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Here’s how to make homemade creme fraiche with just 2 ingredients and 24 hours! This simple recipe yields a luxuriously thick, French-style cream that’s perfect for both sweet and savory dishes.
Can’t find crème fraîche at your local store? You can easily make this luxurious French cream at home with just two simple ingredients! This DIY version is just as tasty as the store-bought version, and gives you the satisfaction of making it with your own two hands.
It’s the perfect way to transform leftover heavy cream into something extraordinary. Alex and I love making homemade sour cream, so we thought we’d try creme fraiche too! It’s just as easy and delicious.
The science behind it: fermentation
The magic of crème fraîche happens through a simple fermentation process:
- Heavy cream provides the rich, fatty base (18-20% fat content)
- Plain yogurt introduces beneficial bacteria
- Time and warmth allow these bacteria to work their magic, naturally thickening the cream without spoiling it
Ingredients for creme fraiche
It’s like magic to watch creme fraiche thicken right before your eyes! All you need is 24 hours and a warm place. It’s a nice way to use up leftover cream, or perfect if you can’t find creme fraiche at the store and have 1 day to wait. Here’s what you need to make creme fraiche (go to the recipe for instructions):
- 1 cup heavy cream (with 18-20% fat content)
- 1 tablespoon plain yogurt (Greek or regular)
Ways to use homemade crème fraîche
Creme fraiche is a French version of sour cream, but it’s even richer and thicker. Creme fraiche has a higher fat content and a less tangy flavor than sour cream. This velvety cultured cream is used in many ways: as a creamy dip for veggies, for dolloping soups, or even a spoonful over fruit or a dessert. It doesn’t separate or curdle when heated, ideal for making creamy sauces. Here are some of our favorite ways to use it:
Savory dishes
- Swirl into hot soups for added richness; try it in potato soup or butternut squash soup
- Stir it into marinara sauce to make a creamy pasta sauce that won’t separate when heated
- Add to vegetarian lasagna instead of ricotta
- Dollop onto spicy dishes for cooling contrast
- Enhance potato dishes, from mashed to gratins
- Add luxury to scrambled eggs or omelets
Sweets
- Top fresh berries or stone fruits
- Garnish warm desserts like apple crumble or bread pudding
- Whip with a little sugar for a sophisticated cake frosting
- Serve alongside scones or quick breads
- Blend into smoothies for extra richness
Dietary notes
This homemade creme fraiche recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Frequently asked questions
After 24 hours, it should be noticeably thicker but may still be slightly fluid. It will continue to thicken in the refrigerator. If it’s still very liquid after 24 hours, your room temperature might be too cool – try moving it to a slightly warmer spot.
Plain yogurt (regular or Greek) works best. Avoid flavored varieties or those with added stabilizers. The yogurt just needs to contain live cultures to start the fermentation process.
Common culprits include:
Ultra-pasteurized cream (though it can still work, it may take longer)
Room temperature too cool
Yogurt without active cultures
Container not clean enough
Homemade Creme Fraiche Recipe
Here’s how to make homemade crème fraîche with just 2 ingredients and 24 hours! This simple recipe yields a luxuriously thick, French-style cream that’s perfect for both sweet and savory dishes.
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 24 hours
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Fermentation
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon plain yogurt
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Place the ingredients in a clean glass container with a cover, and let them sit in a warm area for 24 hours, until it thickens (the bacteria in the yogurt ferments the cream and causes it to thicken).
- Uncover and stir. If it’s not thick, let stand for a few more hours. When it’s ready, place the mixture in the refrigerator, where it will continue to thicken. It stores for up to 2 weeks.
More kitchen DIYs!
Love making things yourself in the kitchen? Here are some more fun kitchen experiments:
- Sourdough Bread Ferment your own sourdough starter and use it to make the best bread.
- Homemade Nut Butter Make nut butter using any kind of nuts.
- How to Make Sauerkraut Here’s how to ferment your own sauerkraut!
- Quick Refrigerator Dill Pickles Make your own pickles!
Thanks for the recipe. I used, instead of a glass cover, cheesecloth. This let the mixture “breathe” while keeping out bugs or dust.