Disclosed is a convenient and economically advantageous method for producing an O/W cream having a high viscosity whereby an O/W cream having a high viscosity can be produced without adding a large amount of a thickener. This method for producing an O/W cream having a high viscosity is characterized by comprising: preparing an O/W emulsion (emulsified part) by emulsifying, at a temperature of 70°C or higher, an oily phase comprising a nonionic surfactant (A), a linear higher alcohol (B) that has 16 or more carbon atoms and can form, together with said nonionic surfactant, an ±-gel in water, and an oily component (C), with an aqueous phase comprising water (D); cooling this emulsified part under stirring; and stopping the stirring at a temperature that is equal to or higher than the peak temperature in the temperature range, wherein the oily phase can form an ±-gel in the aqueous phase, and lower than 70°C. The aforesaid peak temperature menus the exothermic peak temperature of the emulsified part in DSC. It is preferred that the viscosity of the O/W cream having a high viscosity is equal to or higher than 8,000 mPa·s (measured with a B-typc viscometer at 30°C).