Swedish Cream
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Apr 21, 2026 
When I’m craving something light, creamy, and just a little indulgent, I turn to this silky Swedish cream recipe. I gently set a rich vanilla cream, then top it with a bright berry compote for that perfect mix of sweet and tangy. It’s an easy dessert that feels elegant but couldn’t be simpler to make.
You have no idea how much I love Swedish Cream… More than latte art. More than chocolate. More than birthday week (or month). More than my best pair of boots. I first tried this Scandinavian dessert a decade ago at my favorite bakery and I’ve been obsessed with these little cups of dense dairy goodness ever since. Swedish cream is basically the perfect marriage between creme brûlée and panna cotta, topped with a red fresh berry compote. Each bite delivers the most delicious balance and combination of sweetness and a slight tartness from those berries. If you love creamy desserts like my chocolate pudding recipe, then you’ve got to give this easy-to-make dessert a try! This is the perfect recipe for Valentine’s Day, but it’s also great for a hot summer afternoon or any special occasion really.
Dawn – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’ve made this recipe the last few years for Thanksgiving dessert, as well as a whole slew of pies. Everyone raves about it…Absolutely love this recipe!!! Thank you for posting.
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Elegant and Easy – I love how impressive and elegant this dessert looks. You’d think it was prepared by a chef, but no, no, the secret to this recipe is how ridiculously easy it is to make! Don’t forget to top this off with a delicate strawberry “flower”. I’ll show you how.
Silky Smooth – If you love a creamy treat, like my banana pudding cake recipe, this is the recipe for you! This sweet Scandinavian treat is restaurant-worthy, and every spoonful of this custard is so incredibly silky smooth. In my book, it’s the perfect light and refreshing dessert to dig into whenever, from a lazy night in to feeding a crowd.
Perfect for Making Ahead – And speaking of feeding a crowd, you can make dozens of cups filled with this creamy dessert and keep them chilled in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. It’s delicious, simple, and effortlessly classy!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Heavy cream – This is a must! Heavy cream gives this Swedish cream its rich and silky signature texture. You do substitute.
- Granulated sugar – I use plain white cane sugar to add the right amount of sweetness.
- Gelatin – Unflavored gelatin helps the cream set, and it gives that custard-like texture and consistency.
- Extracts – I use a trifecta of vanilla, almond, and orange extracts for warmth. However, in a pinch, I have used just vanilla, and it still turns out lovely.
- Salt – Just a pinch of salt helps balance out all the flavors and sweetness.
- Sour cream – I bet you weren’t expecting this, but I like to use sour cream (or greek yogurt) to create that subtle tanginess this treat is known for.
- Berries – For the berry compote, I always recommend using fresh and ripe strawberries and raspberries. Of course, you can use frozen, too, but fresh berries taste so much better.
How to Make
Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Make the creamy base – To kick this recipe off, I pour the heavy cream and sugar into a sauce pot over medium heat, and I keep stirring until it comes close to boiling. (But don’t let it boil!) Then, I remove the creamy mixture from the heat and very, very quickly mix in the gelatin. Once that’s combined, I add all those fragrant and delicious extracts, along with a pinch of salt.
Make it tangy – I let the flavored custard base cool down for a couple of minutes, and then I mix in the sour cream to get that tanginess going. Make sure to add in the sour cream one cup at a time to keep the mixture extra smooth with no clumps.
Pour and refrigerate – Once the custard is complete, it’s time to pour it into small ramekins. I also love to use plastic cups for large parties, but both are great. When they’re all filled up, I pop them into the refrigerator so I can start working on my berry compote.
Make the berry compote – The first thing I do here is prep the berries, and that means removing all the stems. Then, I grab a pot and add in the berries, sugar, gelatin, and salt. Once that’s reached a boil, I let those cook down for a couple more minutes, using a wooden spoon to crush the berries.
Cool and spoon – I let the compote cool down. Then, I spoon a layer of this thick fruity gel on top of the chilled custard, and I pop those into the fridge once again. If you want, you can top these off with a strawberry rose for an elegant twist.
