Crème Fraiche is basically a soured cultured cream that has been thickened and acidified with the help of bacteria culture. By reading the name you can already guess where this product originates from. That’s right, it is a famous French product that is used in a number of specialties in the kitchen.
You can mix it with fresh fruit, or stir it in soups, sauces, and gravies to add a little bit of thickness and sourness. Now, crème fraiche can be found in some of the more equipped or bigger grocery stores in the dairy aisle but you might need to look around more.
If you can’t seem to find it anywhere don’t worry, we are here to help you find the perfect substitute for crème fraiche.
Substitutes for crème fraiche are
- Sour Cream
- Mascarpone
- Cream Cheese
- Greek Yogurt
- Heavy Cream
- Ricotta Cheese
- Homemade Crème Fraiche Substitute
To find out more about these creamy substitutes, keep on reading our article. You might find it very useful.
Crème Fraiche Substitutes
Sour Cream
Sour cream is the closest alternative to crème fraiche; In fact, they are very similar if you’re only looking at the exterior. Sour cream is made by fermenting regular cream by adding acidic substances and bacteria just like crème fraiche.
But, even though this soured cream looks almost identical to crème fraiche, they are not quite the same consistency-wise. Sour cream has a lower fat content of around 20 percent and it’s made from pasteurized cream.
Crème fraiche on the other hand has a higher fat content (30 percent) and it’s made out of unpasteurized cream aka fresh cream.
Mascarpone
Mascarpone is a soft Italian cream cheese that is easily spreadable because of its creamy texture. Even though technically this product is considered to be a cheese, it actually is wildly used in many dessert recipes even though it does have a tangy and mild flavor.
The first desserts that come to mind when I’m talking about Mascarpone are a creamy cheesecake and of course, Tiramisu. This soft cheese is also a great thickening agent in sauces, soups, salad dressings, and soups.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the sour tang that this creme fraiche replacement adds to my dishes but it is a very expensive ingredient, so I wouldn’t use it for thickening soups or dressings.
Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is a soft, spreadable cheese that’s made by combining milk and cream together. This product has a soft, buttery texture and acidic, tangy taste; it makes an excellent substitute for Mascarpone when making cheesecake or Tiramisu.
Cream cheese is a decent substitute for crème fraiche because they have a similar thick texture and an acidic flavor. When substituting crème fraiche with cream cheese in sauces, gravies, or soups you need to be careful about the amount you’re adding. Cream cheese has a buttery flavor that can easily dominate in the mixture and add so much thickness.
Greek Yogurt
Full-fat Greek yogurt is one of the dairy products that every household has in their fridge and it comes at a very reasonable price; it is way cheaper than crème fraiche. Personally, I use it for everything because it’s a very versatile ingredient; from salad dressings, a base for sauces, to adding it in soups for a smooth texture.
Greek yogurt is a very versatile product even though it has a sour flavor. You can use it in sweet or savory dishes of your choice.
The only problem with Greek yogurt is that it’s not as thick as the crème fraiche but here is a little trick that can help you thicken it. If you have lemons at home, one squeeze of lemon juice can help you thicken up the texture and give it an even tangier flavor.
You can do this if you want to make homemade buttermilk for pancakes as well. You can substitute the lemon juice with one teaspoon of alcoholic vinegar.
Heavy Cream
Heavy cream is considered one of the staple ingredients for many sweet dishes as well as savory recipes. You also may have known it as whipping cream. Heavy cream is higher in fat than crème fraiche(and therefore has a creamier texture) so you may want to use a little bit less of it when you’re doing a substitution.
When whipped, heavy cream makes an excellent dessert topping or fresh fruit topping. You can whip it with the help of an electric mixer, a food processor, or simply whisking it by hand(although you will definitely get a thinner consistency).
Heavy cream is a great addition to creamy soups to make the creamy consistency even creamier, dressings, gravies, baking recipes, and creamy pasta recipes. For a non-dairy alternative, you can use coconut cream instead.
Ricotta Cheese
Ricotta is a very soft cheese with a crumbly, grainy texture and a subtle tang. This cheese is made from cow’s milk, specifically from the whey of the milk mixed with a little bit of curd to get a more solid form.
You can use ricotta cheese in every type of recipe. You can incorporate it in dishes like pasta, use it as a topping for bruschetta, or dessert recipes like cheesecake and tiramisu.
If the consistency of your Ricotta cheese is a bit thicker, mix it with half a cup of plain yogurt.
[Related Article: 11 Alternative Mascarpone Cheese Substitute For Tiramisu]
Homemade Crème Fraiche Substitute
The most adequate crème fraiche substitute you can possibly find is this homemade creme fraiche recipe. It is incredibly easy to make and It will only take a small amount of your time.
All you’re going to need for this recipe is to combine buttermilk and heavy cream together and put it in an airtight container on a room temperature. Let this combo rest for 12 hours and you’ll have the ideal substitute for any recipes you need. You can substitute the heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream.
FAQs
Creme Fraiche Substitute Vegan
Instead of creme fraiche, you can use full-fat coconut cream, soy yogurt, or soy sour cream.
Creme Fraiche Substitute Scrambled Eggs
For your scrambled eggs, you can use sour cream, buttermilk, a bit of heavy cream, ricotta cheese, cream cheese, and Greek yogurt.
Healthy Substitute For Creme Fraiche
Even though it’s full-fat, Greek yogurt is an amazing, healthier substitute for creme fraiche if you’re in a hurry. This will provide you with a nice, tangy texture and sour taste.
Creme Fraiche Substitute Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is an okay substitute for creme fraiche but it has a much denser texture than creme fraiche and with a less tangy taste. The taste won’t be exactly the same as creme fraiche but it is a good substitute if you’re in a hurry