Easy Homemade Whipped Cream
Those cans of whipped cream the grocery store sells are admittedly cool. Who doesn’t like to give a can a good shake and spray creamy dairy deliciousness onto a slab of pie or a strawberry rhubarb crisp? My personal favorite healthy(ish) dessert is a handful of fresh strawberries with some whipped cream for dipping.
However, it’s easier than you may realize to make your own whipped cream, without any added, unwanted ingredients that may come in the canned version. All you need is heavy whipping cream (sold near the milk and coffee creamer at your grocery store) and a little bit of sugar. Some people like to add a bit of vanilla extract as well, but I prefer to let the simple flavor of the cream stand out on its own.
The primary ingredient, heavy whipping cream, will keep in your fridge for several weeks, with a longer shelf life than regular milk. I appreciate this because it means I can always keep a carton of heavy whipping cream on hand so it’s ready whenever I want a dessert topping. Making whipped cream is also my favorite way to use up a carton of heavy whipping cream I’ve purchased for use in other recipes such as soup or quiche.
And homemade whipped cream tastes so much better than store-bought. Once you try it, you’ll be hooked.
Homemade Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
- One 8-ounce carton heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon white sugar (Cream is naturally a bit sweet, so experiment with how much sugar you add. You may find you don’t need much!)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Directions:
If desired, place a medium-sized mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for a few minutes to chill. The experts say doing so will give you the best results, but, honestly, I am lazy and simply use a room-temperature bowl and beaters, and I’ve never had problems.
Place the heavy whipping cream and sugar (and vanilla, if desired) in the mixing bowl and beat on low or medium speed with a hand mixer or stand mixer until stiff peaks form. If you beat for too long, you will get butter, so don’t overdo it.
And that’s it. Super easy!
Homemade whipped cream is best when eaten freshly made. Store any leftover whipped cream in the fridge, and if it’s runny the next day, just take the mixer to it again to perk it back up. Enjoy!
And if you have extra heavy whipping cream and need ideas for using it up, check out our post on what to do with leftover heavy whipping cream here.
