Did you know you can make creme fraiche at home with only 2 ingredients and prepare it in less than one minute?  This recipe for creme fraiche will allow you to have creme fraiche handy whether you want to use it in a French recipe or simply as a substitute to sour cream.  It is not always easy to find creme fraiche in a grocery store and although it is getting easier to find, when you do, it is often overpriced.  And bringing creme fraiche back from France is not an option either — not to mention illegal.  But necessity is the mother of invention so imagine our joy when we were able to make homemade creme fraiche — definitely worth the happy dance!  This was years ago but we’re still amazed and grateful each time we make it so we just wanted to share this treasured recipe with you.

Recipe for Creme Fraiche: How to Make Creme Fraiche

Creme fraiche is a staple in any French kitchen.  Many French dish recipes call for crème fraîche and this velvety cream is found in traditional dishes from regions all over France.  With this recipe for creme fraiche, you will be able to make any classic French recipe that calls for creme fraiche.  One of the reasons creme fraiche is used in so many French recipes is that it handles heat very well so it is an ingredient of choice for sauces, savory and sweet tarts, or when cooking vegetables.   The tangy, yet not sour, taste of creme fraiche also pairs very well with fresh fruits when prepared as a Chantilly cream — in other words, a dream ingredient!

Recipe for Creme Fraiche: How to Make Creme Fraiche

So how do you make creme fraiche?  Although there is long lead time, it takes less than one minute to prepare.  Check below for our easy, all natural and cost effective recipe for creme fraiche and Art of the Home suggestions, including 6 French recipes you can practice with  your homemade creme fraiche.  Happy French cooking!

Recipe for Crème Fraîche: 2 Ingredients, 1 minute, and a bit of patience!

Recipe for Creme Fraiche

Homemade Creme Fraiche (Crème Fraîche Maison)
by Art of the Home

Ingredients (for 2 cups)

• 2 heaped Tbsp  (or 2 “bonnes cuillères à soupe” as they would say in France) of cultured buttermilk
• 2 cup of heavy cream

Directions

1. Put the buttermilk and heavy cream in a glass jar (e.g. canning jar) and mix thoroughly.
2. Find a warm spot in your kitchen (top of oven or fridge) and let the magic happen for about 24 hours.  Your jar should be covered with paper towel or cheesecloth, preferably secured with a rubber band — the mixture needs to breath so we prefer not to close the jar with the lid.
3. When it has thickened (it will still not be as thick as it’s supposed to be, refrigeration will finish the process), mix and put the jar with the lid in the fridge overnight for about 12 hours.  Depending on the expiration dates of the buttermilk and heavy cream you used, your homemade creme fraiche can be stored in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks.

Art of the Home Suggestions:

1. Try your homemade creme fraiche in the following savory dishes: quiche Lorraine, onion tart with ham, pasta carbonara “à la française”, scallops in cream sauce.
2. Try your homemade creme fraiche in the following desserts: Chantilly cream to top a tart tatin or verrine of strawberry sorbet.
3. Quicker recipe for creme fraiche: if you have a yogurt maker, your creme fraiche can be ready in about half the time. Simply heat up the heavy cream so it is just warm.  In step 1, mix ingredients in a glass container that fits inside your yogurt maker and put the timer on for about 14 hours. Proceed with Step 3, and voilà!