Made from just 3 simple ingredients, this homemade Cool Whip substitute is so easy to make & ridiculously delicious! You’ll never want to buy the stuff from the store again. Homemade whipped cream for the win!
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I remember as a child being in awe as I watched my mom dump cream into a mixing bowl and then a couple of minutes later produce fluffy homemade whipped cream, with beautiful peaks. It seemed almost magical!
And I especially loved when she’d let me lick off the beaters after I sat there mesmerized watching them whirl around, the cream gradually thickening.
Eventually, my mom started using Cool Whip more instead of real whipped cream. But I always had an affinity for the real thing.
Once I was a homemaker myself, I started becoming a bit more health-conscious and realized that the list of ingredients in Cool Whip wasn’t exactly pretty. But since it was usually a lot cheaper than real whipped cream, our tight budget usually won the decision and most times I relied on the bought fake stuff.
Then several years ago I made an exciting discovery! Aldi sells heavy cream for $1.99 a pint and one pint makes the equivalent of 2 Cool Whip containers full of real whipped cream. That makes it very inexpensive at just $0.99 for every 2 cups of whipped cream!
So I started making my own and haven’t looked back since. If a recipe calls for Cool Whip, I make my own homemade Cool Whip with whipping cream and sub it instead. It not only tastes more delicious, but it is also much healthier too!
How to Make Cool Whip
Homemade Cool Whip is super easy to make and takes just three simple ingredients: heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla!
To make the Cool Whip, just add the heavy whipping cream to a bowl, then use an electric mixer to whip it up until it starts to thicken. Once it becomes fluffy and forms soft peaks, you add a bit of sugar and vanilla and mix a bit more.
It’s done and ready to enjoy once it’s well mixed and forming stiff peaks.
Some people say that it’s important that you use a chilled bowl when you make DIY Cool Whip, but my grandmother, mom nor I have ever done that and it’s never been an issue. So I say, keep it simple and just use a room temperature bowl!
Recipe for Cool Whip (or homemade Whipped Cream)
Easy Homemade Whipped Cream (homemade Cool Whip)
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 to 4 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
- Pour heavy whipping cream into a mixing bowl. (If you using a hand mixer, make sure the bowl has high sides because the cream will splash quite a bit initially. I've found using the whisk attachment helps a lot!)
- Beat on medium speed just until soft peaks are formed.
- Add sugar and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
- Stir in vanilla.
- Store refrigerated.
Notes
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Monica says
I’ve been doing real whipped cream, too. Mainly, I wasn’t crazy about the corn syrup in the tub o’whipped topping. It’s funny, the taste reminds me of Thanksgiving because we always went to my grandparents and my grandmother only used real cream, whereas my mom always used Cool Whip. I like to think today’s moms are coming full circle on healthy whole foods.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Ah, I love that real whipped cream takes you back to happy memories of Thanksgiving with family. Fun! And yes, funny that you mention that moms are coming full circle. I think you are so right. And it’s kind of interesting because even my own mom hardly uses Cool Whip anymore and started using real whipped cream again.
Julie@FrugallyBlonde says
We always had cool whip growing up, I never cared for it. But, a couple years ago I had leftover cream and tried making this. SO much better than cool whip. My son loves this with fresh fruit in summer.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Anything is better with real whipped cream, right? 😉 And now you have me hungry for fruit with real whipped cream!
Juliana says
This sounds so easy! I’ve never made real whipped cream, but I’m ready to try!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Oh do, you’ll love it!
wvglitter says
I had never made the real stuff before either. Before tonight, that is! I just had the best cup of hot chocolate of my life 🙂
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Oh yum! Real whipped cream on hot chocolate is the best! Glad you liked it. 🙂
Shelly says
I just saw a video on Facebook the other day about how to make whipped cream in a mason jar. You add 1 cup whipping or heavy cream to the jar. Then add 1-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and 1-2 drops of vanilla extract. Put the lid on and give the jar a shake for 45 seconds. The result is whipped cream. I was really amazed at how well it worked in the video and when I saw your posts I just had to share.
Because my family has to eat dairy free, we usually don’t have whipped cream. Even Cool Whip has milk in it. But I have found that I can make something similar, whipped coconut cream. It takes a little planning ahead but is a good substitute.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Interesting, Shelly! I guess it would be a good way to get a little workout too! 🙂
Keri says
Looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Rebekah @ Naturally Blessed Mama says
This would be so good for my husband and son. I wonder if you can make whipped cream out of non dairy milk? I have two girls allergic to cow and goat milk. Thanks for sharing. I will have to try it soon!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Rebekah, I think you can make something similar with other non-dairy milks, but I’m pretty sure the method is totally different. If you Google it or search on Pinterest, I’m pretty sure you’d be able to find something!
Rebekah says
This looks so delicious! I love whipped cream 🙂
lyssa says
Hi I’m interested in starting a blog, I adore yours and hope you could help.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
You’re quite kind, Lyssa! I think it would be kind of fun to do a series of posts on blogging, but am never quite sure if my readers would find it interesting.
