Do you want to whip cream by hand like a pro? With just a whisk and a bowl, you can create soft, billowy peaks or perfectly pipeable swirls—no mixer needed. In this ultimate guide, I’ll teach you exactly how to do it, plus troubleshooting tips, pro techniques, and flavor variations to take your whipped cream to the next level.
You’ll learn how to whip cream with a whisk, the best ways to stabilize it so it holds up longer, how to prevent over-whipping, and even which other dairy products you can whip. Plus, I’ll share tips for achieving the perfect texture every time.
This post is part of my Fundamental Friday series in which I answer readers’ baking and pastry questions. For ease of browsing, you can find all my Baking Fundamentals posts in one place. Thanks for reading.
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I just used this recipe for a topping for butterscotch pie. It was perfect. And everyone of your tips was so helpful. Thanks!
Reader Travis (emphasis, mine)
Hand-Whipped Cream, at a Glance
Why you should consider whipping cream by hand rather than using a can of cream or pulling out your mixer:
✅ Quick: Just 2-3 minutes – Whip up fresh cream in a flash.
✅ Easy: Beginner-friendly – Master this classic technique.
✅ Simple: Just a whisk and a bowl – No mixer needed!
✅ Versatile: Elevates any dessert – Transform ordinary treats.
✅ Basic: Just 4 fridge and pantry staples.
✅ Perfect: Makes about 1 cup – The ideal amount for most recipes.
✅ Learn: Achieve perfectly textured peaks, whip up stable creamy foam, and create delicious flavor variations.
Jump Straight to the Recipe
Why whip cream by hand?
I’ve whipped gallons of cream by hand (a little at a time!), and I promise you that it’s not hard to do.
Hand whipping allows you to control the speed at which you whisk and to vary that speed as your cream gets closer to being done.
Slowly building up bubbles leads to a more stable whipped cream.
Two secrets about whipping cream
It seems as though most “recipes” for whipped cream start with either a big old
But you can whip up to a cup or a cup and a half of cream with no more than your balloon whisk, a good, sturdy bowl, and some elbow grease in about 2 minutes.
The purpose of getting everything–the cream, bowl, beaters, etc–super cold before whipping has more to do with the plasticity of the butterfat in the cream than it has to do with the speed of whipping.
Since butterfat is firm at refrigerator temperatures it takes longer to whip air into it, but the resulting foam will be much more stable.
Room-temperature whipping cream will thicken shockingly quickly, but since you haven’t had a lot of time to pump air into it through whisking action, it will collapse almost as quickly.
You also run way more of a risk of ending up with butter when whipping warmer cream.
Best Whisk to Use for Whipping Cream
Here’s another secret: a whisk with more wires/tines will whip up cream or egg whites faster than one with fewer.
Also, a rounder shape is better for whipping than a more compact shape. The more wires, the more you can agitate the cream and whip air into it.
A big round whisk will also help you get more air into the mixture more quickly than a whisk with a more compact shape. If you are looking for just one whisk to own, buy a balloon whisk.
With a rounded shape and a lot of tines (wires), this balloon whisk makes short work of whipping cream or combining ingredients in a bowl. I use OXO products and trust the name. This is a great buy--you will find yourself reaching for this whisk again and again.
The Best Bowl to Use
While technically, you can whip cream in any type of bowl, I prefer using a glass bowl.
Here’s why:
- Glass is thick and is a good insulator
- Since it is an insulator, glass will stay colder longer than a metal bowl
You can also whisk cream in a metal bowl, and I have done so often, especially at the restaurant where breakage can be an issue and a strike against using a glass bowl.
But since metal is so conductive, it will actually conduct the cold out of the cream allowing it to get to room temperature much more quickly than it would in a glass bowl.
Generally speaking, since we will be whisking a cup or less of cream by hand, you can use either glass or metal as the cream will whip up before it begins to get too warm.
To buy some insurance, freeze you glass bowl for a good 30 minutes before whipping, and freeze a metal bowl for about 15-20 minutes before whipping.
The Best Cream to Whip
Generally speaking, the higher the butterfat content in your cream, the more easily it will whip and the more stable the whipped cream will be.
In the US, you can whip dairy products labeled as whipping cream or heavy whipping cream.
Outside the US, double cream will be your best bet. It has a much higher fat content (48%) than even US heavy cream (36%) and will result in a very stable whipped cream.
Procedure
- Pour cold cream into your cold bowl. Don’t chill the whisk because you’ll just end up freezing your hand while you’re whisking.
