Homemade Sweetened Whipped Cream from scratch takes just 5 minutes to make with 3 simple ingredients, and the flavor and texture can't be beat!
Jump to:
So skip the store-bought topping and whip up a batch of this fresh, homemade whipped cream that's creamy, fluffy, and perfectly sweetened with a hint of vanilla. It's sooo much better!
Plus, you know exactly what's in it. There's no hard-to-pronounce mystery ingredients here. And it's so quick and easy, there's really no reason at all to not make it.
Don't all those desserts that are about to be made for Thanksgiving and the holiday season deserve it? I say YES (along with any other dessert you make throughout the year). It'll elevate them to the next level, and everyone will be impressed!
And, hey, even if you buy dessert, adding some fresh whipped cream can really help make it feel more like homemade!
Ingredients You Need
- Heavy whipping cream (or heavy cream)
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
Special Equipment Needed
- Electric mixer (hand-held or a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment)
No electric mixer? When making a small batch like this, you can absolutely make it by hand with a wire whisk (after all, that's how they used to do it before all the fancy gadgets). It will just take a little longer and your arms will get a bit of a workout!
How to Make Sweetened Whipped Cream
Note: This is just a quick overview of the steps. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe with detailed instructions.
This recipe makes a small quantity of whipped cream (1 cup), so I don't bother lugging out the stand mixer (I love it, but darn, it's just so heavy!). I think the hand mixer is perfect for the job - even if I was making a double batch or more - but use whichever you've got or prefer.
Tips & Tidbits
- COLD is key when it comes to making whipped cream! Make sure your cream is very cold and straight from the refrigerator. For extra insurance, you can chill your bowl and the metal beaters from your hand mixer or the whip attachment from your stand mixer by placing them in the freezer for about 10 minutes before starting.
- Beat the cream just until stiff peaks form. As you get closer to this point, you will notice that the beaters will start to leave a trace in the cream. Once you see this, keep checking it by stopping the mixer and lifting the beaters out of the cream. When the peaks stand up straight without curling over on themselves, you're there.
- Be very careful not to overbeat the cream, as it will start to deflate and get grainy and clumpy. This can happen very quickly once you get to the stiff-peak stage.
- If you've gone too far (as in it's well on it's way to becoming butter), you probably won't be able to save it.
- But if you've only overbeaten it a little, try slowly adding more cold heavy whipping cream while the mixer is running on low speed until the fluffy texture returns (how much extra cream you need will depend on how overbeaten the cream is).
- To prevent splattering, start the mixer on low speed and beat until the cream starts to thicken up a bit. Then turn the speed up to medium to finish. I don't use a high speed because you can more quickly and easily overbeat the cream.
- If you want a softer whipped cream, you can stop beating when soft peaks form (when you pull the beaters out, the peaks will stand up, but the tops will curl over on themselves).
- Homemade whipped cream is always best when it's freshly made (or on the day you want to serve it), so use it sooner rather than later (this is why I made it it smaller batches).
- Leftover whipped cream can last up to 1 to 2 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. After that, it can start to break down.
- Need a bigger batch? Just scale up the recipe for however much you want!
Put a dollop (or two or three...) on pie, cake, cheesecake, brownies, pudding, fresh berries, waffles, French toast, crepes, hot chocolate, lattes, milkshakes...you name it. Or use it to make strawberry shortcake, trifles and other layered desserts.
Endless possibilities!
I hope you try this Homemade Sweetened Whipped Cream recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Homemade Sweetened Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream, very cold
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Special Equipment
- Electric mixer (hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment)
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, beat just until stiff peaks form.As you get closer to this point, you will notice that the beaters will start to leave a trace in the cream. Once you see this, keep checking it by stopping the mixer and lifting the beaters out of the cream. When the peaks stand up straight without curling over on themselves, you're there.To prevent splattering, start the mixer on low speed and beat until the cream starts to thicken up a bit. Then turn the speed up to medium to finish. I don't use a high speed because you can more quickly and easily overbeat the cream.Be very careful not to overbeat the cream, as it will start to deflate and get grainy and clumpy. This can happen very quickly once you get to the stiff-peak stage.
- Best when served immediately (or on the day you make it). If not serving immediately, refrigerate it in an airtight container until ready to use.
Notes
- COLD is key! For extra insurance, you can chill your bowl and the metal beaters from your hand mixer or the whip attachment from your stand mixer by placing them in the freezer for about 10 minutes before starting.
- No electric mixer? Beat it by hand with a wire whisk. It will just take a little longer (and your arms will get a bit of a workout!).
- If you slightly overbeat your cream, you can try to fix it by slowly adding more cold heavy whipping cream while the mixer is running on low speed until the fluffy texture returns (how much extra cream you need will depend on how overbeaten the cream is).
- If you want a softer whipped cream, you can stop beating when soft peaks form (when you pull the beaters out, the peaks will stand up, but the tops will curl over on themselves).
- Need a bigger batch? Just scale up the recipe for however much you want!
- Leftover whipped cream can last up to 1 to 2 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. After that, it can start to break down.
Leave A Comment