How to Make (Perfectly Easy) Homemade Whipped Cream

Creamy, dreamy Homemade Whipped Cream is the finishing touch to many desserts. With just 3 simple ingredients you can make this perfect topping for your favorite desserts in just a few minutes.

Why not whipped cream? It is the one topping for desserts that goes with so many different flavors and textures. Although store-bought whipped topping is convenient, real homemade whipped cream can be made as sweet as you like and can even be flavored to complement your dessert. It also contains only natural ingredients and no preservatives when you make it a home.

Jump to Recipe

Homemade whipped cream, also called Chantilly Cream, is one of the simplest recipes you can learn to master, and you can use it on so many desserts and treats! It requires no cooking or baking and whips up in mere minutes.

So here's all of the details you need on how to make perfectly easy homemade whipped cream.

Jump to:

• What to Serve with Whipped Cream
• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredients
• How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream
• ♡ Pro Tip!
• How to Stabilize Whipped Cream
• How to Recover Broken Whipped Cream
• What are ribbons, soft peaks, medium peaks, and stiff peaks?
• My Top Tips
• How to Change the Flavor of Whipped Cream
• Whipped Cream Flavor Variations
• Equipment
• Make-Ahead & Storage
• Great Treats to Serve with Whipped Cream
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why This Recipe Works

I grew up in a home that never purchased whipped topping that was frozen or even refrigerated in a can. Although those products are super convenient, my family preferred the flavor of whipped cream on their desserts, especially homemade pumpkin pie. So, the grocery list for Thanksgiving dinner always included "½ pint heavy cream", which is 1 cup and just enough to make whipped cream for a whole pie.

The recipe for whipped cream is so simple. All you need is heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Make sure the heavy cream is super cold and for the quickest time to whip up the cream, refrigerate the bowl and beaters too.

If you plan to pipe your whipped cream onto your dessert you will need to stabilize the heavy cream and chill the whipped cream thoroughly before piping it. I listed several methods for stabilizing whipped cream and each one works well and has its merits.

Lastly, there are lots of flavor variations you can try and I've got you covered so that you can find the best homemade whipped cream recipe to crown your special treat.

So, let's cook!

Ingredients

Here's what you need to make the best homemade whipped cream:

• Heavy Cream - Use only full-fat heavy cream or a cream that is labeled "whipping cream". The fat content is very important and should be at least 36%. Lower-fat creams will not whip.
• Confectioners' Sugar - I prefer to use confectioners' sugar which is also called powdered sugar. It dissolves quickly and many brands contain a very small amount of cornstarch that stabilizes the whipped cream.
• Vanilla Extract - Any vanilla extract is delicious. Imitation, clear vanilla flavoring is fine and will give you snowy white whipped cream, but if you can splurge use a pure vanilla extract from Madagascar or the Isle of Bourbon (also called Reunion).

Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream

This easy whipped cream recipe makes up super fast.

Prepare Bowl and Beaters. Chill the bowl, beaters or whisk, and heavy cream in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before making whipped cream.

If you are short on time you can chill just the bowl and the beaters or whisk in the freezer for 10 minutes and still have a great result.

Beat Ingredients. To the chilled bowl add the cold heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat with a hand-held mixer on medium-high speed until the cream thickens.

If you are using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment move the whisk around the sides of the bowl so that all of the cream is beaten.

Then switch to low speed until stiff peaks form. The cream will go from soft peaks to stiff peaks very quickly. Take it slow and do not overbeat the cream.

Serve. Serve now or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours to serve later.

How to Recover Broken Whipped Cream

Broken whipped cream is not soft and creamy. Instead, it is very stiff and highly textured with tiny clumps of butter fat. The picture above shows the difference between perfectly whipped cream in the center bowl and broken whipped cream in the top left bowl. If you continue to vigorously beat broken whipped cream you will get butter.

If the cream has turned to butter, you will have to start over. But if the whipped cream has become over-beaten and too stiff, or you have very small clumps, you can try to recover it by very slowly drizzling in a tablespoon or two of cold heavy cream while very slowly beating to loosen it. Do not beat it fast or the whipped cream will continue to seize and break.

My Top Tips

♡ Start with everything cold, cold, cold. Chill the bowl, beaters (or whisk), and cream for at least 30 minutes.

♡ If using a stand mixer do not let it run unattended. The heavy cream can turn to butter in an instant.

