Today I’m sharing a simple, 3-ingredient homemade whipped cream recipe. Skip the store-bought and make your own using just heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, ready in just 5 minutes!
A Simple, Stable Whipped Cream Recipe
If you’re still buying your whipped cream from the grocery store in a little plastic tub, this recipe is going to be a game changer for you.
Today we are ditching those store-bought, synthetic, poor excuses for whipped cream and we’re making it at home, from scratch. And you’re never going to look back. All you need is three ingredients (heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract) an electric mixer, and about five minutes.
This is a completely different animal from the store-bought variety. The taste is fresher, richer, better. Ever since sharing this recipe with my family, my siblings won’t even touch any imposters from the store. Even better, my recipe is essentially foolproof, perfected to be easy, stable, and pipe-able. It’s the perfect whipped cream recipe, great for topping off a slice of cheesecake or using in your strawberry shortcake.
How to Make Whipped Cream:
- Chill a medium-sized bowl in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
- Combine (cold) heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in chilled bowl.
- Beat ingredients together with an electric mixer on high speed until cream is thick and billowy and stiff peaks form.
That’s it. Sweet, simple, and from-scratch. Three ingredients, three steps, and about three minutes standing between you and your own homemade whipped cream.
How Long Will Whipped Cream Last?
I’m bragging, but this recipe is the longest-lasting I’ve ever used. I’ve made it up to 3 days in advance and it has held its shape and consistency perfectly for me and I’ve never had it weep or run.
However, because I know recipes can be fickle and can vary depending on the environment in which they are made (especially during humid summer months), I generally recommend making whipped cream the same day you intend to use it, just to be safe.
What Makes It Work?
I credit the stability of this recipe to a few key factors:
- We’re using powdered sugar rather than granulated. Just enough to keep it stable without over-sweetening. Because this cream is slightly sweetened, it’s also known as Chantilly Cream.
- We’re whipping our cream long enough to convince it to hold its shape. Many recipes stop shy of this, but we’re going all the way to stiff peaks (a bit more on that below!).
- I recommend using heavy cream and not whipping cream. Whipping cream will work, but heavy cream holds its shape better.
I was so sick of weepy, weak, flat, whipped cream recipes as my only alternative to store-bought, which is why I perfected this recipe in the first place. I think you’re going to really love how simple and stable this one is.
A Few Tips
- Whipped cream is easiest to make not only when all of your ingredients are cold, but when your tools are, too. Because of this I recommend using a metal bowl if you have one and popping it in the freezer for a few minutes before whipping. A glass bowl will also work great, but a metal bowl will get cold even faster.
- Use an electric mixer. This can absolutely be made by whisking by hand, but it’s going to take you a heck of a lot longer than 5 minutes and you’re going to get an intense arm workout.
- For Step 3 above (beating ingredients together), start with your mixer on low speed and gradually increase to high. Otherwise you’ll be finding heavy cream splatters on your kitchen walls, utensils, and appliances for weeks to come (ask me how I know).
- “Stiff peaks” simply means that when you lift the beater out of the cream, the peak that forms on the beater will hold its shape even when you turn the beater upside down (if you’ve made my meringue cookies, you’re familiar with this technique, but here is a great visual on the different kind of peaks). You want to stop right when you reach stiff peaks, or you run the risk of over-beating your cream and ending up with a slightly curdled-looking cream. Don’t panic, it’s still going to taste amazing.
Perfect Pairings:
Alright, now that you’ve made your whipped cream, you need something to to do with it, right? Here are a few of my favorite options:
- Angel Food Cake (with strawberries, of course!)
- Pancakes
- Chocolate pie
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- No-Bake Cheesecake (or mini cheesecakes!)
- Banana Cream Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Pound Cake
- Gingerbread
Or… really just about anything goes great with it, to be honest. Let me know what your plans are!
Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream¹ cold (355ml)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (60g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
Instructions
- Place a medium-sized bowl (preferably metal) in the freezer for at least 10 minutes to chill.
- Once bowl has chilled, remove from freezer and add heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Using an electric mixer², beat ingredients on low speed, gradually increasing speed to high, and beat until stiff peaks form. Don't over-beat, but don't stop beating until cream has reached a thick, billowy consistency (think the thickness of Cool Whip).
- Keep unused whipped cream refrigerated in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Treat yourself to a FREE E-BOOK!
This recipe was originally published 10/27/2017. Updated 07/27/2019.
Marge Trevathan says
I made it without placing in the fridge or freezer to chill. Worked great as a topping for my Pina colada pie!
Sam says
Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear it, Marge! 🙂
Rhknda says
Yummy, pina colada pie, please share the recipe!!
