Perfect Whipped Cream
This homemade whipped cream recipe is easy and made with 3 simple ingredients. Super creamy, light, and absolutely delicious! It’s way better than anything you can buy from the store! My ideal whipped cream is outrageously creamy, light, pillowy, and ever-so-slightly sweetened. My go-to whipped cream recipe takes 5 minutes and calls for heavy cream (or double cream), sugar, vanilla, and the optional pinch of salt. I use this whipped cream for so many of our favorite dessert recipes. With its super light, creamy texture, it’s the perfect topping for scones, fresh fruit, cheesecake, pancakes, pies, strawberry shortcake, pumpkin pie, and so much more! I even add it to hot chocolate or coffee, like this pumpkin spice latte! Key Ingredients Heavy Cream: For the firmest whipped cream that holds its shape, I use cold heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, or double cream. These all have a fat content of 36% or higher, which means they will whip up nicely. For a dairy-free alternative to whipped cream, I love this vegan coconut whipped cream that swaps the cream for coconut cream. Sweetener: I add powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar), maple syrup, or honey. 1 to 2 tablespoons is perfect for 1 cup of cream and adds a hint of sweetness. Sometimes, I add more, like with the whipped topping for this coconut cream pie, but 1 to 2 tablespoons does the trick most of the time. Vanilla: I love vanilla whipped cream, so I almost always add a splash of vanilla extract. Totally optional, though! Salt: I firmly believe a pinch of salt makes just about anything taste better, including whipped cream. Heavy Cream: For the firmest whipped cream that holds its shape, I use cold heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, or double cream. These all have a fat content of 36% or higher, which means they will whip up nicely. For a dairy-free alternative to whipped cream, I love this vegan coconut whipped cream that swaps the cream for coconut cream. Sweetener: I add powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar), maple syrup, or honey. 1 to 2 tablespoons is perfect for 1 cup of cream and adds a hint of sweetness. Sometimes, I add more, like with the whipped topping for this coconut cream pie, but 1 to 2 tablespoons does the trick most of the time. Vanilla: I love vanilla whipped cream, so I almost always add a splash of vanilla extract. Totally optional, though! Salt: I firmly believe a pinch of salt makes just about anything taste better, including whipped cream. Find the full recipe with measurements below. How to Make Perfect Whipped Cream Fresh whipped cream from scratch is so much better than the store-bought stuff. It’s easy to make, too! You can do it by hand, with an electric mixer, or use a stand mixer. Here are my best tips for making it: Tip 1: The colder the cream, the better it whips. I like to keep my cream in the coldest part of my fridge, usually in the back. If you are just home from the store and your cream isn’t as cold as straight from the fridge, pop it in there for 15 to 20 minutes before whipping it. (Some people chill the bowls and beaters in the freezer, too. If your kitchen is really warm — say in the middle of the summer without AC — you might want to consider this.) Tip 2: The three stages of whipped cream. Depending on how you plan to enjoy it, there are three stages of whipped cream to look for: Soft Peaks are when the cream is thick but doesn’t hold much of a shape. Soft peaks are ideal for folding the whipped cream into another mixture, like a mousse. I also stop at soft peaks for this berry fruit salad (the swoopy, softly whipped cream is perfect with the berries). Medium Peaks are when the cream holds its shape pretty well but is still soft. I love my whipped cream at this stage since it holds its shape well enough for spooning on desserts, spreading onto cakes, and folding into other creamy mixtures. Think the creamy filling for homemade tiramisu, the whipped topping for this lemon blueberry cake, and the creamy layer for these strawberry shortcakes. Firm or Stiff Peaks are when the cream stands up and does not fall back onto itself. This stage is perfect for dipping, spreading, and piping. This is what you see in our photos. I recommend this for the creamy filling of my peanut butter pie, or if you plan to pipe the cream onto pies or cakes. Soft Peaks are when the cream is thick but doesn’t hold much of a shape. Soft peaks are ideal for folding the whipped cream into another mixture, like a mousse. I also stop at soft peaks for this berry fruit salad (the swoopy, softly whipped cream is perfect with the berries). Medium Peaks are when the cream holds its shape pretty well but is still soft. I love my whipped cream at this stage since it holds its shape well enough for spooning on desserts, spreading onto cakes, and folding into other creamy mixtures. Think the creamy filling for homemade tiramisu, the whipped topping for this lemon blueberry cake, and the creamy layer for these strawberry shortcakes. Firm or Stiff Peaks are when the cream stands up and does not fall back onto itself. This stage is perfect for dipping, spreading, and piping. This is what you see in our photos. I recommend this for the creamy filling of my peanut butter pie, or if you plan to pipe the cream onto pies or cakes. Tip 3: Fixing over-whipped cream. Over-whipping means your pillowy, creamy whipped cream becomes clumpy and curd-like. If this happens