French · sauce

Homemade Crème Fraîche

Video by Food Wishes on YouTube · Open on YouTube

5 min · plus 24 h culturing and 24 h chillingMakes 17 × 2 tbsp (30 g)97 kcal a portion
  • Carnivore
  • Keto (0.9 g net carbs a serve)
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten-free ingredients
  • Nut-free

Contains: Milk. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Just cream and a spoonful of buttermilk — no thickeners or stabilisers. It is rich, about 95 kcal and 10 g fat a 2-tbsp dollop, so use it like sour cream, a spoonful at a time.

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Ingredients 2

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Wash a jar thoroughly, then dip it in boiling water for a few minutes to sterilise it and let it cool. 0:24
  2. Pour in 2 cups heavy whipping cream and stir in 3 tbsp cultured buttermilk. It must be real buttermilk with live cultures; Chef John doesn't heat the cream first (warming it just speeds things up). 0:32
  3. Cover the jar with a coffee filter held on with a rubber band, so it can breathe but stays clean. Leave in a warm spot, about 70–75°F (21–24°C), for about 24 hours until thickened; he uses the oven with only the light on. 1:05
  4. Wipe the rim, put the lid on and refrigerate for 24 hours more, where it thickens further and gets tangier. 1:48
  5. Keep it in the fridge and use within a week or two. Unlike sour cream it can be simmered in sauces without curdling.

Tip. Makes about 2 cups (520 g), roughly 17 two-tablespoon serves. Save a few tablespoons to start the next batch instead of buttermilk. Use it on soups, in pan sauces or in stroganoff.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One portion, 2 tbsp (30 g), gives you 1 of 17

Energy97 kcal410 kJ
Protein0.7 g1% of a day
Fibre0 g0% of a day
Carbohydrate0.9 g0.9 g net · 0.9 g sugars0% of a day
Fat10 g6.5 g saturated13% of a day
Sodium10 mg1% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 4%
  • Protein 3%
  • Fat 93%

Fits keto: 0.9 g net carbs a serve, with 93% of the energy from fat.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Vitamin A Source13%

116 µg a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (99%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Show the other 14
Omega-35%

0.1 g a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (99%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Vitamin B123%

0.1 µg a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (82%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Calcium2%

22 mg a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (86%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Vitamin E2%

0.3 mg a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (99%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Selenium2%

0.9 µg a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (89%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Potassium1%

30 mg a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (88%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Magnesium1%

2.2 mg a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (88%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Zinc1%

0.1 mg a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (84%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Vitamin D1%

0.2 µg a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (83%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin K1%

0.9 µg a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (99%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Vitamin B61%

0 mg a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (89%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Iron0%

0 mg a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (97%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Vitamin C0%

0.2 mg a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (100%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Folate0%

1.3 µg a serve, mostly from heavy whipping cream (89%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

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Recipe and video by Food Wishes; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.