, to top your favorite cakes or pies, and add as layers in pretty trifles.
Fresh whipped cream might seem like second nature to most people, but when I first started making it myself years ago, I was admittedly intimidated. While there’s nothing better than a cream-based pie piled high with clouds of fresh whipped cream, there is certainly a sweet spot when it comes to getting it whipped up perfectly. If you stop too soon, you’ll end up with watery whipped cream, and if you whip it for too long, you’ll end up with butter.
Once I landed on the perfect combination of ingredients and technique, I’ve never looked back. This may seem basic to many, but I’m sure there are others out there like me who may be intimidated by it or who can never get it quite right.
Let’s do this!!
Ingredients for Fresh Whipped Cream
Technically, you only need one – heavy cream! But if you want something at least a little bit sweet (you do, trust me!), then you need three total ingredients:
- Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream)
- Sugar (powdered sugar or granulated sugar)
- Vanilla extract
You may have seen both heavy cream and heavy whipping cream at your grocery store and wondered if they are the same thing, or if they can be used interchangeably. Let’s discuss…
The Difference Between Heavy Cream and Whipping Cream
This all comes down to fat content. Heavy cream has a slightly higher fat content than whipping cream; they will both turn into delicious bowls of fresh whipped cream, but heavy cream will hold its shape for a longer period of time, while the whipping cream will give you a lighter, softer texture. I always use (and recommend!) heavy cream.
How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream
This comes together easily and quickly! Here’s how we do it…
- Place the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl (you can use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or use a hand mixer).
- Beat at medium until frothy and beginning to thicken, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until you start to see trails left by the beaters.
- Stop and scrape the bowl. I find that sometimes the cream along the sides and bottom of the bowl don’t get whipped up very well, so once we’re close to finished, I like to scrape the bowl so the straggling cream gets whipped in well too!
- Beat until stiff peaks form – I like my whipped cream nice and thick, but you don’t want it to become curdled. It’s important to watch closely at the end so you don’t overmix it (if you’re new to making whipped cream, I find that a hand mixer allows for more control and lessens the chance of overbeating it). If you take the beater out of the cream, it should hold its shape and not droop off of the beater.
Recipes that Use Fresh Whipped Cream
Aside from topping fresh fruit or waffles, you can use it for all of these delicious desserts:
Whipped cream definitely deserves its own little corner of the Internet, and whether you choose to top a pie, dollop it on a bowl of fruit, or pipe some rosettes on a cake, this recipe will serve you infinitely well.
Three years ago: Peanut Butter & Marshmallow Popcorn Bars
Four years ago: Pimento Cheese Sandwich
Five years ago: Bacon and Cheddar Beer Bread
Six years ago: Creamy Mushroom-Fontina Pasta
Did you make this recipe?
An easy tutorial on how to make perfect whipped cream every time!
1. Pour the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
2. Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip. The cream will start to get frothy, and then will begin to thicken (around the 2-3 minute mark).
3. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the cream looks billowy and there are distinct trails left by the whisk in the whipped cream. If you remove the whisk from the mixer and turn it upside down, the whipped cream should remain upright and not droop off.
Top your favorite fruit or pie! The whipped cream can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
- You can use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, a hand mixer, or make the whipped cream by hand with a whisk!
- I recommend using heavy cream (vs whipping cream) for thicker whipped cream that holds its shape better.
- You can use either powdered sugar or granulated sugar; some people swear by one or the other, and I've had success using both.
- You can make fresh whipped cream up to 1 day in advance. Cover and refrigerate, then whisk briskly before using.
Nutritional values are based on one cup
Calories: 530kcal
Fat: 44g
Saturated fat: 27g
Cholesterol: 163mg
Sodium: 45mg
Potassium: 89mg
Carbohydrates: 33g
Sugar: 29g
Protein: 2g
Vitamin A: 35%
Vitamin C: 0.9%
Calcium: 7.7%
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in April 2014 and updated in April 2019 with a refreshed recipe, new photos, and better recipe instructions.
