Strawberries and Cream is one of life's simple joys. This easy, yet elegant dessert comes together in just five minutes and is perfect for a warm summer day.
When strawberry season comes around, I just want to put fresh strawberries in all my desserts.
But this weekend we went strawberry picking at a local farm, and the strawberries were so juicy and flavorful that I couldn't hide them in a dessert - I just wanted a great way to show them off in all their strawberry glory.
So I whipped up some Chantilly cream and served the incredibly easy dessert that is Strawberries and Cream. It's one of the simplest recipes on this site, alongside my Blueberry Crumble recipe.
The classic combination of strawberries and cream is drastically underrated and is an effortless summer dessert that is so light and refreshing. It's one of the best desserts for warm weather, even if you don't have much of a sweet tooth.
You can use regular whipped cream, but I love the flavor of Chantilly cream as it really complements the juicy strawberries, like in my Berry Chantilly Cake.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Super simple dessert - ready in 5 minutes
- Light and refreshing
- Can be prepared ahead of time
Ingredients
There are just a few simple ingredients in this easy strawberry dessert.
- Strawberries - Of course you'll need strawberries! You want to look for lovely red, ripe strawberries. You definitely want fresh berries for this recipe, not frozen.
- Heavy Cream - Use heavy cream, heavy whipping cream or double cream - it's important that it has a high enough fat content (at least 33%)
- Powdered Sugar - This will make a lovely sweet cream and it will also stabilize it slightly.
- Vanilla - Use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste - this makes the cream taste a little like vanilla ice cream.
See the recipe card below for the full recipe.
How to Make Strawberries and Cream
This strawberries and cream recipe makes a delicious chantilly cream. For more info on this, check out my chantilly cream recipe post.
Prepare Strawberries
Wash and dry your strawberries.
Cut Strawberries
Slice the green tops off and slice strawberries into halves or quarters.
Add Ingredients
Add the cold cream and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer and then sift in the powdered sugar. (You can adjust the amount of sugar according to personal preference).
Whip
Turn the mixer on medium-low speed until the cream mixture thickens slightly, then gradually increase the speed until it is at high speed. Whip until soft peaks form.
Finish by Hand
For the best results, finish the cream off by hand to control the texture. Whip until they reach medium-stiff peaks.
Enjoy!
See my ideas below for different ways to serve your strawberries and cream.
How to Serve Strawberries and Cream
There are multiple different ways you can serve strawberries and cream.
Family style - Put the strawberries in one large bowl and the whipped cream in another, with serving spoons. Give everyone a small dish and let them help themselves to the strawberry dessert.
Platter - You could give little bowls, each with a helping of sweet berries and cream for dipping.
Individual Portions - Spoon layers of strawberries and cream into individual serving dishes, top with some fresh mint leaves for a garnish.
Trifle dish - Pile all the strawberries and cream into a large serving dish and gently fold together, add a serving spoon.
Variations
Here are a few ideas for some extra pizzazz on your strawberries and cream dessert.
- More Fruit - Add a combination of berries such as blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries for a medley of fresh fruit.
- Pistachios - Sprinkle with some finely chopped pistachios for a little crunch
- Lemon zest - Add a touch of zesty lemon to your cream with some fresh lemon zest
- Strawberry compote - Add a dollop of strawberry compote or strawberry puree to the top of your strawberries and cream for some extra strawberry sweetness.
- Champagne Strawberries - Soak the strawberries in champagne for an hour before serving for a tasty twist
- Eton Mess - Crumble some broken pieces of meringue into the strawberries and cream for an Eton mess flavor.
- Strawberry Shortcake - Whip up some homemade biscuits to serve with your strawberries and cream for delicious strawberry shortcakes.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment - you could also use an electric mixer
- Balloon Whisk - For the best texture, I recommend finishing off the whipped cream by hand
Storage
Once whipped, you can keep the cream in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
I recommend storing the strawberries and cream separately and combining them right before serving.
FAQ
Strawberries and cream is a British classic and the official dessert of the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament. Wimbledon strawberries and cream have been served at the sporting event since the 19th century!
No, the classic British strawberries and cream recipe is different from the popular Mexican dessert recipe. Fresas con crema is made with sweetened condensed milk, rather than whipped cream.
Whipped cream is just heavy cream that has been whipped to soft peaks. Chantilly cream is a sweet, smooth version of whipped cream made with powdered sugar and vanilla.
You can use either kind of cream to make strawberries and cream. I just like the flavor and texture of chantilly cream better.
More Fresh Strawberry Desserts
If you love to use strawberries in your baking, check out some of these strawberry dessert recipes:
See more Easy Dessert Recipes
Recipe
Strawberries and Cream
Ingredients
- 18 oz Strawberries 500g
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream 240ml
- ¼ cup Powdered Sugar 28g*
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or electric whisk
Instructions
- Wash and dry the strawberries. Cut the tops off and slice them into halves or quarters.18 oz (500 g) Strawberries
- To make the Chantilly cream, add the cold cream and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer. Sift in the powdered sugar. (Get more tips for chantilly cream here)1 cup (240 ml) Heavy Whipping Cream, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, ¼ cup (30 g) Powdered Sugar
- Turn the mixer on medium-low speed until it begins to thicken, then turn it up to high speed gradually.
- Whip until just before stiff peaks form. Don't overwhip the cream - it's much better when it's slightly soft.
- To get to a piping consistency, whip for a little bit longer with a hand whisk - you have more control over the thickness this way.
- Serve in a bowl for dipping with the strawberries, or layer the strawberries and cream in individual dishes.
Chris Radwanski
Such a simple yet delicious combination. Always a winner in my books!