If you’ve never made real whipped cream before, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is. Knowing it isn’t full of the rotten ingredients that Cool Whip has will feel great, too. (Trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, food additives, etc.) Besides, it tastes much better, as all real foods do!
The easiest way is to use a Bosch mixer. Pour in real cream (raw cream is best, but especially avoid ultra-pasteurized), and whip until it starts to thicken. Add organic vanilla and a little powdered sugar (the only not-good ingredient), and whip more until it’s the right consistency. It takes about 5 minutes total.
If you have a regular mixer it will work fine, but will take longer…10 minutes or so? To make it go a little faster, use chilled bowls and/or beaters.
***Do not over-whip or it becomes butter. Trust me. Get it just to where it is nice and whipped, and turn the mixer off.
Amounts:
- I haven’t measured this, but I’m guessing that about 1 1/2 cups of cream equals approximately the amount in one regular sized tub of Cool Whip. (Sadly, that’s all I used to use, so that’s how I know about how much to use in recipes.)
- For 1 1/2 c. cream, use 1 t. organic vanilla and start with about 1/4 c. powdered sugar. Add more to your taste. (See how little you can get by with and still have it taste good to your family – it will depend on what you’re putting it on.)
Powdered Sugar or no?
You know, I don’t know why I’ve always used powdered sugar, maybe just because my Mom did? I assume you could easily substitute a better sweetener like palm or coconut sugar. Has anyone tried it?
Stabilizer for dessert recipes?!
‘Happy Mom’ (commenter #20) suggested this for stiffening up the cream to use in recipes:
“Take 1 tsp of unflavored gelatin and mix with 4 tsp of cold water. Place briefly on the stove until disolved. While beating the whipped cream, slowly add the gelatin (it does not have to be cold). This helps to stabilize the whipped cream for cakes and mousse.”
I’m going to try this soon, but I’m wondering if anyone else has tried it already?
- Nourishing and FRUGAL Recipe Ideas
- Do you know why eggs are so good for you?
- Dirty Secrets of the Food Industry
photo: quintanaroo
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
You can make it with honey instead of sugar!
Donielle @ Naturally Knocked Up
I use sucanat. It seems to dissolve just fine. About half a tablespoon per serving is all I really need. Cream is sort of sweet as it is, plus it is already going on a sweet dessert.
Stacy
I use a cheap-o hand mixer, and it definitely doesn’t take 10 minutes if the cream is cold, maybe 5 minutes at the most. I don’t add vanilla, just a bit of honey towards the end, and it is sooooo yummy! I never measure either, I just throw some cream in my bowl, start whipping it, and then drizzle the honey in the end. I think it takes a few times of practice to get it the way you lie it, but it is VERY easy to make, and so fresh!
Katie
Kelly,
We add a bit of powdered raw cacao (it doesn’t need much) and call it chocolate pudding. Yum! Sometimes I’ll use brown sugar instead of rapadura because it seems to dissolve better and family likes it. I don’t think I’ve ever put vanilla; thanks for the tip.
Beth
I’ve used honey, agave, and stevia in whipped cream with good results. I use a stick blender to make mine and it really goes fast. Maybe 1-2 minutes, tops! My hubs went to Germany this spring and said when he ordered coffee they asked if he wanted cream and it came with a little dish of whipped cream next to the coffee. I bet it wasn’t ultra-pasteurized, either!
Does anyone have one of those canisters that makes and dispenses cream? I’ve seen them in culinary stores and magazines and wondered about them.
I’ve never put sugar in my whipped cream at all. Try it, it’s very sweet without sweetening!
I looked into the dispensers, NancyO. I don’t have one. They have to be kept in the fridge to keep the cream cold. They use a carbon dioxide canister (about the size of a large bullet) for propellant. The canisters can’t be refilled and have to be replaced after 75-80 “squirts.”
Local Nourishment
LOL! I accidentally made butter one time when trying to whip cream. I had no idea at the time what I had done, I just knew I ruined the whipped cream
. Later when I learned to make butter – I remembered the incident and laughed!