Expert Tips
The only thing that could possibly make this delicious dessert any better is a fresh pretty strawberry rose on top! Strawberry roses are an easy and elegant garnish for desserts and salads, and 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 stems, 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. (Watch my video for instructions on how to make them!)
Recipe Variations
- Lemon – Instead of the orange extract this recipe calls for, use fresh lemon juice for a more poppy twist.
- Fruit – Swap the strawberries and raspberries with cherries, peaches, blueberries, and blackberries.
- Coconut cream – Replace a portion of the heavy cream with coconut cream for a tropical version of this treat.
Serving Suggestions
This easy and impressive Swedish treat is delicious as-is, but there are always a few magical ways to dress it up. Here are some of my go-to serving suggestions for this creamy dessert:
- Sprinkle some crumbled digestive cookies, graham crackers, nuts, or granola on top for a crunchy finish.
- Top with coconut flakes or chocolate shavings for added texture and sweetness.
- Serve in a martini glass for an even more elegant twist.
- Pair with a simple espresso for an indulgent after-dinner treat.
Storing
Keep this homemade Swedish cream covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! All the sugar and heavy cream really mellow out the sour cream’s strong flavors. But every bite has a subtle tanginess that sets this dessert apart.
I recommend chilling the custard for at least 2 hours before serving.
Honestly, yes. If you want that firm custard texture, then you’ve got to use gelatin. Otherwise, the dessert won’t have a shape, and it will be more soup-y.
More Creamy Dessert Recipes
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Swedish Cream
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.)
This was delicious! As others have said, I put them in 4oz mason jars and it was so simple to transport and the perfect little dessert after a big summer dinner. The only change I made was to strain the seeds from the berries before I put them back in the pot and added gelatin. It made for a smooth berry layer. This will go into the rotation for sure!
I had Swedish Cream at a quaint little Inn on Cape Cod which is owned by a woman from Sweden. I was so excited to find this recipe. I cut the amounts in half to make 10 servings. Absolutely delicious!
Could I cut the sugar in half and still have the same quality and taste. It looks really good but can’t fathom that much sugar.
Hi Marie!
You can cut the sugar down in the cream. The consistency will stay the same, but it will change the flavor a bit. However, do not cut the sugar in the berry compote. It will be too runny if you do.
Made this beautiful recipe and it is divine!!! Thank you so much for it (Not sure why but the video does not open for your instructions on making the pretty strawberry roses) I winged it but they are not as pretty as yours ).
Will make this again for Valentines Day. We love it!
Yvonne
I’ve made this recipe the last few years for Thanksgiving dessert, as well as a whole slew of pies. Everyone raves about it. I put it in 4oz mason jars for quick individual servings that are easily transportable. Absolutely love this recipe!!! Thank you for posting.
OMG!!!! I know this! About 50 yrs ago, my father made something quite similar and it was divine and I was never able to figure what he did. He did it just that once and I was able to enjoy it as a 5 yo.
Your recipe is HUGE, and with covid, we don’t have many guests, so I will cut it down to a size we can handle. So amazing! Thank you for this!
We just came back from Asheville and had this at Wellbred and I had never heard/eaten this either!
I’m so excited to try this and I’ll report back!
I ate this at well bred in the mid 2000s…thought about it today and searched the recipe. I had no idea you based yours on the same experience!!! Wow! Life!
Can you tell me the measurement in teaspoons or weight of the unflavored gelatin? I don’t have individual envelopes or packets – is the envelope the same as the packet?
yes it is the same.
Hi Allison,
Each packet has 2 1/2 teaspoons of powder in it, so you will need 5 teaspoons total.
So I am wanting to make chocolate cups or bowls and put this recipe in there. You mentioned that the swedish cream will be cooking in the cups.. how do you recommend I transfer it over to the chocolate? Can I let it cool in a separate container and then transfer it over to the chocolate cup when it cools? I’m just unsure of it’s consistency and how easy it is to work with and shape. What do you think?
I can’t edit my comment! I am the one with chocolate cups and I meant cooling in the cups!!!! Not cooking! Hopefully you figured that out!!!
What a delight for the hot summer here.
Too funny- Well-Bred is where I just discovered Swedish Creme and I was like dude I have GOT to recreate that at home, and your recipe was the first one that popped up!