[photos byย Ari of Well Seasoned]
Brilliant post.
Thanks for all the information.
Really great recipe to make fresh and tasty whipped cream .
Your post is very helpful for me.
Thanks for posting ..
Keep Blogging !
Normally we buy fresh Whipped cream from Market , Home made fresh whipped cream great initiative, thanks for sharing
Try the ISI dispenser…stays fresh in fridge for about two weeks. Fresh heavy cream, sugar syrup or maple syrup, vanilla and a CO2 cartridge….away you go! Pretty dispensing too!
I “weep” and, no, it isn’t the butter separating from the whey…one of the most basic and ancient skills is whipping cream to delightful sweet fluffiness (as is butter making ~ the best BTW, far and away from what is on offer in the stores)…before the coming of the pressurized cans of “convenient” and fast toppings laden with gawd knows what chemical preservatives! A median solution is the ISI dispenser, using heavy cream and vanilla and sweetened with simple syrup (or maple syrup) and a CO2 canister). Perfect ( and decorative) every time! And it lasts weeks in the fridge.
I am really surprised that this basic process needed to be explained…but I’m old school……
I am intrigued by your process, Michelle. ย You put all the ingredients in the bowl to start. I always whipped the cream, then added the sweetner. Excited to try your way for Easter dinner. Thanks for sharing…. ย
You left out what I consider the most important information. Your cream will whip much more easily if you put your bowl and beaters in the freezer for about 30 minutes before whipping. Your cream should be very cold as well.
I frequently whip up cream for desserts, but I always use powdered sugar, and much less, only a tablespoon or two.
If a recipe calls for whipping cream (liquid), and we only have heavy cream, how do we make a liquid whipping cream out of it. I’ve come across this many times, and I have to use up my heavy cream.
There is a slight difference in the fat content between whipping cream and heavy cream, but they can generally be used interchangeably. I’ve used both for making whipped cream.
I like to make this in advance, so I usually add some bloomed gelatin or piping gel right before final whipping. It makes the whipped cream easy to pipe and holds its shape for 24 hrs.
can we use eggs yolk in whipped creem
I’m not sure why you would?
I tried making this(first time), but it turned to liquid with like with curdles in the bowl. Did I over mix it? How can I fix this?
Hi Amy, Yes, if that happened it was overmixed and separated into butter and whey. Unfortunately you can’t fix it at this point, you will need to start over.
Just wanted to mention that you actually can save over-whipped cream. Just pour in a little more cream – half a cup or so. It will loosen it up and bring it back to the stage before butter. It’s a shame how unknown this is!
Perfect and was so easily. ย My very first whipped creamย
Wt if r cream left behind we hv to use it later on n it becomes thick?? Hw can we reuse it??
Wt if sm cream is left in refrigerator n we r using it afterwords it become thick can we use it nw?? N if yes hw??
Placing the mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer until ice cold help the cream whip
Hi! I live in India where we make cream from raw milk our own cows.. The cream separated from the top of the boiled cooled milk is stored in the refrigerator. We easily get a cup or two of thick cream within a few days. I tried your recipe for whipped cream with this homemade cream using an electric hand beater on low speed. But within hardly a few seconds it all turned to butter ???? can you please tell me how I can avoid that happening again? I have no idea how to estimate the amount of fat in the cream we make.. please help!
Hi Bindhu, Oh no! If you’re mixing on low briefly and it’s already turning to butter, I’m not sure what else you can do. Usually you would need to mix on high speed for a few minutes to get cream to turn to butter.
Is there a recipe for homemade cool whip?
It’s really a stabilized sweetened whipped cream, so you could add more sugar, and some people add a little cream cheese or gelatin (although I’ve never done either). The closest I’ve come is this cream cheese whipped cream: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/pumpkin-spice-latte-cupcakes/
I love this recipe. So easy. I live on a sailboat and this was a breeze to make. I used a hand mixer and it was perfect.
