Using up a tub of creme fraiche in 1 fell swoop

Hi all!

I have a tub of creme fraiche I'd like to use up before the weekend. Ideally, I'd make a dessert that a) has no nuts, b) can be transported onto an airplane and easily distributed among many people, and b) does not require me to buy many other perishable ingredients.

Can I use creme fraiche as I might yogurt, in a quickbread or muffin recipe, or does its fat content mean I need to be careful?

Posted by: Sarah Jampel
February 10, 2016

4285 views
10 Comments

10 Comments

Shuna L. February 11, 2016

If you're transporting said sweet thang on an airplane, yes - just put it in a quick bread. If you stay at home, I love using CF for sabayon or pannacotta - items where the sumptuousness of that dairy really shows up.

For a quick bread, you need not worry too much about the extra fat. If you're subbing it for yogurt or buttermilk, though, remember that CF has much less "moisture."

Veronica F. February 11, 2016

Yes to subbing for yogurt or sour cream (i.e. coffee cakes etc?). Do you have Joanne Chang's Flour bakery cookbook? She has quite a few recipes that uses creme fraiche and all her recipes are divine. Happy baking!

Kristen W. February 11, 2016

Wow that looks delicious, Leith!

Leith D. February 11, 2016

Thank you! Let me know if you try it.

Leith D. February 10, 2016

Make a potato gratin...I posted a recipe for Magical French Potato cake that makes a great side dish.
https://food52.com/recipes/25107-magical-french-potato-cake

Mei C. February 10, 2016

Make banana bread! It travels well, and is really lovely with fraiche (generally, even with its fat content, you can do an even 1-1 swap with whole yogurt, sour cream, or full-fat buttermilk with extremely comparable results). Happy travels!

Nancy February 10, 2016

Make a parfait-like dish, layer the cream with fruits (fresh +/or dried), nuts, cookies, choc or butterscotch chips. Ok if it will be at room temp up to 2 hours.)

amysarah February 10, 2016

I use creme fraiche, sour cream or Greek yogurt (tho not 0%) interchangeably in baking.

I haven't made these creme fraiche brownies yet, but they've been in my bookmark queue for a while - they look really good. I'm sure regular butter (non cultured) would work equally well. Easy to transport: http://www.vermontcreamery.com/vermont-true-decadence-brownies

HalfPint February 10, 2016

I would make cheesecake. Here's an easy one from Nigella Lawson: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/quick-vanilla-cheesecake-4719

I would double or triple it, depending on how much creme fraiche you have.

Sarah E. February 10, 2016

In my experience, subbing it for yogurt (or mascarpone even) will be a-ok.

Recommended by Food52

Using up a tub of creme fraiche in 1 fell swoop

10 Comments

Popular on Food52