If you are interested in starting a blog, here are a few of my favorite resources:
* AmyLynnAndrews.com
She is an AMAZING resource and actually has a lot of tips for getting started and plenty of more in-depth stuff too
* How to Blog for Profit: Without Selling Your Soul
My favorite book on blogging, hands down. And while it’s not recommended to try to make money from your blog immediately, a lot of what she teaches is great just for setting up a nice looking, successful blog. Then once you get traffic built up, you’ll easily be able to monetize if you want to.
* Learn to Blog Hangouts
A collection of super helpful videos with lots of info. If you look on Facebook, they also have a group page there.
Hope that helps! Blogging is a lot of hard work, but it’s also so fun and a great way to connect with others. Obviously I enjoy it! 🙂
Holly says
This will go great with my fresh farm picked strawberries!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Oh, it will be perfect! And I’m jealous of the strawberries. 🙂
Jenny says
I’ve never made real whipped cream but it’s going to happen very soon! Pinned!
Laura says
MMM, I love real whipped cream and it is incredibly easy to make (though the price of whipping cream is always a little staggering!). The canned stuff in the store is no comparison!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Yes, real whipped cream definitely can’t be beat. I always cringed at the price too before I discovered Aldi carries it for $1.89 a pint. Now I buy it frequently because it’s really no more expensive than Cool Whip!
Valerie says
This looks awesome and something even I could do, ha!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Oh, it’s so easy that anyone can do it! And once you have a bite, you’ll wonder why you waited to do it. 🙂
Jennifer says
Homemade whipped cream is the best. There’s nothing quite like it. Plus, it’s good to know every ingredient that goes into the food we eat.
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
xoxo
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Yes, I love being able to know the actual ingredients of what we are eating.
Valerie says
If you use honey instead of sugar it won’t get runny. Tastes the same.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Serious, Valerie? That’s good to know! I like using honey instead of sugar in some things just because I feel like it is healthier, but I never thought of trying it in whipped cream.
Carlee says
Now that you mention it, making the real stuff isn’t that hard. I’m taking this to heart and making more homemade whipped cream. Watch out Aldi, here I come!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
I know, right? Every time I make some to replace Cool-Whip in a recipe, I’m like, “Why did I wait so long to do this?!”
KrisAnne says
I thought about leaving a comment the other times you posted it, but never did. However, I really do need to say this! You’re missing one very important thing in this recipe: a good pinch or 2 of salt! It rounds out the flavor and makes it that much yummier. 🙂 {In my humble opinion.}
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Well, I value your humble opinion a lot, so I’m glad you finally took the time to leave the comment. 😉 Seriously, I never heard of adding salt, but it makes a lot of sense that it would give more depth to the flavor. Definitely going to try it!! (Now you have me scheming to figure out something to make whipped cream for just so I can try the salt thing.) 😉
Nita says
Just a quick note to share since I have a deep love for whipped cream also. You can make your fresh whipped cream last longer. Put 1/4 cup of cold water in a pan, add 2 tablespoons of unflavored gelatin and let sit until the water become thick and gel like. Whip your whipped cream while the other sets up. After it turns to thick gel and water is absorbed turn on the heat on low and let it turn into liquid again. After that- turn your mixer on again and slowly start adding the liquid to your whipped cream till its all added then rewhip.. The whipped cream will not form the stiff high peaks from the original but you will get nice soft peaks and whipped cream that will stay fresh and not break down! Enjoy!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
I’ve heard that you can add gelatin to whipped cream to stabilize it, but I have never tried it and I wasn’t exactly sure how to do it. Thanks for the great tip!
Jo says
I have to say that I find it very strange that this is considered something of a revelation! How ridiculously ‘instant’ have some countries in the world become?
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Jo, you are right, lots of folks have become so used to “instant” that they no longer now how to do things like this that our grandparents considered the norm. Thankfully, the tide is changing and many folks are interested in more natural eating and so things like real whipped cream are being revived. I’m happy about that! 🙂
Lou says
Glad to know I’m not the only one thinking it is a bit strange that it even needs a blog post.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Lou, I’m there are plenty more people that have felt the same way too. Thing is, I’ve also had lots of folks let me know that they are so grateful to know how to make real “Cool-whip” and I’m more than happy to help them learn that there are better alternatives than that stuff. 🙂 It’s fascinating to me, because I learned long ago that sometimes the things that I think are “normal” or obvious, other people find totally new and amazing.
Ruth says
Have you ever frozen this ??? I am buying raw jersey milk and it has about 2-3 inches of cream on the top !!!! I made some whipped cream today and it turned out great !!! However, not sure I’ll be using it fast enough.Thanks!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Oh, raw jersey milk with lots of cream sounds like fun! 🙂 I’ve never frozen real whipped cream but I don’t think it will really work to do it either. I’m pretty sure freezing will change the consistency and it will just end up being a soupy mess once you thaw it. Could you make a peanut butter pie and top it with whipped cream? Or serve it on some fruit….or just eat it with a spoon? 😉 If you happen to have some canned pumpkin, you could also make these No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecakes and use up some of the whipped cream in that.
