Listen, I love me some cool whip. Heck, I can even get down with canned stuff! But, when you make real homemade whipped cream there is no comparison. I’m gonna show you how to make whipped cream in 5 minutes with 4 simple ingredients. Dollop, ice or even eat it by the spoon. I won’t judge boos.
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How to Make Whipped Cream
Step 1: I like to make sure that both my mixing bowl and beaters are cold before starting on my whipped cream, which can easily be achieved by sticking them in the freezer for a few minutes or in the refrigerator for about 30. Once both are ready to go, add the heavy cream to your mixing bowl and beat at medium low speed.
Step 2: Once it begins to thicken somewhat after 1-2 minutes, speed it up. Once it gets to soft peaks, add in remaining ingredients.
Step 3: Beat until cream has hit stiff peaks and is smooth, thick and rich. Make sure not to over beat.
How to Make Whipped Cream Recipe
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Ingredients
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream cold
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- I like to make sure that both my mixing bowl and beaters are cold before starting on my whipped cream, which can easily be achieved by sticking them in the freezer for a few minutes or in the refrigerator for about 30. Once both are ready to go, add the heavy cream to your mixing bowl and beat at medium low speed. Once it begins to thicken somewhat after 1-2 minutes, speed it up.
- Once it gets to soft peaks, add in remaining ingredients and beat until cream has hit stiff peaks and is smooth, thick and rich. Make sure not to over beat.
- You can also halve this recipe if you need to.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Serving Rule: When whipped, 1 cup produces 2 cups of whipped cream. You can divide or multiply the measurement to get the amount you want.
- Best Equipment: It’s best to use a hand mixer for less cleanup and more control. It will also make it harder to overwhip. Of course, a stand mixer with a whisk attachment works as well and if all else fails, you can whip by hand.
- Chill Out: The whipped cream will form faster if your bowl, beater and whipping cream are chilled. Place both in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before whipping.
Different Peaks
- Soft Peaks: Soft peaks will look a bit like semi-melted ice cream. Thick and smooth but still a bit runny. Toss this on hot chocolate.
- Medium Peaks: As you continue to whip, you’ll start to notice more swirl marks and a more stable structure. Once it looks like it can be spooned onto pie, you’ve got medium peaks.
- Stiff Peaks: Firm peaks will be the most obvious. There’s gonna be an serious rippling through the cream and it will remain stiff as the beaters are lifted out. This is a great texture for icing cakes. Do not go past this point! If you continue to beat, the cream will split and separation of fat and liquid will occur.
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Recipe Help
At this point, the mixture is grainy and losing volume quickly because the fats and liquids are separating. To try to fix it, cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 30-60 minutes, then stir with a spatula. The mixture might come together but, if the cream is too separated, it might not. For a quicker fix, try stirring in a few extra tablespoons of heavy cream with a spatula. If that doesn’t work either, you’ll need to start over again.
Heavy cream and whipping cream are basically the same thing. Both contain an average of up to 30% more milk fat than whole milk. Whipping cream, or light whipping cream, contains slightly less fat than heavy cream but the margin is slim. You can use either option but keep in mind that a higher fat content will produce a more stable whipped cream.
Flavor Variations
- Cream cheese: Beat 4 ounces of cream cheese along with the sugar and vanilla until well-combined. In another bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture until uniform .
- Coffee: Add 1-2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder.
- Chocolate: Sift 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder in the bowl with sugar.
- Liquor: Be very light-handed when adding it in. About 1 tablespoon of alcohol per cup of cream is more than enough.
- Extracts: Citrus, maple, and peppermint are all great options!
- Nut Butter: Spoon a ¼ cup of peanut, almond, or even cashew butter into the bowl before whipping.
- SPICE: For every cup of cream, add ¼-½ teaspoon of a warm spice.
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Can the whipped cream be stored overnight or should it be made the day of?
Yep you can make the night before for sure. You can also add a little cornstarch to stabilize it.
Can I use non-dairy heavy/whipping cream for us lactose intolerant people? We want all the goodness too!
As long as it will whip up, you sure can! I haven’t tried making whipped cream with a non-dairy heavy cream so I am not 100% on how it will turn out.
Theres nothing like homemade whipped cream – store bought just does not compare – so thanks for this recipe!
Amazing! the texture and color are looking wonderful. Thank you for sharing all the tips to make a perfect whipping cream.
Such a deliciously simple recipe for the best tasting whipped cream!
The texture of this whipped cream looks absolutely fantastic! I love the abundance of different flavor options too. How fun!
Such a simple and delicious recipe! I love topping all of my desserts with this whipped cream. Turns out perfect every time too!