Homemade Clotted Cream
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 it 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 alongside your scones (or very traditionally, Cornish 'splits', a type of yeast bun).
It is a thick, creamy, white spread, with 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 the 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.
One of our readers sent us a wonderful insight into clotted cream making, that is worth sharing. Angela spent her childhood during WWII at Callington with her grandparents who were retired farmers on the Devon/Cornwall border. She explained that the real difference between clotted cream in Devon and Cornwall came down to the process.
She stated,
"Devon cream was made by putting the full milk straight from the cow into a large enamel pan. It was then rested overnight to allow the fat to rise to the top. Then the pan was placed on the range over a pan of simmering water until the cream became a crust. (The milk must not boil!) It was then removed and allowed to become cold in the pantry - no fridges then.
When cold, the thick crust was carefully scooped off the top of the milk and put in a cream dish ready for use. The remaining fatless milk was used for cooking and on farms, surplus skim milk was used to feed pigs etc.
This was the method we used as we no longer had the farm. Just 2 bottles of unpasteurized full cream milk produced enough cream for splits, stewed fruit or junket.
Cornish clotted cream was made as follows - The full milk was poured through a separator. This was a rather complicated piece of mechanical equipment used on farms to separate the fat from the milk.
The full cream was then put into the enamel pan and very slowly heated on the stove until it thickened from top to bottom. No skimming needed. When cold, it could all be eaten!
This is what can be bought in supermarkets today."
Many thanks to Angela for sharing her knowledge and family heritage story with us!
Of course, those in Devon and Cornwall each claim that their cream is superior.
I guess we'll have to take a trip to decide for ourselves!
Ingredients
The ingredient list here couldn't be any shorter. You just need to get yourself some heavy cream.
However, the hardest part about making clotted cream might just be finding the cream.
You see, for best results, you need 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!
Can I use ultra pasteurized cream?
Finding non-ultra-pasteurized cream is becoming more and more difficult in the States, so many of our readers have asked if they can use ultra-pasteurized cream in this recipe.
Luckily, the answer is yes (most of the time). Some of our readers have had luck using ultra-pasteurized cream. However, because of what the ultra-pasteurization process does to the protein and fat molecules in the cream, you will get less clotted cream if you start with ultra-pasteurized cream than if you can find some that isn't.
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.
After you find your cream, the second hardest part of making clotted cream is the wait.
This 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 you 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!
How to store the finished product
You will want to store your clotted cream in an airtight container in your refrigerator. For best storage, store it a place in your fridge that stays a consistent, cool temperature - so not in the door. Closer to the middle is where we like to keep it.
How long does homemade clotted cream last?
Your homemade clotted cream will stay fresh for about 3-4 days if properly stored in the refrigerator. After that, it may start to lose its consistency.
However, if you happen to let your clotted cream get just a bit past its prime and the texture just isn't quite right you can always use it to make fudge or ice cream.
How to use clotted cream
The traditional use for clotted cream is on scones, with jam, served with tea.
However, if you find yourself with an excess of clotted cream and no scones, you can always serve it with Irish soda bread, muffins, apple pie, a fruit tart, or any dessert or sweet bread of your choosing. It also makes a nice fruit topping.
Basically, you can use it any way you would typically use whipped cream or butter.
Savory uses for clotted cream
Clotted cream typically lends itself to sweeter uses: spread on scones (or "splits" as Angela pointed out to us were more common where she was growing up) with some jam.
However, it is rich and creamy and you can use it for savory applications as well.
We think it would be delicious as a veggie dip or spread on a cucumber slice as an appetizer.
You could also add it to mashed potatoes, risotto, or eggs to give them extra creaminess, much like you would butter. Or you could add it to soups or sauces to give them a creamy boost.
What's the difference between clotted cream and whipped cream?
While at first, a bowl of clotted cream might look similar to whipped cream. But 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 below. This process produces a thicker, creamy substance.
Another difference is that clotted cream is typically not sweetened. People love it 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 nice, whipped butter.
Clotted cream, again, has to do with the separation of the fat in your cream.
Our reader Angela pointed out to us that the making of butter in a churn took additional time and hard work. So making clotted cream was a much easier option.
