How To Make Stabilized Whipped Cream
Stabilized whipped cream holds its shape and stays light and fluffy much longer than regular whipped cream! Use it to decorate cakes, cupcakes, pies, and more.
What Is Stabilized Whipped Cream?
If you’ve been following along for a while, you may recognize this stabilized whipped cream. Originally published in 2018, it quickly became a reader favorite because of how easy it is to whip up. Since it’s been a few years, I decided to give this post a much needed update with more tips and tricks for success!
In essence, this stabilized whipped cream is just whipped cream that’s been stiffened with unflavored gelatin. Regular whipped cream can deflate and become watery after just a few hours. However, whipped cream that’s been stabilized holds its shape and remains fluffy for up to two days.
I highly recommend using this stabilized whipped cream recipe any time you’re decorating a dessert in advance or if you know it will be sitting out at room temperature for a couple of hours!
Ingredients in This Recipe
Making whipped cream with gelatin might sound strange, but I assure you it tastes the exact same as regular whipped cream! Let’s quickly review the ingredients needed:
- Gelatin: This acts as the whipped cream stabilizer. Any brand of gelatin will work fine, just make sure that it’s unflavored. I typically use Knox unflavored gelatin and can usually find it in the baking aisle close to the Jello.
- Water: The gelatin must be sprinkled over a few teaspoons of cold water to hydrate it.
- Heavy whipping cream: Keep the heavy cream in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Cold heavy cream will whip up faster and fluffier!
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the whipped cream without making it grainy.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
How to Stabilize Whipped Cream
If you’ve made regular whipped cream before, you can easily make this recipe! There’s just one extra step to stabilizing whipped cream with gelatin. Here’s an overview on how to make it:
- Chill your bowl and beaters: This will ensure that your whipped cream thickens properly.
- Dissolve the gelatin in water: Add cold water to a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle the unflavored gelatin powder over the top. Let the gelatin sit for 3 to 4 minutes. It should start to dissolve and look wrinkly, like the picture above.
- Heat the gelatin mixture: Place the gelatin mixture in the microwave and heat it for a few seconds. Remove it from the microwave and give it a good stir. If all of the gelatin has not fully dissolved, microwave it for just a few more seconds.
- Cool slightly: Once all of gelatin has fully dissolved, set it aside to cool slightly while you mix together the whipped cream.
- Make the whipped cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Whip the mixture just until it begins to thicken and soft peaks form.
- Add the cooled gelatin mixture: With the mixer running, slowly pour the dissolved gelatin mixture into the whipped cream. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until stiff peaks form. This won’t take long, so be careful not to over mix it!
- Use as desired: The stabilized whipped cream can be used as frosting for cakes and cupcakes or to decorate other desserts.
Different Ways To Use It
You can use this stable whipped cream for just about anything you’d like! Pipe it onto cakes as a finishing touch or use it to fill cream puffs. Here are a few recipes where you can use it:
- Banana Cream Pie
- Tres Leches Cake
- Key Lime Pie
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Strawberry Shortcakes
- Cream Puffs
How Long Can the Whipped Cream Sit Out?
Since this recipe contains fresh dairy, the whipped cream shouldn’t sit out for more than 2 hours. It will stay fluffy and hold its shape the whole time, but after 2 hours it must be refrigerated for food safety reasons.
How Much Does This Recipe Make?
This recipe yields 2 cups of stable whipped cream, which is enough to frost 12 cupcakes, a 9×13-inch cake, or lightly frost a two-layer cake.
Baking Tips
- It’s best to chill your bowl and beaters before getting started. This will help your whipped cream thicken up quicker and increase the volume too!
- Let the gelatin sit on the cold water for 3 to 4 minutes. This will allow the gelatin to hydrate and ensure that it completely melts when you heat it in the microwave.
- Once you microwave the water and gelatin, the gelatin should be fully dissolved. If it’s not, microwave it for another 3 to 4 seconds.
- Make sure to let your gelatin cool just slightly before mixing it in, you don’t want it to be too hot when you add it to the bowl.
