Homemade whipped cream is easy as pie! Much easier than pie, actually…one ingredient (cream!) and a few tips result in excellent whipped cream.

Homemade whipped cream is easy to make and the most delicious whipped cream you can eat. Whipped cream is made of one ingredient: heavy cream. Other flavorings are easy to add and change it up depending on where your whipped cream will land. The “non-dairy whipped topping” of yesteryear is best left there!

We whipped our cold heavy cream by hand with a big balloon whisk in culinary school, which has its advantages: you have more control with the slower whipping process and less likelihood of over-whipping the cream. But a stand mixer, hand mixer, or any electric mixer with a whisk attachment is usually just the ticket, my favorite ticket!, for the fluffiest whipped cream without a sore arm….

Ingredients

Heavy cream. That’s it! For best results, way better than store-bought stuff, you’ll want to use high quality, organic heavy whipping cream from the grocery store.

Sweetener, which is optional. Use granulated sugar or confectioners’ sugar 

How to make Homemade Whipped Cream

Step 1. Chill the cream and the bowl if there’s time. A cold bowl and heavy cream help get the right texture, light and airy yet stable.

Step 2. In the bowl, add the cream and, if using, sweetener. Start beating on low speed and as the cream starts to thicken, increase to medium speed and beat until soft peaks form. Stop and lift the whisk with cream on it to test the thickness, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. This is where it paying close attention is . Be sure to watch the amount of time you’re whipping so as to get the perfect end result. 

Tips and Variations

• There are easy ways to fix over-whipped cream: add a little bit of cream back to the mixture to get it back to the soft peak stage. 
• Use heavy whipping cream and only heavy whipping cream. Half and half will not whip. Avoid light whipping cream, whole milk, light cream, or any other variety that doesn’t have enough milk fat. 
• Everything needs to be cold. Chill the cream right up until just before whipping. You can also chill the bowl (and even the whisk) for added good measure; a metal bowl is best because it holds the cold so well. When you start with cold cream and a chilled bowl, the cream whips up more readily and with greater volume.
• With the mixer, start on low speed until the cream starts to thicken; this avoids spraying the cream while it’s still  liquid. As the cream gets thicker and begins to take shape, turn the mixer to medium-high speed. Watch closely so that the cream whips into big fluffy mounds—soft peaks. Stiffer peaks will come very quickly after soft peaks form. This is the moment to take care and stop-and-start so you can avoid over-whipped cream that is on its way to becoming homemade butter.

How to fix whipped cream

If you do take the cream too far, indicated by chunkiness that can’t be stirred out, save it by stirring in a tablespoon or so of cold cream to correct and smooth it out.

Make-ahead

Whipped cream can be made ahead and kept in a glass or plastic airtight container in the refrigerator. It’s best used within a couple of hours, but I’ve seen whipped cream looking great even the next day.

• Sweeten whipped cream with one tablespoon of granulated sugar per cup of cream, if you like. Powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) dissolves even faster, though ultimately they both perform the same. Other sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup work well too—just lighten these sweeteners with some of the cream stirred into them before adding them to the whipping bowl with the cream before whipping for easier incorporation.
• To flavor the cream, add extract (a teaspoon of vanilla or mint, or a few drops of rose water or orange blossom water) at the start with the sugar before whipping.

What are the different peak types?

As cream whips, it’s stages are referred to “peaks”: soft peaks, medium peaks, and stiff peaks. Soft peaks barely hold their shape, they flop over when you take the whisk out. Medium peaks hold relatively well, but the tops still slightly curl over. Firm peaks totally hold their upright shape, though eventually these too will fall (unlike meringue). 

Can I pipe it with piping tips?

Piping will work with whipped cream as long as it has been beaten to stiff peaks. Stabilized whipped cream which includes dissolved gelatin (add it at the start of whipping), is the best whipped cream for piping because it holds its shape so well. Using a piping bag lets you create decorative patterns in different ways, and is a fun way to elevate your desserts. Make sure you squeeze all of the cream towards the tip end of the bag so as to get rid of air bubbles before you start piping. 

How do you sweeten whipped cream?

It accepts nearly any sweetener you can think of or have on hand. Granulated sugar, sifted confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, agave, and honey are all good options. Flavoring variations are vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, a dash of cocoa powder, almond extract, espresso powder, orange extract, or orange blossom water and/or rose water.

How long does whipped cream last?

It will still be good to use the next day if you store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Can You Freeze Whipped Cream?

Freezing doesn’t have the same light and airy quality as freshly whipped. Because it is so easy to make, it’s best to make it when you need it than it is to make ahead and freeze it. You can easily freeze heavy whipping cream and use that, thawed, to make it.

Can Whipped Cream Replace Cool Whip?

Depending on your recipe, homemade whipped cream is almost always a fine replacement for cool whip in recipes. 

What to Serve With Homemade Whipped Cream

Use this simple whipped cream on any of your favorite desserts. Some of mine are pies of any kind (especially Pecan Pie Bars and Dutch Apple Pie), Olive Oil Brownies with a scoop of ice cream too, a scoop into my Thick Hot Chocolate, pumpkin pie, strawberry cake, and perhaps the easiest dessert ever: a dollop of homemade whipped cream on a cup of fresh fruit!