Homemade Whipped Cream With Heavy Whipping Cream

Nothing tops an ice cream sundae or a hot pumpkin pie better than a dollop of homemade whipped cream.

Our Jersey cow, Crystal, really cranks out a luxurious cream line with every gallon of milk. Jerseys, as a breed, are known for that trait, after all! A thick, golden, blessed substance. As fresh as it comes. Thank you, Crystal!

Whipped cream is one of my favorite ways to use fresh cream.

And it’s actually a lot easier than you might think!

A few simple ingredients, one jar and one handy kitchen tool is all you need.

Gather the goods

• Cream: The best cream for whipping comes off the very top of your farm fresh milk. I let my milk set in the fridge for 24-48 hours before skimming the cream. No cream separator necessary, assuming you are using cow’s milk! Heavy whipping cream from the dairy aisle will also work perfectly.
• Honey: I have really been enjoying honey as the sweetener of choice. Light. Refreshing. I get mine from a local farm nearby. Other sweeteners that can be used include granulated sugar and maple syrup. (I’ll be making a maple syrup whipped cream this Thanksgiving!)
• Salt: A pinch of salt helps bring out the flavor. I keep Redmond’s Real Salt on hand and use it for most everything I do.
• Immersion blender: I went a large part of my adult life without owning one of these beauties. I like the variable speed of this particular blender, which allows me to have more control over the process. In addition to whipped cream, I use it to make guacamole, mayonnaise, dressings, sauces and more.
• Wide mouth jar: I prefer to whip my cream right into the container that I will be storing it. Enter: the wide mouth jar. Although my immersion blend did come with a plastic container, I prefer glass for this purpose. The immersion blender I just mentioned comes with a plastic guard for the business end of the blender; I highly recommend using it to protect the glass.

How to make homemade whipped cream with heavy whipping cream:

1. First, combine all the ingredients in the wide mouth jar. Heavy whipping cream, honey and salt. Stir to combine. I recommend using a quart size jar to account for the splash factor of the whole process.
2. Start the immersion blender at the bottom of the jar, fully submerged. Move slowly up and down at a medium to high speed. I use a slight side to side motion to stir as I go.
3. The whipped cream should start to take form after 1-2 minutes (less if the volume is less, more if the volume is more). At first, you will see a foamy soap, like melted ice cream. Keep whipping. When the cream is forming firmer peaks, standing up on its own when you lift the blender, you are done. If you go much longer, you will make butter!

Variations on this homemade whipped cream:

• Maple syrup. Especially when used as a topping for a latte!
• Granulated sugar and vanilla. I consider this the “classic” version. All purpose.
• Other sweetener sources that I haven’t tried yet include coconut sugar, agave, Stevia, fruit syrups… if you try one of these, let me know how it turns out!

Can you make homemade whipped cream ahead of time?

Yes, but I don’t recommend too far ahead of time. Same day is ok, in my opinion. If I know I’m going to want homemade whipped cream for the dessert after dinner, I will make it up earlier the same day. Same could be said for making it the night before if I want it for coffee drinks in the morning!

Is it easy to make homemade whipped cream with heavy whipping cream?

Yes! The learning curve is minimal. Just how to work your immersion blender and don’t overwork the cream.

What happens if you whip the cream too long?

Butter. Butter is what happens if you overwork the cream. It will be delicious butter, but not what you want in this instance!

How long will homemade whipped cream last?

I have found that 1-2 days is the maximum storage time, while accounting for quality. It will start to separate a little bit and lose some of the aeration. This results in a denser and sometime soupier product, which may still work, depending on what you’re end goal is. Still tastes good, but may not be exactly what you are looking!

Could I make whipped cream with my stand mixer instead?

You certainly could! If you need to double or triple the recipe for a larger crowd, this is, in fact, the way to go (with the whisk attachment).