Crème fraîche lends rich creaminess to soups, pasta sauces, and pan sauces, as well as dressings and dips. It can be dolloped on fresh fruit or desserts, spread on toast or scones, and is excellent used in baked goods.
About Crème Fraîche
Crème fraîche is a French dairy product that translates to “fresh cream.” Traditionally it’s made by adding natural bacteria to unpasteurized cream. This causes the cream to ferment and thicken. Uses: Commonly used in soups and sauces, and as a topping for fruit and desserts. Substitutes: Sour cream or full-fat plain Greek yogurt
Since dairy must be pasteurized in the United States, the product is made slightly different stateside. Here, crème fraîche is produced by adding bacteria to pasteurized cream to ferment it. The result is a cultured cream that is rich and thick, with a slightly sour, nutty flavor.
Crème Fraîche vs. Sour Cream vs. Mexican Crema
Crème fraîche and sour cream are often confused, and for good reason. Sour cream is also made by fermenting cream (lactic acid is added to cream, which thickens and sours it), but the difference between crème fraîche and sour cream is that sour cream contains about 20% fat, while crème fraîche contains about 30%. That means crème fraîche is significantly richer, as well as thicker and a bit less tangy. Mexican crema, or crema Mexicana, is also a cultured cream. The commercially-produced Mexican crema you find in the United States is thinner and with a milder, slightly sweeter flavor than either crème fraîche and sour cream. (This is not the case for authentic Mexican crema, which is typically unpasteurized and quite thick and tangy.)
What Does Crème Fraîche Taste Like?
Crème fraîche has a rich, luxuriously thick mouthfeel and a milky, mildly tar flavor, with nutty, sweet undertones. It’s also ultra-creamy, with a custard-like consistency.
Where to Buy
While crème fraîche was once difficult to find outside specialty stores, you’ll now find it in most grocery stores. Look for it in the dairy section—depending on your store, the containers will be by the sour cream or by the specialty cheeses. Also, small dairies and creameries often produce it, so keep an eye out the next time you’re at your local farmers’ market.
How to Store
Store crème fraîche in its container in the refrigerator. Containers are typically marked with a “sell by” date. Once opened, use crème fraiche within 7 to 10 days. Unfortunately, crème fraîche cannot be frozen.
How to Use and Cook with Crème Fraîche
Crème fraîche offers a creamy, decadent tang to just about anything, be it savory or sweet. While sour cream has less fat (and therefore more protein) than crème fraîche, it has a tendency to curdle when stirred into hot items like soups and sauces. Crème fraîche, however, won’t curdle, thanks to its higher fat content. Stir it into soups, pasta sauces, and pan sauces at any stage of the cooking process, and then simmer or boil it. Crème fraîche can also be gently warmed, on its own, which will cause it to liquify. You can drizzle runny, melted crème fraîche on soups, roasted vegetables, fish, even pancakes or waffles! Crème fraîche also offers supreme tenderness when added to cake recipes, and a lovely, creamy quality to pies. Use it cold in salad dressings and dips, dollop it over fresh fruit or pudding, or add it to whipped cream or frosting for pies and cakes. Spread it on scones, toast, or on bagel instead of cream cheese—it’s particularly great paired with smoked salmon!
Crème Fraîche Substitutes
Sour cream is the best substitute for crème fraîche. Since sour cream has a lower fat content, it should be handled with care in hot applications. Stir it into hot soups and sauces at the very end of cooking, after removing the pan from the stovetop or oven. For cold applications, sour cream and crème fraîche can be used interchangeably. Just now that sour cream is less rich and more tangy-tasting. The second-best substitute for crème fraîche is full-fat, whole milk plain Greek yogurt. Though not as rich and tangy, it’s just as smooth and creamy. Since it’s also lower in fat, it may curdle when simmered or boiled, so only add it to hot dishes at the end of cooking, when the dish is off the heat.
Crème Fraîche Recipes
If you’re looking to add creaminess to a dish, be it savory or sweet, crème fraîche is a great choice. It’s a luxurious addition that’s balanced with its natural tang, making it truly something special in recipes.
Gingerbread Pancakes with Caramelized Pears Summer Pea Soup Lemon Tart
