Swedish Cream Recipe
Easy Swedish Cream Recipe – Silky, decadent Swedish creme (or Swedish kreme) with a berry compote and strawberry roses is a dreamy treat for Valentine’s Day, or any other day you want to make people smile!
Why We Love This Swedish Cream Recipe
You have no idea how much I love Swedish Cream… More than latte art. More than chocolate. More than birthday week month. More than my best pair of boots.
Swedish Cream (i.e. Swedish Krem, or Creme) is a very very special treat that I only discovered when we moved to Asheville, North Carolina. There is a bakery here in Asheville, called Well-Bred Bakery, which is one of the best bakeries in the region. (Just a personal preference, so no hate mail please. :)
Just over 10 years ago I sauntered into their first location and was forever changed by these little cups of dense dairy goodness, topped with a berry compote.
So What is Swedish Cream Exactly?
My best explanation is that, if creme brûlée and panna cotta had a genetically perfect baby, it would be called Swedish Cream. It’s a rich custard-like treat with smooth tangy sweetness. A touch of gelatin is added to give it stability.
The Swedish Cream is then covered with a fresh berry compote, so that you dip down through the berries into pure dairy ecstasy with each and every bite.
Not only that, Swedish Cream with a lovely little strawberry rose on top is ridiculously easy to make! This Swedish Cream Recipe would make a marvelous treat for Valentines Day or dessert for any special occasion!
Ingredients You Need
For the Swedish Cream –
- Heavy cream – a must for the most rich and delicious Swedish kreme
- Granulated sugar – plain white cane sugar
- Gelatin – unflavored
- Extracts – a trifecta of vanilla, almond, and orange extract
- Salt – just a bit to balance the sweetness
- Sour cream – or greek yogurt
For the Berry Compote –
- Strawberries – fresh or frozen
- Raspberries – fresh or frozen
- Gelatin – unflavored
- Granulated sugar – more of the plain white cane sugar
- Pinch salt – again, to keep the sweetness in check
You’ll also want several fresh ripe strawberries to create strawberry roses for garnishing!
How to Make the Best Swedish Cream
- Combine heavy cream and sugar in a sauce pot over medium heat. Stir frequently and keep a close eye on the mixture… Once the cream is almost to a boil, remove the pan from the heat and quickly whisk in the gelatin. Then stir in the extracts and salt.
- Cool for 5-10 minutes, then whisk in the sour cream, one cup at a time.
- Once smooth, pour the Swedish kreme mixture into ramekins or plastic cups. (These plastic cups are great for taking to parties.) Place the cups on a large rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate while you make the berry compote.
Get the Complete (Printable!) Swedish Cream Recipe Below. Enjoy!
How to Make Strawberry and Raspberry Compote
- Remove the strawberry stems, and place all the berries and remaining ingredients in a large sauce pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and allow the mixture to simmer and cook down for several minutes. Use a wooden spoon to crush the berries, for a smoother consistency.
- Once the mixture thickens a bit, remove from the heat and let the berry compote to cool for 10 minutes. Spoon a tablespoon or two of berry compote over each Swedish Cream cup, then place it back in the fridge.
- Chill the Swedish creme at least 2 hours. Then cover until ready to serve with a strawberry rose on top, if desired.
Keep homemade Swedish creme covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Tips to Make Strawberry Roses
The only thing that could possibly make them any better is a fresh pretty strawberry rose on top! Strawberry roses are an easy and elegant garnish for desserts and salads. With just a few easy incisions you can turn a bright blushing berry into a beautiful flower.
- Choosing the right berries for strawberry roses is the most important task. Make sure to select bright red strawberries that are short and round, not long and thin.
- Remove any sharp protruding stem, but don’t remove the green leaves. I like to leave them on to enhance the rose look and add a pop of color to the Swedish kreme.
- You’ll need a bamboo skewer (or other thin, dowel-shaped tool) and sharp pairing knife to slice petals from the berries.
- Don’t cut too deep. Strawberries can be quite delicate and it’s easy to pierce through them.
Check out our video in the full recipe card below for a short strawberry roses demonstration.
Looking for More Dessert Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Chocolate Pots de Creme with Espresso Whipped Cream
- Blackberry Bread Pudding
- Peppermint Creme Brulee
- Chocolate Raspberry Pots de Creme
- Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Terrine ~ Sprinkle Bakes
- Mint Cheesecake ~ Zoe Bakes
- Honey Lemon Pots de Creme ~ Tartlette
Get the Complete (Printable!) Swedish Cream Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Check the printable recipe card below for this dessert prep time, total time, and nutrition facts including calories, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, and sodium percentages.
Swedish Cream Recipe
Video
Ingredients
For the Swedish Cream:
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
- 1 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups sour cream
For the Berry Compote:
- 4 cups strawberries fresh or frozen
- 2 cups raspberries fresh or frozen
- 1 packet unflavored gelatin about 2 1/2 teaspoons
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Pour the heavy cream and sugar into a sauce pot over medium heat. Stir and watch. Once the cream is almost to a boil, remove from heat and quickly whisk in the gelatin. Then stir in the extracts and salt.
- Allow the mixture to cool for 5-10 minutes. Then whisk in the sour cream, one cup at a time.
- Once smooth, pour the mixture into 4-ounce ramekins or plastic cups. (These plastic cups are great for taking to a parties.) Place the cups on a large rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate.
For the Berry Compote:
- Remove the stems from the strawberries. Place all the berries, gelatins, sugar and salt in a large sauce pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and allow the mixture to simmer and cook down for 5-10 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to crush the berries, for a smoother consistency.
- Allow the berry compote to cool for 10 minutes. Then spoon a layer of berry compote over each Swedish Cream cup and place back in the refrigerator. Chill for at least 2 hours. Then cover until ready to serve.
- Garnish each cup with a strawberry rose if desired. (Video tutorial above.)
I was so glad to find this recipe! I was looking for a recipe similar to a dessert I had in Switzerland and this definitely hits the mark! it was absolutely delicious and everybody raved about it and wanted seconds! I made a half batch and even cut the sugar down again so only put in a half cup for a half batch and it was absolutely phenomenal and nobody noticed that I had reduced the sugar! I will definitely be making this again and again in the future!