4.87 from 29 votes

Chocolate Whipped Cream (Easy & Foolproof!)

Name: Chocolate Whipped Cream (Easy & Foolproof!)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups heavy cream (very cold ); ⅓ cup granulated sugar; ¼ cup cocoa powder (see note); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

By Sam MerrittPublished Apr 21, 2022

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Servings: 12 servings (makes 3 cups of whipped cream)

5 mins

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You can make this Chocolate Whipped Cream in just five minutes! My recipe is perfectly chocolatey, light and airy, and pipeable too. Don’t forget to watch the how-to video!

close-up view of chocolate whipped cream that's been piped into a small glass jar

The Easiest Five-Minute Dessert Ever

So many of you have have been asking for a chocolate version of my homemade whipped cream, and I’m finally sharing it with you today! My chocolate whipped cream recipe makes a distinctly chocolatey, subtly sweet, and versatile whipped cream with only four simple ingredients. It’s perfect for piping on chocolate cupcakes, and would be a lovely topping on chocolate pudding or my chocolate pie recipe, too. Or, you can just enjoy it by the spoonful!

I initially thought developing this recipe would be as simple as adding cocoa powder to my existing whipped cream recipe; however, I found that simply adding cocoa powder made the mixture almost too thick with an almost gritty aftertaste, and as it sat it reached an almost buttercream frosting-like consistency. It took some tweaking (especially with the sugars) to get the texture just right, but I finally did!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

It’s so quick and easy–just five minutes and four ingredients!
You can control the thickness; whip it to soft peaks for a creamier texture, or whip it to stiff peaks to make it perfectly pipeable.
Just a little sugar means it’s not too sweet, so the chocolate flavor can shine.

What You Need

overhead view of ingredients including sugar, vanilla, cream, and cocoa powder

These four simple ingredients come together to make one delicious dessert! Take note–one ingredient may surprise you:

Heavy cream. Whipping cream or double cream will also work just fine.
Cocoa powder. I prefer to use natural cocoa powder for a more neutral flavor, but if you’d like to use Dutch process, you can. Keep in mind that Dutch process cocoa will give you a more intense flavor.
Granulated sugar. Unlike my regular whipped cream recipe, we’ll be using granulated sugar in today’s chocolate version. During my recipe development, I found that using powdered sugar in combination with cocoa powder resulted in a filmy, unpleasant residue. To remedy this, we’ll use granulated sugar, which will dissolve into the cream as we’re whipping it. Caster sugar would also work.
Vanilla. Just a splash balances out the chocolate flavor beautifully!

SAM’S TIP: To save yourself some time and effort, use an electric mixer and make sure your bowl (preferably a metal one!) and beaters are nice and cold before you get started. This will help your cream whip quicker, easier, and make it more sturdy.

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make It

collage of four photos showing chocolate cream being whipped to soft peaks

Add all ingredients to a bowl and briefly mix to combine.
Turn your mixer on low speed and begin mixing, then gradually increase your mixer to high.
Keep beating until you reach soft peaks, and stop here if the texture suits your needs.
If you plan to pipe your cream or simply want it to be thicker, keep whipping until you reach stiff peaks.

SAM’S TIP: Chocolate whipped cream is a perfect dip for strawberries, and you can also use it a topping on cheesecake, pies, and hot chocolate too! I use it for decoration and added chocolate flavor on my Nutella cheesecake!

a ripe strawberry being dipped into a thick bowl of chocolate flavored whipped cream

Frequently Asked Questions

Can’t I just add cocoa powder to your whipped cream recipe?

While you could, I found that it’s just not as good as the one I’m sharing today. I talk a little bit about my recipe development process at the beginning of this post, so feel free to check that out if you’d like to know why I ended up creating an entirely new recipe.

Why isn’t my whipped cream thickening?

You probably need to just whip it a little longer! Watch the video below if you need a visual for what your cream should look like each step of the way. Also, if your cream has warmed up considerably while whipping it, you may want to pop it back in the fridge before you try again.

If you end up whipping your cream too much, try adding a splash of cream back in and stir on low speed until it loosens up again.

How long does it last?

Chocolate whipped cream will hold its shape for about one day in the fridge in an airtight container.

Note: this recipe will not make a whipped cream that is stable enough for frosting a layer cake. Alternatively, you could spread it over a sheet cake, but keep in mind it will need to stay refrigerated and needs to be eaten within 24 hours.

small glass jar filled with chocolate flavored whipped cream and garnished with a ripe strawberry

Some things are worth waiting for…I can’t wait to hear how you like this one!

Enjoy!

Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

4.87 from 29 votes

Chocolate Whipped Cream (Easy & Foolproof!)

You can make this chocolate whipped cream in just five minutes! My recipe is perfectly chocolatey, light and airy, and pipeable too.

Don't forget to watch the how-to video!

Prep: 5

Total: 5

Servings: servings (makes 3 cups of whipped cream)

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Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 1 ½ cups (335 ml) heavy cream, very cold
▢ ⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar
▢ ¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder, see note
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (preferably a cold metal mixing bowl, but any bowl will work).
1 ½ cups (335 ml) heavy cream, ⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Use an electric mixer to combine ingredients on low-speed. Once ingredients are combined, slowly increase mixer speed to high.
Beat mixture on high speed until just past soft peaks (for a creamier, looser whipped cream) or until you reach stiff peaks (for a thicker, fluffier frosting that will hold its shape better and is better for piping). This will take several minutes.
Use immediately. Leftover chocolate whipped cream may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours but may lose some of its thickness as it sits.