Overnight oats have been on my regular breakfast rotation for going on five years now. Besides helping me feel powered up for the day, I love how endlessly versatile they are. Fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, honey, or maple syrup—every possible combination is a good combination.
But there’s one ingredient—one small upgrade—that has really taken my overnight oats to the next level, and that is crème fraîche.
Why Add Crème Fraîche to Overnight Oats?
Crème fraîche isn’t exactly something that I normally keep in my fridge, and it would never have occurred to me to try with my oatmeal if it weren’t for the Brick Oven Bakery. This is my dad’s bakery in Northfield, Minnesota, and it’s their recipe that I originally riffed for the overnight oats that we have here on Simply Recipes.
At the bakery, they serve their steel cut oatmeal topped with dried cherries, crumbled pecans, honey, and a generous scoop of crème fraîche right in the middle of it all. Stirred into the steaming oats, the crème fraîche adds just the right amount of richness and creaminess plus a hint of tang that balances the sweetness of the fruit and the oats. It’s breakfast perfection.
Back home, I’ve found that one spoonful of crème fraîche in my otherwise plain jane oatmeal on an otherwise plain jane weekday morning feels like a little treat, all for me. And of course, it also makes me think of my dad, his bakery, and cozy breakfasts spent sitting by the window while the café bustles around me.
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel
What Is Crème Fraîche?
Crème fraîche is a cultured dairy product similar to sour cream. It’s thick and slightly tangy with a silky, rich mouthfeel. The biggest difference between crème fraîche and sour cream is that crème fraîche has a higher fat content.
Look for crème fraîche in the dairy section at your grocery store. You’ll likely find it either near the sour cream or with the specialty cheeses.
If you can’t find it, your next best bet is (you guessed it!) sour cream. A little cream cheese thinned with milk would also be a delicious substitute.
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel
How To Make Overnight Oats With Crème Fraîche
I generally wait to add my one luxurious spoonful of crème fraîche until after my oats are warmed, stirred, and ready to eat. Besides all of the aforementioned reasons for loving crème fraîche, I find this spoonful cools my oats just enough so that I can eat them right away without burning my mouth.
If you’re taking your oats with you to warm up at work or school, you could absolutely add the spoonful of crème fraîche to the jar along with your uncooked oats. The high fat content of crème fraîche means that you can heat it up along with the oats without risk of curdling.
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