How to Make Chantilly Cream

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: November 27, 2022 Approved

Chantilly cream, or as the French call it crème chantilly, is sweetened whipped cream that's flavored with vanilla or brandy. The recipe is basic, but there are several variations. Three are presented here: classic Chantilly cream, chocolate Chantilly cream and vegan Chantilly cream. Once you learn the proper technique for whipping, the recipes will be a breeze, and your cream will be as light as a feather.

Ingredients

Classic Chantilly Cream

500ml (17 fl oz, 2 cups) double (heavy) cream
Milk
65-75 grams (2 1/2 oz - 3 oz, 5-6 tablespoons) of caster (superfine) sugar
Vanilla extract

Chocolate Chantilly Cream

1 cup heavy cream
2 ounces chocolate
sugar (optional)

Vegan Chantilly Cream

1 can coconut milk
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Whipping Cream by Hand

1
Pick up two essential tools. You'll need an extremely large stainless-steel mixing bowl and a large balloon whisk to properly whip cream by hand. A bit of patience and strong arms (or a friend who'll lend a hand) are nice to have, too.
- A balloon whisk helps to incorporate lots of air into the cream as you whip, creating an airier, lighter product.
- Chef Leslie Bilderback recommends what she calls a "ludicrously oversized bowl" because the more surface area the cream has, the faster it will whip.
- Always chill your mixing bowl ahead of time. A stainless-steel mixing bowl is your best choice because it'll hold the chill longer, but you can also use porcelain or glass. To keep your cream extra cold while working, you can also set the mixing bowl inside a larger bowl that you've filled halfway with ice.
2
Get the technique. Begin whipping the cream in a wide, circular motion. As you whip, lift the whisk out of the cream with each pass. By doing this, you'll bring more air into the cream, and it'll whip more quickly.
- Whip as quickly as you can; the faster the better.
Advertisement
3
Whip the cream until it thickens. After whipping your cream for about 30 seconds, you should see lots of little bubbles--the cream should resemble foam. Continue whipping and notice when you get to the point that you can see and to feel your cream begin to thicken.
4
It could take a minute it could several minutes before your cream thickens. It depends on your arm strength and how successfully you maintain good whipping technique.
5
Enter the soft peak stage. When you get to the point that the cream starts to hold it's shape, you've reached the soft peak stage. This is the point at which you'll add sugar and/or flavorings to your cream.
- If you're working ahead and won't be serving your cream for a while, stop whipping now and put your bowl in the refrigerator until you're ready to finish.
6
Finish with stiff peaks. It should only take an additional minute or so to move from the soft-peak to the stiff-peak stage. To test it, take a scoop on the end of your whisk and turn it upside-down. The peak on the scoop should hold firm and not soften back into itself.
7
Stop. If you over whip your cream, you will end up with butter. If you see it the mixture starting to separate, you've gone too far.
- You do not to have to whip your cream by hand. You can use a mixer with a whisk or whip attachment; however, since this is a classic French recipe, you may prefer to use this classic method of whipping by hand.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Classic Chantilly Cream

1
Prepare the dairy. Chill the cream and milk in the refrigerator. Once they're cold, mix the 1 cup cream with 1/3 cup of milk.
2
Whip. Pour the cream and milk into your chilled bowl and begin whipping until the mixture becomes frothy and soft peaks begin to form.
3
Add the remaining ingredients. Add the caster (superfine) sugar and the vanilla extract to the mixture. You can make a vanilla sugar that incorporates both of these ingredients and add that to the whipped cream instead.
4
Keep whipping. Whip the cream to distribute the vanilla and sugar. Continue whipping until the cream sticks to the coils of the whisk. When stiff peaks begin to form, stop and serve the cream immediately. Otherwise, you may refrigerate it for a short time until it's needed.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Chocolate Chantilly Cream

1
Combine the cream and the chocolate. Combine a cup of heavy cream with two ounces of chocolate. Choose dark or milk chocolate based on your preference. Chop up the chocolate or simply buy chocolate chips and use those.
- In a pinch you could use cocoa powder, but the cocoa butter in the chocolate acts as a stabilizer and helps the whipped cream hold its shape.
2
Melt the chocolate. Put the mixture in the microwave for about 30 seconds on high and then stir. Continue to heat the mixture--15 seconds at a time--and stir until the chocolate melts completely. The mixture will start out looking grainy but will smooth out eventually.
- If you use dark chocolate, you'll need to blend the mixture particularly well to avoid flecks. Use an emulsion blender to get the smoothest consistency.
3
Refrigerate. Pour the mixture into the larger bowl that you'll use to whip the cream and place in the refrigerator for about four hours.
4
Whip. Whip until soft peaks form and add sugar if you like. A good guideline to follow is 2 tablespoons of sugar for every cup of cream. You can stop right here or continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Serve immediately.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Vegan Chantilly Cream

1
Refrigerate. Place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator and allow it chill overnight. Do not shake the can.
2
Scoop out the cream. Remove the can of coconut milk from the refrigerator and open it. The coconut cream should be sitting firmly on top. Use a spoon to scoop out the solid cream into your chilled mixing bowl.
- Leave the clear coconut liquid behind in the can. You can save it to make a coconut-based soup or add it to a fruit smoothie.
3
Add your ingredients. Add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the coconut cream.
4
Whip. Whip for about five minutes until stiff peaks form and serve immediately.
- This recipe is good not only for vegans but for people who are lactose-intolerant since it contains no dairy products.