This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Learn how to make whipped cream with this easy 3- Ingredient Homemade Whipped Cream recipe! Skip the store-bought stuff – this stabilized sweet whipped cream is delicious and perfect for frosting cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, trifles and more!
Looking for more whipped cream recipes? Try these recipes for Baileys Chocolate Whipped Cream, Strawberry Whipped Cream and Mascarpone Whipped Cream!
*Post updated 3/21/19
Easy Homemade Whipped Cream
Growing up, we only knew of store-bought whipped cream. Making it homemade was just not a thing, so Cool Whip it was! When I made homemade whipped cream for the first time, I totally expected it to be difficult but it was SO easy! How had I not done this all along?! Once I realized my error, I never looked back!
How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream
You need three very simple things to make whipped cream. Just heavy whipping cream (or heavy cream), powdered sugar and vanilla extract. That’s it!
Start with cold cream. The colder the cream, the easier and more quickly it will whip. You could even freeze your bowl and whisk for 10-15 minutes before making it, but it isn’t really necessary.
I like to whip the cream on high speed and get a nice, stiff whipped cream. I’m usually using it to frost cakes, cupcakes or any other dessert and I want to make sure it stays put, so I whip it until stiff peaks form. What that means is that when you lift the whisk out of the cream after whipping it, it stays in place. You could whip it a little less, but that’s my preference in most cases.
Do be careful not to over-whip it though. You don’t want to walk away, because whipped cream happens quickly and if you leave it too long, you end up with butter. Cool, right?! But not what you want.
How to Stabilize Homemade Whipped Cream
Not only do I whip my cream until it’s stiff, I also use powdered sugar to ensure it doesn’t wilt. Because I use this whipped cream with desserts, it needs to stay in place for days at a time. I can easily pipe this whipped cream onto a cake or cheesecake and set it in the fridge and it’ll stay exactly as I left it. I’ve let things sit for a week or more and it stays as is.
My general rule for the ratio of heavy whipping cream to powdered sugar is 2:1. So for every cup of cream, I use about half a cup of powdered sugar. You can certainly reduce the powdered sugar a bit (and I often do) and it’ll stay fine, but that math is easy to work with if you’re making larger batches. I wouldn’t reduce it by more than a couple tablespoons though.
Can I Use Whipped Cream Instead of Cool Whip?
Because this whipped cream is so stable, it makes a great replacement for Cool Whip and other store-bought frozen toppings in recipes. And because I’ve been asked about that replacement so often, the recipe below makes the perfect amount for replacing 8 oz of Cool Whip.
Is Whipping Cream the Same as Heavy Cream?
They are very similar, but not the same. The difference is in the amount of milk fat. Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream contain 36% milk fat, while whipping cream (without “heavy” in the name) is lighter with 30% milk fat. Both will whip into whipped cream, but the “heavy” ones will hold their shape better and longer, making them the better option for this whipped cream.
More Whipped Cream Recipes:
Stabilized Mascarpone Whipped Cream
Strawberry Whipped Cream Two Ways
Baileys Chocolate Whipped Cream
Recipes to Use Homemade Whipped Cream With:
Black Forest Cake
Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
Tiramisu Cheesecake
Oreo Ice Cream Cake
Funfetti Cheesecake with Cake Bottom
Homemade Whipped Cream
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: about 2 1/2 cups
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
If you’ve ever wondered how to make whipped cream you’ll love this easy recipe with only three ingredients!
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream or heavy cream, cold
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment.
2. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
3. Use the whipped cream on any number of desserts including ice cream, cake, cupcakes, cheesecakes, trifles and more. Whipped cream will stay stable when stored in the fridge for at least 5-7 days after piping onto a dessert. I suggest piping it onto your dessert shortly after making it.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 2 1/2 cups
- Calories: 753
- Sugar: 63.5 g
- Sodium: 42 mg
- Fat: 54.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 64.4 g
- Protein: 4.3 g
- Cholesterol: 169.5 mg
Sent an email not sure it was sent
I searched and didn’t see one. Did you have question I could answer?
I use heavy cream for icing and frosting but the heavy cream is yellowish color. I add white gel color to make it white but it doesn’t look white. Could u plz suggest how to do this ?
Hmm, a trick that many people use for buttercream that’s a little yellow-ish is to add a very small amount of purple gel icing color. Purple is the opposite of yellow on the color wheel and helps bring back a white appearance. You could give that a try.
Can gel coloring be added to your stabilized whip cream for a colored frosting?
Yes, it can.
