Recipes » Desserts » Sweetened Vanilla Whipped Cream

Sweetened Vanilla Whipped Cream

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5 from 6 votes

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

  1. Add ingredients to mixer

    Add all 3 ingredients to the bowl of a mixer (you can also use a hand mixer).
    You only need 3 ingredients to make sweetened vanilla whipped cream!

  2. 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!

  3. 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:

  1. On fresh fruit, Honey Butter Roasted Pears or strawberry shortcake in the springtime!
  2. On coffee or Homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes
  3. On hot chocolate, especially this Dark Chocolate Demitasse
  4. On cakes like a Brown Butter Peach Upside Down Cake or Crumb Cake
  5. On pies (any flavor!)
  6. On pots de crème (basically a more chocolatey mousse!)
  7. On homemade ice cream sundaes with No-Churn Ice Cream and Hot Fudge
  8. Straight into your mouth!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is heavy cream and heavy whipping cream the same thing?

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!

How long does whipped cream last?

Sweetened vanilla whipped cream keeps well for 4-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Do you need to stabilize whipped cream?

The powdered sugar works as a stabilizer for whipped cream, allowing it to last much longer in the fridge than whipped cream without it!

What are stiff peaks? What are medium peaks? What are soft peaks?

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!

Sweetened Vanilla Whipped Cream

You really can’t go wrong with homemade sweetened whipped cream, flavored with the perfect touch of vanilla.
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Keyword: any season, dessert, quick
Servings: 1.5 cups
Calories: 586kcal
Author: 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 586kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 217mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 123mg | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2332IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 1mg
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