- To stabilize the bowl on the counter, wrap a damp towel around the base of your bowl. It’s like a little nest for the bowl that it can settle down into. You can also use a piece of that non-slip shelf liner, although I actually prefer using a damp towel.
- Add a pinch of fine salt and just a bit of sugar. Maybe 1 Tablespoon per cup to start. You can always whisk in a bit more. Why the salt? Just as salted butter tastes better on toast than unsalted butter, adding some salt to your whipping cream will make it taste better too. You won’t need a lot, but you will be amazed at the depth of buttery flavor you can achieve with just a tiny pinch of salt.
- Start whisking slowly and steadily. You don’t really even need to pull the whisk up out of the cream. Just keep it moving steadily back and forth across the bottom of the bowl.
I often whisk side to side. You can also whisk back and forth. I don’t suggest doing a lot of “round and round” whisking until the cream starts to really thicken up.
Whisking in circles tends to push the cream around instead of aerating it properly.
- Once the cream starts to thicken up a bit (the whisk leaves tracks in the cream as it moves through it), taste it. Add a bit of sugar if you think it needs it. You can also add a few drops of vanilla. Or some cinnamon. Or some other spice or extract that will complement whatever you’re putting it on.
- Continue to whisk, alternating back and forth and side to side when you get bored, but keep the it moving and be pretty assertive with the whisking. You don’t have to break a sweat, but you want to whip the cream, not just massage it.
- Once the whisk starts leaving tracks, (lines in the cream as it moves through it) it will start to thicken up fairly quickly. At this point you can do some around and around whisking if you can’t help yourself. You can also lift the whisk up out of the bowl, whisking in a circle perpendicular to the surface of the cream. If that makes sense.
- Check the consistency of your foam every few turns of the whisk, pulling it straight up and out of the bowl, and then turning it sideways to check on the peaks. I almost never take mine to full stiff peaks–where the peak just points straight out to the side without any curling over. At that point there’s not much room for error. I generally stop when the peaks curl over a bit–medium to medium-firm peaks.
- And there you have it: how to whip cream by hand. Ta da!
A Discussion of Peaks in Hand-Whipped Cream
The consistency of whipped cream is described by peaks. Here are the definitions as defined by me:
- Soft Peak: Think of this as the “barely there” peak or the “just starting to think about” peak. The cream will mound a bit in the bowl, and when you lift your whisk and turn it sideways, any peak that forms will droop and curl over significantly. Soft peaks are fairly insipid – they’re not very sturdy at all. This is a good texture for folding into a base for a mousse, where you want a light and airy texture.
- Medium Peak: With a bit more whisking, the cream mounds nicely, and when you do the whisk test (lift and turn), the peak curls over at the tip, but it’s not a complete collapse like the soft peak. It holds its shape somewhat. The curl is definitely noticeable. This is a nice texture to mound onto a slice of cake or a bowl of fruit.
- Medium-Firm Peak: With a little more whisking, when you pull the whisk out and turn it to its side, you’ll end up with peaks that look a bit like a hawk’s beak, with the point of the peak dipping down a bit. This is the ideal texture for piping, as the cream will continue to thicken slightly as it’s extruded through a piping tip, ending up as stiff peaks once piped.
- Stiff (or Firm) Peak: This is the “look at me!” peak. The cream is definitely mounded, and when you lift and turn the whisk, the peak stands up tall and proud. It might curl just a tiny bit at the very tip, but mostly, it holds its shape like a champ. Dollop cream at stiff peaks onto hot chocolate or ice cream. It’s generally best not to manipulate stiff peaks further by piping, as it can risk over-whipping.
Tips for Success
Some important Items to remember before you get started whipping your cream.
A. Set your bowl of cream in a “nest” made of a damp kitchen towel. It will keep the bowl from slipping and spinning around while you whip your cream.
B. Whisk back and forth rather than in circles. Your cream will whip faster.
C. Whisks with more wires and a rounder shape will whip up your cream faster than a whisk with fewer wires and a flatter shape.
How much cream do I need for…
Plan on the volume of your cream doubling when whipped to medium-stiff peaks.
1/2 cup of cream will yield about 1 cup of whipped cream
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1 cup will yield about 2 cups
1 1/2 cups yields roughly 3 cups whipped, and on and on
How to stabilize whipped cream
For most uses, just whipping the cream with a pinch of salt, a little sugar, and some flavoring works great.
