Creme Fraiche is one of those ingredients that a lot of people think is fancy, or upscale. It is a simple ingredient that has tons of uses in your kitchen, but it’s expensive to buy in the grocery stores, and that’s if you can even find it. Luckily, it’s ridiculously easy to make at home, so I’m going to show you how to make it and some ideas of what to do with it.

First off, what exactly is creme fraiche, anyways?

Think of creme fraiche as thicker, richer, and less tangy version of sour cream with a total of 2 ingredients- heavy cream, and buttermilk.

That’s it.

Well, unless you consider time as an ingredient – that would bring the count up to three. This recipe could not be simpler, and I promise there are no tricks, special equipment, or even any skill required to pull it off. The result, however, will impress even your most annoyingly “foodie” friends.

Are you ready for this vital, life-changing information? Here it is:

Stir together 1 tbsp of buttermilk into 1 cup of heavy (whipping) cream.

Put on the lid and let it sit on the counter 12-24 hours, based on the level of tang and thickness (longer time = more tang and thickness) desired. 

Refrigerate when you reach the consistency you like. 

Homemade Creme Fraiche

Easy, right?

So now that you have some amazing homemade creme fraiche, what the heck do you use it for?

Here’s a few ideas to get you started, but I’m sure you’ll come up with other, creative ways to use it. It’s addictive, and I find myself putting it on everything lately.

• Enjoy it anywhere you would use sour cream
• Stir it into soups to make them creamier (Creme fraiche has a high fat content that means it won’t curdle)
• Sweeten with powdered sugar or syrup and use it as a dessert topping
• Spread on pancakes, waffles or a scone with fresh fruit for a twist on breakfast

Here’s a couple things I did so far:

Add chopped mint to the creme fraiche and use it to accompany pan-fried Zucchini fritters.

Pan Fried Zuchinni Fritters w/ Mint Creme Fraiche

My favourite thing so far might just be these little leftover pie-dough tarts, baked, and topped with strawberry fig jam and a dollop of creme fraiche.

Homemade Creme Fraiche

I hope you all give this super-simple recipe a try, and share your favourite way to use creme fraiche!