Chantilly Vs Whipped Cream: What's The Difference?

Most of our favorite desserts work much better with a whipped topping. Whether you're looking to add a light, sweet pop of dairy on top of a piece of pie, or even more creamy richness to a hot drink like a mocha, whipped cream will see you through. And while this classic whip is nothing short of perfection, you might have noticed Chantilly cream sometimes being used in its place.

So what's the difference between whipped cream and Chantilly cream? Chantilly cream is a kind of whipped cream with more sugar, plus vanilla. If you're wondering how to choose one over the other, you'd use Chantilly cream anywhere you'd use whipped cream, but where you want to add some additional sweetness, and vanilla flavor. Don't let the name put you off, though; it's not so fancy that it requires advanced training at the Culinary Institute of America. As for where it came from originally, well, that's a little more complicated.

The main part of the process for making either whipped cream or Chantilly cream is the same. You put heavy cream and any other ingredients in a bowl, then start mixing it, rigorously incorporating air, until it forms peaks thick enough to hold their shape. You can use a whisk for this, but a mixer is going to make the process a lot faster and less tiring. You can add sugar to the whipped cream if you want it sweeter than its natural flavor, but it's not necessary. Whipped cream can be just cream that is whipped — unlike Chantilly cream.

The process for making Chantilly cream is very, very simple. All you do is add vanilla extract and sugar to the cream before whipping. For every cup of heavy cream, add 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. One tip to prevent graininess is to use powdered sugar, instead. That's it. That's the whole thing. You've made Chantilly cream.

Chantilly cream is named after the Castle of Chantilly in northern France, where it was reportedly invented in the 1670s. The popularly cited origin story is that chef François Vatel made it out of desperation after his full delivery of cream didn't arrive in time for a huge banquet for King Louis XIV.

But, like many popular food origin stories (including the story about the history of potato chips), it has its fair share of detractors. According to food historian Nicole Garnier (via BBC), whipped cream, and something very much like Chantilly cream (colorfully described as "milk snow"), dates back at least a century earlier to Italy. It was supposedly brought to the French court by Catherine de' Medici, the mid-16th century Queen of France who came there from Florence.

Wherever they originated, Chantilly cream and whipped cream both make great additions to any sweet treat. Don't be put off by the haute reputation of Chantilly cream — it's just as easy to make as whipped cream.