My Instant Pot Clotted Cream Recipe is a revelation, plain and simple. Your Instant Pot creates the famously decadent spreadable cream that’s the highlight of a classic British afternoon tea, I’ll show you how step by step!
If you’ve ever had clotted cream on a scone at an afternoon tea, you’ll know how uniquely delicious this thick creamy spread can be. If you haven’t experienced clotted cream, I suggest you stick around for this foolproof recipe for Instant Pot Clotted Cream…
Let’s unpack this!
- What if I don’t have an Instant Pot?
- What the heck is clotted cream?
- What does clotted cream taste like?
- what you’ll need for Instant Pot clotted cream
- What does ultra pasteurized mean?
- Where to find non-ultra-pasteurized cream
- TIPS for making Instant Pot Clotted Cream
- Why is there a crust on my clotted cream?
What if I don’t have an Instant Pot?
- No worries, Instant Pot clotted cream isn’t the only way you can make this luxurious treat ~
- check out my original post, How To Make Homemade Clotted Cream in the oven!
- or my latest Stove Top Clotted Cream Recipe
What the heck is clotted cream?
Fair question, it isn’t the most common thing in the world…
- Clotted cream is a thick creamy spread normally used on scones, and popular in Great Britain.
- It’s made from heavy cream that has been heated over a period of time until it thickens or ‘clots’ into a spreadable consistency with a unique cooked cream flavor.
- Clotted cream is world famous for its unparalleled rich texture, and it’s an essential part of a classic British afternoon tea, where it’s spread on scones and topped with jam.
- Normally the only way to get clotted cream is to visit Great Britain, or to spend big $$ on a very small imported jar at your local gourmet market.
What does clotted cream taste like?
- Clotted cream has a very simple flavor profile, like an unsweetened heavy cream with a subtle ‘cooked’ flavor. The texture is equally if not more important than the flavor, it’s somewhere between a very thick whipped cream, and butter.
Clotted cream is an exotic treat, you might be able to find small imported jars in your better supermarkets, but you will pay a premium price for it. I developed a way to make your own homemade clotted cream in your oven, which I’ve shared in my original post, here.
Today I’m unveiling another, even easier method for making homemade clotted cream, right in your Instant Pot.
what you’ll need for Instant Pot clotted cream
- 2 pints non-pasteurized heavy cream
- an Instant Pot
- I use the Instant Pot Duo
What does ultra pasteurized mean?
- All milk and cream sold in the US is pasteurized, meaning it’s heated in order to kill harmful bacteria and to help preserve it longer.
- Ultra pasteurized cream is simply heated to a higher temperature, at least 280F, and that kills even more of the bacteria and helps it stay fresher for even longer (before opening.)
Where to find non-ultra-pasteurized cream
- Most heavy cream sold today is what’s called ‘ultra-pastuerized’. That just means it’s been heated beyond the regular pasteurizing method so that it has an extra long shelf life. This can interfere with the clotting process, so the general rule it to use regular pasteurized cream when trying to make clotted cream.
- I have found non-ultra-pasteurized cream at Whole Foods and Trader Joes, for starters.
- Look for cream with a high fat content, mine is 40%.
While the cream is clotting, you’ve got time for a quick batch of scones! I’ve got lots of scone recipes on the blog for you to try. Clotted cream and scones is one of those combinations that is unique and can’t be duplicated. But luckily you can make them both in your own kitchen 🙂
And trust me, there is nothing, and I mean nothing, like a warm homemade scone spread with homemade clotted cream.
TIPS for making Instant Pot Clotted Cream
- This is a simple but precise process. Stick to the recipe as stated, this recipe doesn’t have much room for variation.
- You can try this with regular pasteurized cream, but at your own risk.
- Make sure you refrigerate the cream as per the recipe after you’ve cooked it in the Instant Pot, and before you disturb it, the cream thickens up further as it chills in the fridge.
- AFTER you’ve chilled the cream for at least 12 hours, or even longer, you can skim off the thick cream and put it into a jar. There will be leftover liquid in the pot, and you can use that to make scones.
- You can stir some of the thinner liquid into your clotted cream if you want a looser consistency.
- If your clotted cream seems very thin, or you mistakenly mixed too much of the thin liquid into it, try blending it very briefly with an immersion blender, this works like a charm. Just be sure not to blend it too much or you’ll get clotted butter. Also good 😉 but not what we’re going for.
Why is there a crust on my clotted cream?
Worry not ~ the crust is a characteristic of clotted cream, it can be creamy white or even darker yellow. That signifies that the cream has cooked, and ‘clotted’ or clumped into an unbelievably delicious spread. The clotted cream underneath the crust will be creamier.
- Instant Pot
- 2 pints non-ultra pasteurized heavy cream, make sure to find non-ultra pasteurized cream for this
- Note: I like to plan to start my Instant Pot clotted cream in the morning, when I wake up. That way I can put it in the refrigerator before I go to bed and wake up to a finished product!
- Pour the cream directly into the Instant Pot. Close the lid (no need to set the vent, we’re not pressure cooking.) Press the YOGURT button and press until it says BOIL.