Linda Saull says
Found old recipe book – want to replace synthetic whips with heavy cream/whipped cream. 1 pkt of Dream Whip = 2c , how much cream do I need to get at least 2 c. whipped cream?
Sam says
Hi Linda! This recipe makes 3 cups so to get 2 you would want to reduce the ingredients and start with about 1 cup of heavy cream.
Bridget says
Can i use home made heavy cream (milk and butter) in place of store heavy cream? Am staying in a village and we don’t have big stores here. Thank you
Sam says
Hi Bridget! Unfortunately I don’t think homemade heavy cream will work here. It does work as a substitute in some recipes but I don’t think it will actually whip up properly. 🙂
Wendy says
How long will it keep it’s form in the refrigerator? or will I have to whip it up every time I use it?
Sam says
Hi Wendy! I have had it last up to 3 days in the refrigerator, but I really recommend making it right before you need to serve it. I also wouldn’t recommend re-whipping it.
Kitty says
I use heavy cream and butter to make double cream because we do not have that in the US. It works great. I think you will be able to substitute as well. Try stabilizing it with powdered milk.
Ummu faaiza says
Heavy cream means??
Where can get and what price.
Pls let know
Sam says
I typically find heavy cream in the grocery store near the milk. It varies in price depending on where you go to find it. 🙂
Jenny says
This recipe is amazing. I will never buy cool whip again.
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Jenny! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Alexis says
LOVE THIS! So very easy. I stumbled across this one day when I was looking for a whip cream recipe using powder sugar. I now use it for my homemade tres leches and jello punch cake. Thank you for sharing this recipe 🙂
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Alexis! 🙂
Cindy says
Hi Sam, I have a question. I have never seen heavy cream in my stores that I go to. I only see the heavy whipping cream. Can you tell me what store you got yours from? I am dying to try this!
Sam says
Hi Cindy! Heavy whipping cream will work just fine here. I get mine from Giant food or Walmart. Enjoy!! 🙂
Esther N. says
I’m making this for an Icebox cake. Do you think it will work well for that? Thanks.
Sam says
Hi Esther! I actually use it in my chocolate icebox cake, and it works really well. 🙂
Sefakor says
i tried the whipped cream frosting and it worked out nicely, thanks
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Tina says
Can i us this in my mud pie recipe it calls for a large container of cool wipe but this sound better a nother name for this is Mississippi mud pie
Sam says
Hi Tina! This is definitely a great substitute for cool whip. 🙂
Nathanial says
Using this with homemade sangria brownie tarts with Ghirardelli chocolate brownie mix and homemade strawberry shortcake for mother’s day.
Sam says
Sounds amazing! Enjoy!
Bonnie says
Easy & quicker than I expected. Used ‘heavy whipping cream’-perfect!
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Bonnie! 🙂
Robert says
Thanks for the recipe and the guidance, I got up this morning and made the cheesecake exactly as you outlined, the video was very good for me. I am not s baker, so I was a bit nervous, your video helped me through it. So, it came out perfect, I have not tried as of yet since it just went into the fridge. I will let you know what my family thinks. Thanks again.
Sam says
I am so glad the video was so helpful, Robert! I’m impressed with your self control to not taste while making. 😉
Ri says
I was actually wondering what the difference was between heavy cream and whipped cream I couldnt find heavy cream in my local grocery store so I got whipped to make the ganache. What exactly is the difference? It seems like whipped cream takes the place of heavy cream here in Canada
Sam says
Hi Ri! Either will work. Heavy whipping cream generally has a bit more fat and will whip a little better.
Linda says
Would this work to frost a layered cake?
Sam says
Hi Linda, it will cover the cake but it’s not a very sturdy frosting and the layers are more apt to slide, unfortunately.
Greg says
This is the whipped cream I grew up with and I am 69. Before a Thanksgiving my mom and I (there were 4 boys and two girls and it was only my mom and me doing this glorious “chore”) would make pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas, 8 Libby’s brand Pumpkin and Borden’s brand 8 Mince Meat. We used canned pumpkin with eggs, sugar and brown sugar, spices (what they call pumpkin spices nowadays), and evaporated milk. We would cook this slow in a big pot until it bubbled. In the meantime we made pie dough for 16 double crust. And, we used leaf lard. Nowadays being married to a no red meat vegetarian I use butter but make 2 special crusts for me
Back to the whipped cream…I knew of no other way than heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and frozen metal bowl and beaters!
I even use this whip cream for my eclair cake instead of Cool Whip.
Somethings are timeless.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much for sharing, Greg! I am glad that you too love this recipe. 🙂
Tina says
May i have this recipe i like to make your pumpkin pie and your egclair cake that sounds very good with this whip cream home made down to earth you can’t find recipes my hubby mother past so i would love to make a real home made by strach desert for him