How to Make Crème Fraîche (in One Easy Step!)

• servings: 16 servings
• active time: 5 minutes
• total time: 12 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 pint (16 oz) heavy cream

2 tablespoons (1 oz) cultured buttermilk or yogurt

Directions

Combine buttermilk and heavy cream in a non-reactive container.

Cover and allow to rest at room temperature until thickened to desired texture, about 12 hours.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

Even though some recipes recommend kickstarting the process by heating the cream mixture to take off the refrigerator chill, I found that using cold cream actually worked better. It made for a thicker, creamier result.

WHY IT WORKS

Making crème fraîche at home is an easy and cost-effective alternative to specialty store-bought versions.

The bacterial cultures in buttermilk and yogurt thicken and acidify the cream, while also preventing bad bacteria from taking over.

Adjusting the amount of buttermilk or yogurt and amount of time left at room temperature will determine the consistency of the finished product.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: Makes 2 cups
• Calories: 102 kcal
• Total Fat: 11 g
• Saturated Fat: 7 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 34 mg
• Sodium: 12 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0 g
• Total Sugars: 1 g
• Protein: 1 g