- When the machine beeps, and has reached the boil stage, press the KEEP WARM button and let it go for 8-10 hours. I let mine go for 10 hours.
- Turn the machine off and remove the pot. Let cool at room temperature without disturbing. Then refrigerate the pot, as is, for 12 hours.
- Carefully scoop off the thickened layer of clotted cream, leaving the thin liquid behind. It’s ok if you get some of the thinner liquid into your clotted cream, you can mix it in.
- Spoon your cream into a glass jar. You can leave as is, or stir it together to make it creamier.
- Enjoy within 2 weeks.
- The leftover liquid can be used to make scones.
I’d have been much more concerned if I’d read the comments below before trying this. I used 1 pint in an IP (no idea what size – family aka fairly big!). I braved the Trader Joes covid queue and managed to get pasteurised cream. I agree with peoples comments about the confusing “boil” on the yogurt setting of the IP. Whatever I did it worked. I have a jar of delicious clotted cream to share with my British Wisconsin friends – a group of 4 of us who walk our dogs and catch up on life, loves and getting lost with the dogs. Thank you for this awesome recipe which I can now introduce to my US friends – just in time for release of the Crown in November!
I’m s like concerned right now. I could only find ultra-pasteurized cream in my local grocery stores, BUT!!! some friends have a small dairy farm and I was able to score a quart of fresh, raw cream. It was thick as yogurt! I carefully poured/scraped it into my instant pot and followed your directions to the letter. It just reached the 8hr mark and I’m getting ready to put it into the fridge, but it looks split. There are little puddles of oil all over the top. It doesn’t look at all like the thick, lovely, lightly crusted cream in your pictures. What did I do wrong?
(I want to note that I gently stuck a thermometer into the cream right after I turned off the instant pot and the temp was under 180, so I don’t think my warm setting was too hot (I hope?). But I will say that I felt uneasy about that boil stage. Should I just skip that next time? I have no problem with eating/drinking raw dairy from this farm, so food safety isn’t a factor. I also don’t want my oven running for 8 hours straight, so the instant pot seemed like a great alternative.
????? That should be “a little” not “s like.” Autocorrect is the bane of my existence.
Should I adjust my recipe if I use a pint of cream?
I find it doesn’t work well with a pint, Julianne, there isn’t enough depth.
what do you do with the extra liquid after you have taken the thick clotted part out?
You can use it for baking in place of milk or buttermilk.
Hi Sue, doing this as we speak! I have the IP Ultra. I put it on the Ultra setting for 180 degrees for 10 hours. I was unsure if that’s too high? It’s like a sous vide option so it will stay at 180. Should I move it to warm? What’s your thoughts? Excited to try it!!
I haven’t tried that setting, but if it stays at 180 it should be fine. Let us know!
And stay tuned, I’m testing out a brand new method for making clotted cream this week, if it works I’ll share!
Oh I totally will! Thanks for getting back to me so soon!
Sue, this recipe is ridiculous!! So incredibly good this will be a staple! For those with the large IP ultra, I did do the yoghurt setting, then switched to the “ultra” setting and chose 180 degrees. Worked perfectly, but got quite crusty at the 10 hours. Might try 8 hours next time! Thanks so much!
I just finished making clotted cream in my Instant Pot Ultra. Here’s my experience so far. I used 2 pints of Pasteurized Heavy Whipping Cream from Aldi. (They actually sell non Ultra Pasteurized now!) After pouring the 2 pints into the inner Instant Pot liner, I closed the lid and made sure the venting button on top was pushed. I selected the Yogurt setting and chose High under that. That showed the word BOIL After it finished the BOIL cycle I tested the temperature and found it to only be 155 degrees F. I went through another BOIL process and got it to 180 degrees F. After the second BOIL cycle I pushed cancel. I then chose Slow Cooker, custom set the temperature to 180 degrees to cook for 10 hours. After the ten hours were up I definitely have a yellow crust. Now I need to refrigerate it for 12 hours. We’ll see how much cream I get.
I forgot to add that this is a 6-qt. Instant Pot Ultra.
Do I need to adjust any of the timing if I only have one pint of cream?
It’s hard to make this with just one pint, Kim, it will easily over cook, I recommend sticking to the 2 pints.
I was looking for the recipe for currant almond scones that is mentioned in this post, but I’m not able to find it. Anyone have a link?
I live in Canada and all of my English and Scottish stores say they haven’t had any clotted cream shipments for 10 months. SO….I want to try your recipe. Either the oven method or my friends IP. I am worried about the comment to use pasteurized cream at your own risk! What does that mean?? It is what is available in Canada, and others that say ultra pasteurized which you say not to use, although I see many have had success with it on your website. What would be risky about using pasteurized cream?? At 35 % that is about all we have.
Hi,
I made this recipe last year and it was awesome! I’d like to make it again, but double the amount, that is with 4 pints, as I’d like to have more clotted cream for a larger group. Can it be doubled?
I don’t advise doubling it Terry, the cream won’t clot very well if it’s too deep. If you have a very large pan it might be worth a try, though.