Stabilized Whipped Cream is easy to throw together with just three ingredients. This recipe is perfect for topping cakes, piping, or using as a replacement for Cool Whip!
When I first started blogging, I made a ton of recipes using Cool Whip. It was such a fast and easy way to make desserts.
Over time my cooking style has evolved into a more from scratch approach, and my audience has grown to include people overseas. It seemed like a great time to provide a Cool Whip alternative.
This Stabilized Whipped cream is only three ingredients. It makes the exact same amount as an 8 ounce tub of Cool Whip. It will hold up to piping, keeping its shape for literally hours, and it is easy to double the recipe!
How to Stabilize Whipped Cream
- Freeze the bowl and the whisk. It is essential for this recipe to use a metal bowl and a metal whisk. Put them in your freezer for at least 15 minutes, but I prefer a half hour or more.
- Sift the powdered sugar with the gelatin. While you are waiting for the bowl to get cold, sift the powdered sugar and gelatin together twice using a metal sieve.
- Add the cold heavy cream and the powdered sugar mixture to the metal bowl.
- Whip it. Whip it good. With the mixer on medium high, whip the mixture until stiff peaks form.
Update
When this recipe was first published, I instructed to dissolve the gelatin into the whipped cream before combining it with the powdered sugar in the cold metal bowl. This was a method that worked really well for me, but was something readers struggled with. Some waited for the gelatin to bloom because that is necessary in some recipes that call for gelatin, though that isn’t necessary here. Other readers found that the gelatin clumped and as a result they didn’t get a truly stabilized whipped cream.
I have since changed the method. I suggest sifting the gelatin with the powdered sugar. This helps the gelatin distribute well in the final whipped cream. You will get the benefits of it stabilizing without any lumps or clumps.
Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting
This whipped cream works great as a frosting. As mentioned above, it will stay pipped in a perfect swirl for hours on end. To test this, I pipped a bit onto a plate and let it sit at room temperature. It held it’s form perfectly for 24 hours when I decided to toss it.
It will also make a great frosting just spread across a cake. Try it with our Caramel Apple Poke Cake or as a replacement to Cool Whip in our Mandarin Orange Cake.
Using in Pies
I have two great pie recipes that call for Cool Whip, and stabilized whipped cream with gelatin will work great as a replacement for it. I think it actually works better than Cool Whip in my Baileys Chocolate Pie. It is also perfect for my Shamrock Shake Pie.
FAQ
There are several sugar free “powdered sugars” on the market right now. Some recommendations would be Swerve, Monkfruit, and Stevia.
This recipe will last three days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it and it will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
Yes! Freeze this in an air tight container. Keep it frozen for up to three months. When you are ready to use it, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
No. As mentioned above, I left this pipped at room temperature for 24 hours and it continued to hold it’s shape.
While this is not made with the same ingredients as Cool Whip, it will behave like Cool Whip in recipes. As a bonus, it tastes better than Cool Whip.
While it is up for debate if the current version of Cool Whip is truly dairy free, it is easy enough to make this version dairy free by using a soy based heavy whipping cream.
Other Uses for Stabilized Whipped Cream
Besides the recipes we have mentioned above, there are some great uses for this recipe. Use it as a replacement for Cool Whip in the following recipes:
If you make this stabilized whipped cream recipe or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
Stabilized Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar sifted twice
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
Instructions
- Freeze a metal bowl and the metal attachment for a your hand held mixer (or your stand mixer and metal stand bowl) for at least 15 minutes.
- While you are waiting for the bowl to get cold, use a metal sieve to sift the powdered sugar and the gelatin together twice.1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin, 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- Add the cold heavy whipping cream to the cold bowl with the powdered sugar mixture.1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Whip on high until stiff peaks appear. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This recipe will hold up as frosting on a cake, and will stay stiff when pipped for hours.
Jodie S. says
I was thinking that if I add my homemade LEMON powder to the gelatin and powdered sugar it would make a delicious alternative to a plain whipped cream. I also make LIME and ORANGE powder. What do you think?
I haven’t worked with lemon powder before, so I can’t really speak to how that would go. If you give it a try, let me know what you think!
Stephanie says
I love all of your recipes from dessert to dinner and as my #1 the fudge! ❤️
I’m so happy to hear that, Stephanie!
Mrs George says
Hi-I’ve noticed your recipe doesn’t call for gelatin to bloom, heard snd cool. Have you tested both methods? And this works better than blooming. Im looking forward to your reply! Thx.
I have tired it both ways and have had pretty similar results with both. However, my readers have had better luck with this method.
Cori says
Can you add gel food coloring to this and it still hold its shape?
I have not tested that. My guess is that it would be fine.