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.
Valerie
This looks awesome and something even I could do, ha!
ThriftyFrugalMom
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. 🙂
Laura
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
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!
Jenny
I’ve never made real whipped cream but it’s going to happen very soon! Pinned!
Holly
This will go great with my fresh farm picked strawberries!
ThriftyFrugalMom
Oh, it will be perfect! And I’m jealous of the strawberries. 🙂
Judi
The thing that made Cool Whip so popular is that its non-dairy. That appealed to our family because my dad has a severe allergy to milk products.
Lydia Beiler
That makes sense, Judi! You probably know then that Cool Whip does have a tiny bit of dairy in it now though. But I understand that if you are needing a non-dairy alternative, that you can make “whipped cream” from coconut cream or milk. Lots of recipes available if you Google!
lyssa
Hi I’m interested in starting a blog, I adore yours and hope you could help.
ThriftyFrugalMom
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! 🙂
Rebekah
This looks so delicious! I love whipped cream 🙂