What to do with the leftover whey from making clotted cream?
When you make clotted cream, you will be left with a thin, milky liquid below the clotted cream.
That liquid is basically skim milk, and while we don't think it has the best flavor for drinking, it is perfectly good for baking.
You can use it in any baking recipe that calls for milk. Our favorite way to use it is to make a batch of British scones.
However, it would also work well to make this Brazilian French toast or this Finnish braided bread.
Can you freeze clotted cream?
Frozen dairy tends to lose its thickness and creamy texture, so we wouldn't recommend freezing homemade clotted cream. (We'd use it in some of the ways suggested above first.)
That being said, we have heard of some people having luck freezing clotted cream in an airtight container, if it is thawed overnight in the refrigerator before you would like to use it.
If you'd like to try this, we'd suggest starting with a small test batch to see how you like the results.
Buying jars of imported clotted cream can get quite pricey. But you don't have to worry about that anymore!
Homemade Clotted Cream
To make clotted cream, you will want to start the process 3 days before you plan to serve your cream. It sounds like a lot of time, but most of the process is done while you sleep!
Ingredients
- 2 c (237 ml) 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 weeks. (Clotted cream can also be frozen and thawed in the refrigerator, if desired.)
Notes
*The leftover liquid can be used like milk. It’s great for baking!
** Oven note #1: Some ovens have a safety feature that shuts them off after extended periods of time. If this is your oven, you may want to do the clotting step during the day, when you can make sure your oven stays on and at a low temperature.
Oven note #2: We have a lot of readers who are discovering as they try this recipe that their oven runs hot. After 12 hours in the oven, their cream has developed a dark brown skin. The skin on your cream should only be a pale tan if it starts to darken. If you think your oven may run hot, check your cream after 8 hours and again after 10 hours to see if the top is darkening. If it is, you may need to cycle your oven between off and on to keep a temperature that is not too hot for the cream. (As a side note, the darkened top on the cream does not mean it is ruined. It simply means your finished cream will have a bit of a deeper flavor, and it will most likely have some flecks of brown and not be a pure creamy white.)
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 gAmount Per Serving: Calories: 101
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Can I do this in a slow cooker on low?
UPDATE: Hi Claudia. We have now tested this in the slow cooker, check out our article for making clotted cream in the slow cooker .
Okay, every recipe I have read says do not use UHT processed cream as did yours.. My question is why not? How will it affect the clotted cream? I live in Cuenca Ecuador where scones and clotted cream are rare treats. So we started an artisan small batch bakery (bake to order only) called "Rough Knuckle Sconery" and our scones have been well received.. My partner and I use it to generate charitable contributions for a local charity called the "Cuenca Soup Kitchen" which is dealing with the hunger issues of the Venezuelan migration. I can buy UHT processed cream for about $3.00 for 900 ML. Real cream not UHT processed from a farmer cost me $25.00 for the first 1800 ML. I talked him down to $15.00 for the next 1800 ML but still hugely expensive. What happens when I use UHT cream? Do I get less finished product? I follow the temperature and time intervals of 12 hours and 8 hours as you have indicated. Does it affect the quality of the cream?.It never looks quite like your pictures (not as stiff). Thoughts?
Hi Doug. What a wonderful work you are doing! The reason not to use UHT cream is that the Ultra High Temperature (UHT) Pasteurization process breaks down the proteins in the milk so that they can no longer form curds or solidify. Some people have tried our recipe with UHT cream and had success. My guess is that if it does work, it may result in less of a finished product, and possibly a finished product that isn't quite as thick. You could always try the process with a small amount of UHT cream and see how it works for you. If it does work, but just has a lower yield, the cost difference might make it worth your while.
Can it be taken out at 10 hours for me to bake something else. I didnt time this right
Hi Jenn. You should be fine to remove it after 10 hours, particularly if it looks like it has formed a nice skin. I would try to keep it as warm as you can for he next two hours though, particularly if it looks like it could clot some more.
Hi, I have tried twice now using this method and while both times the cream tasted wonderful, almost as good as I tasted in the English countryside (I mean with a setting like that it is hard to beat) mine had a somewhat crumbly texture to it, even leaving it out a bit to warm. Any thoughts on what I am doing wrong?