Sometimes you want it to hold up for a few days under refrigeration without weeping.
I have found the best way to do that is to whip some bloomed and melted gelatin into the cream. You can read how to stabilize whipped cream with gelatin in this post.
If you are vegetarian or want to keep your whipped cream vegetarian, you can stabilize your cream with some (affiliate) Instant Clear Jel.
Learn how to make stabilized whipped cream with Instant Clear Jel.
Can I Over-Whip Cream?
You can absolutely over-whip cream, although whipping it by hand gives you more control so you probably won’t.
Overwhipped cream will start to look a bit grainy and if you continue to whisk past the point of graininess, the cream may start to separate. Eventually you’ll end up with butter.
This is why whipping by hand is so helpful. Since the process is a bit slower, you have way more control over your end result. Because of this, you probably will not end up overwhipping.
Still, you should know why it can happen.
When whipping cream by hand, most folks run into trouble by whipping it to very stiff peaks.
That’s okay as long as all you’re going to do with it is plop it into a mug of hot chocolate or on top of some plum crisp.
Jenni Says: Whipping by hand lets you build your foam gradually, giving you better control over the final texture.
When NOT to whip to stiff peaks
There are two times when whipping cream to stiff peaks is not the best plan:
- when you are going to be folding it into something else like a mousse, cake batter, or pudding, or
- when you’re going to pipe it decoratively onto a cake, pie, or other dessert
In both cases, you run the risk of over-working your cream.
The act of folding cream into another mixture and the act of pressing it through a decorative piping tip both continue to work or “whip” the cream.
If you take it to very stiff peaks before folding or piping, you could end up with over-whipped-bordering-on-butter cream.
Give yourself a little wiggle room by whipping any cream that will be folded into another mixture to no more than medium-soft to medium peaks and whipping any that you’ll be piping onto something else to no more than medium-firm peaks.
Jenni Says: If you’re piping whipped cream, stop at medium-firm peaks—pushing it through a piping tip can overwhip it. The same goes for folding cream into another mixture—whip only to medium or medium-firm peaks to prevent overwhipping as you fold.
Whipping Cream by Hand Q & A
Yes! You can whip both crème fraîche and mascarpone just like cream. With mascarpone, it’s best to let it come to room temperature first and whisk it gently—if you over-whip, it can turn grainy. Mascarpone whips incredibly quickly, so be very careful not to over-whip. Since it starts out thick, it will loosen as you whisk, then quickly firm up again as air is incorporated. You can also whip mascarpone and cream (or crème fraîche) together for an extra-rich, stable topping—perfect for an egg-free tiramisu cream.
Not on its own. Sour cream doesn’t have enough fat to whip properly, and mixing it with liquid cream won’t help—it simply won’t hold air the way heavy cream does. However, you can fold sour cream into already-whipped cream for a tangy, velvety texture. To do this, whip ½ cup of heavy cream to medium-soft peaks, then gently whisk in ¼ cup of cold sour cream until smooth and thickened.
Single cream isn’t typically found in the U.S., but if you do come across it, treat it like half & half—it works well in coffee, sauces, and soups, but it won’t whip into a stable foam.
Yes! Double cream, which is common in the UK, has a much higher fat content than U.S. heavy whipping cream and whips up beautifully. If you don’t have access to double cream, heavy whipping cream (36% butterfat) is the best alternative.
No, half & half doesn’t have enough fat to whip properly. If you try, you’ll just end up with a slightly frothy liquid—not at all what you want for whipped cream. However, if you’ve already whipped cream and want to lighten the texture, you can whisk in a little half & half after whipping.
Serving suggestions
There are no shortage of ideas on what to serve your hand-whipped cream with.
Hold the sugar and whip your cream with a shot of butterscotch coffee syrup (or white chocolate sauce) for a lovely butterscotch (or white chocolate) whipped cream.
Serve a meltingly tender whipping cream pound cake with a side of softly whipped cream. Whip up some cinnamon whipped cream to top a slice of brown sugar cinnamon pound cake.
Top any kind of fruit dessert with a dollop. Some of my favorites are strawberry peach sonker, strawberry shortcake, lazy peach sonker, and peach crisp. Fruit and cream is a no-brainer combination!
Any pie would be happy to have a swirl or three of whipped cream on it. I think it’s especially dreamy on “plain” pies that don’t already call for a topping like chocolate chess pie or an old-fashioned shoo fly pie or key lime pie. Or if you’re feeling really fancy, top your chocolate pancakes with some hand-whipped cream.
