Homemade Crème Fraîche

Crème fraîche, translated from French as "fresh cream," is a luxuriously thick cultured cream. Despite its French name, which makes it sound extra fancy, preparing it is simple, and it is incredibly versatile in both cooking and baking. Cultured cream originates from cow's cream that undergoes fermentation with a bacterial culture, resulting in a texture closely resembling sour cream.

Although you can use crème fraîche immediately after the fermentation process, allowing it to chill in the refrigerator allows the flavors to develop and the texture to firm up. Don’t over-stir the crème, as it can quickly loosen.

What's the Difference Between Crème Fraîche and Sour Cream?

Crème fraîche is similar to sour cream with a lower acidity level and a higher fat content. Additionally, there's Mexican crema, which is not quite as thick. If we were to arrange them based on acidity levels, sour cream would rank first, followed by Mexican crema, with crème fraîche being the least acidic. This makes it ideal for dishes where you need a gentle, rich, and creamy texture without overwhelming the overall flavor profile.

How To Use Crème Fraîche

Crème fraîche plays equally well with sweet and savory dishes, imparting an enlivening tang to a soup or balancing the sweetness in a cake. Stir herbs, extracts and flavorings, or your favorite spices into crème fraîche to give it a nudge in either direction.

• Vanilla Bean Crème Fraîche - Stir in vanilla bean paste and a sweetener such as honey or powdered sugar.
• Herbed Crème Fraîche - Stir chopped mixed fresh tender herbs (such as chives, dill, tarragon, and/or parsley), fresh lemon juice, and salt and black pepper to taste into crème fraîche. Use the spread as a dip or as a cooling side to grilled meat. 
• Berry Crème Fraîche - For fruity sweetness, swirl in your favorite jam or preserves, macerated berries, or freeze-dried fruit powder. 
• Crème Fraîche Dip with Old Bay - Combine crème fraîche, mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, finely chopped shallots and celery, dill, Old Bay seasoning, and whole-grain mustard. Serve with boiled shrimp.
• Crème fraîche has a very high-fat content so it won’t break at high temperatures; add a dollop to soups, scrambled eggs, or pan sauces to enrich them.