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Crème fraîche can make your dip recipes delectable and your creamy soup recipes impossibly rich. But what happens if a recipe calls for crème fraîche and you dont have any? No worries! Though crème fraîche has a unique flavor of its own, it can be easily replicated with a few other dairy products—so read on for the best crème fraîche substitutes!
Crème fraîche, a thick cultured cream, is of French origin and means “fresh cream” in French. You can usually find it in small tubs in the dairy aisle of the grocery store, close to where you would find sour cream and cream cheese. It tastes a lot like sour cream, but its usually sold in much smaller tubs. Crème fraîche is extra creamy and rich and has a lower water content and a higher fat content than sour cream. Crème fraîche is most commonly added to soups and sauces to make them thick and creamy, spread on scones or biscuits, stirred into scrambled eggs to make them extra rich, or whipped with sugar as a dessert topping. Its worth adding to your grocery list, but if you need a good crème fraîche swap in a pinch, check out these simple replacements.
With a similar fat content, cream cheese is also a good substitute for creme fraiche. Cream cheese is quite a bit thicker, so wouldn’t work as well for spreading on top of desserts or breakfasts. It does work to melt in sauces and soups.
Crème Fraîche Substitute: Full-Fat Greek Yogurt
Tangy full-fat Greek yogurt is a great substitute for crème fraîche in a pinch. Though it isnt as high in fat, it will provide a similar creamy texture and can be subbed at a 1:1 ratio. It works in both sweet and savory recipes. Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
Crème Fraîche Substitute: Sour Cream
Sour cream is the most common substitute for crème fraîche, since both have a slightly sour taste and are cultured. You can substitute an equal amount of sour cream for crème fraîche in just about any type of recipe.
What Are The Best Creme Fraiche Substitutes?
FAQ
What can I use if I don’t have crème fraîche?
Does crème fraîche taste like cream cheese?
Can I substitute crème fraîche for sour cream in cheesecake?
Can you use cream cheese instead of crème fraiche?
Cream cheese won’t work as a replacement for crème fraiche as a topping or garnish. However, you can use it in recipes where you add the crème fraiche during the cooking process. Because of its high fat content, it won’t curdle when added to heat. Therefore, you can add it at the same time you’d add crème fraiche.
What is a dairy free substitute for sour cream?
Full-fat Greek yogurt will offer the closest approximation of sour cream’s flavor and texture, and can be used as a one-to-one replacement for sour cream. If you’d like, you can stir some heavy cream into any percentage of Greek yogurt to give it a somewhat richer body and higher fat content.
What can I substitute for Creme Fraiche?
To substitute for creme fraiche, try low-fat yogurt, though it can curdle at high temperatures. It has a fat content of approximately 20%, and it can be stabilized by adding ingredients like gelatin, rennin, and vegetable enzymes. Crme frache has a stronger flavor and is less tangy than sour cream, making it a better alternative.
Can you substitute Creme Fraiche for whipped cream?
Creme fraiche is a thick cultured cream that has a mild tangy flavor with a creamy, silky texture. It is excellent stirred into cooked pasta and sauces or dolloped onto desserts like whipped cream. If you can’t or won’t use it in recipes that call for it, you’re going to need a creme fraiche substitute.