Chantilly Cream Recipe (Sweetened Vanilla Whipped Cream!)

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Chantilly Cream is an essential topping for countless desserts – pies, ice creams, crepes, cakes, cheesecakes, and so much more! But getting it just right can be a challenge. With our recipe, you’ll learn how to make it perfectly every time with just three simple ingredients!

This recipe was originally shared in 2020.

While it sounds fancy, there’s no need to be intimated. Chantilly cream is basically sweetened cream whipped with vanilla. So, what makes it so special? Well, the soft, billowy cream is just one aspect of it. The real secret is getting the proportions just right.

Too much vanilla and it gets bitter. Too much powdered sugar and it’s cloyingly sweet. Not enough of either and you just end up with a bowl of boring whipped cream. After years of making it under our belt, we have developed the perfect recipe: never too bitter, never too sweet, and always perfectly creamy.

What Is Chantilly Cream Made Of?

Store-bought whipped cream contains ingredients you might have never even heard of! Just look at this ingredient list:

WATER, CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (COCONUT AND PALM KERNEL OILS), SKIM MILK, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF LIGHT CREAM, SODIUM CASEINATE (FROM MILK), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, XANTHAN AND GUAR GUMS, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, POLYSORBATE 60, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, SODIUM POLYPHOSPHATE, BETA CAROTENE (COLOR).

Thankfully, with our recipe, you won’t need corn syrup AND high fructose, xanthan or guar gums, food starches…the list goes on. You will only need simple, delicious ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry! Here is what you need:

• Heavy Cream – This is the foundation of the whipped cream. The high fat content (at least 36%) allows the cream to trap air bubbles, creating that light, fluffy, and luxurious texture.
• Vanilla Extract – Vanilla adds a classic, warm sweetness and subtle depth of flavor that elevates simple whipped cream to Chantilly cream. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar (also called confectioners’ sugar) adds the perfect amount of sweetness. It also dissolves easily, ensuring a smooth and creamy texture.

Overview: How To Make Chantilly Cream

While there are a few things that could go wrong (don’t worry, we’ll cover that a little bit further down in the post!), Chantilly cream is actually one of the EASIEST things you can make.

1. Start with COLD whipping cream. The first step to a perfect Chantilly cream is ensuring your whipped cream is cold. Of course, you don’t want it frozen, but the colder the cream is, the easier and faster the cream will whip!
2. Combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whether you choose to make this recipe in a stand mixer or in mixing bowl with a hand mixer, turn it on a low speed with a whisk attachment until everything is mixed together. Gradually increase the speed until medium peaks form, about a 30 seconds – 1 minute.

And you’re done! You now have a bowl of delicious Chantilly cream ready to decorate a cake, dollop on top of waffles, or enjoy with fresh strawberries.

What Are Medium Peaks?

If you’re new to some of the baking lingo, it might be kind of weird hearing terms like “soft peaks”, “medium peaks”, and “stiff peaks”. If you see these, these refer to what you’re looking for when you lift up your whisk! Today, we’re looking for medium peaks.

Medium peaks refer to the stage in whipping cream where the peaks are somewhat firm but still slightly droop or curl when the beaters are lifted. At this stage, the cream holds its shape fairly well but is not as stiff as the stiff peaks stage!

How Do I Know If My Chantilly Cream Is Over/Under Whipped?

Now that we know what a perfect Chantilly cream looks like, let’s talk about where things could go wrong. The main things are under whipping or over whipping. Under whipped Chantilly cream is thick, but still very runny. If it’s holding a very subtle peak, also known as “soft peak”, it needs to be whipped just a little bit longer.

Over whipped it will be thick, lose some of its volume, and seem more yellow and curdled. It will not be able to hold a “peak”.

Over-whipping is the most common problem when it comes to whipping cream, especially when using a stand mixer. With the power of an electric mixer, if you aren’t paying attention, it can go from perfectly whipped to over-whipped in a matter of seconds!

Can I Fix An Over-Whipped Chantilly Cream?

While it may seem like you should throw the batch away, you actually can save your Chantilly cream! When I was younger, I used to ALWAYS over whip my cream. Thankfully, over the (many) years, we learned the best way to save an over-whipped Chantilly cream!

If you accidentally over-whip the cream, and it looks curdled (as seen below), pour in a small amount of heavy cream (anywhere from 1 Tablespoon to ¼ cup depending on the amount of cream in your base recipe) , and fold it in gently by hand with a spatula until it smooths out! Always feel free to add more, if needed! If your mixture becomes more liquid, you may need to gently whip until it comes back to medium peaks (see reference pictures above).

✳ Recipe FAQ’s

What Should I Serve With Homemade Whipped Cream (Chantilly Cream)?

With its light, creamy texture and sweet flavor, this recipe goes alongside SO many of your favorite desserts and treats. Here are a few of our favorite things to dollop this whipped cream on top of:

• Strawberry Shortcake
• Angel Food Cake
• Choux Pastry
• Crepes
• Pavlova
• Pumpkin Pie (and Pumpkin Pie Bars!), Apple Pie, or any pie that you like!
• Flourless Chocolate Cake
• Lemon Raspberry Cake
• Waffles or Pancakes
• Ice Cream and Icebox Cake
• Hot Chocolate
• Brownies

+ SO. MUCH. MORE. Let’s not forget the honorable mentions of milkshakes, as well. Be sure to let us know in the comments below what you use this chantilly cream for! 😊

More Recipes You May Like:

When you make this Chantilly Cream (Sweetened Whipped Cream), leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

Happy baking!
x, Caylie

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