Whipped cream is basically the pixie dust of desserts. A dollop here, a swirl there, and suddenly your entire life is better. It’s surprisingly easy to make homemade (like, charlatan easy.) All you need is heavy cream, a little powdered sugar, and a dash of vanilla. Seriously, once you’ve tasted this recipe, you’ll be ignoring the canned stuff like you’re straight outta Mean Girls. Grab your mixer and I’ll show you just how to make that creamy, dreamy goodness happen!
Table of Contents
- 🎶 Ain’t nothin like the real thing 🎶
- Homemade whipped cream is too easy
- Heavy cream, whipping cream, ultra cream, wth?
- Whipped cream ingredients
- How to make perfect whipped cream
- I over-whipped my cream, no!
- Piping whipped cream (and stabilizing it)
- Flavor variations for whipped cream
- What to serve whipped cream with
- Storing whipped cream
- Freezing? MIRACLE!
- Whipped cream frequently asked questions
- How to Make Whipped Cream Recipe
You are not even ready for the fun facts I am about to throw your way:
- In England, whipped cream in a can is called “Squirty Cream.” YES REALLY
- Whipped cream got started in Italy, but the French have THINGS TO SAY about this claim (is anyone surprised here)
- 89% of people’s preferred method of whipped cream consumption is from the can, STRAIGHT into their mouths. Fact check me here
- This next point has another all-caps moment, but I’m not sorry: There is an ACTUAL organization called “The Brotherhood of Knights of Chantilly Cream Whippers” (La Confrérie des Chevaliers Fouetteurs de Crème Chantilly) no this is not a joke and here are the requirements to be inducted: To become an entry level “squire” you must succeed in whipping cream by hand in the presence of a knight, whereupon you will receive a “Whipping squire diploma.” OMG SIGN ME UP
- In Ye Olden Days, people used tree branches to beat cream into whipped cream. Not sure if there were any diplomas awarded
- My friend Jamie regularly walks up behind her kids when they are being grumpy, and tells them to close their eyes and open their mouths. Then she fills it with Reddi-Whip 😂 why am I not this cool of a mom?
🎶 Ain’t nothin like the real thing 🎶
Now listen, I have no judgment for the Cool Whippers or the Reddi Whippers (ok, feeling a lil judgy about the Squirty Creamers), but one thing I need you to understand is that pre-made whipped cream will not ever, CANNOT ever, compare to the real thing.
Cool Whip is mostly corn syrup and vegetable oil. Would you like a bite of sugar and oil, or a bite of actual cream?
Reddi Whip is heavy cream (yay!) plus water and corn syrup, so definitely a better option flavor-wise. But still not quite the right consistency. But I have good news:
Homemade whipped cream is too easy
The beauty of living in 2025 is that you don’t need to beat cream with a branch for an hour to get this magical stuff. You need a mixer and 3 minutes. One time my brother Nathan beat cream for FORTY-FIVE MINUTES when he was poor in med school and didn’t have a hand mixer. Squire Nathan! Here is your diploma. 👨🎓
Every Thanksgiving, I schedule a few minutes in my timeline after dinner specifically for whipping the cream, so it’s fresh and ready before we dive into dessert. It’s just not great pie without great whipped cream.
I hauled my cream and powdered sugar to my friend Laura’s the other day for our dinner party, because I brought dessert and I knew she wouldn’t mind if I used her mixer really quick before serving. Whipped cream is THAT easy, and making it fresh has THAT much of an impact. Like for this Strawberry Shortcake:
Heavy cream, whipping cream, ultra cream, wth?
We need to have a talk about cream. Some people are disappointed with their homemade “whipped cream” results…because they used coffee creamer instead of heavy whipping cream. 🤦♀️ Don’t be that guy!
What you’re looking for in the dairy aisle is often sold in a cardboard carton (like school lunch milk! But there’s no missing person on the side) or sometimes you see cream sold in a tall plastic bottle with a cap. It’s going to be found near the rest of the milk, in a refrigerator case, and will be labeled as one of the following:
- “heavy cream”
- “whipping cream”
- “heavy whipping cream”
- or sometimes even, “ultra heavy whipping cream”
All of these different names are secret codes used in the dairy industry to vaguely indicate the level of fat content in the cream.
But there is often NO indication on the packaging of exactly what percentage of fat is contained within. Is the cream 30% fat? Is it 35% fat? This omission drives me UP THE WALL. I have spent more time in the aisle of the grocery store scouring the side of the cream carton to find out the fat content than I spend choosing the right avocado, and that’s saying something sister.
