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Making your own fresh whipped cream at home is much easier than you think it is, and tastes worlds better than anything you can buy!
Fresh, homemade whipped cream is one of those things that sounds super intimidating and like something you would never think to try your hand at making at home.
I’m here to tell you, it’s my job and duty as your resident recipe provider and baking coach to tell you… It’s not hard. And you can totally do this.
The first time I made whipped cream at home, I failed miserably. I beat it way too long, because I had no idea what I was doing or looking for.
I was essentially well on my way to butter, which is what you’ll get if you beat your cream long enough. Lucky for you, I took lots of (not so pretty) pictures along the way so you know just what to look for when you make your own whipped cream this weekend (see what I did there?).
First, you’ll need some whipping cream/heavy cream/heavy whipping cream.
Uhh… Why is dairy so confusing?
I’ll make this simple: fat content varies just a tad among the contents of these weirdly labeled cartons.
Whipping cream is typically around 30% milk fat while heavy cream/heavy whipping cream is sitting pretty at around 36%. Any of these are fine, just don’t try this with milk or even half-and-half. They just do not contain enough fat to be stable at a whipped state.
We want to drink (I mean whip?) the fat.
A bit of sugar and some vanilla extract hang out with your heavy cream to make one of the simplest “recipes” ever. Depending on what I’m using my whipped cream for, I use anywhere from ½ to 1 full teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Add as much or as little as you wish.
Next, you’ll attach the whisk to your stand mixer. You may also use a handheld mixer, but keep in mind, my instructions reflect the use of a stand mixer, which is typically much stronger than a handheld one. Times may vary, but the process will look the same.
Turn the mixer to medium speed. The mixture will start to get frothy and bubbly.
After about 2 to 3 minutes, the mixture will start to thicken.
Once it appears thick (the trail of the whisk will start to become visible), increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute.
At this point, your whipped cream should start to look “billowy” and the trails from your whisk will be quite distinct.
Pull the whisk out of the bowl and check that the whipped cream in the bowl has formed what are called “stiff peaks.” This is just a fancy term for “the whipped cream stays standing up when you pull something out of it.”
You can double check that your whipped cream is done by removing the whisk and flipping it upside down. If the peak stays tall without drooping off, it’s done.
If it’s still a bit droopy, put the whisk attachment back on the mixer and beat another 15 seconds on medium-high until stiff peaks form, checking after each 15 second increment.
For reference, I took about 25 photos of this pose right here ↓↓↓ and this was the very last shot. The photo shoot for just the whisk took about 7 minutes. A good peak will stay standing that long.
And just like that… You’ve made your own whipped cream at home! Use it for cakes, pies, fruit, or whatever it is you enjoy eating topped with a nice dollop of whipped cream.
I promise you, making your own whipped cream at home is much easier than you think it is.
It might take a bit of practice, but once you have it down, it’s one of those things that impresses your friends and your dessert guests because it tastes out-of-this-world better than anything from a can, or worse… CoolWhip. Blech!
USE HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM AS AN INGREDIENT OR TOPPING
And now, a list of my recipes that either include homemade whipped cream as an ingredient or topping or that are just begging for a dollop as garnish!
•chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream pie
•no bake peanut butter pie
•ice cream sheet cake
•gingersnap cheesecake bites
•no bake Cadbury egg pie
•no bake chocolate chip cookie dough pie
•no bake candy cane crunch pie
•classic pumpkin pie
•no bake mint chocolate chip pie
•anything that goes in my favorite homemade pie crust
•as a filling for any of my cakes
So there you have it! Let’s get to whipping, superstar! I believe in your peaks.
Homemade Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240g) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tablespoon (13g) sugar1
- ½ to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pour the heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Turn the mixer to medium speed. The mixture will start to get frothy and bubbly. After about 2 to 3 minutes, the mixture will start to thicken.
- Once it is visibly thick (you will be able to see the trail of the whisk), increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. At this point, your whipped cream should start to look "billowy" and the trails from your whisk will be quite distinct. Pull the whisk out of the bowl and check that the whipped cream in the bowl has formed what are called "stiff peaks." This is just a fancy term for "the whipped cream stays standing up when you pull something out of it."
- Double check that your whipped cream is done by removing the whisk and flipping it upside down. If the peak stays tall without drooping off, it’s done. If it’s still a bit droopy, put the whisk attachment back on the mixer and beat another 15 seconds on medium-high until stiff peaks form, checking after each 15 second increment.
- Use immediately on your favorite dessert. Store whipped cream covered tightly in the refrigerator up to 2 days. See notes2 for freezing instructions.
Notes
- Sugar: you can use granulated or powdered sugar here. I have used both and find a slightly smoother whipped cream with granulated. If you want to double or triple this recipe, powdered sugar is the way to go to keep everything light and airy.
- Freezing: freezing and thawing leftover whipped cream will diminish some of the “fluff” factor, but it’s doable and great for tossing onto slices of pie or into hot chocolate. See this tutorial for the best way to freeze it!
I have the same stand mixer as you. What # speed did you use? It goes up to 10, so is “medium speed” 4 or 6?
I usually use speed 3 or 4 for medium.
Thank you for posting this. I just got a new Kitchenaid and have never made whipped cream with a stand mixer. Love it! It is sooo good. Thank you, again
I’m so glad you liked it, Jo! Enjoy!
This might be the longest blog post to recipe ratio I have ever seen.
It’s unfortunate that you felt the need to leave this comment! If you’re interested in reading content that is even LONGER than this, and what real people and Google consider content of value, you might be interested in my lemon macarons, cake pops 101, or cut-out sugar cookies.
Thanks so much for visiting 🙂
Awesome instructions!!! Without this recipe I definitely would have over-whipped. Instead my whipped cream turned out great. Thank you!
I’m so glad you found it helpful, Debbie!
Lynn, I really appreciated the detail in your post–perfect for newbies, like me! I literally made this flawlessly the first try because of your pictures and descriptions. My mother and grandmother didn’t cook or bake much, so I have learned from others online, like you, who are so generous with their time and energy to share their wisdom, like a mentor! Thank you so much for this post! Can’t wait to check out your others!
Thanks so much, Emily! I appreciate your feedback and am so glad you were able to have success. Hope to see you around the blog again soon 🙂
I foud this quiet shocking that your generation find this information shocking. I’m glad you have informed them of what a better whip then canned or (belch) coolwhip oil is. You are right but I would add one comment you need not add any sugar it’s not needed and just furthers addiction, there is enough natural sweetener in milk products.you dont add suger to your glass of milk do you?