How to Change the Flavor of Whipped Cream

Vanilla is no doubt the queen of flavors and it’s hard to go wrong choosing it to flavor whipped cream. Because it is so versatile, it goes with nearly everything. But some desserts can be kicked up a notch just by flavoring the whipped cream with a complementary flavor.

Use an Extract

Many flavors can be added to whipped cream just by adding an extract. Extracts are very concentrated, so a small amount is all you need. Generally, the best extract flavors for flavoring whipped cream are almond, maple, lemon, orange, coconut, banana, and rum.

Use Liquors or Liqueurs

Both liquors and liqueurs can be used as a flavoring. Use one tablespoon or up to ½ of a shot of your favorite spirit or liqueurs like whiskey, brandy, rum, crème de menthe (mint), Kahlua (coffee), Grand Marnier (orange), or Frangelico (hazelnut).

Add Citrus Zest

You can add up to 2 teaspoons of lemon, lime, grapefruit, or any other citrus fruit to 1 cup of whipped cream to add a subtle citrus flavor.

Add Flavored Gelatin

The beauty of adding flavored gelatin is you get a twofer. Flavored gelatin will act as a stabilizer and will add flavor. You can add up to 2 teaspoons of flavored gelatin dissolved in 1 tablespoon of cold water.

Another bonus of using flavored gelatin is that it will softly color whipped cream. Lemon gelatin will tint it yellow, strawberry will tint it pink, etc.

Add Instant Pudding

Who knew? If you are out of vanilla extract you can use vanilla instant pudding to flavor whipped cream. Instant pudding mix is also a twofer!

It contains modified cornstarch that will also stabilize whipped cream. Add up 1 tablespoon of vanilla instant pudding and reduce the confectioners' sugar to 2 teaspoons.

Don't Discount the Value of Vanilla Extract

There's a reason the French use vanilla extract when they make whipped cream! Vanilla gives a smoothness to flavors and sometimes it is best to still include a splash of vanilla as a backdrop for a flavor such as when using almond and rum.

While you might crave a lemon whipped cream, adding a smidgeon of vanilla extract will reduce the sharpness of the lemon and give a greater depth of flavor that will make the lemon all the more pleasing.

Whipped Cream Flavor Variations

• Lemon. Simply add up to 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and substitute lemon extract for ½ of the vanilla. Do not add lemon juice as it may curdle the cream.
• Almond. Add ½ teaspoon almond extract in addition to the vanilla.
• Banana. Add ½ teaspoon banana extract in addition to the vanilla.
• Brandy. Increase the confectioners’ sugar to ¼ cup and add 1 tablespoon of brandy.
• Caramel. Omit the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Beat the cream to loose peaks. Add 3 tablespoons caramel sauce and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Cinnamon. Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon in addition to the vanilla.
• Coconut. Add 1 teaspoon of coconut extract.
• Creamsicle. Add ½ teaspoon orange zest and ½ teaspoon orange extract in addition to the vanilla.
• Espresso/Coffee. Add 1 teaspoon espresso powder in addition to the vanilla.
• Maple. Add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or ½ teaspoon maple extract.
• Nutella. Beat the cream to loose peaks. Add 2 tablespoons of Nutella and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Peppermint. Add ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract. (Mint is a very strong flavor!)
• Pumpkin Spice. Add ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice in addition to the vanilla.
• Rum. Increase the confectioners’ sugar to ¼ cup and add 1 tablespoon of brandy.
• Rose. Add ¼ teaspoon of rose extract or a few drops of rose water in addition to the vanilla.
• Strawberry. Version 1 - Omit the vanilla extract and add 2 tablespoons of strawberry jam. Version 2 - Omit the vanilla extract and add 1 teaspoon of strawberry gelatin mix dissolved in 1 tablespoon of cold water.
• Whiskey. Increase the confectioners’ sugar to ¼ cup and add 1 tablespoon of whiskey.

Equipment

An electric mixer makes quick work of making perfect whipped cream. I prefer to use a hand mixer with a whisk attachment which is super fast and convenient, but you can also use a stand mixer, or beat the cream by hand with a whisk. 

Beating the cream by hand will take longer but you will get an excellent result without the fear of winding up with homemade butter.

Make-Ahead & Storage

You can make Homemade Whipped Cream for up to two hours before serving it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until serving time.

If you use a stabilizer it will keep in the refrigerator in a sealed airtight container for up to 3 days.

Great Treats to Serve with Whipped Cream

📖 Recipe