Any product labeled “cream,” though, will have at least the minimum amount of 30% fat content. (Again, folks: NOT coffee creamer!!) 30% is the amount necessary in order to whip cream into peaks, and is an industry standard. So rest assured, any type of cream that you buy, whether it’s called “heavy” or “whipping,” will beat up just fine into whipped cream. If it says “heavy” or “ultra,” there will be more fat content, meaning your cream will whip faster and higher, and you may die younger. Embrace it, embrace it.
I love to buy heavy cream at Costco. They often sell the Darigold brand and it says prominently on the label “40% Heavy.” Now THAT’S what I’m talkin about. Don’t give me this wimpy 30% garbage. 40% or bust.
Here’s your cheat sheet, according to the FDA:
Whipping cream = 30%-35% fat
Heavy cream = 36% or higher
Whipped cream ingredients
You really don’t need much to make whipped cream:
- heavy whipping cream
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- pinch of kosher salt, if you want (you want)
Thaaaaat’s it.
How to make perfect whipped cream
Alright, buckle up, it’s time for fluffy clouds of deliciousness.
Don’t get all judgy McJudgerson about my freezer ok.
First things first: toss your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer or fridge, if you’ve got the space and time, or if it’s a really hot day. Leave it in there 10 or 20 minutes. This is not 100% necessary. But it will make your cream whip faster and higher! If you have a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment. This is the best tool for whipping in lots of air!
Make sure you leave your carton of cream in the fridge until the VERY last minute. You need COLD COLD cream in order to whip it. You can even stick your cream in the freezer for 5 minutes if you want.
Pour the cream into the bowl, and start mixing right away, if you have a hands free stand mixer where you don’t need to hold anything. I always start beating the cream as soon as I pour it in, because it takes a few minutes, even at medium-high speed. While I’m waiting, I dump in the powdered sugar and the vanilla.
If you have a hand mixer, add all the ingredients to start with and then start beating. It really doesn’t matter, you can’t mess this up folks.
If you have a stand mixer, do NOT walk away. One second too long and your whipped cream will be clumpy (don’t panic, you can fix it! See more details below). What you want are medium peaks–not stiff peaks like a meringue, not soft and lazy and droopy, but in between.
Here is the cream when it’s starting to get thicker. Can you see how it looks a little “drippy” still? More beating!
Here it is a minute later: it’s a little thicker but still not enough. Do you see how the peak has fallen over on the side? More beating!
This is looking better! Let’s flip the beater over to see if the peaks are still totally falling:
Voila! When you lift the beaters, a peak should form and hold its shape—but just barely. It will droop a little but not lose its structure. The point of the peak will point up, not down. It’s perfectly light and airy, not too liquid-y or heavy.
Turning the beater upside down really is the best test to know when you are done. I check this way every time. It’s useless to tell you a specific amount of time to beat; there are too many variables. (How much fat is in your cream, how cold your cream is, how powerful the motor on your mixer is, etc.)
Whipped cream is whipped enough when you can turn the bowl upside down for a moment and it doesn’t fall out right away. I used a spatula in the above photo to get this moving enough to come out. It’s safer to flip a beater rather than the whole bowl, of course!
Cream just about doubles in volume when you beat it:
So 2 cups of cream will yield about 4 cups of whipped cream.
Now grab a spoon, sneak up behind your grumpiest child, and shove this fluffy cloud into their mouth 😂 Whipped cream really does ameliorate any situation, I’m telling you.
I over-whipped my cream, no!
Blargh, you went too far! Now your whipped cream looks grainy and clumpy. Dry your tears, I gotchu.
Can you see how this is slightly grainy? The texture is not quite smooth:
Here’s an overhead shot. It’s not like this tastes bad. It’s not THAT big of a deal to serve whipped cream this way. But it is a little less creamy than it ought to be.
All you need to do is add another tablespoon or two of cream (or more) and slowly incorporate it. If you now have mixer trust issues, you can use a whisk to gently combine it with the over-whipped cream until it looks fluffy again. Using the mixer is fine too, just go slow. The more you’ve over-whipped it, the more additional cream you’ll need to add.
Did you go WAY too far? Like, spread-it-with-a-knife too far? Well, on the bright side, now you have butter. Congratulations! It’s delicious, add a lil salt and spread it on your toast. Save the liquid at the bottom (that’s buttermilk!) for your next batch of Pancakes. Get yourself some more cream and start over.
