Last Updated on July 22, 2022 by
If you like anything French, especially French cuisine, chances are you’ve heard of or eaten something with fromage frais. Fresh cheese is the direct translation of the French phrase fromage frais. It is a fresh curd cheese made from whole or skimmed milk and cream that is soft, creamy, and flavorful. Although it has a consistency akin to cottage cheese and cream cheese, fromage frais is blended until it is smooth and free of lumps. However, you could have trouble finding this substance if you reside anywhere other than Europe. So can I use creme fraiche instead of fromage frais?
Yes, creme fraiche can be used instead of fromage frais. However, compared to sour cream, it has a thicker and richer consistency, making it a more expensive and opulent ingredient. But for pancakes, pies, and pizzas, you may use crème fraîche, tofu, or sour cream.
8 Best Substitutes For Fromage Frais
Crème Fraîche
Fresh cream, or crème fraîche in French, has a taste that is very similar to sour cream. However, compared to sour cream, it has a thicker and richer consistency, making it a more expensive and opulent ingredient. In recipes calling for fromage frais, such as this delicious cottage pie, crème fraîche may be used as a simple replacement.
It offers foods a lovely, creamy texture and works well as a substitute for fromage frais in pies, pizzas, pancakes, and other meals. However, compared to fromage frais, it is very calorie-dense, with 193 calories per 100 grams. So as long as you use it moderately, you should be alright. Fromage frais equals half a spoonful of crème fraîche.
Plain Yogurt
Fromage frais is often added to sauces and salads to thicken them or used as a spread for crackers or toast. Plain yogurt is a delightful, kid-friendly substitute for fromage frais in sauces, spreads, and dressings. Plain yogurt has a smooth, thick texture similar to that of fromage frais with a slightly sour, sweet flavor.
In a pinch, you can use it for fromage frais in dishes like low-fat roasted beet pasta sauce or creamy peppercorn sauce. You may also make yogurt using soy, cashew, or coconut milk if you want to utilize yogurt in a vegan environment.
Recommended Plain Yogurt To Buy
EasiYo Natural Plain Flavor Yogurt
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EasiYo is a fantastic choice if you want creamy, thick plain yogurt made with basic ingredients. This widely used healthy brand sells a variety of goods, including nonfat, low-fat, and whole milk yogurts, as well as drinkable yogurt and kid-friendly items. This plain yogurt is suitable for vegetarians even if it is not certified organic. It can be used as a replacement for fromage frais.
Sour Cream
Using lactic acid bacteria to ferment cream, sour cream is a dairy product free of gluten and allergens (LAB). Try sour cream if you’re wondering what you may use to replace fromage frais in your pizza or pie recipe. It functions nicely in dishes like this tarte flambée and this healthy pancake recipe.
But keep in mind that, as its name implies, sour cream has a sour flavor. To lessen the sourness and get a taste and texture that are comparable to fromage frais, stir in a little sugar, honey, or another sweetener. Sour cream contains 193 calories per 100 grams, so if you’re watching your weight, you may want to use it less or not at all. Fromage frais equals half a spoonful of sour cream.
Cottage Cheese
Since cottage cheese and fromage frais both have a low-fat level, a somewhat sweet flavor, and creamy consistency, they are often used as substitutes for one another. So, are fromage frais and cottage cheese the same things? No, they are not. Even though they both use skimmed milk as an ingredient, cottage cheese has a coarser, lumpier texture.
If you’re replacing fromage frais with this nutritious, allergen-free ingredient in sauces and spreads, mix it in a food processor or blender first to get rid of any lumps. A little milk or yogurt may also be used for a smoother, somewhat thinner consistency. Fromage frais is more nutritious than cottage cheese, which contains around 98 calories per 100 grams. Utilize it cautiously. Fromage frais equals one spoonful of cottage cheese.
Tofu
As we have said several times, both the tofu and the fromage frais are delicate and luscious. According to looks, tofu is a tougher variant of Fromage, correct? It is a low-calorie, cholesterol-free, vegan component that is also devoid of other allergens, including gluten. Per 100 grams, it has around 76 calories. It also contains a lot of calcium, iron, and protein.
