Homemade Whipped Cream

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. Use this easy tutorial to get perfect whipped cream at home every time!

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 have now made dozens and dozens of batches of this whipped cream recipe AND taken lots of pictures along the way so you know just what to look for when you make your own whipped cream after your next trip to the grocery store.

Or maybe not? You might have what you need on hand already, and in that case… Let’s get to whipping!

Just three ingredients short.

First, you’ll need some whipping cream which can go by the name heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.

Let me break this down because, uhh… Dairy can be confusing, apparently.

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 and heavy whipping cream is sitting pretty at around 36%.

Any of these options 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. I usually just buy whatever is available and don’t prefer one over the other.

Whatever you can find will work great for my recipe for homemade whipped cream.

A bit of sugar (granulated or powdered– check the recipe for tips on this) 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.

If I’m making whipped cream for cake (like to fill it), I will use a little less vanilla than if I’m making whipped cream for pie or cheesecake.

Add as much or as little as you wish. You can always taste test (highly encouraged).

You can 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.

That said, times will vary when you use a handheld mixer, but the process will look the same. I go back and forth between my KitchenAid stand mixer and handheld mixer depending on what equipment I do or don’t already have out.

When in doubt, it’s not about how long to beat whipping cream, but rather what stages to beat whipping cream through to achieve the desired result.

Put your cream, sugar, and vanilla into the bowl of your stand mixer (or large bowl, if you’re using a handheld mixer).

Turn the mixer to medium speed (KitchenAid stand mixer speed 4 or 5, handheld mixer speed 2 or 3). 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 (KitchenAid speed 7 or 8, handheld mixer speed 4 or 5) 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.

For your final product, you want the whipped cream in the bowl to have 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 10-15 seconds on medium-high (KitchenAid speed 7 or 8, handheld speed 4 or 5) until stiff peaks form, checking after each 10-15 second increment.

You’d be surprised how much just 10 seconds at a slightly slower speed can do to home whipped cream that is close to being finished.

For reference, a good peak will stay standing just like the photo below for quite some time.

And just like that… You’ve made your own whipped cream at home!

You’ll get more familiar with the texture you prefer the more you make it.

Use that 10-15 seconds at medium-high speed rule to adjust. And remember– you can always make it stiffer, but you can’t make it lighter.

Use your fresh whipped cream 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!

So there you have it! Let’s get to whipping, superstar! I believe in your peaks.

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5 from 6 votes

Homemade Whipped Cream

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. Use this easy tutorial to get perfect whipped cream at home every time!

Prep Time10 mins

Total Time10 mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Recipe Author Lynn April

Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240g) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tablespoon (8g or 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 (KitchenAid stand mixer speed 4 or 5, handheld mixer speed 2 or 3). The mixture will start to get frothy and bubbly. After about 2 to 3 minutes, the mixture will start to thicken.
• Once mixture is visibly thick (you will be able to see the trail of the whisk), increase the speed to medium-high (KitchenAid speed 7 or 8, handheld mixer speed 4 or 5) 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 10-15 seconds on medium-high (KitchenAid speed 7 or 8, handheld mixer speed 4 or 5) until stiff peaks form, checking after each 10-15 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

1. Sugar: you can use granulated or powdered sugar here. I have used both and find a slightly smoother whipped cream with powdered. If you want to double or triple this recipe, powdered sugar is the way to go to keep everything light and airy. For 1 Tablespoon of sugar, powdered sugar will be 8g and granulated sugar will be 13g.
2. 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!

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