Piping whipped cream (and stabilizing it)
Whipped cream is delicate, and if you make it ahead of time, pile it on your pie, and wait overnight, it won’t be as fluffly. One solution is to make it super last minute, as I do every Thanksgiving, but another option is to add a stabilizer.
When I created a recipe for coconut cream pie I figured out my favorite way to stabilize whipped cream, and it’s soooo easy. All you have to do is add a couple tablespoons of instant pudding mix!
Pudding mix has modified corn starch in it, which allows mixtures to thicken even when cold (you have to heat up regular cornstarch to get it to thicken.) Modified cornstarch is how 5-minute stone cold instant pudding is able to exist, and now it’s helping us keep our whipped cream from weeping too. Here is my box that I keep on hand in the cupboard specifically for this purpose. You only need a little bit, so save the rest for the next time.
If you prefer, you can instead use a tablespoon of Dream Whip or a whipped cream stabilizer. They’re harder to find, but work just great.
See? It looks exactly the same. It’s just not going to weep and shrink as fast. Perfect for this Chocolate Cream Pie!
I like to use vanilla instant pudding mix, but there’s no reason you couldn’t use any flavor you like! If you want you can leave out the vanilla extract, but I’m all about going big on vanilla, so I include both.
Flavor variations for whipped cream
There are so many great flavored extracts for baking out there. Almond extract, rum, coconut, maple, you name it! You can substitute any extract, 1-for-1, for the vanilla extract called for in this recipe. Of course, another way to amp up the flavor is to add fruit. Check these out:
What to serve whipped cream with
I only have one rule about whipped cream: don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t put whipped cream on something. They’re wrong. You can tell them I told you so.
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- Check out my Dessert page for even more ideas!
Storing whipped cream
Fresh whipped cream can be stored in the fridge. It’s really best to use it within a day or so, because the liquid will start to separate from the solids. You can re-whip it a little if that’s begun to happen. It can last longer but it won’t maintain the same level of fluffiness that it had on day one (still no shame in the game, and by the game I mean eating the leftover whipped cream right out of the container with a spoon. My favorite is to add in any kind of berries I have on hand. That makes it healthy, right?)
Freezing? MIRACLE!
Amazingly, you can freeze whipped cream! The best way to do it is to pipe it into little swirls (the amount you’d want on a pie of piece or in a mug of hot chocolate) on a silicone mat, waxed paper, or parchment paper, set on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then store them in an airtight container. When you’re ready for them, take them straight out of the freezer and place the little whipped cream swirls on your treat of choice: whipped cream softens quickly, so you won’t need more than a few minutes on the counter before they’re ready to enjoy.
Or, if this is a little too extra for you, just toss all your leftover whipped cream in a ziplock and freeze. Thaw in the fridge. Beat again before serving!
Whipped cream frequently asked questions
Whipped cream is made by beating cream until it changes from a liquid to a semi-solid. The fat in the cream rearranges itself around all those air bubbles you’re creating by whipping the cream and voila: a magical substance you can dollop, squirt, pipe, or spoon onto anything you like. Add a little sugar and a flavorful extract: vanilla is popular but the sky’s the limit.
Um, no? Definitely not? I’m still laughing about this question. Random side note: I did learn that there is a Croatian “whipped cream foam” packet (you know, like the ones you buy taco seasoning in) that you can combine with water and beat into some kind of whipped cream substitute, but it’s made of vegetable starch and glucose syrup. (What Cool Whip is made of!) Also it’s hilariously advertised with the tagline “For a touch of fantasy and a perfect pleasure and thrill.” Sorry Croatia, the only thrill I’m getting is from the real stuff, not a “just add water” situation.
No. No you can’t. Not enough FAT. You can make “whipped cream” by adding powdered gelatin, but it won’t taste the same because again, FAT. Fat tastes good, and why are we making whipped cream in the first place and throwing it on everything from breakfast to dessert? Because it tastes good. Go buy some heavy whipping cream people. It’s WORTH IT.
Yes! Use it as a 1:1 swap for Cool Whip in any recipe. I’m not necessarily anti-Cool Whip but real cream is soooo much better.
Technically, yes. BUT, it takes a sure hand slowly dispensing sugar in tiny amounts through the whole whipping process or you end up with crunchy sugar granules in your whipped cream. NO THANK YOU. Use powdered sugar unless you have no other option! And even then, you can add your granulated sugar to a blender and process it until it’s powdered sugar, then use that instead.