Kat
I love whipped cream! Yum. I use stevia for sweetening. Stevia and vanilla mixed together seem to get rid of the stevia aftertaste.
Catherine
Ahhhhh…cold cream. I thought since warm cream makes butter faster, it might be the same for whipped cream. I was trying to make just a small bit of whipped cream for my daughter’s first birthday cupcake, and I whipped it forever with a little electric whisk…and I accidentally made butter. Drat! She had frosting on her cake, but it was too sweet for her anyway! She loved the low-sugar, raw milk ice cream though.
I really want to try again! Any idea how long it will last? I’m guessing no longer than the cream would, so it would depend how fresh the cream, right?
Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship
I dont have any beaters or mixers so i have to whip mine up myself, lol. Im my cream, i use a little maple syrup and then a splish (not even a splash, just a splish lol) of vanilla extract. Tastes Great!
I said this in the comments on your seasonal fruit post but I like to make whipped cream in a mason jar. I fill a jar up about a 1/4 of the way, put the lid on and shake shake shake. I actually often add a dribble of maple syrup or a dash of vanilla to the jar before I start shaking. I’ve got some mint leaves soaking in vodka and think I’ll be making some mint whipped cream in the near future.
Thanks for the great post!
Alyss
My son has one of these canisters to make whipped cream. It works great and there isn’t any need to add sugar, it tastes great whipped up plain.
I always use either no sweetner at all, or maple syrup. Its just SO much better tasting than sugar, in addition to being healthier. Just a tiny tiny sploosh is good. The cream starts out pretty sweet. I only use sweetner in making it for my mom and sis, who insist it be sweetened, though they like the taste of maple syrup.
Also, its really quite easy to make with a whisk. Its a little tiring at first but doesn’t take that long and you get used to it.
Caroline
I put an iSi cream whipper on my wish list and my son got it for Mother’s Day for me a few years ago (sold at Sur La Table and similar kitchenware stores, but the prices are better and there are more size options at restaurant equipment stores like Smart & Final, etc.).
I love it! All my friends got cream whippers after seeing mine in action. I have the 1 pint (2 cups) size – the 1/2 pint is simply too small and needs refilling more often (and therefore more gas chargers) and the footprint in the fridge is the same, only the height is slightly higher. This devise is what restaurants use to make whipped cream for topping desserts, ice cream, and drinks (unless they are cheapening out and using “whipped topping”).
You pour the cream in the bottle, add a bit of sweetener, liqueur or whatever flavoring if you want, screw on the top, insert the nitrous oxide gas charger into the holder and screw that down to release the gas into the cream. A few shakes distributes the gas into the cream. The empty gas charger is removed (unscrew fast or the valve will not close fast enough to prevent the nitrous oxide from escaping while the holder is releasing), then the cream can be dispensed through the nozzle. Some versions come with different nozzles for different effects. These are great for icing cakes with rosettes of whipped cream instead of frosting (much less sugar).
The nitrous oxide keeps the cream from oxidizing(spoiling) so it stay fresh longer than as liquid cream (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whipped-cream_charger). In our house, that cream whipper is emptied much faster than oxidation can occur but in a more “moderate” cream consumption household, fresh cream will keep for weeks if the whipper is consistently stored in the fridge between uses.
The cream used must be heavy or whipping cream with a high butterfat content(lighter creams and half and half won’t work). Ultra-pasteurized cream will work, but not as well as simply pasteurized cream (though it seems supermarkets now mostly stock ultra-pasteurized with gums, stabilizers, and preservatives). I generally use a whole bottle of Trader Joe’s heavy cream – high butterfat content and no additives at a good price. Be sure to remove and rinse the dispenser nozzle between uses to avoid a clog or buildup of dried cream.
I don’t sweeten the cream, but YMMV. A quick shot of whipped cream does wonders to make plain fresh seasonal fruit, pancakes/oatmeal, or homemade hot chocolate seem like dessert to kids. Over time if you reduce the sugar level, they get used to that, too.
