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 a bit more than 1 Cool Whip container full of real whipped cream. That makes it very inexpensive at just $1.49 for the equivalent of an 8 oz. container of Cool Whip!
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)
Disclaimer: This Cool Whip substitute is not dairy-free like real Cool Whip and therefore is not a good substitute for anyone that is lactose or dairy intolerant.
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.
Lora
Can I use stevia or other artificial sweeteners in the place of sugar?
Lydia Beiler
Yes, that should work just fine!
Elizabeth
I’ve made this a couple of times before, and it’s delicious!
Added a bit of pumpkin pie spice this time for a bit of a holiday kick, and it turned out great!
Lydia Beiler
So happy to hear that you love this recipe, Elizabeth! And the pumpkin pie spice addition sounds really delicious. What a great idea!
Angie
Can I use this in biscoff cheese cake that I’m going to freeze
Lydia Beiler
If it’s mixed in with the cream cheese it might work okay, although whipped cream does tend to break down a bit when frozen, so I’m not sure what the end result would be once it’s defrosted. If you are using the whipped cream as a topping, I definitely wouldn’t try it as it will become too watery. If you decide to try it, I’d love to know how it works!
Kathy
What kind of sugar do you use for cool whip ?
Lydia Beiler
I use regular granulated sugar. But you can also use powdered sugar if you prefer.
Cheri Sini
I’ll try your recipe & I’ll add in Cinnamon Sugar to use on Pumpkin Bread pudding.
Lydia Beiler
Oh, that sounds delicious!
Melissa Casey
Trying this for the first time with homemade banana pudding its my boyfriend’s favorite! So wish me luck .. I’m really hoping this turns out as good for me as it seems to have for so so many others!!! Thank you so much for the reciepe ill post anther comment/ update after i see how it turns out and if it’s a keeper or not letting my boyfriend be the judge of that! Thanks so much Again I’ll be in touch bye for now!!!!!
Lydia Beiler
I hope it was a hit, Melissa!