Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe

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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!

whipped cream on cupcake with sprinkles

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.

Homemade stabilized whipped cream used to make flowers on cake
whipped cream on black forest cake

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.

tiramisu cheesecake decorated with whipped cream
strawberry shortcake trifle

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

Print
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image of Homemade Whipped Cream on whisk
Recipe

Homemade Whipped Cream

  • Author: Lindsay
  • 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

Categories

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Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love hearing from you and seeing what you made!

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148 Comments
  1. Swapna

    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 ?

    1. Lindsay

      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.

    1. Lindsay

      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.

    1. Lindsay

      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?

  2. Nana

    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.






    1. Lindsay

      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.

  3. Marcia

    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.

    1. Lindsay

      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.

  4. Sandy Williams

    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.

    1. Lindsay

      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.

  5. Res1

    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.






    1. Lindsay

      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.

  6. Elizabeth

    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!

  7. Sheila

    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.






    1. Lindsay

      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.

  8. ss

    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!

  9. Denise

    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?

    1. Lindsay

      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.

  10. Joanna Hicks

    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.

    1. Lindsay

      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.

  11. Bhavi Shah

    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!!!






  12. Marcy

    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. 






  13. Mandi

    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!

    1. Lindsay

      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.

      1. Mandi

        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!!






  14. Erin

    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!!






  15. Elsabet Tesfaye

    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

  16. Izabella

    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






  17. Izabella

    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






    1. Lindsay

      I’m not familiar with what that is. You need either heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. At least 36% milk fat.

  18. Sujatha

    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

    1. Lindsay

      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.

  19. Tanya

    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.

  20. Anna

    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 

  21. Mary

    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!






    1. Katrina Christian

      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??

      1. Lindsay

        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.

      1. Shelley

        How would this hold up for a wedding cake/cupcakes? Since they would be out for quite a while?

      2. Lindsay

        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.

  22. Wendy C

    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!!!

  23. Cynthia Thelen

    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!

  24. Josephine Mullane

    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.

    1. Lindsay

      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. 🙂

  25. Jeanette

    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!

  26. Michelle

    Hello,

    Will this hold up in a pistachio dessert where it’s in a layer with cream cheese? Not get runny?

    Thanks!

    1. Lindsay

      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.

    1. Lindsay

      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.

  27. Cindy

    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.

  28. Cindy Jones

    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.

  29. Julie

    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

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      I don’t recall talking about freezing whipped cream. Did you just want to make it and freeze it for later use?

      1. Tzufa

        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!

      2. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

        I would think it’d be fine. You’d want to use one and half of this whipped cream recipe.

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      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.

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      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.

  30. Kim

    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!

  31. Karen

    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!

      1. Karen

        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!

  32. Mint Slice & Choc Oreo Brownie Ice Cream Cake | Sam in the Kitchen

    […] 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 […]

  33. Gia

    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 🙁

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      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?

      1. Lindsay

        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.

    2. Chef

      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.

  34. Snickers Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake | Food Art

    […] 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 […]

  35. No bake Oreo cheesecake! | The kitchen adventures of a custard bun

    […] 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 […]

  36. Andrea

    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!

      1. Jack

        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.

      2. Carol

        Check out minimalist baker- she has a vegan coconut cream pie and directions for using coconut cream. It’s delicious 

  37. Snickers Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Cake | Sli-Licious

    […] 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 […]

  38. gottagetbaked

    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).

    1. Life, Love and Sugar

      Homemade whipped cream definitely beats the canned kind. I have to admit though – I still dig my Cool Whip at times for convenience. 🙂

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

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