Hi Kim. If you're saying the cream is not quite as creamy as you would like, you can mix more of the bottom liquid into your clotted cream after separating them. That should help smooth it out to your desired consistency. Glad you've been enjoying the recipe!
english woman here! clotted cream should have a lovely golden crust on the top, not be totally smooth, that crust is glorious. I cant believe you're trying to avoid it, it's the best bit! I will be trying your recipe though, because although I can get it at the shops I love to make things home made x
Thanks for sharing Hannah!
Here's to wishing me luck. Waiting 10 more mins to put the cook time on. Could not find non ultra pasteurized heavy cream anywhere including my local organic store. So ultra it is. We will see. Also never had real clotted cream before, so hoping it tastes divine.
We hope it turned out well for you! Let us know the results!
I used pasteurized heavy whipping cream, almost the whole quart, and let it sit in the 170 degree F oven untouched for about 13 hours. Then 1 hour of room temp chilling and at least 8 hours of covered chilling in the fridge. It turned out amazing!! This is my first time ever having clotted cream and first time cooking it and it’s just out of this world good. I can’t stop dipping my finger in. Everything I love about butter, ice cream and whipped cream is here, along with a nutty umami I can’t explain. It’s phenomenally good. Please try this excellent recipe.
Wonderful! We're so glad you enjoyed the recipe and the cream! Thank you for sharing!
I have these butter like flakes inside my cream. Followed all directions to a t. Is it just because it’s so cold? It has a very creamy, buttery no sourness at all.
Hi Leslie. Could the flakes be pieces of the top skin that didn't quite get mixed in all the way or re-moistened? Your clotted cream should be creamy and buttery, not sour. So it sounds like your flavor is correct, and sometimes ours does have little flakes of that top skin that don't quite get mixed in all the way.
I have made this twice now, my first attempt being unsuccessful due to a hot-running oven. I think it was more successful this time, however it does have a slightly funny smell and taste. Not nutty, but vaguely kind of like the way a triple cream cheese tastes. I have also found this in the only brand available in stores where I live. Is this normal? My cream was purchased the same day, was not ultra pasteurized, and smelled great when I started. But the result is not at all sweet and just mildly milky. There’s definitely a weird flavor in there. Any thoughts?
Hi Rachel. The flavor of the finished clotted cream to us is somewhat similar to a mild butter or very light cream cheese. However, the flavor of your heavy cream will impact the flavor of your final cream. Would you mind sharing what brand of heavy cream you are using? Maybe other readers who have tried that brand of cream could comment to the taste. As with any cooking, definitely trust your nose. If it smells off, like it has gone bad, the we wouldn't recommend eating it.
I spent 2 weeks in May in England and came back to the states craving clotted cream! I tried your recipe using an expensive quart of pasteurized (not ultra) cream from Natural Grocers. My oven did cut off early in the middle of the night, so I lost that one. The second batch, I researched how long my oven's cook time would stay on, 9hrs 59mins. Got it. So, the second batch I started at 8pm, and checked at 10pm. At that point, I set the cook time for 9:59 hours. It worked! It cooled naturally in the oven until I was ready to cover it and put in the refrigerator at 8am. 8 hours later, I pulled a corner of the top layer up and poured the whey under it out of the pan over a corner. Then all I had in the pan was the clotted cream! It looked and tasted exactly like what I had had in England! Yay! Since then, I've used the Costco pasteurized (not ultra) heavy cream at half the price to get great results 3 times. Thanks so much for this recipe!
So glad our recipe can bring back memories of your time in England! Thanks for sharing which cream works best for you!
I’m hosting an Afternoon Tea in August and I want to make Homemade. Clotted Cream.. The Process seems easy enough except that my oven’s lowest temperature is 200° Degrees. Do you suggest baking for a shorter time.? I just don’t want a real dark skin to develop on top because I want that creamy white cream.
Thank you !