Do you have to use a stand mixer❓can you use a hand mixer❓
You can definitely use a hand mixer. Just in my experience, it doesn’t whip to quite as stiff of a peak. Still fine though.
How long do I need to whip
You should need to whip it for long. Usually just a few minutes, at most.
Why is my whipping cream not making peaks?
It’s hard to say from a distance. Are you using heavy whipping cream? And is it nice and cold? Are you using a stand mixer or hand mixer or something else?
I made this for my Nephew and his family. They have 3 young boys. This was my first time EVER to make an ice cream cake. I looked at a lot of different recipes for over 6 months but this was the one I chose and SOOOOO glad I did. This will ALWAYS be the ONLY recipe for ice cream cake. The family gave it a THUMBS UP, 10 STARS and LOVED IT!! The only thing I did was added more Oreo cookies for the crunch in the middle. The homemade whipping cream is AMAZING TASTING also. It tastes so close to coolwhip. NEVER again will I buy any coolwhip from the store. This is SOOOOO much better. Thank you for this recipe. God bless you for sharing your wonderful, and tasty recipes. I will DEFINITELY be using your recipes now.
Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
does this whip cream freeze well?
I’m not sure what you’re using it for so that makes it tough to answer fully. Yes, you can freeze it. That said, it needs to already be on the thing it’s going to go on in order to thaw well. For example, if you make the whipped cream and put it on an ice cream cake, and then freeze it, it does great. Or if you put it on a cheesecake and then freeze it and thaw it later, it’s great. But if you leave it in a bowl and freeze it, and then thaw it later and try to stir it back up, it will deflate. I hope that helps.
Can this recipe be doubled to make a large Trifle
Sure!
Question-can this be used on a frozen dessert? If so, how far ahead can I make the dessert? As in how long can it be frozen and keep its consistency.
Yes, you can use it on a frozen dessert. I do it all the time. It freezes well. How far ahead you make it may depend a little on the dessert you’re adding it to. The whipped cream will be fine frozen if well covered for up to 3 months.
I love this recipe so much
Thank you for this recipe. Should I use regular powdered sugar? Or confectioners sugar?
They are the same thing. It’s also sometimes called icing sugar.
Thank you for the recipe, tried it and it came out okay and the piping I did last night stayed in tact but it was not stable after whipping. Wish I had read the comment to add cornstarch to my powdered sugar – in South Africa our baking suppliers mill their own powdered sugar and don not add anything to it. Lindsay, what would be the ratio of cornstarch to powdered sugar – I would love to test it again.
I’m sorry you had trouble. It’s always hard for me to know the differences between ingredients in various countries. Unfortunately, I’ve never had to add my own cornstarch so I’m not sure how much.
My whipped cream came out perfect with the perfect sweetness level.
So glad to hear that!
This is a good recipe and you do get peaks stiff enough to decorate the tops of cakes and pies, BUT the whip cream curdles after refrigeration, usually after 24 hours in the fridge. I don’t know if it’s because of the quality of powdered sugar (sifted) and heavy cream I use or not. I beat until stiff and it’s usually smooth after.
I have used this recipe so many times and for so many years and I have never had it curdle in the fridge. Once it’s on the cake or cupcake, etc, it stays exactly as it was. If you leave it sitting in a bowl and then pull it out of the fridge and stir it up again, it will start to deflate. But I have never, ever seen it curdle. I have used lots of different brands as well, but perhaps it had something to do with your ingredients.
This is so great to know! And so easy!
Question: do you use a powdered sugar that contain corn starch? Or one that is jus very finely ground (to a powder!) sugar?
I usually grind my regular sugar to a powder if I’m making frosting or what have you, but I’ll add a bit of cornstarch or but the pre-mixed kind if that’s important!
I use powdered sugar that contains cornstarch.
Can it be frozen overnight? On an ice cream cake?
Yes, definitely
I used this for your ice cream cake recipe, but still need to perfect how much to whip for stability. I had to keep freezing as I iced the cake sides bit by bit. In the next, froze beautifully and tasted amazing! Will definitely try this recipe again.
What happens when u dont put the cream on desserts or cakes right away and u jst put it in the fridge
If you’re referring to putting the whipped cream in the fridge, it came be hard to do it that way because when you let the whipped cream sit and then restir it before using, it can start to deflate.
I love this recipe so much
Hi there!
If I wanted to make this into a chocolate whipped cream (no alcohol) so I can’t use your bailey’s recipe. How should I adjust it? Thank you so much in advance, I love all of your recipies!
I would reduce the powdered sugar to a fourth a cup and add a fourth a cup of cocoa powder.