And we mustn’t forget ice cream! Top some French vanilla no-churn ice cream with it, drizzle it with chocolate syrup, et voila!
And don’t forget whipped cream as a component of other desserts. Whip your cream by hand to make chocolate mousse, cranberry fool, or coffee mousse.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this post or recipe, I am happy to help.
Simply leave a comment here and I will get back to you soon. I also invite you to ask question in my Facebook group, Fearless Kitchen Fun.
If your question is more pressing, please feel free to email me. I should be back in touch ASAP, as long as I’m not asleep.
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Hand-Whipped Cream Recipe
Video
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Equipment
- OXO Balloon Whisk Round whisk with lots of thin wires for faster whipping
- 4.5 Quart Glass Bowl preferred for its insulating properties
- Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls may be preferred for lighter weight and no risk of breaking
Ingredients
- ½ cup cold heavy cream at least 36% butterfat. You can use whipping cream, but it may take longer to whip.
- 1 Tablespoon sugar Use granulated or powdered sugar. You can even use brown sugar if you prefer.
- small pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place your glass bowl and balloon whisk in the freezer for a good 30 minutes before whipping. If using a metal bowl, freeze for 15-20 minutes.
- Place the cold cream–straight from the fridge–into your cold bowl. Use a damp towel to nest your bowl into to keep it from spinning as you whisk.
- Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla to the cream.
- Using a balloon whisk, whisk rapidly back and forth until the cream thickens to your liking. Use side to side motions rather than circular motions to cut through the cream rather than just stirring it around, making sure the whisk maintains contact with the bottom and sides of the bowl for maximum aeration.
- Once the cream begins to thicken and has more body, you can start making "circles." First the cream will begin to "track:" it will leave lines in the cream. Once it begins to leave tracks, it will develop body more quickly, so keep an eye on it and lift your whisk frequently to check the peaks.
- With continued whisking, the cream will go from ribbon stage–thick but no peaks, to soft peaks, medium peaks, and eventually to stiff peaks. You can stop whisking when the cream has reached your preferred texture.
- With this amount of cream, you should have nicely whipped cream in about 2 minutes. Larger amounts will take a bit longer.
Did You Make Any Changes?
Notes
Nutritional Information
Nutritional Information is based on the entire amount of whipped cream. Divide as necessary if the nutritional info is very important to you.Flavor Variations of Hand-Whipped Cream
- An easy way to make chocolate whipped cream is to use squeeze in a little Hershey’s syrup once your cream is partially whipped. You may have to adjust the amount of sugar you use since chocolate syrup is sweetened.
- You can also melt some chocolate chips into cream and chill until cold. Then whip that mixture up along with a tiny bit of salt and vanilla. Try 1 Tablespoon chips per 1/2 cup cream.
- Add ground spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, etc.
- Zest in a bit of orange or lemon zest.
- Add different extracts like almond or peppermint.
- Steep herbs in cold cream overnight. Strain them out before whipping.
- Steep tea or coffee beans in your cream overnight before whipping.
Nutrition
And there you have it!
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Please let me know how whipping cream by hand went for you!
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After moving and donating so much of my kitchen tools, I only have a silicone covered whisk for ceramic cookware. Not only does it have few tines but it’s also bulky. After 25 minutes of beating by hand, I got out my handheld blender. I’m going to get that balloon whisk you recommend, via your link. I do like the process of hand whipping cream.
Thank you!
I think you’ll be so happy and also kind of amazed at how well–and quickly–a balloon whisk gets the job done! I use mine for whisking dry ingredients together too. Those whisks with only a few wires should be outlawed. They don’t really do a good job at much of anything.
5 stars
I’m so confused.
I’ve done exactly this. Cold whipping cream, whisk going back and forth/side to side,
Yet every time it just… doesn’t work. The first few times I kept doing it figuring I thought if I just keot at it it should work.
Always it skipped the whipped cream phase and separated.
Sometimes I get some bubbly foam but it’s in patches, never the whole thing.
I just don’t get it. Is it an issue if you don’t whisk consistently? My arm gets tired quickly, and I’m not sure I’d I’m whisking too fast- couod that cause the issue of it never becoming whipped cream?
It just never gets thick for me. And this IS with “whipping cream” on the label.
I just want to be able to quietly make myself some whipped cream as a late night desert man… yet I cant get it right.
Hey, Kai. I’m going to email you and ask a some questions.