to you, you can fix it by slowly beating in a bit more cream. Simple. Tip 4: A bit about stabilized whipped cream. Homemade whipped cream lasts longer than you might think, but to extend its shelf life, you can add a stabilizer. Popular options include gelatin and commercially available products like Whip It. I prefer a more natural approach and use powdered sugar for my sweetener, which contains a bit of cornstarch, adding stability to the cream. For even longer-lasting, stabilized whipped cream, add 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream to the mixture when whipping the cream. It adds a slight tang, which I really like, but you can bump up the sweetener a little to account for it. Perfect Whipped Cream PREP 10 mins TOTAL 10 mins PREP 10 mins TOTAL 10 mins This is my go-to recipe for whipped cream. I use it for so many of the dessert recipes on Inspired Taste! It’s light, fluffy, and so much more delicious than what you can buy at the store. If you accidentally over-whip your cream, see my tips below the recipe for how to fix it! For a dairy-free option, see my coconut whipped cream that calls for coconut cream instead of heavy cream it’s delicious). Makes 2 cups Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need 1 cup cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (240ml) 1 to 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, maple syrup, or honey 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, optional Small pinch fine salt, optional Directions 1Chill the cream: Cream whips best when it is very cold. If your cream is not cold, chill it in the refrigerator before using it in this recipe. 2Begin to beat the cream: Use an electric hand mixer and large mixing bowl or a stand mixer to beat the cream at a low speed until it starts to foam and bubble, then increase the speed to medium-high. Starting at a lower speed prevents the cream from splattering out of the bowl. 3Add remaining ingredients: Add the optional ingredients, such as sweetener, vanilla, and salt, and continue to beat the cream, increasing to high speed until your desired consistency. Stay close, as the cream will whip quickly. (See our article for the three stages of whipped cream and their uses.) 1Chill the cream: Cream whips best when it is very cold. If your cream is not cold, chill it in the refrigerator before using it in this recipe. 2Begin to beat the cream: Use an electric hand mixer and large mixing bowl or a stand mixer to beat the cream at a low speed until it starts to foam and bubble, then increase the speed to medium-high. Starting at a lower speed prevents the cream from splattering out of the bowl. 3Add remaining ingredients: Add the optional ingredients, such as sweetener, vanilla, and salt, and continue to beat the cream, increasing to high speed until your desired consistency. Stay close, as the cream will whip quickly. (See our article for the three stages of whipped cream and their uses.) Adam and Joanne's Tips Storing: Keep homemade whipped cream covered in the refrigerator for 24 hours. If the cream deflates, use a whisk or hand mixer to whip it again. How to fix over-whipped cream: If your cream breaks and looks clumpy and curd-like, it is over-whipped. To fix it, turn off your mixer and grab the carton of whipping cream from the fridge. With the mixer on LOW speed, pour a small amount of cream into the bowl. Continue adding cream, a little at a time, until the over-whipped cream becomes light and fluffy again. You may need a couple of tablespoons or more (sometimes 25% to 50% of the cream you already used). Stabilized whipped cream: I use powdered sugar for my sweetener, which contains a bit of cornstarch, adding stability to the cream. For even longer-lasting, stabilized whipped cream, add 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream to the mixture when whipping the cream. It adds a slight tang, which I really like, but you can bump up the sweetener a little to account for it. UK & Australia home cooks: Use “double cream” or “thickened cream” with at least 35% fat content. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Storing: Keep homemade whipped cream covered in the refrigerator for 24 hours. If the cream deflates, use a whisk or hand mixer to whip it again. How to fix over-whipped cream: If your cream breaks and looks clumpy and curd-like, it is over-whipped. To fix it, turn off your mixer and grab the carton of whipping cream from the fridge. With the mixer on LOW speed, pour a small amount of cream into the bowl. Continue adding cream, a little at a time, until the over-whipped cream becomes light and fluffy again. You may need a couple of tablespoons or more (sometimes 25% to 50% of the cream you already used). Stabilized whipped cream: I use powdered sugar for my sweetener, which contains a bit of cornstarch, adding stability to the cream. For even longer-lasting, stabilized whipped cream, add 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream to the mixture when whipping the cream. It adds a slight tang, which I really like, but you can bump up the sweetener a little to account for it. UK & Australia home cooks: Use “double cream” or “thickened cream” with at least 35% fat content. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/4 cup / Calories 111 / Total Fat 10.7g / Saturated Fat 6.9g / Cholesterol 33.6mg / Sodium 27.6mg / Carbohydrate 3g / Dietary Fiber 0g / Total Sugars 3.1g / Protein 0.9g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us