crème fraîche

American

[krem fresh, kreem, krem fresh] / ˌkrɛm ˈfrɛʃ, ˌkrim, krɛm ˈfrɛʃ /

noun

French Cooking.

slightly fermented cream that has been thickened by lactic acids and natural fermentation.

crème fraîche British

/ ˈkrɛm ˈfrɛʃ /

noun

thickened and slightly fermented cream

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of crème fraîche

< French: literally, fresh cream

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But you won’t miss them: a little crème fraîche and honey make the custard luscious.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Just add chips and crème fraîche for a full indulgence.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2024

They make this egg scramble with crème fraîche that’s very French and very yummy.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2024

Off heat, stir in the crème fraîche and ½ teaspoon pepper.

From Washington Times • Aug. 14, 2023

Heylmun settled on pasta preceded by roasted-pumpkin chowder with a sprinkling of celery and onion, finished with crème fraîche and bacon-braised cranberry beans garnished with diced pumpkin, fried sage, and toasted pumpkin seeds.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023