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August 28, 2026
I love clotted cream. I don’t love how expensive it can be, how difficult it can sometimes be to find, or the fact that when I do find it, the jar seems to be about the size of a thimble.
And I’m really not a “from scratch” person. If a recipe has a long list of ingredients or takes all afternoon, I’m probably going to pass. So when I found a recipe for homemade clotted cream that promised two ingredients and about 30 minutes, I thought, Now that’s a recipe I can get behind.
And I’m so glad I tried it.
I’ve made it several times now, and every time I do, I wonder why I waited so long. Because there is something about a scone with jam and clotted cream that feels like a little taste of home.
Growing up in England, clotted cream was part of the world of afternoon tea that felt familiar to me. There’s something wonderfully comforting about a scone, a spoonful of jam and that thick, creamy layer of clotted cream on top.
When you move away from the place you grew up, little tastes of home can become even more special. For me, clotted cream is one of those things. It takes something as simple as a scone and turns it into something that feels a little bit nostalgic.
And there’s another reason I enjoy it so much. Making and enjoying these little English traditions feels like I’m keeping a promise I made to my mum—to carry on the traditions that were part of my childhood.
I don’t think carrying on a tradition means doing everything exactly the way it was done before. Sometimes it simply means finding your own way to bring that feeling into your life.
For me, this is one of those ways.
The recipe I found comes from Sue Moran at The View from Great Island. It uses heavy cream and a little unsalted butter, and that’s it.
Really.
Two ingredients.
I use regular store-brand heavy cream. Nothing fancy is required. I put the cream and butter into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil, stirring often. I am loving my Hexclad set for these tasks.
The recipe says to reduce the cream by at least a third, and one of the best little tips is to mark the starting level. I used a toothpick to measure the depth of the cream and marked it so I could tell when it had reduced enough.
That little trick was surprisingly helpful.
For the first 20 or 25 minutes, I can generally putter around the kitchen and stir it periodically. But those last 5 to 10 minutes are when I pay attention. The cream is getting thick, and you don’t want it to scorch.
Once it has reduced enough and has thickened to the point that it coats the back of a spoon, I pour it into a shallow pan and put it in the refrigerator to cool overnight.
The next day, I scrape the thickened cream into a little jar. And that’s it.
Homemade clotted cream.
I told you I like simple recipes.
Of course, this is the best part.
I’ve had it with purchased scones, which is perfectly acceptable in my kitchen. I’ve also made gluten-free scones using a mix I found on Amazon, and they were delicious.
I recently tried making gluten-free scones completely from scratch using a recipe from Tea Magazine. They’re good, but that recipe and I still have a little work to do together.
But every one of those scones needed clotted cream.
I’ve served it with regular strawberry jam and lemon curd. A friend gave us homemade blackberry jam, which was wonderful. And right now I’m enjoying some homemade elderberry jam I found at our local market.
Jam.
Clotted cream.
A warm scone.
Honestly, what’s not to love?
And then there was the completely unexpected combination. I made some quick and easy cottage cheese blueberry muffins, and they were good…but they just needed something.
So I put a little clotted cream on top. Oh, my!
Sometimes you find a combination you weren’t expecting, and suddenly you wonder why you hadn’t tried it before.
There’s something else I’ve realized while making this.
In the past, I would usually make clotted cream when I had invited someone over for tea. This time, I made it for me and Paul.
And I loved that.
Why should I wait for someone else to come over before I make something I enjoy? Why does a special little treat need an invitation attached to it?
Maybe this is one of the things I’m learning in this season of life. I don’t have to wait for a special occasion. I don’t have to wait until everything is perfect. And I don’t have to wait for someone else to enjoy the good things.
I can make clotted cream because I love clotted cream.
I can make a pretty cup of tea because I want one.
I can set something lovely on a little plate simply because it’s Tuesday.
And now I’ve done something I should probably have done a long time ago.
I’ve invited someone over for tea just because I want to share the clotted cream.
Clotted cream may be what started this conversation, but I’ve been thinking about all the other little things that can make a simple tea feel special.
It might be a few lemon slices, a little dish of jam, a pretty spoon, fresh mint, a flower from the garden, or a cloth or pretty paper napkin. Maybe it’s something sweet on a small plate.