How to Make Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar*, or more, I rarely measure this
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional, but not really
- pinch kosher salt, optional,
Instructions
- Chill your tools. Start by tossing your large bowl (or stand mixer bowl) and beaters into the freezer, if there is space. Refrigerator is fine too. Leave it in for 5-10 minutes in the freezer, 10-20 minutes in the fridge. Room temp is fine if you're in a rush—but if you just pulled it out of the dishwasher and it's hot, don't even think about it. Run it under cold tap water until it's cold, then dry all the way. If you're using a hand mixer, you want a high-sided bowl that's much larger than you'd think you'd need for such a small amount of cream. (If you skip this step, call me so I can laugh at you when you splatter cream all over the walls.)
- Add 1 cup of cold heavy cream to your bowl. (This recipe is so easy to double, triple, quadruple. You will just have to beat a little longer.)
- Add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (or more or less, see note.)
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or your preferred extract flavor.
- Stand mixer instructions: Attach the whisk and turn the mixer on to the lowest setting to start, then slowly increase the speed to medium high. Use a splatter shield, if you have one. (You can drape the entire mixer with a tea towel, if you are making a large batch and you're getting rained with cream.) Don't walk away! Watch it!
- The whipped cream will take 2-3 minutes to reach soft peak stage. You'll know you're there when the whipped cream looks thickened, smooth, and fluffy. Detach the whisk and flip it over. The whipped cream should peak and hold its shape—but just barely. It will droop a little but not lose its structure. It should be perfectly light and airy, not too liquid-y or heavy. It should look smooth, not textured.** (See note)
- Hand mixer instructions: Attach the beaters to your hand mixer, place them in the bowl with the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla, and turn it on to the lowest setting.
- Slowly increase the speed and keep the beaters moving but low, so the cream isn't spraying wildly out the bowl. Once you've reached the highest (or next to highest) setting, the whipped cream will only take 3 minutes or so to reach soft peak stage. You'll know it's done when the whipped cream looks thickened, smooth, and fluffy. Detach a beater and flip it over. The whipped cream should peak and hold its shape—but just barely. It will droop a little but not lose its structure. It should be perfectly light and airy, not too liquid-y or heavy. It should look smooth, not textured.** (See note)
- Use the whipped cream immediately on your favorite dessert, like Strawberry Shortcake or Lemon Lush or Crepes or Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie!
- Storage: Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days covered.
- Freezer instructions: Add whipped cream to a ziplock and freeze no longer than 2 months for best flavor. Let thaw completely in the fridge, then beat lightly before serving. Another method is to pipe the whipped cream in dollops or piped shapes on a silpat on a baking sheet. Flash freeze thoroughly, then transfer to a ziplock. Now they are ready for you to toss directly into your hot chocolate, pie, or your open mouth.
Notes
- Pecan Pie: ultra sweet dessert. Use less powdered sugar in your whipped cream.
- Cranberry Shortbread Bars: tart dessert! Add a little more powdered sugar to your whipped cream.
- Strawberry Shortcake: the strawberries are sweet, but the shortcake is not. You could go either way but I like an extra SWEET whipped cream for this dessert.
It turns out I’ve been over-whipping my cream! This is delicious – I’ll make butter some other day :)
I’m an Aussie and we also call it Squirty Cream 😂 I think it’s mostly because we almost always make our own whipped cream, and therefore ‘whipped cream’ to us means homemade. Please don’t judge us too harshly 😂
Ahaha!! I love it Gemma. No judgment at all, we call the canned stuff Reddi Whip but Squirty cream definitely wins 🤣 Also, how could I judge you when you make your own homemade whipped cream most of the time?? RESPECT.
Easy recipe with great results every time! Even in summer, after bowl and whip are freezer cold. Love the explanations in all your recipes, Karen. Very helpful. Also appreciate that you include the measurements within the recipe directions. Lastly, cream cheese makes an excellent stabilizer for whipped cream. You can’t taste it and the whipped cream stays airy and fluffy for quite a few days in the fridge.
Thank you so much Melinda I’m so glad you are enjoying all the recipes!! You are so right, I should have mentioned the cream cheese trick. It works like a charm if you beat the cream cheese reeeallly well first to make sure there are no lumps. And it does make the whipped cream slightly more tart, which in my book is never a bad thing. I use this method on the whipped cream for my French Silk Pie! Thanks for bringing this up! You are awesome.
You are so smart love your recipes
oh gawrsh Debbie! You are so sweet! I’m so happy to hear you are loving all the recipes!! Thanks for commenting, it’s so good to hear from you 💕