Crème Fraîche Health Benefits and Nutrition Facts

Nutritional summary

Crème fraîche is a high-fat cultured dairy product that contributes significant saturated fat to the diet, which is well-established to increase LDL-cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) relative to unsaturated fats .
While institutional guidelines often recommend replacing high-fat dairy with low-fat alternatives to manage cardiovascular risk, large-scale systematic reviews have found that total dairy intake—including full-fat versions—is not consistently linked to increased heart disease risk .
In culinary and dietary quality indices, crème fraîche is categorized as a more nutrient-dense choice than butter but is considered less favorable than reduced-fat creams or plant-based alternatives like soy or oat cream .
One large prospective study of over 33,000 women found that specific intake of crème fraîche and other dairy products showed no direct association with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) .

Interesting fact

Unlike standard sour cream, crème fraîche contains enough fat to prevent it from curdling when boiled, making it ideal for high-heat pan sauces.

Standout nutrients

SUPER

SOURCE

Retinol

GREAT

SOURCE

Molybdenum

ELITE

SOURCE

Vitamin A

SOURCE

Chromium

360

kcal per 100g

Protein2.24g

Fat37.8g

Sugar2.37g

Fat breakdown

Polyunsat1.22g

Monounsat8.28g

Saturated24.4g

Trans1.18g

Seasonality

Not available

Diet

VegetarianPescatarianGluten FreeKeto

Sustainability

Moderate

As a concentrated dairy product, it has a higher carbon footprint than milk but lower than butter or hard cheese.

Confidencemedium

Storage

Refrigerate

1–2 weeks

Keep in original container and ensure lid is tightly sealed.

Consume Immediately After Cutting

3–5 days

Best consumed within a few days of opening for optimal flavor.

Flavour

Data & Sources

Harmonized from 3 validated sources

French Food Database

1 contributing source food

Swiss Food Database

1 contributing source food

McCance & Widdowson

1 contributing source food

Claim citations

Formation and Validation of the Healthy Diet Index (HDI) for Evaluation of Diet Quality in Healthcare - PMC

[1]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Intake of dairy products and associations with major atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies - PMC

[2]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Nutrition and Health Disparities: The Role of Dairy in Improving Minority Health Outcomes - PMC

[3]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Table, ]. - Dietary Patterns and All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review - NCBI Bookshelf

[8]www.ncbi.nlm.nih.govncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Dairy and Cardiovascular Disease: A Review of Recent Observational Research - PMC

[12]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Coverage

Nutrients

FoodCompass

39.0

Version

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