How long can fresh raw milk whipped cream sit atop a pie kept in the refrigerator? Should I make the whipped cream just before serving the pie? I made a chocolate banana coconut cream pie and the recipe says to top with whipped topping. I am not going to serve the pie until the next day. I want to use fresh raw milk cream to make whipped cream and I don’t know how it will hold up atop the pie for a full 24 hours. Thank you for your knowledge!
Hi Michele, I never use raw milk, but I would say the same as any other fresh whipped cream – serve it same day.
Hi, this came out perfect and delicate. I normally use powdered sugar and was surprised this recipe called for granular. But it came out smooth. I used a hand mixer, and the cream did not begin to thicken till about the 4-minute mark, which worried me at first. I blended at medium speed 3 minutes, then medium-high for last 2. Thanks. Love your blog. I often return here. :)
I made banana creme pie last night, and my whipped creme turned out perfect as shown in your photos, however today when I cut the pie, the whipped creme turned runny when I cut it. Why does this happen. Should Knox Gelitan be added to prevent this? Thanks
Hi Christine, Fresh whipped cream is best served the day it is made – it’s not meant to keep for longer-term storage. If you want to keep a dessert for a few days, then yes, I would recommend using a stabilized whipped cream recipe.
Can i make whipping cream in another type of mixtures? Actually i dont have blender and i have mixtures
?
I use powdered stevia :)
Hi Michelle!
Great recipe! I had really thick cream in the blender then it thinned back to liquid. What happened? Thank you!
Hi Ayana, It sounds like you may have beaten it just a little too long. When cream is whipped too long, it actually starts to turn into butter, and then separates.
How long can you keep homemade whipped cream in the fridge before it goes bad?
Hi Lynette, I think 1-2 days is max before it starts to get watery.
Do you think this could be done with nut milk (ie almond, cashew, hemp)? Maybe with boiling it down first then chilling? I don’t drink or eat dairy/soy/rice milk.
Hi Bobi, I honestly have no idea; I don’t regularly use nut milk.
Hi Bob,
If you are looking to make “whipped cream” out of nut milk, you will need to start by blending the nuts with water and straining them to produce a very thick nut milk. Next, you will add to about 2 cups nut milk a thickening agent. I like agar flakes (1/2 tsp should do it). You will simmer the milk and the agar in a pot until it dissolves (at least 20 minutes). Refrigerate until solid. Then put your milk jello in the food processor (not the blender). Blend for 15 seconds until creamy.
As an alternate, you can use a full fat can of coconut milk (refrigerated) and blend (in the blender) until fluffy. I’m a chef and learned this in culinary school. Here’s a fresh fruit with orange liqueur recipe to compliment this whipped cream that everybody is making! :)
https://www.thefrayedapron.com/berries-and-cream/
is this the easiest way to make whip sream? if not what is?
Add a teaspoon or so (fiddle with it to taste) of cocoa per cup of cream and get chocolate whipped cream! Its heaven when you need a chocolate ice cream fix and don’t have any in the house! (I knew there was a reason I couldn’t seem to loose weight!)
My favorite whipped cream recipe uses 1 cup of heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. The directions read “whip until it almost becomes butter”.
I got excited when I read Fresh Homemade Whipped cream. What is so “homemade” about this whipping cream? And here I was thinking, milk, butter, sugar, vanilla, some thickening agent, churning etc. I didn’t see anything homemade about this, except for purchasing a carton of whipping cream from the grocery store. very disappointed.
…How else would one make whipped cream? There’s no need for a thickening agent, because whipping the heavy cream makes it thicker. You churn butter, you whip cream. The recipe does call for sugar and vanilla, but whipped cream does not contain butter (though you can, as stated before, make butter from cream). I’m not sure how this can be different from what you expected. Whipped cream is just that–cream that one has whipped.