Homemade crème fraîche may sound fancy, but this two-ingredient recipe is perfect for topping tacos or stirring into savory sauces. And it’s a SNAP to make at home.
Originally published June 2019; this post has been updated.
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What is Crème Fraîche?
In a nutshell, it’s thickened cream; a rich, thick, creamy wonderfulness. It’s a French recipe, made from dairy cream that has been soured.
Made with heavy whipping cream and buttermilk, this homemade crème fraiche recipe is beyond easy to make.
Ingredients
Heavy cream — Traditional French creme fraiche is made with cream that has a fat content more than 30%. The heavy cream and whipping cream on America’s dairy shelves both meet this requirement.
Buttermilk — This is an ingredient that not everyone has on hand on the regular, but using it creates a thick texture and tangy flavor.
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How to Make it
Trust me when I say this couldn’t be easier. It’s a one-step recipe: combine the cream and buttermilk in a glass jar.
Hot tip: Use a canning jar with measurements on the side and you won’t even have to dirty a measuring cup.
Cover the jar lightly with a cloth and rubber band and allow the mixture stand at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight, until thickened.
I know, letting dairy products sit at room temperature goes against everything you’ve been taught. But left to sit, the ingredients will thicken and take on a lovely tang.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 7-10 days.
Uses for Crème Fraîche
This deliciously tangy topping is so versatile and adds a depth of flavor to so many recipes!
- Use it to top tacos, enchiladas, or your favorite Mexican meal
- Add a dollop to creamy soups, like this pumpkin soup
- It’s a great ingredient to use in creamy salad dressings
- Top pancakes and crepes
- Sweeten it lightly with honey and use it to top fruit pies
- Stir some into mashed potatoes for extra creaminess
FAQs
What if I can’t make crème fraîche?
If you just don’t have the ingredients to make this recipe, the best alternative is to use sour cream. Store bought is fine, you can make your own using this sour cream recipe. It uses lemon juice rather than buttermilk, which is often more readily available in the pantry.
What makes this recipe thick?
As stated above, we are letting this sit on the counter for a bit – yes, seems wrong, doesn’t it? But this allows for natural fermentation which will thicken up the cream. This is what makes it different than sour cream, especially store-bought, as it can contain chemical thickeners.
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How to Make Crème Fraiche with Just Two Ingredients
It sounds fancy, but this two-ingredient recipe is easy as can be and a great substitute for sour cream. It's super easy to make!
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
Instructions
- Combine heavy cream and buttermilk in a jar. If you use a canning jar, the measurements on the side of the jar make it easy!
- Use a rubber band to secure a thin piece of cloth over the jar.
- Let mixture sit at room temperature until thickened to your liking, 8-24 hours.
- Stir creme fraiche and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Notes
Choose a heavy cream or whipping cream with a fat content that exceeds 30%.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 tablespoonAmount Per Serving: Calories: 52Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 8mgCarbohydrates: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g
Hi Kris! I collect the liquid that separates from the cream when I make my own butter and use this as my buttermilk. Could I add this to heavy cream to make creme fraiche?
I can’t say for sure, but give it a try!
I made this over the weekend and am so happy with how it turned out! I had tried your other recipe for making sour cream with lemon juice, but it never thickened up. The taste was spot on, but it was just liquid. This Crème Fraiche, though, is basically sour cream to me. It thickened up nicely. I did have to let it sit overnight on the counter for that to happen. I used store bought buttermilk and heavy whipping cream and they worked just fine. Making this in January, with cold temperature outside worked good. I don’t know how it could be affected by summertime humidity, but I will find out in a few months. I used it for my homemade ranch dressing (that I also use my homemade mayo to make) and it was perfect! The only comment I will make about it is that even though it was thick like real store-bought sour cream, it was sticky. Maybe that’s how Crème Fraiche is supposed to be, but I will make this forever as sour cream, lol!
Glad to hear it!
I just made some and it turned out very nice. I have been making it with sterilized milk and buttermillk, but this recipe is quicker and easier.
Can you freeze heavy cream & then use it for this recipe as well?
I have not tried this; let us know how it turns out if you do!
I have not made this with heavy cream that was in the freezer, but I have tried making other things with frozen milk and it doesn’t come out right. The texture is not creamy. You can always try and see if it works.
I had made this once with store bought buttermilk and it came out perfectly! But recently I’d made some homemade butter that left me with plenty of buttermilk so I used that and this time it took almost 48 hours to even get moderately thick. What did I do wrong?
Most store bought buttermilk is *cultured. I imagine that’s the difference.
What exactly do you mean by cultured when you refer to buttermilk. Is this a special process used to make commercial buttermilk?
This looks great. If I’m not able to use it all up in two weeks, will it freeze well?
I’d be more inclined to halve the recipe if you didn’t think you’d use it all. Freezing will work, but the texture will change slightly. (Good for baking with, though.)