Clotted Cream is deliciously creamy and the essential companion to a batch of British scones. You don’t have to go to England to enjoy your tea-time treats though, because clotted cream is so easy to make at home!
What Is Clotted Cream?
Clotted cream is a staple on British tea-time tables. You’ll find it served in a little dish right along side of your scones.
It is a thick, creamy, white spread, the consistency of softened cream cheese. It is ever so slightly sweet, but mostly just incredibly creamy. Like a good, unsalted butter.
But so much more.
Devonshire Cream vs Clotted Cream
Sometimes you may hear “clotted cream” called “Devonshire cream” or “Cornish cream”. It really all depends on region you are in.
The making of clotted cream started in Devon as a way to separate the fat from milk to make butter. Centuries later in Cornwall, it became popular to use the cream on its own. At that time, clotted cream and butter were the most popular ways to preserve milk.
Of course, those in Devon and Cornwall each claim that their cream is superior.
We’ll have to take a trip to decide for ourselves!
Clotted cream is the perfect accompaniment to our British scones!
What’s The Difference Between Clotted Cream And Whipped Cream?
While at first a bowl of clotted cream might look similar to whipped cream, once you take a taste, you’ll know the difference.
Both start with the same basic ingredient: heavy cream. But, for whipped cream you whip that cream into light and fluffy pillows. Often you’ll add sweetener and possibly a flavoring, like vanilla, to whipped cream as well.
Clotted cream, on the other hand, is heated and separated, as we’ll go into more detail on below. This process produces a thicker, creamy substance.
Another difference is that clotted cream is typically not sweetened. It’s loved for the creamy texture it adds, similar to butter, rather than a particular sweetness or flavor.
What’s The Difference Between Clotted Cream And Butter?
So, if it has a thicker consistency and is more savory, how is clotted cream different from butter?
Again, it comes down to the process.
Butter is made by churning (or whipping) cream. So, if you over whip your whipped cream, you’ll end up with a nice, whipped butter.
Clotted cream, again, has to do with the separation of the fat in your cream. So let’s get into the process of how to make clotted cream.
How To Make Clotted Cream
Clotted describes the look of the cream when it is heated ever so gently so that the fat separates to the top and clings together.
Buying jars of imported clotted cream can get quite pricey. But you don’t have to worry about that any more, because making it at home is incredibly easy.
Actually, the hardest part about making clotted cream is finding the cream. You see, you have to start with heavy cream that has not been ultra-pasteurized for a longer shelf life. Simply look for a carton of heavy cream that does not say “ultra-pasteurized”, and you’re good to go!
After you find your cream, the second hardest part to making clotted cream is the wait.
It is not a quick process.
The cream has to be heated slowly for 12 hours, which we find easiest to do overnight. Then it is cooled for another 8 hours (or over the next night).
Finally, you separate the cream from the liquid, and you have the spread that you have been waiting for.
It might take a long time, but it’s mostly hands off.
And it’s SO worth the wait!
Can I Make Clotted Cream In The Slow Cooker?
This is a question that we get often from our readers, so we did some testing to find out.
The answer is yes you can! Have a look at our recipe and process for making clotted cream in the slow cooker.
There are also some nice tips and tricks about making clotted cream in general over there, so even if you’re thinking about making it using this oven method, take a look over there for the tips!
Homemade Clotted Cream
Ingredients
- 2 c heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
Instructions
Day 1
- Preheat your oven to 170-180F.
- Pour the cream into a shallow casserole dish or glass baking dish. (The cream should only come up the sides about 1-2 inches. The key here is to have a lot of surface area.)
- Place the cream in the oven for 12 hours, uncovered. (This works great overnight.**)
Day 2
- After heating for 12 hours, the cream will develop a skin. Carefully remove the dish from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Once cool, cover the dish and refrigerate it for 8 hours (or overnight again).
Day 3
- After chilled, gently skim the thick layer of clotted cream from the surface, leaving the thinner liquid behind. (It will feel like you’re pulling a layer of slightly softened ice cream from the top of a layer of milk*. The skin in fine, it will soften as it is mixed into the cream.)
