A homemade whipped cream recipe, a.k.a. crème chantilly in fancy circles, tastes infinitely better than aerosol cans of the stuff or tubs of fake “whipped topping.” This basic, not-too-sweet recipe can also be customized to taste with flavored liqueurs or spices: Add cinnamon and top Apple-Honey Upside-Down Cakes with it, or add orange liqueur and serve it with Buttermilk and Brown Butter Waffles at your next weekend brunch.
Make-ahead note: Whipped cream is best served immediately, but you can make it in advance by whipping the cream to soft peaks and refrigerating it for up to 2 hours. When ready to serve, continue whipping the cream to medium peaks.
What to buy: You can use store-bought vanilla extract in this recipe, but it’s just as easy to make your own.
- Yield: About 2 cups
- Difficulty: Easy
- Total: 15 mins
- Active: 5
Ingredients (3)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Chill the clean bowl of a stand mixer and the whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Add all of the ingredients to the bowl and whisk on high speed until medium peaks form, about 1 minute. (Alternatively, you can use a hand whisk and a large chilled bowl. Whisk all of the ingredients until medium peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes.) Serve immediately, or follow the instructions in the make-ahead note in the intro.