The textures of them are comparable. How about the flavor? The soy flavor is also present in tofu, created by coagulating soy milk into firm curds. Furthermore, soy is well known for its “healthy” fat- and sugar-free taste. The tofu is also really tasteless. Tofu has a high protein content and low-fat level, which makes it nutritious despite how it tastes. Tofu can be used in place of fromage frais.
Greek Yogurt
Since Greek yogurt has the same texture as Fromage frais, you might use it as a substitute. We know that greek yogurt and Fromage frais do not taste the same, but how could we use them interchangeably? Greek yogurt has a texture that is just like Fromage frais: it is soft, silky, liquid, and, most importantly, thick. The thickness of the yogurt matches that of the Fromage.
Let’s speak about the flavor now to clear up any confusion. The yogurt is rather “bland,” but the fromage frais is pleasantly sweet and creamy. So Greek yogurt is an excellent fit as a Fromage frais alternative if the Fromage frais recipes you’re making don’t call for a lot of sweetness or if you no longer want to consume meals high in sugar.
Recommended Greek Yogurt To Buy
Chobani Less Sugar Greek Yogurt
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Chobani Less Sugar Greek Yogurt is our favorite since it’s adaptable and meets all of our dietary requirements. It may be added to anything from baked products to soups, or it can be eaten as a snack with fruit and granola on top. Chobani’s yogurts are not organic, but they are gluten-free, kosher, created without GMOs, and the basic type contains 0 grams of added sugar.
Sixteen grams of protein and 4 grams of sugar are included in one single-serving cup. Despite being nonfat, this ultra-creamy yogurt is nevertheless excellent. It may be used in savory and sweet recipes since the basic taste has a little acidic undertone. The nonfat plain yogurt comes in a 5.3-ounce container (pack of 12), suitable for families if you wish to portion your food.
Almond Cheese
Almond cheese may be used as a vegan substitute for fromage frais in dessert dishes. Because of its exquisite spreadability and creamy consistency, you may use it in dishes to give food a rich texture. Additionally, because of its crumbly nature, it works well in cheesecakes and other pastries. Be aware that 100 grams of almond cheese contain around 357 calories. As a result, it is less healthy than fromage frais. To prevent packing calories into your diet, try to use them sparingly.
Homemade Fromage Frais
If the options above don’t meet your criteria, we advise preparing your own fromage frais. In actuality, preparing this cuisine is not that difficult. Here is a recipe for homemade fromage frais. First, put either whole or skim milk in a large saucepan and boil it steadily for 20 minutes.
Hold off until it begins to steam. Please keep in mind to remove the milk from the burner as soon as it steams, not while it is boiling! Remove the saucepan from the heat after the milk begins to steam and let it cool, including yogurt and lemon juice. Allow the saucepan to cool to ambient temperature for 10 minutes after that.
The third step involves heating the pot, placing it on the burner, and bringing it back to a boil. The mixture should be heated continuously until curds and whey separate. As a result, line the sieve with a cloth and set it over a sink basin. Next, the mixture should be poured into a basin. Twist the towel tightly and compress it to absorb all the liquid. Add seasoning, and lastly, as desired, and you are good to go.
Are Fromage Frais And Crème Fraîche The Same?
No, crème fraîche is produced by fermenting cream, but fromage frais is produced from milk. Because of this, crème fraîche has a greater fat content while being gluten-free like fromage frais. Additionally, fromage frais has a softer, smoother consistency and a somewhat sharper, more acidic taste.
Conclusion On Can I Use Creme Fraiche Instead Of Fromage Frais
Can I use creme fraiche instead of Fromage frais? Yes, you can. Fromage frais is a French form of white cheese that is often combined with various ingredients like savory spices or sweet berries. It is typically prepared with skim milk and has a range of textures depending on how it is manufactured. Fromage frais may provide additional creamy richness and flavor to dishes, particularly when used in sauces, salads, desserts, and cooking. But if you don’t have or do not want to use Fromage frais, you can use other substitutes above.
