Homemade Clotted Cream is quick and easy to make. Deliciously decadent served with warm scones and homemade jam for a perfect cream tea.
No oven required, no 12 hours of baking and no leftover whey. You can produce a silky, creamy clotted cream with a delicious golden crust in around an hour using your stovetop.
Rich and thick with the consistency of soft butter, clotted cream is inextricably linked with a Devon or Cornish cream tea and there’s nothing quite like it. I’ll leave it to you to decide whether to load your scone with jam first or home made clotted cream first, either way, the result is divine.
I first tried making clotted cream while I was living in France after I promised our French neighbours an authentic Devon Cream tea. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to get hold of clotted cream and creme fraiche, delicious as it is, just wouldn’t do.
As I was trawling through recipes I came across a stovetop method for making clotted cream in an old WI booklet. The minimal effort of stirring cream for 20 minutes seemed much better than a long, slow cooking of cream in a low oven. After working out the ratio of cream to butter and the quantities, I had a go.
The results were far better than I expected and just as good as the pots I used to buy. A cream tea with homemade scones and strawberry jam topped with clotted cream became a regular occasion at the Kitchen Shed. This is the best recipe for homemade clotted cream and has been requested by neighbours and expats alike.
What do you need ?
- Fresh double cream or heavy cream, not UHT or ultra-pasteurized. I used Guernsey cream (regular readers know I love all things Guernsey) as this gives a much richer and creamier flavour but regular double cream works too. Regular double cream will make a buttery pale yellow colour clotted cream.
- Unsalted butter. Again, if you can get Guernsey butter I recommend it. Butter helps gives an extra creaminess to the finished clotted cream.
How to make Homemade Clotted Cream on the stovetop
- You will need a large, wide heavy bottomed saucepan or a saute pan. This is essential so the water in the cream is able to evaporate, leaving no whey at the end.
- Place cream and butter in your pan over a low to medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until it reaches a simmer.
- Don’t let it boil and keep stirring until it’s reduced by half. Depending on your stove and how high you have the heat, about 20 minutes or so.
- Pour into a shallow glass or ceramic dish, the larger the better. A larger surface area will give you more golden, buttery crust – the best bit !
- Pop in the fridge overnight to firm up. If you’re in a rush, the cream will be ready to eat in a couple of hours but it does thicken more the longer you leave it.
How long does clotted cream last in the fridge ?
Kept in the fridge in an airtight container it will last for up to 7 days. Once opened use within 3 days.
Can I freeze clotted cream ?
I wouldn’t recommend it. Like most dairy products clotted cream doesn’t fair well in the freezer. The texture is impaired, it becomes crumbly and doesn’t have the same creamy feel in the mouth.
However, it is safe to freeze clotted cream and it can work well for baking. Freeze fresh clotted cream for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
How to serve Homemade Clotted Cream
Serve with freshly baked scones and jam and a pot of tea.
However, clotted cream isn’t just for an afternoon tea. It’s perfect with a pudding or dessert. We love a dollop of clotted cream with our Nectarine Frangipane Tart or an apple pie or crumble. Oh, I nearly forgot – sticky toffee pudding too !
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Homemade Clotted Cream
Equipment
- A large wide heavy based saucepan or saute pan
- A large shallow glass or ceramic dish
Ingredients
- 750 ml double / heavy cream Guernsey cream if available
- 30 g unsalted butter – ideally Guernsey butter
Instructions
- Put the cream and butter in a large wide heavy based saucepan and place over a low to medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it reaches a simmer.
- Don’t let it boil over and keep stirring so it doesn’t catch on the bottom.
- Let it reduce by half – about 20 minutes.
- Once it has reduced, pour into a shallow dish, the more surface area the better !
- Let it cool, before covering and chilling in the fridge overnight.
- Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Once opened use within 3 days.
Notes
Pin for later
I’m linking Homemade Clotted Cream to:
- Cook Blog Share hosted by Jacqui over at Recipes Made Easy and co hosted this week by Lost In Food.
- Fiesta Friday hosted by Angie over at Fiesta Friday and co hosted this week by Food For The Soul.
James Mclauchlan
Monday 19th of January 2026
Easy and excellent result
William
Saturday 7th of June 2025
I was making the recipe however it ended up separating into oil or fats about 10 minutes in. Am I heating the cream and butter too much?
Sarah James
Saturday 7th of June 2025
Hi William, thanks for getting in touch. The fat should separate and float to the top, keep it on a low heat and keep stirring until it reduces by half. Hope this helps, Sarah.
Gerowa
Saturday 19th of April 2025
Hi Sarah, I was very excited to try your recipe rather than the oven method. However, my cream didn’t get a ‘crust’ although it did thicken. What did I do wrong do you think?
Sarah James
Sunday 20th of April 2025
Hi Gerowa, it's good to hear your cream thickened. There are a few factors that affect the crust forming:
- if the cream isn't quite thick enough the crust won't form. - the type of cream used does need to be double cream which has a 48 % fat content, a cream with less fat content won't form a crust as easily. - a shallow dish with a large surface is essential. - leaving it to cool slowly and chilling overnight helps the crust form. Hope this helps, Sarah.
Robert
Saturday 15th of March 2025
Hello Sarah. You mentioned that you were in France. I live in France and I haven't a clue where to start to get the cream from. Have you any suggestions please as I miss clotted cream and scones? Thank you. Robert
Sarah James
Saturday 15th of March 2025
Hello Robert, I used to love making cream teas for friends and neighbours when we were in France, it was a real treat. Usually it coincided with a trip to Guernsey to see family and I had brought back some Guernsey cream. I have made clotted cream with French cream though. I used crème entière liquide 30%MG or crème fleurette. ( The sort used for whipping cream) Double cream is 48 % so to up the fat content I used 50 g French butter instead of the 30g in the recipe ( French Butter has less water content than British ). You won't get it quite as creamy as if you used double cream but it is still a good homemade clotted cream. Hope this helps and enjoy your cream tea, Sarah.
Vania
Thursday 29th of August 2024
Loved it!!!