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.
Hi Sarah
I tried to make the clotted cream 2 days ago. I think my oven was too hot. I got the dark skin. But the worst was that all the fat from the cream separated and floated on top. After being in the fridge, it was as hard as the wax from a candle. Is this normal or did I do something wrong. It tastes lovely and a bit caramelised.
Thank you for the recipie. Great idea, I will try again.
Hi Lise. When making the clotted cream the fat will separate and float on top, this is the ‘clotted cream’. If your oven was too hot (and it sounds like it was), that would cause too much moisture to evaporate and your clotted cream could turn out too hard. You can always blend in some of the separated liquid to try to soften it. I would try again with a lower oven, or watch it more closely for just a lightly golden crust on top.
Hi Sarah!
The left over liquid from the clotted is similar to a buttermilk do you think?
I would think, yes. It may not have quite the same acidity though.
Hello! Is there a way to know when the cream in the oven is properly set? Is there a certain consistency or look to it?
If your oven runs hotter (mine's lowest temp is 200F), will it be done after 8 or 10 hours instead of 12, or will it still need the full 12 hours? I see your note about checking it after 8 or 10 hours for hotter ovens, so I wondered. Thank you for the help!
If your oven runs hotter, I would recommend cracking the door, to keep the temperature lower, or cycling it on and off. But yes, if you seem to have a good skin that is lightly golden, that is a pretty good indication that your cream is ready for the next step. Above all, you don’t want that top skin to get too dark. But, you migh not notice much of the actual clotting until after refrigerating.
Hi Sarah, thanks for publishing this recipe. I'm a bit of a food nerd and having experienced clotted cream in my travels I've often wondered how to get some.
Unfortunately over here in Australia clotted cream isn't available from a store.
I know my oven is one of those that you described, it switches off if left running for over 6 hours without any adjustments made, so I was wondering if I could possibly use my sous vide machine. I have a chamber vacuum sealer so sealing a bag of cream wouldn't be a problem and using a large bag would give me the 1 inch thickness. My only hesitation is that you say to keep the dish uncovered. Is this to allow evaporation of liquids (this obviously doesn't happen in an sealed bag).
Any thoughts ?
I'm quite happy to give it a try if you think it would work and report the results back. I was thinking of using double cream (40+% butter fat with no thickening agent) since it is the best I can obtain while not living on a dairy farm. All dairy products over here have to be pasteurized, will this make a difference?
Regards
Mick
Hi Mick. From our understanding of the process, having the ability to evaporate helps with proper consistency of the finished clotted cream. However, we have never tried it sous vide. It is possible that it will work, but your results will just be a bit more runny than if you had used the oven. (In which case, you could probably strain it through a couple layers of cheese cloth to thicken it, if desired.) 40% butter fat would be good (heavy cream is 38%, so going higher is only going to help). Pasteurized isn’t an issue, only if it’s UHT (Ultra High Temperature) pasteurized. (Using UHT cream will often cause it to not clot at all or give results that are not as smooth.) If you do give it a try, we would be really interested to hear your results!
Hi Sarah,
I searched everywhere for clotted cream and it’s simply impossible to find. I decided to make my own, but you’re right in that it’s hard to find a good heavy cream to start with. I bought a carton of 35% whipping cream. Will this work, do you think?
Hi Leslie. Heavy cream is 38%, so while we haven't tried this with whipping cream, I would expect that it would work. You might just get slightly less yield. Let us know how it turns out for you!
Hi Sarah, I am very happy to report that the 35% whipping cream worked perfectly for making clotted cream. Turned out perfect!
Thanks, Leslie
Wonderful! Good to hear! And thanks for reporting back!
I haven't tried the recipe yet but I wondered if making it in a slow cooker would resolve some of the issues described in the comments above by those who have?
Hi Donna. We haven't tried it in the slow cooker, the question is if the temperature would maintain low enough. I would test the internal temperature of your slow cooker with a water bath first and if it's around 170F, then you should be good! Let us know if you give it a try!
For the instant pot “slow cooker function” the low feature is about 170 degrees, normal is 200 degrees, and high is 210 degrees. So I am going to try it tonight In the instant pot on low and see if it works.
For the traditional slow cooker the keep warm function is about 170 degrees. So I wouldn’t try it on low, it might burn it. I don’t have a slow cooker to try it but maybe someone else can and let us know ;).
