Ever since my nephew was little, one thing has been non-negotiable at dessert time—homemade whipped cream. No matter what’s on the table, his first question is always the same:
Cake? Where’s the whipped cream?
Cookies? Where’s the whipped cream?
Ice cream? Where’s the whipped cream?
He’s a teenager now, but not much has changed—he still skips the main dessert and goes straight for a big spoonful (or five) of this homemade whipped cream. And honestly? I can’t blame him. It’s that good.
The 3 Ingredients You Need For Homemade Whipped Cream:
Heavy Whipping Cream or Heavy Cream: Make sure you use heavy whipping cream or heavy cream for this recipe—”heavy” being the key word. Heavy cream has a higher fat percentage (36%) than regular whipping cream (30%) and will work best for this homemade whipped cream.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar will dissolve quickly into the cream. You can also use granulated sugar, but if you’re making a large batch you might start to notice granules of sugar in the whipped cream.
“Good” Vanilla: Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract (shop on Amazon) is the key to the perfect vanilla flavor of this whipped cream. It’s “good” vanilla as the Barefoot Contessa would say, and it really does make a difference in this recipe.
Tips & Troubleshooting:
- If you (slightly) overwhip your cream… add an extra splash of cream and gently fold it in using a rubber spatula. If the whipped cream is still too stiff, add another splash (and so on, until it reaches your desired consistency). Note that this will not save whipped cream that has started to separate and turn to butter—if that happens, just cut your losses and start over!
- Use cold heavy cream. The fat molecules in heavy cream trap air bubbles more effectively when cold. So, cold heavy cream will whip more easily and create lighter and airier whipped cream.
- Keep an eye on the whipped cream. If using a stand mixer, do not walk away from it as the cream is being whipped. It won’t take long for it to double in size ( just a couple minutes) and you do not want to overwhip it to the point of no return.
- Feel free to up the sugar. This whipped cream is lightly sweetened, but feel free to increase the amount of powdered sugar. Taste the cream about halfway through whipping and add more sugar if you’d like it to be sweeter.
- Whipped cream yields double the amount of cream you start with. So, if you need 4 cups of heavy cream, whip 2 cups of cold heavy whipping cream.
Serve this whipped cream on your favorite pie, this chocolate snack cake (pictured above), or your other favorite sweet treats. Read on for the recipe. Then, make sure to leave a rating and review when you’ve tried it for yourself!
Best Ever Easy Homemade Whipped Cream
Equipment (Shop on Amazon)
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer with whisk attachment
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream or heavy cream cold
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (my favorite "good" vanilla—shop on Amazon)
Instructions
- Add the cold heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a medium mixing bowl or to the bowl of your stand mixer.2 cups heavy whipping cream or heavy cream, ¼ cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Beat on the highest speed, which is a 7 for the KitchenAid hand mixer I use, until the cream has doubled in size (typically about 2-2½ minutes for me) or until it reaches your desired consistency. I prefer when the whipped cream creates soft peaks that hold their shape but bend easily. Be careful not to overwhip the cream as it could turn to butter. Halfway through, taste the whipped cream for sweetness and add more sugar if you'd like.
- Serve the whipped cream right away on your favorite pies, cakes, and other desserts. Store any leftover whipped cream in an airtight container in the fridge. Since this whipped cream does not contain stabilizers commonly found in store-bought varieties, use any leftovers within 1-2 days.
Notes from the Happy To Be Here Kitchen
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