Tisha says
I use confectioners sugar instead of granular sugar. Some cream doesn’t thicken well, and waiting to put the confectioners sugar in when the cream is nearly done not only sweetens the cream but thickens it as well.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Tisha, I know some people use confectioners sugar instead, but I prefer regular sugar myself. I tried the confectioners and just didn’t think it had the sweetness that regular sugar did. But obviously it’s purely personal preference. 😉
Lori Nadolski says
I love this recipe for whipped cream! It’s so simple and fresh. It can be used on just about any dessert. Thank you for sharing. I hope you don’t mind, but I placed a link to your recipe on my blog post. Just sharing the love!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
So glad you loved it, Lori! It’s so delicious, isn’t it? And of course you can link to it on you blog! I’m honored! 😉
Tara says
Homemade whipped cream is SO much better than Cool Whip!!! I’ll never go back.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
I couldn’t agree more, Tara!
Anne says
My mother always had cool whip in the fridge! But homemade is so much better and it is so easy to make too!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
When a homemade version is this easy, I say why not?!
Molly says
CANNOT believe this is as good as it is.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Isn’t it delicious?! So much better than the bought stuff, right?
Sharon Reese says
I’ve just came across this blog and I had to smile with joy that you young people are eating real food again. I’ve only tasted Cool Whip once so that I could say I did it, Forever since I’ve shaken my head in disbelief at its taste and at people eating things that are not food. I love it.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
Yes, I love the fact that my generation is learning the value and goodness of real food too! And I definitely agree, Cool Whip just doesn’t hold a candle to real whipped cream!
Page Petty says
Ever since I can remember, my maternal grandmother and my mother kept a small ceramic crock in the freezer for just this purpose. It seems to help that the container is ice cold when whipping the cream. It’s so easy to make and hands down tastes better than Cool Whip!!! 😉
Lydia Beiler says
So interesting! I love memories like that! I know a lot of people like to chill the bowl first because it’s supposed to help it whip better, but my mom and grandma never did it and to be honest, I rarely plan ahead enough to do that. But obviously, your grandmother and mom’s method would take care of any lack of planning ahead! Although, I’ve never noticed any issue with the cream whipping up using a room temperature bowl either, so…
Abby says
Great recipe, but I would like to point out that this is a WHIPPED CREAM recipe and not a COOL WHIP recipe. Whipped cream is simply heavy cream and sugar, while cool whip has high frutose corn syrup, vegetable oi,l skim milk, and light cream. Cool whip does not melt as quickly either. This why cool whip from a tub has a much different texture than whipped cream that you can buy in a can.
Lydia Beiler says
Yes, Abby, you are right- it is whipped cream. I don’t try to hide that fact and even talk about it in the post. I simply call it homemade Cool Whip because it can be used in place of Cool Whip and many people are like me and are looking for ways to make their own convenience foods to save money and eat healthier. But if you prefer Cool Whip, that’s totally fine!
Mimi says
When I saw your recipe I was interested to see how you would make it. My mother was a whip cream gal and that is what we grew up on. Your recipe is just whipped cream and not cool whip so I was disappointed because I’m a cool whip gal. Real whip cream never stays whipped and that is what I don’t like about it. I really wanted something that was thicker like cool whip so I will take cool whip any day of the week. I know I will get picked apart for this review but everyone has their likes and dislikes.
Lydia Beiler says
I’m sorry that you were disappointed by the recipe, Mimi. As I stated in my blog post, I simply call it homemade Cool Whip because it can be subbed for Cool Whip and I know many people are like myself and looking for homemade alternatives to prepared foods. But, you are right. Whipped cream doesn’t hold its shape quite as well as Cool Whip. However, I have often made this recipe and whipped it a bit stiffer (but not too stiff…because it will start to turn into butter!) and kept it in the fridge for several days without it “melting”. You also might enjoy trying stabilized whipped cream (you can Google for recipes). It involves adding gelatin to help the whipped cream stay a bit stiffer. I know lots of people love it, but I guess I’m just too lazy to do the extra step and to be honest, I’ve never really had problems with just using it this way.
Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Dianne Mapes says
was just reading all the comments about your whipped cream and wondered if it could be used in a pie. I make a Turtle Pumpkin pie and it calls for cool whip plus pumpkin and spices. It can be kept for a few days without getting runny. Would this standup to sitting in the fridge for a couple of days? Would love to use real cream as that is what I was brought up using but really love this pie and didnt want to chance changing the ingredients.
Lydia Beiler says
I think it should be fine. I never use Cool Whip anymore and always use whipped cream in any recipe that calls for Cool Whip. If I’m making it for something like this, I tend to beat it a little stiffer…but not too stiff or it will become butter! (Your recipe sounds a bit like my Pumpkin Cheesecakes and they always hold up just fine made with whipped cream)