You really can’t go wrong with homemade sweetened whipped cream, flavored with the perfect touch of vanilla. There are endless uses, from a dollop on your morning coffee, to a spoonful on cakes like Brown Butter Peach Upside Down Cake, on fruit like Honey Butter Roasted Pears, or on Chocolate Pots de Creme. Let’s be honest…do you really need anything more than a spoon and a bowl of vanilla whipped cream?
The best part about this recipe is that it’s the right amount of sweet from powdered sugar that blends seamlessly into whipped cream for a smooth, ultra-creamy finish. Better yet, powdered sugar stabilizes your vanilla whipped cream so it lasts in the fridge for days!
Ingredients
- Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream – heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are basically the same thing (they both have at least 36% milk fat). Don’t use whipping cream which is lighter (between 30-35% milk fat) and won’t whip or stabilize as well!
- Vanilla extract – real vanilla extract can’t be beat! It yields the best “true” vanilla taste.
- Powdered sugar – powdered sugar is also known as confectioner’s sugar. It is the best sugar for homemade whipped cream because it blends so well into the cream and stabilizes it.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Vanilla extract – substitute almond extract, coconut extract or maple extract for vanilla extract (for a different whipped cream flavor)!
How To Make Homemade Whipped Cream
- Add ingredients to mixer
Add all 3 ingredients to the bowl of a mixer (you can also use a hand mixer).
- Whip on medium speed
Turn your mixer on medium speed and whip for 2-3 minutes until medium peaks form. Medium peaks is a fancy term for cream that holds its shape as whipped cream while still being soft and not super stiff. The peak will curl over on itself a bit instead of standing straight up!
- Serve
Spoon on cakes, pies, ice cream, coffee, hot chocolate, or just spoon in your mouth!
How to Whip Cream By Hand (Without A Mixer)
Don’t have a mixer? Throw all your ingredients in a bowl and get your muscles out! Use a whisk to rapidly beat cream for several minutes until medium peaks of whipped cream form. Unless you’re superhuman, you’ll need to stop for a breather or two because whipping cream by hand is a workout!
Tips for Whipped Cream
- If your whipped cream isn’t thickening, it’s probably because the cream isn’t cold. Make sure you whip cream straight out of the fridge. Don’t let it sit out at room temperature! It will take longer to whip.
- Watch your cream as it whips to make sure your cream doesn’t over-whip and turn into butter!
Whipped Cream Uses
Whipped cream has endless uses! Some of my favorite ways to use sweetened vanilla whipped cream are:
- On fresh fruit, Honey Butter Roasted Pears or strawberry shortcake in the springtime!
- On coffee or Homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes
- On hot chocolate, especially this Dark Chocolate Demitasse
- On cakes like a Brown Butter Peach Upside Down Cake or Crumb Cake
- On pies (any flavor!)
- On pots de crème (basically a more chocolatey mousse!)
- On homemade ice cream sundaes with No-Churn Ice Cream and Hot Fudge
- Straight into your mouth!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are basically the same thing: they both include at least 36% milk fat. It’s more branding/marketing than a difference in product! Either work well for whipped cream. Regular “whipping cream” is a different product, however, with less than 36% milk fat!
Sweetened vanilla whipped cream keeps well for 4-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
The powdered sugar works as a stabilizer for whipped cream, allowing it to last much longer in the fridge than whipped cream without it!
Stiff peaks form from extra whipped cream. The cream firmly stays in a particular shape without collapsing. Medium peaks is the texture of your typical whipped cream, that’s soft and creamy but the peaks of the whipped cream curl over slightly when your mixer’s beater is lifted. Soft peaks are formed from barely whipping your cream, hardly holding its shape.
More Creamy Dessert Recipes on Tastefully Grace!
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream do not use regular whipping cream
- 1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add cold cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to the bowl of a mixer. You can also use a hand mixer.
- Turn your mixer on medium speed and whip for 2-3 minutes until medium peaks form. Medium peaks mean that your whipped cream holds its shape while still being soft and not super stiff. Test your whipped cream by lifting the mixer’s beater. The whipped cream peak will curl over slightly instead of standing straight up or flopping over!
- Serve on cakes, pies, ice cream, coffee, hot chocolate, or just spoon in your mouth! Keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days without separating.
Video
Notes
- You can make whipped cream by hand with a whisk. Whipping by hand will take several minutes and you’ll have to put some muscle into it! See the above section called “How to Whip Cream By Hand (Without A Mixer)” for details.