- Gently stir the skimmed clotted cream to create a smooth texture. (If your cream is too thick for your liking, you can always stir a little bit of the thin liquid back into your cream, until it reaches your desired consistency.)
- Store the clotted cream in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeeks. (Clotted cream can also be frozen and thawed in the refrigerator, if desired.)
Notes
If you liked this recipe, here are some similar dishes you may enjoy!
Cachapas (Venezuelan corn pancakes)
Slow Cooker British Clotted Cream
Imeruli Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread)
Pandebono (Colombian Cassava Bread)
Sheer Khurma (Persian Vermicelli Pudding)
Bolón de Verde (Ecuadorian Green Plantain Fritters)
Cypriot Flaounes (Greek Easter Cheese Bread)
Salvadoran Quesadilla (Sweet Cheese Pound Cake)
I used ultra pasteurized heavy whipping cream because that is all that is available here in Denver (unless you belong to a milk delivery service). It turned out great! I used 1 pint Organic Valley and put it in an 8×8 glass dish. Organic Valley is grass fed and supposed to be 40% fat content). I had set my oven to 180 but the oven thermometer said it was 190-195 (Organic Valley also makes a pasteurized, but again, it’s not available here). I’m not sure I trust the oven thermometer in my case because everything else I bake completes at the regular baking time. It took only 8 hours for my clotted cream to bake, and I ended up with only 1/3 cup whey/leftover cream. This shorter time could be due to the lower amount of cream perhaps, or if my oven did run warmer, perhaps it cooked it faster.
Thanks for sharing your process!
If I don’t intend to use all of the clotted cream immediately, I keep the liquid part and later stir with the remaining clotted cream, which tends to get a butter like consistency after a few days. After letting the mixture rest for an few more hours in the fridge it has a perfect consistency again and it remains this way for days.
Great tip! Thank you!
We used cream that was ultra pasteurized and it turned out great.
Great! Thanks for sharing Mary! Do you mind sharing what brand?
I forgot to cover the dish in the fridge, is it unsafe now? 🙁
Hi Amanda. The top might be a bit dried out, but we would still eat it in our house. 🙂
Excellent! It’s pretty thick and chonky but still delicious! Going to try it again this weekend and be less distracted. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Amanda. Glad you’re enjoying it! If it is too thick, you can mix some of the thin liquid from the clotting process back into the thickened clotted cream. And we find leaving it out for a while before serving will also soften it nicely.
Hello! My husband is British, and he has been ordering clotted cream (expensive!) from England. I can’t wait to try this recipe and save $! You mentioned using a slow cooker as a possible alternative, how do you advise cooking it the slow cooker?
Hi Lisa. We have a whole article on our method for clotted cream in the slow cooker. Enjoy!
Hello – can I make this in my Instant Pot mini (3 qt) or my Ninja Foodi (6 qt)? I don’t trust my oven.
Hi Addie. If you can use your Instant Pot like a slow cooker you could likely follow (or adapt) our method for clotted cream in the slow cooker. Enjoy!
I just realized–if I set it to “keep warm”, that may allow the extra time (don’t rremember what the keep warm temp is though. It just may work.
I thought of that (using the IP ultra setting because you can adjust the temp). The problem I have with that idea though is the max time MY IP Ultra will allow is 4 hours and no more. I set it at 6 hr (for example) but when it gets to temp, it starts the countdown at 4 hours every time. It’s a puzzler.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
My oven’s lowest temp is 200. I am trying to cycle between on and off as you suggested. Is it necessary to keep cooking it the full 12 hours? Mine already has a golden top after 5 1/2. Is there some other marker of doneness that it might achieve before 12 hours have passed?
Hi El. I thought I had responded to this earlier, but apparently not, so I apologize. If using a glass container, you should see some separation through the side. If it is looking golden after 5 1/2, I would just leave it in the warm (but turned off) oven for a few more hours, until you hit at least the 10 hour mark. It needs the time to complete some of the evaporation and separation. Hope it turned out well for you!