Hi, Kai. I emailed you as soon as I got your comment, but maybe you didn’t get it. I’m sorry to leave you hanging. Here’s what my email said:
“I got your comment on my post about whipping cream, and I thought it’d be easier to talk via email.
The first things I’d like to know are are you in the US? and what kind of cream are you using?
If you could take a photo of the container, front and back, and send them to me, maybe I can help narrow down the issue.
Because I do believe you should be able to quietly whip some cream whenever you want.
Take care, and send me some pix when you get a chance.”
Email me at [email protected]
Actually, I’ve just prepared a whip cream just right now for my sister’s birthday. I’ve made it with the help of newly purchased hand blender and whipping attachment. Thanks for sharing.
Hey, Jivina! Those hand blenders really do come in handy! 🙂
This was my first attempt at whipping cream and making chocolate mousse. I had started whipping it in circles before I decided to get some guidance on how to. This was when I came across your page. Your tips and technique worked so well. I managed to whip the cream to a stiff peak… unfortunately only then did I read your tip about not making it too stiff in case of adding it to a mousse. As of now its resting in fridge. Hope it hold and does not turn to butter when I add chocolate tomorrow. Thank you for making it so easy.
So glad you found my post and that it was helpful, Priya! You should be good tomorrow, I’m betting. Just remove the whipped cream from the fridge 30-45 min or so before you need to fold it in with the chocolate, and give it a few stirs to loosen it up some.
I just used this recipe for a topping for butterscotch pie. It was perfect. And everyone of your tips was so helpful. Thanks!
Hey, Travis! I’m so glad you found the post helpful. And butterscotch is my absolute favorite flavor. I’d love to hear about that pie you made!
You make it look so easy…I will try this by hand next time :-).
Thanks, Sandi. 🙂 I promise it is easy! Enjoy!
Ha! I shared this post on my Life’s a Feast FB page and told my readers that if they came here and read your post they would learn something. I came over and I learned a lot!! I love these posts!
Ha! Thanks for vetting me and keeping me honest! =)
You know what Fundamental I could use some help with? Browning butter.
I seem to have mastered both dry-method and wet-method caramels and rarely screw them up any more, but for some reason when I’m making browned butter I go over the edge and ruin it almost 5 out of 10 times.
And I love browned butter in baked goods!
This is a great suggestion! Consider it on tap for this Friday if I can swing it. If not, definitely the following Friday, Maggie! Thanks for the suggestion. =)
Cool cool cool! I need guidance.
With small amounts of cream, my big ol’ Kenwood Major is just too big and the whisk doesn’t reach far enough into the bowl to do a thorough job. Love your little tips, Jenni! I think Fundamental Fridays sounds like a great idea.
Thanks, Stacy. I sort of felt the need to get back to the roots, you know? =)
I’ve been following yours posts onfacebook for a while now and I think Fundamental Friday is a brilliant idea. Oh and… I also need some structure to relate to so I love the idea od dedicating days to each type of post.
Thanks, Farah! It has taken me forever to realize that I can actually impose structure on myself! lol =)
Great idea! I’m not sure it fits in with pastry stuff, but I’m always looking for videos and pictorials on how to use a knife. I am sure that even after all these years I’m not doing it right. It seems to take half an hour to chop an onion!
I can definitely point you in the direction of some good videos that show sound technique, Jenny!
I saw you do this in one of your videos and I have adopted the same practice for smaller amounts of whipped cream – so easy!
oh…like the idea of fundamental Fridays!
I’m so glad, Jo-Anne! I think it’s important for me to share the basics; the building blocks. If you have a request, feel free!
It makes the idea of making whipped cream less daunting somehow, no? =)
Fantastic! I always whisked around and around in the bowl – and it took forever!
=) Glad you found this helpful, Art! Yay!
LOVE this idea. We began making our own whipped cream about 2 years ago. Today, I branched out and made butter! I goggled it to get an idea of what I was suppose to do. But I would love it if I could go to you, a trusted source, when I feel like branching out!
Hooray for branching out! Happy to help however I can, Anne!
Yay! Someone else does this! I’ve been known to take a container of whipping cream and a stainless steel bowl to a pot luck as part of dessert, or to produce them in our own kitchen when we have company. Each person takes a turn at whisking and in no time the cream is done. Best of all, while everyone’s taking their turn with the whisk, we all get to socialize. Great fun.
And so many fewer dishes to wash too! It’s a win-win, for sure, Beth!