None of these things are necessary. That’s important.
You don’t need all of them. You don’t even need most of them. Sometimes one little touch is enough.
For me, one of the biggest little touches is the cup I choose.
A teacup.
A pretty spoon.
A little flower.
A favorite jam.
These are such small things, but they change the feeling of the moment.
I love using my mum’s teacup, and sometimes that’s exactly the cup I want. Other times, I get excited about choosing a different one. I have beautiful cups, and why should they sit in the cupboard waiting for some future occasion?
Sometimes I’ll make my tea in a teapot, as well. There’s just something about a teapot that adds a little bit of elegance to the moment.
And then I sit down.
That’s the important part.
I’ve learned a few tea etiquette rules over the years, and here’s one that has actually stuck with me.
When you stir your tea, you shouldn’t stir it around and around in circles. Instead, you move the spoon gently from 6 o’clock to 12 o’clock and back again.
I know.
It’s a very small thing.
But now that I know it, I actually do it.
And honestly, I rather enjoy these little traditions. They don’t make tea feel fussy to me. They make me more aware of the moment.
There’s something lovely about knowing that people before us had little ways of doing ordinary things with care.
And I think that’s what I love about traditions most. You can learn them without becoming rigid about them. You can keep the ones that bring you joy, and let the rest go.
I think we sometimes make afternoon tea more complicated than it needs to be.
You don’t need matching china. You don’t need an elaborate dessert table. You don’t need to bake everything yourself. You don’t need expensive ingredients, and you certainly don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen.
Buy the scones.
Use the jam you already have.
Choose a favorite teacup.
Make a pot of tea.
Add one little thing that makes you happy. Then sit down.
That’s enough.
In fact, I think that’s part of the beauty of afternoon tea. It can be as elaborate or as simple as you want it to be. The thought matters more than the amount of work.
The method I’ve been using comes from Sue Moran at The View from Great Island, and it has become my favorite way to make clotted cream at home. You can find her original Stove Top Clotted Cream recipe here.
Ingredients
* 3 cups heavy cream
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Method
Place the heavy cream and butter in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring often so the cream doesn’t scorch.
Continue gently boiling and stirring periodically until the cream has reduced by at least one-third. This takes about 30 minutes for me, although the timing can vary depending on your pan and burner.
My favorite tip (thank you, Sue Moran!): Before you begin, measure the depth of the cream with a toothpick or wooden skewer and mark the starting level. That gives you an easy way to tell when you’ve reached the one-third reduction.
The cream will gradually thicken and should coat the back of a spoon.
Pour the thickened cream into a shallow baking dish and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
The next day, scrape the clotted cream into a small jar and keep refrigerated.
Watch those last few minutes. I can putter around for most of the cooking time, but the last 5–10 minutes need more attention.
Don’t feel like you need fancy ingredients. I’ve made this with ordinary store-brand heavy cream, and it works beautifully.
Make it ahead. I like making it the day before because it can cool and thicken overnight.
And don’t save it only for scones. Apparently, blueberry muffins and double chocolate banana bread are fair game as well
The original recipe is from Sue Moran at The View from Great Island, where I first discovered this wonderfully simple method.
You don’t have to make clotted cream. That’s not really the point. Maybe this week, choose one little thing that makes an ordinary cup of tea feel special.
Use the teacup you’ve been saving.
Put a flower beside your plate.
Use the pretty spoon.
Make your tea in a teapot.
Buy a little treat you love.
Or make some clotted cream and invite someone over for scones.
Or don’t invite anyone.
Make it for yourself.
Because I’m learning that we don’t always need a reason to use the good things.
Sometimes enjoying them is the reason.
I’m learning that special doesn’t have to mean complicated.
I’m learning that carrying on a tradition doesn’t mean doing everything exactly as my mum did. It means finding ways to keep the feeling alive.
I’m learning that a little taste of home can bring more comfort than I expect.
And I’m learning that I don’t have to wait for company, a holiday, or some perfectly planned occasion to make an ordinary day feel a little more beautiful.
Sometimes all it takes is a scone, a spoonful of clotted cream, and the teacup I decided to use that day.
And perhaps that’s what I’m enjoying most about this season of life.
I’m finally learning to stop saving the good things for someday.
