Skip the store-brand stuff and impress your friends with this recipe for homemade Sweetened Whipped Cream. Made with just three simple ingredients, it’s a delicious treat that’s sure to take your dessert game to the next level!
Sometimes, you just want to go with whatever is easiest. Hey, I get it. When life is busy, when you’re tired from work, when the kids are yelling and screaming, and when you’ve only got so much time to prepare a meal before the guests arrive, the last thing you need is an extra task or chore to slow things down.
For this simple reason, so much of the prep work behind what we eat in our everyday lives has been taken out of our hands. If you ask me, this is usually a great thing. I mean, just imagine how difficult it was to make a simple dinner back in the day. For instance, if you wanted to feed your family some chicken for dinner, you had to go outside, grab one of the chickens you’ve raised yourself, kill said chicken, pluck its feathers off, wash it, carve it up, and only then can you begin the actual process of cooking it.
If you’re the type who still does all this work yourself, more power to you. But in my house? Yeah, I’d rather just go to the store and grab some pre-portioned chicken thighs. Thank you very much.
And yet, we do miss some things when we rely solely on others to prepare our food. If you ask me, the best example of this is whipped cream. For years, I’ve purchased the same tub of whipped cream – either frozen or unfrozen – from my local grocery store, and I’ve never really thought about it much. It just seemed like the thing you do. Even the name “whipped cream” seemed to exist as its own single word, the literal meaning behind it forgotten by force of sheer absentmindedness.
But when you think about it, whipped cream is really just… whipped cream. I mean, how difficult can it be? You literally take some heavy cream, whip it, and… well, that’s it. You’re done. Of course, even this bit of work can sound like an annoyance, especially if you can just buy the final product from the store. But trust me when I say that homemade whipped cream is so much better. It’s also free of the preservatives and other additives that you’ll find in store-brand whipped cream. Seriously, next time you’re in the grocery store, glance at the ingredients in a tub of Cool Whip. You literally won’t even find the word “cream” in there. Instead, the ingredients are water, corn syrup, hydrogenated vegetable oil, modified food starch, xanthan and guar gums, polysorbate 60… and so on.
This recipe for Sweetened Whipped Cream, on the other hand, is the picture of simplicity. With just three ingredients and a few minutes, you’ll create the greatest whipped cream you’ve ever had, and trust me when I say you’ll never want to taste that bland store-brand stuff ever again.
Can I Make This Without a Mixer?
Yes, of course, you can — and sometimes this is easiest if you don’t want to do any extra dishes. But the only thing you need to keep in mind is that if you want to make whipped cream by hand, know that you’re probably going to tire your arm out. It really is a workout for your forearms.
What you want to do is use a whisk to beat the cream from side to side. Wait until you see soft peaks begin to form. This can take five minutes. If you think you went too far and it gets too stiff, don’t worry. Just add a bit more cream and be gentler as you whisk that in until the entire thing begins to soften again.
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
How to Make Sweetened Whipped Cream
Step 1: Chill a large mixing bowl in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before starting.
Step 2: Remove the bowl from the freezer and add the cold heavy cream.
Step 3: Sprinkle the granulated sugar and vanilla extract over the cream.
Step 4: Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 5: Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Whipped cream will keep fresh for about five days in your refrigerator, so long as you store it in an airtight container or a covered bowl. But it’s really best served fresh or within 24 hours after preparing it since it softens and begins to separate over time.
Can I Use Milk Instead of Cream?
Yes, but you need to add butter as well. For this technique, you’ll want about one part butter and two parts milk. Start by melting your butter in the microwave and then let it cool until it’s still liquid but not too hot. Mix it in with your milk, and then put the combined liquid in the fridge. This will ensure you have fatty milk, which is similar to heavy cream. From here, whip that fatty milk the same way you would heavy cream for the final result.
How Long Can Whipped Cream Sit at Room Temperature?
Not long, honestly. Whipped cream quickly melts and loses its fluff, so if you want to keep it out for serving, I recommend filling a bowl with ice and then placing a separate bowl of whipped cream on top to keep it chilled.
Serving Suggestions
Whipped cream is a great topping for just about any dessert, from cake to ice cream sundaes to pie. It’s also a delicious addition to drinks like coffee or hot chocolate. And if you’re looking for something sweet in a pinch, you can’t go wrong with a spoonful of whipped cream to get you by.
Sweetened Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Chill a large mixing bowl in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before starting.
- Remove the bowl from the freezer and add the cold heavy cream.
- Sprinkle the granulated sugar and vanilla extract over the cream.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Leave a Comment