Homemade Clotted Cream Recipe

Clotted cream is popular in a lot of areas of the world, and if you haven't tried it yet, you are most definitely missing out! Recipe developer Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating is great at making desserts, main courses, and just about everything in-between — and this wonderful clotted cream recipe is no exception. "Clotted cream is traditionally made in the South West of England, often spread on top of scones along with jam," Brookes explains. We also think that it would be great to enjoy on a piece of bread or a biscuit, or pretty much any other baked good that you could imagine. 

There are plenty of things to love about this tasty spread, and Brookes explains it best. "Clotted cream is rich, indulgent and perfect for spreading on a warm scone," she says. "With the oven and the fridge doing most of the work for you, I love how little prep work is required to make your own at home!" Without further ado, keep reading to find out how to make this tasty clotted cream.

The great part about this particular recipe is that you only need to buy one ingredient. Yes, you read that right; this simple and delicious recipe only calls for one thing, making your trip to the store a breeze. Better yet, it also makes this dish super-affordable and worthy of making it over and over again. Simply grab some heavy cream from the store. After that, and assuming you have everything else you'd like to pair with this recipe, you can head back home and get to work. 

This recipe requires an oven, which means that you need to preheat it ahead of time. Set your temperature to 180 F, and let the range get hot while you tend to the rest of your prep work. Luckily, this temperature is relatively low, and it won't take too long for the oven to fully preheat.

Next, pour the cream into a large oven dish. The dish should be big enough so that the cream sits over a wide surface area between ½- to 1-inch in depth. Brookes used a 29x18 centimeter dish, which proved to be perfect. 

Once the cream is in its dish, double-check to see if the oven has finished preheating. If it has, pop the cream-filled dish into the oven and set your timer for 12 hours. It may seem like a long time to cook something, but there is a reason for it. "The long heating in the oven at a low temperature allows some of the liquid to evaporate and the thick fatty part of the cream to rise to the top," Brookes explains. As she mentioned before, one of the great parts about this recipe is that the oven literally does the work for you.

Once your timer goes off, carefully remove the cream from the oven using oven mitts. If you started in the morning, it's probably evening by now, and it's crazy to think that cream spent all day baking in an oven! While the cream was baking, it should have formed a thick skin over the top. This is a good indicator that it is adequately cooked and the dish will be a success. "The thick layer means its done/is the part you want to keep," Brookes says. 

Let the cream cool at room temperature first. Once it does, put the entire dish in the fridge for 12 hours. "I think the cooling is what makes the clotted cream layer firm enough to scrape off," Brookes shares. Though this is a lot of waiting time, trust us when we tell you that the end-result is well worth it. After the 12 hours are up, remove the cream from the fridge and place it on your counter. Scrape off the thickened layer that has formed and then transfer it to a mixing bowl. At this point, you can also discard the liquid. 

Now, mix the cream thoroughly until you have a smooth and thick clotted cream. Finally, it's time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. There are plenty of things to serve this cream on, but Brookes gives the best suggestions in our opinion. "Best served spread on top of traditional British scones with some jam! You can also use it to make fudge, shortbread or ice cream and it results in a rich creamy flavor," Brookes shares. Anything left? "It should keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week," Brookes notes. We hope you love this spreadable delight as much as we do!