Thank you so much!
Amazing
Can I use this in a recipe, meaning if a recipe calls for folding in cool whip with another base, will this fold in nicely and keep its consistency?
It’s hard for me to say that it would work for ALL recipes, but I’d say that it should. I use it for that purpose.
Can I use aresol whipped topping instead of the frozen whipped topping for pink salad
I believe that type of whipped topping will “melt” or deflate.
Hi,
Can I use a sugar substitute instead, for e.g. erythritol, would it keep its shape with this?
Thanks.
I haven’t tried it before, so I’m not sure.
Is there anyway to make it low carb or better for diabetics?
Don’t freeze the bowl or beaters for more than 10 minutes. Otherwise, tiny ice crystals form. Your leftover whipped cream will form a small puddle of water on the bottom of the bowl and the whipped cream will thin out. Never had leftover cake, so can’t comment on that cream loosening.
This is my go to recipe for frosting, pie topping, or anything that needs to be brought to the next level.
Hello,
Can I keep this whipped Cream in a piping bag for several days and use as needed?
I wouldn’t recommend that. Whipped cream does great once piped – it’ll hold it shape well. But letting it sit like that before piping has a tendency to ruin it in my opinion.
It taste so fluffy I will never buy whipped cream again thank you
Very thick and not overly sweet
Hi. I was wondering if you can add sweet condensed milk instead of sugar to this recipe?
I wouldn’t recommend it.
This recipe is awesome. I followed it to the T and got great results. I used it for a number 5 chocolate cake that I made for my neice’s 5th birthday where we did a virtual cake cutting ceremony due to lockdown. The whipped cream dollops were amazing and kept their shape for at least 8 hours. I wish I could share a picture….
Thank you for such a wonderful recipe. I will surely use it again!!!
I’m so glad you were happy with it!
I used this recipe to make a less sweet frosting for my husband. I was super proud of how it turned out. I did add some extra powdered sugar to help thicken it. It also worked great with crushed Oreos.
Tastes sooo much better than store bought!
If I use this on ice cream cake, how does it taste frozen? Is it still smooth or does it get a little icy/crunchy if you eat it straight from the freezer? I make my dh an imitation dq ice cream cake for his birthday every year and still haven’t found that perfect icing recipe that still tastes smooth when frozen! (And of course I never think to experiment throughout the year. I just wait until it’s his birthday time and then am stuck!) Thanks!
This is the whipped cream I use on all of my ice cream cakes, including my copycat DQ ice cream cake. It freezes as you would expect whipped cream to freeze. It’s going to be firm out of the freezer, but as it softens it’s the same as always. You’re going to have a hard time finding something similar to the DQ cake whipped cream that you can make at home because that whipped cream is commercially made with products that aren’t available to someone making something at home.
That makes sense! His birthday was the 8th and my daughter went ahead and whipped this up to put on top! By far the best one we’ve tried! It did stay smooth from the freezer and had a good flavor. Definitely saving and using this one from now on, thanks!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I have never made homemade whipped cream before, I have always been intimidated by it. But then I read this post and I knew I had to try it – you made it sound so easy! It really was – it mixed up so fast and it is sooooo delicious – thank you so much!!
1. When i make sponge cake at the time of maringue preparation it doesn’t get stiff i don’t know why. Can u just tell me the possibilities and for 5 white eggs how much sugar is nedded?
2 Is cream shanti and cream of tartar same?
Thanks
I just made this and I can’t believe how good this is. My brother said it’s better than regular whipped cream and I agree. Definitely will make this again
THIS WAS P E R F E C T!! Thank you so much for the easy delicious recipe 🤍
I’m just wondering, can I use half and half? I don’t have any whipping cream and half and half is all I have
I’m sorry, but half and half won’t whip properly. You’ll need heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
Ok thank you
Just “whipped” this up. Super easy and delicious! Thanks!
Fast, fluffy, and delicious
Thanks for a fast and easy way to make whipped cream!!
Can I use fresh milk cream
I’m not familiar with what that is. You need either heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. At least 36% milk fat.
Can I put fondant accents on this recipe
Will my fondant colors bleed or will they hold good like when they are on buttercream
TIA
I would think light weight fondant decorations would stick to it just fine, but you are right that they may bleed if they’re on there for more than 24 hours.
Does over mixing cause it to look like water or mushy (I couldn’t think of the right word)? And you can’t remix,right? I tried twice and failed.
Pls can i whip my cream With blender in absent of cake maker
I’ve personally never tried it, but I’ve heard of people doing it before so you could certainly try it.
