The Best Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to whipping cream? ›

Start with a cold bowl and beaters (or a cold balloon whisk, if you're whipping by hand). It's the fat in cream that helps trap the air bubbles that make it light and fluffy. If it gets too warm, the fat melts and the air escapes.

It is also for this reason that you only want to use confectioner's sugar to sweeten the cream. Granulated sugar will not be touched by the whisk attachment, and will sit at the bottom of the bowl, undissolved. As with the hand mixer, try to use lower speeds with the stand mixer, so you get a more even whip.

Add whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the chilled bowl of a standing mixer (or chilled mixing bowl). Use the wire whisk attachment to a standing mixer, or a hand-held mixer, and beat the ingredients together, starting on low speed and increasing to high slowly as it begins to firm up.

Keep everything as cold as possible. Fat is more stable at low temperatures, so the foam will stay intact better when your beaters, bowl and ingredients are cold. Use a stainless steel bowl, not glass, and keep cream refrigerated whenever it's not being used. If you are sweetening the cream, use powdered sugar.

If you're using a stand mixer or hand mixer, keep an eye on your speed. It's tempting to go fast, but keeping the speed between medium and medium-high helps make sure you don't overshoot that perfect soft billowy stage and start going grainy.

Yes, you can make whipped cream with half and half. However, it may not be as thick or stable as whipped cream made with heavy cream due to the lower fat content.

Grab a cold bowl, and chill your heavy cream before beginning; cold cream whips better. Once chilled, use a whisk to beat the cream back and forth until soft peaks begin to form. Be patient with the process, and you'll have soft, whipped cream in no time.

You can use coconut cream or milk as a substitute for heavy cream. Chill the can of coconut cream or milk in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Open the can and scoop out the solidified cream, leaving the liquid behind. Whip the cream with a hand mixer or stand mixer until it reaches the desired consistency.

Whipped cream will hold for 2 to 3 hours in most cases, although this time is shortened in warmer weather. The point is that unless you are making your topping more than a couple of hours ahead, you don't need to worry about your whipped cream deflating.

How to make heavy whipping cream from scratch? ›

Place the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl (you can use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or use a hand mixer). Beat at medium until frothy and beginning to thicken, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until you start to see trails left by the beaters. Stop and scrape the bowl.

Whipped cream is the finished topping that we all know and love. Whipping cream is the base for whipped cream. It has an increased amount of milk fat, which is what contributes to the fluffy texture of whipped cream.

If you're making a stacked dessert with whipped cream, and the recipe calls for a particular stabilizer, it's best to use what is recommended. If you must make a substitution, Instant ClearJel is still the best choice, but cornstarch, crème fraîche, mascarpone, and plain yogurt will all work well too.

Transfer your whipped topping to an airtight container — or store it right in a piping bag! Keep in the coldest part of your refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. If it becomes too soft, simply whip it again with a little extra powdered sugar or cold cream. You can also freeze homemade whipped topping for up to 2 months!

Are you using chilled heavy cream, and confectioners sugar? Using those may help. If you're already doing that, maybe try a little cornstarch as a stabilizer (not too much though). Finally, you will want to make sure it's cool enough- any whipped cream will go flat if it's on a hot item, or if it's too hot in the room.

You're not chilling your cream. Using room temperature cream is the cardinal sin of whipped creamery and the number one reason for whipped cream not thickening. If it reaches above 10°C, the fat inside the cream will not emulsify, meaning it can't hold the air particles which allow it to maintain fluffy peaks.

To prevent a structural disaster and avoid a soupy, unstable mess, though, you can stabilize it by adding Instant ClearJel, cornstarch, or another dairy ingredient like mascarpone or crème fraîche. To keep whipped cream light and fluffy for longer, you can stabilize it.

To achieve stiff peaks, you will need to continue mixing the cream until it forms very stiff, upright peaks that stand straight up when you lift the beater or whisk out of the bowl. As with firm peaks, it is important to stop mixing as soon as you reach this stage to avoid over-whipping the cream.