Thanks for sharing!
It worked! Did not burn in the instant pot on the low slow cooker setting! I will note, that I used the glass Instant pot lid instead of the sealing lid that it traditionally comes with. ^ - ^
So glad to hear! Thanks for sharing!
I used fresh cows milk and I think I also used to big of a pan, 9x13, and it didn’t turn out. I think next time I’ll use a smaller pan but should I have used the cream of the milk? I mixed the cream and milk part together and used that. Thank you so much!
Hi Sarah. Yes, to make clotted cream, you do need the higher milk fat ratio of cream. And, the cream should be 1-2 inches thick in your pan so that there is enough thickness to clot properly. Enjoy!
Hi ,, what do you think if I make it on the stove not the oven ! Do you think it will work a very low heat?!?
Thank you
Hi Ebtihal. We have never tried making this on the stove. It may work on a low heat, but it also may not since the heat is all coming from the bottom and not from all around. If you give it a try this way, let us know how it turns out!
Hi Sarah,
Such an encouraging and wonderful post. I share your love and enthusiasm for this delectable English treat. I tried my hand at making this today and realized I had set my oven to 175 deg C instead of F and by the time I realized this, my top layer had browned around the edges to a dark brown and by the end of all this baking and after the cream had cooled, I saw that I had no runny liquid part below. The whole thing had set like a pudding. Is it possible to explain why I didn't get any runny part? It would be great to know. It still tastes great what I made, but I am not sure what to call it haha 🙂
Hi Maya. I think you didn’t get the runny part because your oven was so hot. 170F would be close to 76C, so even if you turned the oven down part way through the clotting, the high heat probably evaporated all the liquid. Glad it still tasted good!
This really is amazingly delicious. Nothing like store-bought. The hardest things is to be patient while it cools.
So glad you enjoyed it Amy!
It didn't work so well for me, the top was nice and tan, but the skin on it was quite dry and when I pulled the thickened cream off the liquid and mixed it in a bowl the skin part remained in clumps so it's clumpy and slightly too runny. It almost looks and feels a little curdled. The leftover liquid tasted just a tiny bit off, not sour, but best described as "goaty" so I discarded it.
I'll check again in the morning whether the skin melted into the liquid, but I don't have much hope. Should I warm it? Should I whip it?
Do you have any idea why this would happen? The cream I used wasn't the best quality or the freshest, but I also made butter from the same batch and that tastes great.
Otherwise I loved the recipe, very informative and concise, so thank you!
Better luck next time, I hope:)
Hi Maja. The top crust does tend to be a bit stiff when mixed in. Often it does soften overnight, after it has been mixed in with a little of the liquid. You could definitely whip it to try to get a more smooth texture, if you desire. As some of our readers have noted, authentic clotted cream isn’t whipped-cream smooth, it does often have a bit of texture to it. If the cream wassn’t super fresh, it is possible that is why your remaining liquid had a bit of an off flavor.
Our clotted cream got very thin when I stirred it after its overnight in the fridge. My British husband was very disappointed and said I should have left the skin intact. What could have happened? We used raw cream.
Hi Bertie. Did you separate the top skin and thickened cream from the thin liquid? If you just stirred everything together, then it likely would be too thin.
This didn’t work at all for me. I’m not sure if using only 1 cup of cream was the problem but I ended up with a completely hardened substance with no liquid underneath. It wasn’t mixable and had to be thrown out.
Hi Amy. If your cream was less than 1 inch high in the dish, that could have been your problem. (And since you say that there was no liquid underneath after clotting, I suspect this was your issue.) You can use 1 cup of cream, as long as you use the proper size dish, so that it comes up the sides 1-2 inches.
This worked wonderfully! I made a half batch for sour cherry scones, and added herbs to the other half to go with goat cheese and chive biscuits. Thank you!
So glad it turned out for you Callie! Great idea to add herbs to some!
I keep seeing that you cannot use ULTRA pasteurized cream, but that is a fallacy. I use it all the time and get great results. Not sure who started that.I believe what you have to stay away from is cream that has xantham gum/guar gum in it.
Thanks for your note that you have had good luck with Ultra Pasteurized cream. For some brands it seems to work, but it is not a sure thing and they all may not work as well. Interesting note about the gums, we'll have to keep an eye on that.