Hi,
Could this frosting be able to pipe roses and Russian tips? If not, adding instant white chocolate pudding mix, help it stabilize and pipe?
Thanks
Hi, can I use whipping cream which has 35% fat?
That should be just fine.
I made this for a church luncheon, and put it in a 9 x 13 pan for easier cutting. I made a little extra crust and left the filling amounts the same. It was light, lemony, refreshing and delicious. Sometimes regular cheesecake is too heavy after a meal. With pretty whipped cream and lemon slice garnish it looked delightful on the tray as well. It was perfect! Thanks for sharing!
Good Morning!! I noticed on the Oreo Cheesecake Recipe it called for 1 cup of heavy whipoing cream but on this rwcipe it called for 1 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream. Which should i use 1 cup or 1 1/4 cup whipping cream??
Different recipes use varying amounts depending on what I’m making. You don’t need as much whipped cream for the cheesecake, which is why there’s less. Are you just making whipped cream? This recipe makes about 8 ounces of whipped cream.
Love your recipes. Thank you! Is powdered sugar the same as confectioners sugar?
Thank you! Yes, it is. 🙂
Great thank you!
How would this hold up for a wedding cake/cupcakes? Since they would be out for quite a while?
If inside and you use the right amount of powdered sugar, it should be fine for a good several hours. You could also try using gelatin. If outside though, I wouldn’t suggest whipped cream.
Good Morning,
Can I add color to this recipe?
Yes, gel icing color can be added for color.
This recipe came at just the right time! I am going to be making mini trifles for a part and wondered how I stabilize the whipped cream. Thank you for posting can’t wait to try it!!!
Yes, this will be perfect! I use it all the time in trifles. 🙂 Enjoy!
Help! Have been a subscriber of yours for years and LOVE your posts! But today, I cannot print the recipe. The screen is blank except for the blog credit line. What is wrong?? Thanks!
I’m not sure what was happening, but it should be fixed now. Thanks!
Hi Lindsay:
Thank you for all of your postings. I have a question re: stabilized whipped cream. You recommend a 2:1 ratio of whipping cream to powdered sugar, yet the recipe indicates: 1 1/4 c. of whipping cream and 1/2 c. powdered sugar. Should there be less whipping cream or more sugar, or does it really matter? Thank you kindly.
Such attention to detail! I love it! You could certainly add the additional 2 tablespoons to make it an even 2:1 ratio, but as long as it’s pretty close, it’s fine. I find that writing “1/2 cup + 2 tbsp” sometimes confuses people, so I kept it simple. 🙂
Hi Lindsay! For your no churn ice creams (for ice cream cakes), does the whipped cream have to be stabilized with powder sugar? I usually use the Isi Whip to make my whipped cream since it’s so fast!
Thank you!
I do use the powdered sugar as a stabilizer, yes. I’m not familiar with Isi Whip.
Hello,
Will this hold up in a pistachio dessert where it’s in a layer with cream cheese? Not get runny?
Thanks!
It should, just be sure to add the 2:1 ratio of powdered sugar so it stays firm. So for example, with 1 cup of heavy whipping cream use 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
Can this be made and put in the frig? To use on pumpkin pie or jello and such. Thanks so much!!
Yes, it can be stored in the fridge. Just be sure to use enough powdered sugar to stabilize it. I’d say I usually use a 2:1 ratio, so if I use 1 cup heavy cream, then I’d use 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
Hi Lindsay.. is one portion enough of this recipe enough for the no bake nutella cheesecake?
Yes, it is. 🙂
You can eliminate the sugar and extract by adding 1 to 1.5 tablespoon of Vanilla Instant Pudding. This gives the whipped cream a lot more stability as far a breaking up. Especially if used as a topping.
I found your page because I was trying to find a substitute for Cool Whip. I am trying very hard to avoid HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP in the dishes I make and the things I eat. It is BAD for you and it is listed as the third ingredient in Cool Whip behind water and corn syrup. I wish Kraft would develop a healthy way of sweetening food products, but until they do, I will continue to avoid their products.
I have not tried the heavy whipping cream but am in the process of making my dish as I type. I hope I remember to get back and post how it turned out.
I hope you enjoy the homemade whipped cream. I have started using it for most things these days and love it.
Hi just found your site thru google. You had said previously that you could freeze it? Can you or do you have that exact recipe?
Thanks
I don’t recall talking about freezing whipped cream. Did you just want to make it and freeze it for later use?
