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You are here: Home / Kitchen Tips / Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe

Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe

October 27, 2017 Updated February 25, 2020 BySam 281 Comments

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Homemade Whipped Cream

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!

Freshly whipped cream in a glass bowl with a gold colored whisk.

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.

Ingredients: cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla

How to Make Whipped Cream:

  1. Chill a medium-sized bowl in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
  2. Combine (cold) heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in chilled bowl.
  3. 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.

How to make whipped cream: beating ingredients in glass bowl until they reach stiff peaks

What Makes It Work?

I credit the stability of this recipe to a few key factors:

  1. 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.
  2. 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!).
  3. 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.

Finished whipped cream piped into a glass jar, showcasing its sturdy, stable consistency

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!

Whipped cream in bowl

Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe

A quick and easy homemade whipped cream recipe! Just 3 ingredients and 5 minutes to make. Tastes so much better than store-bought and is perfect for topping off your favorite pies, cakes, or other desserts!
4.87 from 53 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: homemade whipped cream recipe, how to make whipped cream at home, whipped cream
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 3 cups
Calories: 120kcal
Author: Sam Merritt

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

¹I recommend using "heavy cream" rather than "whipping cream". Heavy cream holds its shape better after whipping, but whipping cream will work in a pinch.
²I definitely recommend using an electric mixer for this.  Whisking cream to stiff peaks by hand takes forever and is not fun.
If you're using a KitchenAid or stand mixer, use the whisk attachment for best results, though it's possible to make whipped cream using the paddle attachment.
I have made this whipped cream up to 3 days in advance and had it keep beautifully, however because all baking environments differ I generally recommend you make it the same day you intend to use it.
I used a Wilton 2D tip for piping in the video

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 120kcal
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Whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla in a glass bowl to thick billowy cream

This recipe was originally published 10/27/2017. Updated 07/27/2019.

Filed Under: Kitchen Tips, No Bake Desserts

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Comments

  1. Araceli says

    July 27, 2019 at 10:11 am

    Hello is heavy whipping cream okay to use?

    Reply
    • Sam says

      July 27, 2019 at 10:15 am

      I recommend heavy cream over whipping cream as heavy cream will hold its shape better ultimately, but whipping cream will work! Enjoy 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jaz says

    July 22, 2019 at 7:56 pm

    5 stars
    Taste like vanilla ice cream! Yummy!

    Reply
    • Sam says

      July 25, 2019 at 12:29 pm

      I am so glad you enjoyed the whipped cream so much! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Karen says

    July 18, 2019 at 10:29 pm

    Peach cobbler

    Reply
    • Sam says

      July 19, 2019 at 8:51 am

      Hi Karen! I do have a recipe for peach cobbler. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Kathryn says

    July 6, 2019 at 8:10 am

    Once made, how long will this whipped cream last in the refrigerator l ?. Can you add gelatin to help stabalize it?

    Reply
    • Sam says

      July 6, 2019 at 8:30 am

      I have kept it for several days in the refrigerator but to be safe I recommend using it the same day you make it. I’m sure you could add gelatin to stabilize even more.

      Reply
  5. Eman says

    June 16, 2019 at 6:41 pm

    Hello,
    Thanks for the recipe. It just comes on time. I want to ask you about soft serve cream. I bought it as a whipping top cream. I never knew it is for ice cream. Is there any way to make it thick and use it for cake decoration? I do not have ice cream machine and I do not want to throw it away either.
    Thanks again,
    Eman

    Reply
    • Sam says

      June 16, 2019 at 9:07 pm

      Hi Eman, I’m sorry but I am not familiar with soft serve cream so I’m afraid I can’t advise.