Hi Linda. I would suggest doing the clotting during the day when you can pay attention to your oven. Possibly purchase an oven thermometer (they’re under $5) to keep an eye on the exact temperature. I would cycle your oven on and off during the clotting time to keep the oven from getting too hot. I would also keep an eye on the crust of your cream. If it looks like it’s darkening too fast, then finish the clotting in the warm (turned off) oven. If you do want it perfect, I would definitely suggest trying it before your Tea, as many readers have noted that different brands of cream work differently, so doing a trial run would ensure that your party clotted cream was exactly how you wanted. Have fun!
I think the recipe is amazing and I managed to find the right heavy cream to use - but I had a hard crust, almost yellow on top and very little clotted cream - it is very runny. Now I am wondering if I did not use enough of the heavy cream, It may have been just 2 cups in a 9 x 9 glass dish. I did the cooking during the day and I think my oven may have turned off at 11.5 hours - so close to the full 12 hours. I will say even though it is runny it still tastes amazing. The yellow layer on top is hard to stir in too. I am not defeated and I am determined to try it again. Any suggestions?
Hi Lori. If you have a pretty hard, yellow layer on top, then what I'm thinking is that your oven runs hot. Do you have a thermometer in your oven that you can keep track of the actual internal temperature? If your oven was too hot, it is possible that all the clotted cream turned hard in that crust, and the runny part you have left may just be the 'milk' that is left behind after clotting. My suggestion would be to try it again with an oven thermometer to be sure of your temperature. And, maybe check it as it nears the end of the clotting time, if the top starts to look more than lightly golden, then it is done.
I had the exact same problem, I doubt it was too hot as I was checking for that. I used heavy cream bought directly from a dairy. after baking for 12 hours, it had a yellow top and tastes mildly sour. nothing about it is creamy. the yellow layer is too thin and hard to be useful. honestly a waste of time....
Hi Brandon. Did you let it cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for the cream to set before you tasted it?
I found that the heavy whipping cream is generally 30% milk fat but I found a brand that had 36% milk fat and I bought 2 quarts - made a ton of clotted cream using the 12 hour heat and 12 hour cool method. worked well and the liquid that i had left over, I read could be used to make scones or other items using milk - it also was very thick. I tried whipping it but it did not get thick so I put it in the fridge although as I kept it in the fridge - it became very think and separated from the clear liquid at the bottom. I wanted to test it so I put some in coffee and it was like a sweet milk. I wonder if It can be frozen? I have quite a bit and can't use it all in the next week.
Hi Nancy. I think you could freeze the thinner milk, particularly if you just plan to use it in things. The texture might change slightly, so I don’t think it would be good for drinking (or that the clotted cream would be the best after freezing), but if you’re going to use it in things, freezing the thinner liquid should be just fine.
Okay, first thanks for sharing your recipe. Whether mine turns out or not, it was fun experimenting. Here's my situation: 1.5 hours until the cream is due to be removed from my oven, it is browned and bubbly on top. I'm wondering if this is normal, or if perhaps my oven runs hot. The lowest temp setting on my oven is 170. Might be heading out to buy jarred clotted cream tonight because I must have it for a tea on Saturday, but HOPING my batch in the oven is working. Any consolation that I"m on track would be appreciated.
Hi Alice. Yes, it does sound like your oven is running a bit hot. I'm assuming that it's setting in the fridge now. Sorry I didn't see you comment before now, if I had, I would have had you turn off your oven. It's likely it's still working though. When you go to separate your clotted cream after refrigerating, you may want to separate the clotted cream from the milky liquid, as described in the recipe, but then separate the browned top from the clotted cream, the best you can. You could just mix the brown top into the clotted cream, but it will result in brown flecks in your finished cream, so it will look nicer for presentation if you can get as much of the brown top off before mixing.
Hopefully it does work for your tea on Saturday. Do stop back by and let us know the end result!
I made clotted cream for the first time this weekend. It turned out perfect. Forget about finding cream with enough butterfat. CostCo has a wonderful Heavy Cream. I was in the food business for over 30 years and I’ve never seen better in this country.
Thanks for sharing where you got your cream Don. We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I have used the Costco heavy cream for years as well. But it is ultra pasturized. Did you actually use it for this clotted cream? I would be very happy to hear that it did the job! Just wanted to be sure that you tested it and weren't just plugging the (great) product?