This recipe looks great! I would like to make the whipped cream for a chocolate mousse pie that I currently use cool whip for. In my recipe I melt a bar of dark chocolate, add a beaten egg yolk and mix in a box and a half of fat free cool whip. I place the mixture in a pie crust and freeze it. Would I be able to do the same with your recipe for the whipping cream? Thank you so much!
I would think it’d be fine. You’d want to use one and half of this whipped cream recipe.
How long can you store this in the fridge? Can you make a batch a freeze for a later use too?
It should be fine in the fridge for day or so. In fact, if I want it to hold up a little better, I’ll add between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. It thickens it and it’s less likely to “melt”. I have frozen versions with the additional powdered sugar before they’ve been fine.
hi! why do i need to freeze the metal bowl nd whisk ? can i just omit this procedure?
It’s best for the cream and utensils to be really cold so that the cream whips faster, but you don’t have to do that step. It’ll whip fine without it.
Hello, I came across your website when I searched for the no bake orea cheese cake and I wish to use the homemade whipped cream and I have a question! Do you recommand making the whipped cream on the day of making the cheese cake or can I make it the day before? If I make it the day before, should I freeze it for the next day or refrigerate it? Thank you so much!
It should be just fine if you make it the day before and put it in the fridge.
Hi Lindsay! I came across your blog while searching for no-bake Oreo cheesecake. Your recipe calls for 8 oz Cool Whip, but I would like to use homemade whipped cream instead, which is why I’m here 😀
So my question would be, how much heavy whipping cream is equivalent to 8 oz Cool Whip? Thanks in advance. Looking forward to trying out the no-bake cheesecake soon!
It’s about 1 1/4 cups of heavy whipping cream for 8 oz of Cool Whip.
Hi again Lindsay! I finally had time to try out the no-bake Oreo cheesecake using “homemade” whipped cream, and I LOVED it!! Thank you for your recipe and this guide!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you!
[…] tried her recipe for homemade whipped cream and that was tasty, but I think adding the extra sugar and vanilla here is unnecessary for our […]
What can you substitute for powdered sugar? And is all purpose cream okay? Aaaah I’m losing hope in making the no bake oreo cheesecake 🙁
You can substitute regular granulated sugar for the powdered sugar, or not use sugar at all. The sugar can help thicken and sweeten it, but isn’t totally necessary. As for the cream, I don’t want to say for sure (it’d be worth trying) but I think you need whipping cream. I hope it works for you! Did you look at the homemade cool whip link?
Where can I find the homemade cool whip link that you speak of ?
It’s been several years since I mentioned that and I’m not sure what I was referring to. You can google homemade cool whip, but for the most part, they are all various ways of making a stabilized whipped cream.
Gia,
If you take your regular sugar and use a food processor or blender, you can make your own powdered sugar. Takes a bit of patience but works beautifully.
[…] cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups peanut butter 8 oz Cool Whip, thawed (OR 1 recipe of homemade whipped cream) 1 20 oz bottle chocolate sundae syrup (Here’s the one I used) 1 20 oz bottle caramel sundae […]
[…] than buying whipped cream I decided to make my own, following Lindsay’s directions on how to do so (it will also be copied out below) but store bought whipped cream should be just as […]
mmmmm 🙂
Can anybody recommend a good brand of coconut cream that can be whipped within desserts (i.e. not Asian!), I am UK based and cannot seem to find anything here. Thank you Lindsay!
Hi Andrea – I haven’t experimented at all with coconut cream. I’m sorry.
Lindsey and Andrea: I wouldn’t use Coconut Cream as it is mostly used for mixing drinks. I use the full fat Coconut Milk of Taste of Thai brand. Has lots of coconut fat content and I have used it in many baking recipes. Though I haven’t tried whipping it. Stay away from the low fat version, may not give good results.
Check out minimalist baker- she has a vegan coconut cream pie and directions for using coconut cream. It’s delicious
[…] cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups peanut butter 8 oz Cool Whip, thawed (OR 1 recipe of homemade whipped cream) 1 20 oz bottle chocolate sundae syrup (Here’s the one I used) 1 20 oz bottle caramel sundae […]
Homemade anything is the best, but especially whipped cream! It’s so easy – we should never buy that horrid canned stuff. I just followed you on Instagram too – I love looking at pics of food and dogs (that’s essentially all that’s on my Instagram feed).
Homemade whipped cream definitely beats the canned kind. I have to admit though – I still dig my Cool Whip at times for convenience. 🙂
Is this firm enough to pipe with
Yes, it is.
This looks and sounds so good!! I love homemade anything!!
Thanks Jocelyn!
Thanks for the recipe…
put this on top of some homemade Chocolate Mousse its so good