      Reply
  6. Annette Herreravvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvcancan says

    June 8, 2019 at 1:19 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious 😋 with strawberry & shortcake. Followed your instructions to the Tee and was perfect in every way. I have such fond memories growing up in the Midwest on the hot summers evening’s, just after getting the dinner dishes all washed up and then Mom would meet us outside at the patio table with a freshly made bowl of whipped cream topping and fresh sliced and slightly sweetened🍓 strawberries with surup and a plate of homemade biscuits at room temperature….
    Thank you for the most important ❤️ missing ingredient…

    Reply
    • Sam says

      June 8, 2019 at 4:02 pm

      I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the whipped cream so much, Annette! Thank you so much for commenting, I appreciate it 🙂

      Reply
  7. Patti says

    May 23, 2019 at 7:49 am

    I’m working with a client who’s had swallowing issues, every liquid needs to be thickened. Her favorite dessert has always been cool whip but she can no longer tolerate it. Today is her 72nd Birthday and her last. She will probably not last 2 more weeks.
    With your recipe she’ll be able to enjoy it till it’s finished.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sam says

      May 24, 2019 at 10:15 am

      I’m so sorry to hear that Patti. I hope she loves the whipped cream.

      Reply
  8. Judy says

    May 15, 2019 at 8:51 pm

    This is the first time I followed a recipe for whipped cream. I usually just start whipping the cream and gradually add sugar. It always turns out great. This recipe failed for my granddaughter and me. We did everything exactly as explained but the cream never whipped up fluffy. It got thicker and never moved on. We started out using my hand mixer. I thought maybe..it wasn’t,’t powerful enough. So I put the beater to my stand mixer in the freezer. I put the bowl of cream in the freezer as well. We waited 10 min and then tried to whip it on the stand mixer. No change. I don’t understand what happened

    Reply
    • Sam says

      May 16, 2019 at 10:02 pm

      Hi Judy, what kind of cream did you use?

      Reply
  9. Estelle says

    May 13, 2019 at 5:04 pm

    Hello. Can I use it to make homemade ice cream. If yes how can I make it. Thank you

    Reply
    • Sam says

      May 13, 2019 at 10:21 pm

      Hi Estelle! See my Strawberry Rose Ice Cream for reference and alter it for your personal taste. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Dani says

    May 11, 2019 at 11:55 am

    Using this recipe to add on top of my Italian sweet berry cheesecake. So excited to try it!

    Reply
    • Sam says

      May 12, 2019 at 12:22 am

      I think you’re going to love it! This is the only whipped cream my family will ever eat anymore 🙂

      Reply
  11. Rocio says

    May 9, 2019 at 4:11 pm

    Does this whipped cream hold up better than the whipped topping mix (the one that you add only milk)?

    Thank you,

    Reply
    • Sam says

      May 9, 2019 at 9:36 pm

      I’m sorry, I am not familiar with that mix so I can’t provide a good answer.

      Reply
  12. Cathy Kennedy says

    May 9, 2019 at 12:15 pm

    Sam,

    I made your recipe. It held together beautifully. The finished product I folded into another recipe – German Sweet Chocolate Pie which calls for Cool Whip. I’ll report back on how well it does in the freezer, as this is how the pie sets up. I happened to have some Cool Whip in the refrigerator, which I compared to your recipe and the homemade whipped topping is far superior. I figured it would be but I’m glad to have done the comparison. Have a good weekend!

    Reply
    • Sam says

      May 9, 2019 at 9:19 pm

      I am so glad you enjoyed the whipped cream, Cathy! Homemade is always better if you ask me. 🙂

      Reply
  13. colleen says

    May 8, 2019 at 5:37 pm

    Can this be made with regular granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar? Just to save me a trip to the store.. !

    Reply
    • Sam says

      May 8, 2019 at 10:09 pm

      Hi Colleen! It should work, you will probably want to use less sugar. It will also be less likely to stay as fluffy. 🙂

      Reply
  14. Laura says

    May 5, 2019 at 1:08 pm

    5 stars
    Made an amazing topping for my strawberry pie. Held up well for a couple of days!

    Reply
    • Sam says

      May 5, 2019 at 3:10 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the whipped cream, Laura! Thank you for commenting 🙂

      Reply
  15. Kristina P says

    April 29, 2019 at 8:46 pm

    Absolutely perfect and delicious! Used it to top my fresh strawberries and homemade pound loaf cake! Found my Mother’s Day dessert! ❤️

    Reply
    • Sam says

      April 29, 2019 at 9:00 pm

      I am so glad you enjoyed it, Kristina! I lovvveeee whipped cream and strawberries together. 🙂

      Reply
      • Kristina P says

        April 29, 2019 at 9:01 pm

        5 stars
        Absolutely 5 stars!! Thank you so much!

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The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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