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!
There are affiliate links in this post. If you use these links, I may earn a commission- please read my full disclosure policy.
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.
Molly
CANNOT believe this is as good as it is.
ThriftyFrugalMom
Isn’t it delicious?! So much better than the bought stuff, right?
Anne
My mother always had cool whip in the fridge! But homemade is so much better and it is so easy to make too!
ThriftyFrugalMom
When a homemade version is this easy, I say why not?!
Tara
Homemade whipped cream is SO much better than Cool Whip!!! I’ll never go back.
ThriftyFrugalMom
I couldn’t agree more, Tara!
Lori Nadolski
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
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! 😉
Tisha
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
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. 😉
Ruth
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
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.