Cottage cheese is made by curdling milk with acid, making it a great substitute for crème fraîche. It has a milder flavor than crème fraîche but still provides a creamy and rich texture. To make this substitute, mix 1 cup of cottage cheese with ¼ cup of heavy cream.
Sour cream, crème fraîche and yogurt can be substituted for cottage cheese in a recipe. Cream cheese can be substituted in a recipe where cottage cheese is processed until smooth.
Sour cream (which has less fat) is the best and easiest substitute, but it's not as rich or tangy as crème fraiche. Full fat plain Greek yogurt is another substitute, but it doesn't have the same smooth texture or mild flavor.
The best substitute for creme fraiche, other than making it yourself? Mascarpone. Mascarpone is essentially an Italian cream cheese with a lightly sweet taste. Its rich and creamy texture is very similar to creme fraiche.
Sour cream is the most common substitute for crème fraîche, since both have a slightly sour taste and are cultured. You can substitute an equal amount of sour cream for crème fraîche in just about any type of recipe.
Philadelphia Cooking Creme
Some find it to be a great substitute for creme fraiche and it doesn't separate at high temperatures.
Cream cheese is much denser than crème fraiche and not as tangy, so it won't be an exact flavor exchange, but is still a good option in a pinch. For a similar creme fraiche substitute, use cream cheese that comes in a plastic container (it's softer) and add a squeeze of lemon juice.
Cream cheese is similar to cottage cheese but is higher in fat content, cottage cheese being made from skim or nonfat milk. In certain countries, including Canada and the United States, cream cheese is defined as consisting of about one-third milk fat, with a moisture content of 55 percent.
Mascarpone. Mascarpone is a luxuriously creamy soft cheese, with a fat content of up to 75%. It can be substituted for crème frâiche at a ratio of 1:1 for a richer, more decadent version of your dish, although it lacks the acidity to work as a raising agent.
It originates from Europe (quark essentially means curd), is made from soured milk and is virtually fat-free, therefore it is a healthy alternative to most other creamy cheeses. It is a soft, spoonable cheese, making it a good substitute for ingredients such as double cream, mascarpone and crème fraîche.
While you can easily replace mayonnaise with creme fraiche in most recipes, it's harder to use mayonnaise to replace creme fraiche. That's because creme fraiche is often used in sweeter, dessert style recipes and isn't quite as tangy as mayonnaise.
The most important difference you should know between yogurt and crème fraîche is that yogurt is made from milk while crème fraîche is made from heavy cream; and this initial difference of starting ingredients affects the culturing process and ultimately the flavor and texture of the final product.
How Do Mascarpone and Crème Fraiche Differ? Mascarpone and crème Fraiche, a French cultured cream, share a rich, creamy consistency. However, crème Fraiche is more acidic and has a 30 percent fat content (compared to 60 to 75 percent fat content in mascarpone), which results in a lighter, thinner cream.
Substitute on a 1:1 ratio. Full-fat Greek yogurt: Though it isn't nearly as rich as crème fraiche, you can use full-fat Greek yogurt as an alternative in a pinch. Substitute on a 1:1 ratio.
Cottage cheese can be a tasty substitute for cream cheese in your cheesecake. It's low-fat and high in protein, so it can make for a healthier dessert. The taste is mild, which means it won't overpower your other ingredients.
Creme fraiche, called the same in America as in France where it originates (properly spelled "crème fraiche"), is a cultured cream, meaning it has been soured and thickened with bacterial culture. Compared to sour cream it has a lower water content and a higher fat content.
Double cream has a higher fat content – around 48-50 per cent, and it's not commonly available here. Crème fraîche, on the other hand, is cream that's had a culture added, making it slightly sour in flavour. It's around 40 per cent fat.
Creme fraiche is thicker, richer (see: fat content), and less tangy than sour cream, and since it won't curdle if you boil it, it's great to use in soups and sauces. Or just spoon it into your mouth, unadorned.
Cottage cheese and ricotta look similar, and sometimes one can be substituted for the other, but they are very different things. While cottage cheese is made from coagulated cow's milk, ricotta is made from the by-products of other cheeses (such as mozzarella).
Unilever cream brand Elmlea has this month launched Elmlea Fraîche, its first ever crème fraîche alternative. The product taps into demand for healthier and lighter versions of crème fraîche with 50% less fat than conventional crème fraîche offerings, according to the brand.
Smooth high fat content cottage cheese can be a great alternative for mascarpone. Cottage cheese is similar to ricotta in texture but has a less creamy taste. It is lighter and lower in fat though so makes a good low-calorie mascarpone cheese substitute.
Mascarpone is an Italian-style cream cheese: thick, smooth and very creamy. It's also up to 46 per cent fat, so we suggest you try substituting with either reduced-fat crème fraîche or ricotta, which is lower-fat again.