The nitrous oxide chargers are used/abused as a fast recreational drug, so be aware that for that reason, one usually has to ask at the store for replacement chargers (you won’t find them on shelves). And be alert with your nitrous oxide chargers if you have any members of the household who would find this fun (just a warning). Also, there are air shipping rules that prohibit shipping the chargers via air freight (the gas is under pressure) so if you order them, ground shipping is likely to be your only option. I buy the chargers in larger boxes at Smart & Final – cheaper than the mall kitchenware stores. One charger works on all sizes (and you can’t add more cream without using another charger) so I advise getting at least the pint size. Nearly everyone I know wishes they got one larger than a 1/2 pint, especially when entertaining or with larger families..
For large amounts of whipped cream used at one time, I still use my Kitchenaid stand mixer with the whisk attachment, but for quick decorative shots always ready in the fridge, you can’t beat a cream whipper.
So is the nitrous oxide added IN to the cream? That definitely doesn’t sound natural…just wondering…seems a little creepy to me.
Wow, you guys are FULL of great info! Anna, you are over the top with your scoop, as always.
Cynthia, I don’t know the answer to your specific question, but knowing Anna, trust me, it’s all good. She’s more on top of things than I’ll ever be!
Kelly
FYI:
I tried it with palm sugar and it turned out great!
Kelly
I want to make pistachio pudding and would prefer to use real whipped cream instead of cool whip, but I am concerned that it won’t hold up. Has anyone tried it?
Hi Tina,
Hopefully others chime in too, but in my experience it doesn’t hold up with other ingredients, it gets runny…………. I wonder if you could mix some sour cream with it to give it a thicker consistency…?
Take 1tsp of unflavored gelatin and mix with 4 tsp of cold water. Place briefly on the stove until disolved. While beating the whipped cream, slowly add the gelatin (it does not have to be cold). this helps to stabilize the whipped cream for cakes and moose.
Kelly the reason people use powered sugar is that it is bit of stabilizer since it has cream of tarter in it. It will weep after some time in the fridge, but not as fast, and won’t weep as much as if other sweeteners are used.
Oops, I meant to say there is cornstarch in powdered sugar. Not sure why my brain made me write cream of tarter!
I use my Kitchen Aid mixer to make whipped cream. I throw the stainless bowl & whisk into the freezer for awhile–20 min, an hour–depends on when I remember. It usually goes in the freezer a few seconds after I throw up my hands and yell, “oh! I forgot to chill the mixing bowl!”
This speeds the whipping time, and I start with very cold cream, too.
Sweetener: I use maple syrup (so yum!), maybe a scant Tbsp for a pint of cream. If I don’t want the maple flavor (what?? that’s crazy talk!!), I pulse some succanat in the blender until it’s superfine. I have also been known to replace the vanilla with some Grand Marnier or top-shelf rum….ohhhhhh, yeah! I always add a pinch or two of good salt at the end, too. Salt brings out the other flavors!
I’m so gonna try the geletin trick–great idea!
I have a question about whipped cream. We get raw milk and I separate some of the cream off the top after letting it sit for several days. When we try to whip the cream, it just does not whip up even with everything being cold. any suggestions? It may turn frothy but not whipped.
I don’t have a source for extra raw cream, so I use the pasteurized and am not sure why that’s not working for you!
I never add powdered sugar to my whipped cream because it’s usually going on top of something that’s already been sweetened. Also, the subtle buttery-creamy-flavour comes through better
A teaspoon of cream of tartar is a good stabilizer (in 1 cup of raw cream) and you avoid dissolving step and hot water stuff. I usually do the cream part at the last minute so avoid the cream of tartar too. For me, maple syrup sweetened cream just tops the list.
I have never tried it in whipped cream but I use it in my cheesecakes. I was using sugar free flavored gelatin (lime), but plain would be healthier and I do plan in that for my next batch. I put 16 oz cream cheese, 1 small package of gelatin, 8 oz Greek yogurt, 1/3 cup sweetener (only if using unflavored gelatin), 1tsp vanilla, and 2 eggs. Mix all the ingredients at room temperature then add fresh berries. Spoon into muffin cups and bake for 10 minutes at 350 or until tops start to brown. Remove and allow to set in refrigerator. These are fantastic, don’t fall, and are low carb treats!