- Once you make the whipped cream, you can pipe it on your dessert, then refrigerate until you’re ready to serve it. This whipped cream will hold up just fine at room temperature for a couple of hours, but it’s best to keep your dessert refrigerated and avoid leaving it anywhere too warm for too long.
More Frosting Recipes to Try!
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Peanut Butter Frosting
- Chocolate Buttercream
- Strawberry Frosting
Stabilized Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons cold water
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream (240 ml)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (30 grams)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the water to a microwave safe bowl and sprinkle the unflavored gelatin on top. Allow to sit for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer the gelatin mixture to the microwave and microwave until the gelatin is fully dissolved, this will just take a few seconds. Stir the mixture, then set aside to cool slightly.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, combine the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip the mixture until it starts to thicken and soft peaks form, then turn the mixer to low speed.
- Slowly pour in the gelatin mixture until well combined. Increase the mixer to medium speed and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
- Pipe the whipped cream on your favorite dessert (or use it to frost it) and refrigerate your dessert until ready to serve.
I used this and filled cinnamon oysters then froze them and they came out perfect
Perfect for Black Forest cake.
AMAZING! I’m so grateful for the recipe. The only tiny thing I would add is that I think I will try to strain the melted gelatin. I still found clumps of gelatin. Otherwise, it tasted great and held its form beautifully
Can you add food coloring to this?
Yes, but I do recommend using gel food coloring. You can use liquid food coloring, but I would only use a few drops.
I came across your recipe and am excited to try it. I making mini cheesecakes for a party and am freezing the cheesecakes because it’s a 2-1/2 hour drive. My question is, would the whipped topping hold up apply it to the cheesecakes then freeze them or should I wait to add it before the party? Just trying to fut on time. The cheesecakes would be in a cooler during the trip then refrigerated once arrived.
I would probably wait to add it to the cheesecakes until right before the party, just to be safe.
I added it to my cheesecake, then placed in the freezer and all worked out great! The whipped cream held its own and still looked and tasted great
I could only find dairy free whipping cream would that still work fine ?
I haven’t tried it, but I think it may work.
I’ve followed this recipe exactly twice and both times I’ve ended up with lumps of gelatin throughout. What am I doing wrong?
It could be from either letting the gelatin cool too long (it should still be in a liquid state when you add it) or from not mixing the gelatin in quickly enough.
Hi, great recipe. Can I freeze this whipped cream with gelatin? I make ice cream using whipped cream with condensed milk. Just wondering about the texture of the frozen ice cream.
You can freeze this stabilized whipped cream. I’m not sure what you mean about the texture of the frozen ice cream though?
I gave a positive comment yesterday 6/18/24 but I don’t see it. Also then & today I picked the ’email the recipe’ to my email address but it has not come through in my inbox nor my junk mail.
Hi, Judie! I see both of your comments, I just had not approved them yet. I also see where you signed up with the “email this recipe” option. I tested it out myself and it worked just fine. I do use a program called Grow, so the email will come from Grow and the subject line will say “You saved How To Make Stabilized Whipped Cream”. Is it possible you deleted it by accident?
I did get them. Thank you. The 1st I accidentally deleted not realizing it was from you. I ate the cream for 3 days with stevia sweetened shortcakes & strawberries that I picked. OH MY GOD, it was delicious & stayed firm. I am dying for some more (we’ve had 90+ degree heat wave) but it’s all gone!!
I followed directions exactly (except I used a stevia sweetener) & the cream was perfect & firm but deliciously creamy. It was made yesterday for individual strawberry shortcakes, & is still beautiful today.
I haven’t made this but I’m trying to find a good stabilized whipped cream recipe and this one has high reviews but I’m curious if you know if this could be made with a gelatin substitute like agar agar to make it vegetarian?
I haven’t tried it, but agar agar is a good substitute for gelatin so I think it would work. You could probably just add 1 teaspoon of agar agar powder to the mixing bowl and skip the water.
i would love to know how it turned out! i feel more comfortable using a vegetarian option 🙂