Perfect, pillowy clouds of whipped cream are perfect on any dessert! Homemade whipped cream only has two ingredients (cream and vanilla), and comes together in minutes - you don't even need to use a mixer! This is an unsweetened whipped cream - for a lightly sweetened whipped cream, use my chantilly cream recipe.
Hi hi! I am just popping in to share this recipe for my homemade whipped cream! While it doesn't seem like you should need a recipe for whipped cream, as a recipe developer I make it all the time, so I have quite a collection of tips and tricks I have gathered in my time!
Homemade whipped cream is super easy to make and can be done really quickly - I don't even use a mixer to make mine. It is perfect for finishing off a dessert in a beautiful way and is especially good for cutting the sweetness in certain recipes. You truly can't go wrong with freshly whipped cream. I love adding it to pies, bars, and cakes, or serving cold alongside a warm dessert.
This recipe makes enough to generously cover a pie, or enough to serve 6-8 people with whipped cream alongside a dessert. Scale it however you like!
The important question - should whipped cream have sugar in it?!
Personally, I don't like sugar in my whipped cream. I think it really depends how you grew up - I grew up in a purist whipped cream household, so we don't add sugar. It really is a personal preference thing, so you do you here!
If you want a sweetened whipped cream recipe, my chantilly cream is perfect for that and has a great cream to sugar ratio that isn't too sweet.
Whisk vs Mixer for whipped cream?
Unpopular opinion - I prefer to whip cream by hand. For some reason I really enjoy it - it is quick and easy and a great way to see the progress of the cream and to avoid over whipping it.
You can use whatever tool you want - an electric hand mixer works great, or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start with it on low speed and slowly increase the speed as you go - do not go over medium speed.
I do however recommend whatever method you use, stopping a little early and finishing it by hand to avoid over whipping.
You're probably over-whipping your whipped cream.
If you want to pipe your whipped cream or get those super pillowy clouds of cream, make sure that you're not over whipping it. Lots of recipes will tell you to shoot for stiff peaks - to me, this is too stiff. It is far too easy to over-work cream that has been whipped to stiff peaks. I like to shoot for medium peaks which are just past soft peaks. This means that if you want to pipe your whipped cream or get a nice dollop of it, it is the perfect texture.
Whipped cream is super fun to pipe - it especially looks good with an open or closed star tip.
It happens - fixing split whipped cream
This happens to the best of us, which is why I prefer to whip my cream by hand using a whisk so I can see exactly what is happening.
Don't freak out if this happens. You can easily fix it - just add a little more cold liquid cream, and gently fold in using a spatula. It should come back together nicely.
Heavy Cream vs Heavy Whipping Cream vs Whipping Cream - what is the difference?!
I came across this when I lived in the US - there are names for different creams. It all has to do with the milk fat in the cream. Whipping Cream is between 30-35% milkfat, so ironically is the least stable and won't hold its shape as well. Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the same thing, and have at least 36% milk fat, which means that they will whip into peaks easier, and hold their shape more. These are the best choice when you are making homemade whipped cream.
In NZ and quite a few other countries the minimum standard is 35% milk fat, so the 'regular' cream you buy is perfect for making whipped cream.
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Easy Fresh Whipped Cream
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Toppings
- Method: No-bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Perfect, pillowy clouds of whipped cream are perfect on any dessert! Homemade whipped cream only has two ingredients (cream and vanilla), and comes together in minutes - you don't even need to use a mixer!
Ingredients
- 400g (or ml) heavy cream / heavy whipping cream / cream, cold from the fridge
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Place the cream in a medium or large bowl. If you like, you can also chill the bowl ahead of time to keep things nice and cool.
- Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
- Using a whisk, electric hand mixer or stand mixer, whip the cream until soft to medium peaks form - how far you take it depends on personal preference and what you want to use it for.
- Use immediately, or store for up to a day in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Can I make whipped cream ahead of time? You absolutely can - I prefer it freshly whipped, but if you need to make it ahead of time and put on a pie or to store, you can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Why doesn't this recipe have sugar in it? This is how I prefer to make whipped cream. If you would like it sweet, check out my chantilly cream recipe.
This whipped cream recipe makes enough to generously cover a pie or to serve 6-8 people alongside dessert. Feel free to scale up or down depending on your serving size.