Food and Recipes Dairy Eggs This Simple Ingredient Is The Secret To Silky Scrambled Eggs Hint: You can use sour cream, but this is better. By Josh Miller Josh Miller Josh Miller is a writer, editor, recipe developer, and food stylist who has been writing about Southern food and working in the publishing industry for the past 20 years. His work has appeared in Southern Living, Food & Wine, Cooking Light, Taste of the South, and Southern Cast Iron magazines. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 9, 2024 In This Article View All In This Article What Is Crème Fraîche? When Do You Add Crème Fraîche to Scrambled Eggs? What's a Good Substitute for Crème Fraîche? Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Getty Images Scrambled eggs was one of the first things I learned to cook for myself. It's a rite of passage, really—if you can't cook worth a flip, you should at least know how to scramble eggs. I grew up on my mom's cheese eggs—simply scrambled eggs with shredded cheese stirred in. But let me tell you a little secret...my mom over-scrambles her eggs. She's doesn't really like eggs, and she REALLY doesn't like runny eggs, so she cooks them until they're dry and squeaky. EEEK. This isn't me; it's Mickey Rooney, but you get the point. Getty Images Mom, if you're reading this, I'm grateful for the generosity of your time and for keeping me fed all these years. But I had to give up those squeaky eggs. It took me a few years, but now I can even eat a runny egg! I consider it a grand accomplishment, given my years eating lizard eggs. But every now and then, I crave a classic pan of scrambled eggs. Everybody's got their own secret for "the best" scrambled eggs. Alton Brown uses mayonnaise; Dolly Parton uses ice water. But my favorite thing to add to eggs is something a little fancier: crème fraîche. Creme Fraiche. © Image 2014 Jennifer Meier What Is Crème Fraîche? Besides being literally the most annoying word to type correctly (all those accent marks!) crème fraîche is basically a fancy French version of sour cream. But something is magical and different about crème fraîche; it's smoother, lighter, tangier, and more rich-tasting than sour cream or full-fat yogurt. Simply put, it tastes luxurious. When Do You Add Crème Fraîche to Scrambled Eggs? In my experience, the best time to add crème fraîche to scrambled eggs is just as they finish cooking, preferably off the heat. If the temperature is too hot, the crème fraîche could curdle, and nobody has time for that. Set out the amount of crème fraîche you want to add (I use about a tablespoon for every two eggs) and let it come to room temperature—you don't want to cool down those delicious scrambled eggs! What's a Good Substitute for Crème Fraîche? There's no perfect swap for crème fraîche, but a dollop of sour cream will get you the closest in flavor and texture. Avoid yogurt—it just doesn't have the oomph that crème fraîche does. If you've never tasted it, give crème fraîche a try. You just might fall in love. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit