Homemade Whipped Cream
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Homemade whipped cream is the easiest way to make any dessert feel special—and it’s ready in minutes.
Homemade whipped cream—also known as Chantilly cream—is one of the easiest ways to make any dessert feel special, whether you’re topping a pie, spooning it over fresh berries, or dolloping it onto a slice of cake. It’s just heavy cream and a little sugar, whipped until soft, billowy, and doubled in volume, but the flavor and texture are miles better than anything from a can or tub. Best of all, it takes just minutes to make.
The only real trick to making homemade whipped cream? Don’t overdo it. Whipped cream can go from silky and cloud-like to grainy in a flash. You’re aiming for soft to medium peaks—when the whisk lifts out of the bowl, the cream should gently hold its shape. This homemade whipped cream recipe shows you exactly how to get it right every time.
“I made this recipe and followed it to a T and wouldn’t change a thing. Everybody loved it!”
What You’ll Need To Make Whipped Cream
- Heavy Cream: You’ll need heavy whipping cream (30% to 35% fat) or heavy cream (minimum of 36% fat) – these two creams are interchangeable in recipes. For the fluffiest whipped cream, the cream must be very cold, so keep it in the fridge right up until you’re ready to use it. Note that organic heavy cream will give your whipped cream an off-white/yellowish hue, while regular cream will make a bright white whipped topping.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: This not only sweetens but also stabilizes the whipped cream, helping it maintain its shape longer. Granulated sugar also works, but confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar) is ideal because it dissolves easily. You’re going for a subtly sweet whipped cream, so just 2 tablespoons is sufficient.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Chill (if you have time) and start whipping. For more volume, pop your mixing bowl and whisk in the fridge or freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before starting—it helps give the cream more volume, but isn’t essential. Once ready, add the cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer and large bowl) and beat on medium speed (or medium-high with a hand mixer) until it begins to thicken, about 2 minutes.
Step 2. Add sugar and continue whipping. Add the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating on medium speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more. Keep a close eye—it’s usually ready sooner than you think, and can go from smooth and billowy to grainy and curdled fast. For extra insurance, stop the mixer once it’s close and finish whipping by hand using the whisk attachment. The cream should be smooth, soft, and just barely hold its shape, like the pic below.
Use the whipped topping on any of your favorite desserts, crepes, pies, pancakes, waffles, fresh berries, hot chocolate, and more! Whipped cream is best served fresh, but can be made up to 3 hours ahead. If making in advance, under-whip slightly and finish by hand just before serving.
Pro Tips For Fluffy, Stable Whipped Cream
- Skip light cream or half and half. These won’t whip up properly. You want something with at least 36% milk fat to get those soft, pillowy peaks.
- Don’t walk away. It goes from soft peaks to overwhipped fast. Keep a close eye, and stop as soon as the cream forms medium to stiff peaks—meaning it holds its shape but still looks smooth and billowy. (See below for how to fix overwhipped cream.)
- Add flavor if you like. A splash of vanilla extract is classic, but you can also mix in almond extract, citrus zest, cinnamon, maple syrup, or even a drizzle of liqueur.
- Need it to hold up longer? Add a spoonful of cornstarch, cream cheese, instant pudding mix, sour cream, or Greek yogurt along with the sugar for extra stability—perfect if it’ll sit out or be piped onto desserts.
- Don’t make it too far in advance. Fresh whipped cream is best within a few hours, but you can whip it up a few hours ahead and refrigerate until ready to use. Give it a gentle stir before serving if it’s been sitting.
- Use leftovers creatively. Leftover whipped cream can be dolloped onto coffee, folded into pancake batter, layered in parfaits, or frozen in little mounds to top hot cocoa later.
How To Fix Overwhipped Cream
You’ll know you’ve over-whipped the cream when it starts to look curdled and clumpy. In the photo on the left below, the cream is only over-whipped by a few seconds—you can still save it! Just add a few tablespoons of cold cream and gently whisk by hand until smooth. But if you’ve gone too far (think almost-butter, like the photo on the right), there’s no fixing it. All is not lost, though—keep whipping until it’s stiff, add a pinch of salt, and voilà: fresh homemade butter for your toast.
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Whipped Cream
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Ingredients
- 1 cup cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- If time allows, stick the bowl and whisk in the refrigerator or freezer for 10 to 15 minutes prior to making the whipped cream.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer), beat the cream on medium speed (or medium-high if using a hand mixer) until it starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and continue beating on medium speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more. Keep a close eye on it – it's always done before you think it is, and it goes from perfectly smooth and billowy to grainy and curdled in an instant. It should have a smooth, creamy texture and dollops should just barely hold their shape. If you're nervous about over whipping it, when it's close to done, remove the bowl from the mixer and finish whipping by hand (you don't need to dirty a whisk; simply hold the whisk attachment with your hand). Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours. If you don’t plan on serving it immediately, it’s best to under whip it slightly and then whisk it by hand to the desired consistency right before serving. Leftover whipped cream will keep for a few days in the refrigerator but will lose some of its volume. You may need to rewhip for a few seconds before serving.
- Note: If you accidentally over-whip the cream by a few seconds, you can salvage it by adding a few more tablespoons of cold cream and gently whisking it in by hand until smooth. If it's beyond repair (i.e., it looks like butter), continue whipping until stiff, add a pinch of salt, and spread it on your toast.
- Note: One cup of cream makes about eight ¼-cup servings. If you need more whipped cream for a larger dessert, keep in mind that whipping will approximately double the volume of cream, so if you need 3 cups of whipped cream, start with 1½ cups of heavy cream and 3 tablespoons of confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 110
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 11 mg
- Cholesterol: 41 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I added vanilla extract to mine as well. It gave it a little bump in flavor.
I did the same. Yum. Just a splash was enough.
I made this recipe and followed it to a T and wouldn’t change a thing. Everybody loved it!
I’ve made whipped cream this way for years but recently experimented with adding mascarpone to that basic mixture, after getting the whipping cream partially whipped. After adding some mascarpone (amount varies/haven’t measured it – just experiment!), I continue the whipping process with the cream, mascarpone and confectioners sugar, and it has turned out great. It holds its stability much longer, has a delicious creamy flavor and is, as you might expect, very rich.
This is what I’ve always done for whipped cream! Lol, I didn’t know there was a special name for it! (I thought I made it up, haha)….didn’t even know there was a science to it, which was interesting to read, yes, I’ve done all the right and wrong ones! It is FAR better than store bought, esp on hot cocoa!
Do you ever use a food processor to whip cream? I read that it makes for a more stable cream. Thank you and I always love your recipes. I find them so reliable and delicious!
So glad you like the recipes! I can’t say I’ve used a food processor. I’d be concerned that I’d overwhip it.