Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe

Bookmark this homemade whipped cream recipe: in just 5 minutes you’ve got sweetened whipped cream that tastes infinitely better than store bought stuff! 

Not much can beat the taste sensation that is real whipped cream. Although most recipes tell you to use an electric mixer, Alex and I have found that using a regular whisk is easier—not to mention whipping cream by hand is oddly therapeutic. The ingredients needed to make this homemade whipped cream recipe are simple: heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. That’s it!

If you’re learning how to make real homemade whipped cream from scratch for the first time, don’t stress. It takes only a few minutes, and the final product is unlike anything you’ll get at the grocery store. Move over, Cool Whip! Alex and I have used this homemade whipped cream recipe for over 10 years. It’s our tried and true topping desserts, perfect on top of strawberry shortcake or a tall glass of berries and cream.

Related: Want a plant-based option? Try Coconut Whipped Cream

Whipped cream ingredients

How do you make this homemade whipped cream recipe? Once you’ve made it once, you’ll never go back to store-bought: trust us! The homemade variety is so simple to make, a shaker can is absolutely not necessary. And all you need is three ingredients! Here are the whipped cream ingredients you’ll need:

• Heavy cream
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract

What is whipping cream? Is heavy cream and whipping cream the same? Heavy cream and whipping cream are essentially the same thing: both must contain at least 36% or more milk fat. Whipping cream is lighter and has 30% to 35% milk fat; heavy cream has 36% or more milk fat. You can use either heavy cream or whipping cream in this recipe.

You might be wondering, can you make whipped cream with half and half or milk? No, do not even attempt it! Half and half and milk don’t have enough fat content to thicken when they are whipped.

How to make whipped cream

Now, how to make whipped cream? WHIP IT. Contrary to what you might think, it’s actually easier to make this homemade whipped cream recipe if you don’t mix the cream in circles. Instead, you should whisk the cream back and forth, kind of like you’re cutting through it. One thing that makes it easier to whip: chill the bowl and cream before starting. This will make it whip up faster, which your forearms will thank you for later.

Before you jump in, here are a few small notes about this homemade whipped cream recipe:

• Whip until you reach the desired consistency. You can go with a looser cream: this can be a nice for topping a shortcake or a chocolate cake. Or whip more to get to firm peaks: this will have a fluffier texture. Whatever you do: don’t whip too long, or it will turn to butter!
• Add more or less powdered sugar to suit your tastes. We like our whipped cream very lightly sweetened, especially if we’re enjoying it with sweet, in-season fruit. If you’d like a sweeter whipped cream recipe, add half a tablespoon of powdered sugar in at a time. You can always add more sweetener, but you likely won’t have any heavy whipping cream left to balance out the sugar if you add too much.

How to store this whipped cream recipe

This homemade whipped cream recipe is best made the day of serving. But how long does whipped cream last? Stored in a sealed container, whipped cream can last 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator. Bring it back to life by whisking it up moments before serving. Personally we prefer making it fresh right before serving, but this method works too!

Can you freeze whipped cream? You actually can! Place small dollops onto a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze them, then peel them off and place them in a sealed container.

How to make vegan whipped cream?

You can make a vegan whipped cream by whipping the solidified cream from a can of coconut milk. Here’s our Coconut Whipped Cream recipe.

Can you use a KitchenAid for whipped cream?

Yes, you can use a stand mixer or KitchenAid for this whipped cream recipe, using the whisk attachment. Follow the instructions below and allow the mixer to whisk to the desired consistency. Alex and I prefer whisking by hand versus using a KitchenAid simply because we enjoy the satisfaction of making it with our own two hands. But if you prefer, by all means use your KitchenAid mixer!

Types of homemade whipped cream

There are lots of types of homemade whipped cream recipes, from healthy to bourbon-infused to dairy free! Here are our favorite variations.

Looking for more easy dessert recipes?

This lightly sweetened homemade whipped cream recipe pairs recipe well with any number of desserts. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Berries and Yogurt Whipped Cream: Use this whipped cream recipe to pair with seasonal berries: or try this yogurt whipped cream! It uses Greek yogurt to make for a tangy, lightly sweet cream that has a boost of health.
• Poached Pears with Pecan Granola: These wine poached pears are an elegant fall or winter dessert! Top with crunchy pecan granola and a dollop of this whipped cream.
• Simple Raspberries and Cream: Our favorite way to eat this whipped cream recipe: simply with ripe summer berries! It’s a simple treat that tastes incredible.
• Strawberry Vanilla Shortcakes: When strawberry season is on, there’s not much better than strawberry shortcakes! Our shortcakes are made with Greek yogurt to keep them moist and topped with crunchy turbinado sugar.
• Easy Bananas Foster: Instead of serving with ice cream, throw a dollop of whipped cream onto our bananas foster recipe! It’s the perfect light counterpoint to the caramel rum sauce.
• Simple Apple Crisp in a Jar: Of course, what’s better than apple crisp with a dollop of fluffy whipped cream?

Looking for more gluten-free desserts?

• Perfect Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
• Fudgy Flourless Brownie Pie
• Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt Dots
• Chocolate Tahini Vegan No-Bake Cookies
• All Natural Strawberry Yogurt Pie
• 46 Gluten-Free Desserts That Won’t Give You Flour FOMO

This homemade whipped cream recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. If you’re trying to avoid refined sugars, you can omit the powdered sugar (it’ll still taste good, but it won’t be sweet).

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