Homemade Whipped Cream
I was first introduced to homemade whipped cream with my grandmother’s fruit salad that we used to have at Thanksgiving. It was easily one of my favorite dishes and I would always spoil my appetite with it :). When I got a little older and started baking and cooking on my own, I asked her how she made it. When she told me how to make it, I couldn’t believe how easy it was. I know cool whip is delicious and convenient, but trust me when I say that the homemade equivalent is so much better (and contains way less unnatural ingredients). Homemade whipped cream takes only 5 minutes to make, and contains only three ingredients. Use it to top a cup of hot cocoa, a slice of pie, a scoop of ice cream, or just eat it straight from the bowl like I do!
How do you make homemade whipped cream?
It’s simple! You pour fresh heavy cream into a bowl, turn on your electric mixer, and just let it work its magic in about 5-7 minutes. Once you reach the whipped cream stage, fold in the sugar and vanilla. That’s it! I prefer to put in the vanilla and the sugar right before reaching the whipped cream stage, but you need to make homemade whipped cream a few times to get a feel for when this is.
Can whipped cream be made ahead of time?
Yes! You can make it hours in advance, or even the night before. If you are going to do this, make sure to under beat it. Store it covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. When you go to use it, give it a few good stirs to whip it back up.
Do you need to add sugar to whipping cream?
You don’t absolutely have to. I think it tastes ok without it, especially if it’s going to sit atop a sugary desert. However, if you want to add in sugar (like I do in my recipe below), add it at the end after you have whipped the cream.
What is the best temperature to whip cream?
The general consensus on this is to chill both your beaters and your bowl prior to making whipped cream. The reason for this is that if the heavy cream is above 50F in temperature, then you won’t be able to whip the cream. By chilling both your bowl and your beaters, you will definitely avoid this issue. I’ll be honest though…I have never done this and I have never had any issues. 🙂
Can you put whipped cream in the freezer?
Yes! If you don’t use up your homemade whipped cream within a day or two of making it, go ahead and freeze it. Depending on how you are going to use it, you can either freeze it as dollops or as one large batch. To freeze in dollops, I take an ice cream scoop and place dollops of whipped cream on a wax paper lined baking sheet and freeze. Once the dollops are completely frozen, then I transfer them to a labeled freezer bag and continue to store them in the freezer.
How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream: Step-by-Step
Step 1. Pour heavy cream into a clean bowl. Beat cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed (I did speed 4/6) for 1 minute, or until the mixture becomes frothy.
Step 2. Continue beating with the electric mixer on the medium-high speed setting for an additional 2 minutes. The froth will dissipate and the cream will start to expand a little bit and have some body to it.
Step 3. Continue beating with the electric mixer on the medium-high speed setting for an additional 1 minute, or until soft peaks form. At this point, you will start to see the beaters leave patterns in the cream and when you pull the beaters out, the peaks at the end of the beaters will gently fold over.
Step 4. Add in the vanilla extract and confectioner’s sugar. Mix gently into the cream with the beaters off.
Step 5. Continue mixing the whipped cream with the electric mixer set to low (I used speed 2/6) for an additional 2-4 minutes or until stiff peaks form. At this point, you will see deep grooves in the whipped cream and when you pull the beaters out, the peaks at the end of the beaters will retain their shape.
Recipe Video
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Homemade Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pour heavy cream into a clean bowl. Beat cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed (I did speed 4/6) for 1 minute, or until the mixture becomes frothy.
- Continue beating with the electric mixer on the medium-high speed setting for an additional 2 minutes. The froth will dissipate and the cream will start to expand a little bit and have some body to it.
- Continue beating with the electric mixer on the medium-high speed setting for an additional 1 minute, or until soft peaks form. At this point, you will start to see the beaters leave patterns in the cream and when you pull the beaters out, the peaks at the end of the beaters will gently fold over.
- Add in the vanilla extract and confectioner’s sugar. Mix gently into the cream with the beaters off.
- Continue mixing the whipped cream with the electric mixer set to low (I used speed 2/6) for an additional 2 minutes or until stiff peaks form. At this point, you will see deep grooves in the whipped cream and when you pull the beaters out, the peaks at the end of the beaters will retain their shape.
Notes
Recipe from my grandmother.
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OMG! Honestly, I always wonder how this is done. The kids always love the ready whip stuff so much. And to think that it can be made in advance and frozen… genius!
Thanks for saving us some hassle over Christmas too!
I have to say, I thought this was a fun read and will have to try this recipe
I always wonderful how whipped cream was made. Thank you for sharing.
Homemade whipped cream is so much better than store bought varieties. And its not difficult at all to make, as you show.
I am not a cream person. But someone i know will love it. I will be in LA soon so i will make it for that person. I am saving it.
I remembered my first experience with whipped cream did not turn out the way I wanted. I am glad you shared this recipe, thanks.
Wow you answered all my questions about home-made whipped cream. And thanks for the recipe, always wanted to try it out.
I normally purchase the ready made whipped creams. This is totally dope. I will use this the next time I make my cakes. It will be easier to whip up some whip cream while making the cake.
Homemade whipped cream is the best! Yours looks super yummy! Makes me want to go make some now! Haha!
It is really simple to make whipped cream. Although I usually put in the sugar and vanilla before I get into the whipping process. Putting it in after would just make me nervous that I would be killing the peaks of the whipped cream.
This is amazing! I can never figure out how to make whipped cream, it is very popular here in Japan to make homemade whipped cream. I get frustrated a lot.