Easy Homemade Boursin Cheese Recipe
Homemade Boursin cheese is a creamy garlic and herb spread that’s impossible to resist. It’s the perfect appetizer. With just a few ingredients and some dried herbs, you can create a dip impressive enough to add to a charcuterie board for your next party, while at the same time, it’s a quick and easy snack option to spread on crackers.
I love any chance I can to recreate my favorite store-bought foods at home. Just like making homemade mayo or whipped honey butter compound, the results are often better than anything you can buy. Learning how to make homemade garlic herb cream cheese is a great substitute for Boursin cheese is no exception. And as a bonus, you can do it for a fraction of the cost.
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What Is Boursin Cheese?
Boursin cheese is the brand name of a type of Gournay cheese known for its creamy texture and delicious flavors. Originating in France, cheesemaker François Boursin started adding fresh herbs and garlic to cheese for a simple twist that produces a creamy cheese spread, rich in flavor and incredibly delightful.
Boursin garlic and fine herbs is the first and most popular variety, but there are many others to choose from.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Boursin Cheese Recipe
- Economical – Buying Boursin cheese at the grocery store is pretty pricey, costing $5 for 5 oz where I live. Instead, make a homemade version with the same authentic gourmet cheese taste for a fraction of the cost. Double or triple the recipe to keep the cost down when you have large gatherings like family gatherings during the holidays.
- Customizable – Making food from scratch means that you’re in complete control of the ingredient list, adding or subtracting ingredients, which allows those with specific tastes or allergies to enjoy.
- Easy – This dip is so easy to make that you’ll want to make it over and over again. It’s a great snack with just a few easy steps that’s rich flavor for easy entertaining.
- Dried Herbs—I will always choose fresh garden herbs when I have the opportunity, but living with six months of winter means I often rely on dried herbs. Simple switches like using onion powder in place of the mild chives, swapping garlic powder for a fresh garlic clove, or dried parsley for fragrant parsley allow you to adjust for the seasons.
- This dip caters to some specialty diets. Low in carbs and naturally gluten-free, this cheese spread recipe is a must-have for those on a ketogenic diet or a gluten-free diet.
Favorite Ways To Use Boursin Cheese Spread
This is the best homemade Boursin cheese recipe. It’s so easy and quick to make. Not to mention, delicious! Here are a few serving ideas.
- Creamy Boursin makes a great appetizer. Add a ball of homemade Boursin cheese to a cheese platter or a charcuterie board.
- Spread the herb spread on your favorite cracker or crostini for a flavorful snack option.
- Take garlic bread up a notch. Cut French baguettes in half lengthwise and spread homemade Boursin cheese down the middle, bake, and enjoy!
- Melt with your favorite pasta for a creamy, cheesy bowl of cozy pasta.
- Thin the cheese spread with a bit of milk to create a flavorful vegetable dip. Serve with cherry tomatoes, red peppers, cucumber slices, baby carrots, or celery sticks.
Key Ingredients
- Cream cheese – Homemade Boursin cheese uses cream cheese as a base. It’s easy to source and more economical than Gournay cheese. Use full fat cream cheese for the best flavor.
- Butter – Butter varies in salt levels based on the brand. To have full control over the salt levels, use unsalted butter and add salt in separately.
- Parmesan Cheese – Splurge on a block of parmesan cheese and grate it yourself for the best flavor.
- Herbs – Use dried herbs like dill weed, basil, thyme, and parsley for convenience.
- Spices – This recipe calls for basic spices like black pepper, salt, and onion powder, that most people have in their pantry.
How To Make Homemade Boursin Cheese
Place cream cheese and butter in a large bowl and mix on low speed with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
Gradually increase the speed to medium to whip the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
Add the grated parmesan cheese, dill weed, basil, thyme, parsley, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
Blend seasonings in, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Spoon the cheese dip into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
FAQs
Make Boursin garlic and herb cheese using full-fat cream cheese for the most flavor. However, you can substitute one or both bricks of cream cheese with a low-fat option. It won’t be as flavorful, but will still taste delicious. I would suggest not using no-fat cream cheese.
Yes, goat cheese and Boursin have a similar texture so it makes for an ideal substitution. Goat cheese will add a lovely tanginess to the homemade cheese dip.
Yes, but freezing Boursin cheese will alter the texture a bit as the cheese loses moisture in the freezing and defrosting process. Freezing soft cheeses are best used if cooking with later on.
Tips
Boursin cheese is so quick and easy to make. Here are my tips for success.
- Bring the cheese and butter to room temperature for easy creaming. Unwrap the cream cheese bricks and butter and place them in a bowl while they’re still cold. Rest for 2 hours while they warm to room temperature.
- While the Boursin cheese spread is stored in the refrigerator, let it sit for 20 minutes before serving at room temperature for easy dipping.
- Make homemade Boursin ahead of time. This allows more time to let the flavors from the herbs and spices meld with the cream cheese, resulting in a more complex flavor.
- Line a small bowl with plastic wrap before filling for easy removal when making a cheese ball.
- Make a cheese log shape by wrapping it in plastic wrap and twisting each end.
Homemade Boursin Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz bricks of cream cheese
- 1 8 oz unsalted butter 1 stick
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp dried dill weed
- ½ tsp dried marjoram
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
Instructions
- Place cream cheese and butter in a large bowl and mix on low speed with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Gradually increase the speed to medium to whip the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
- Add the grated parmesan cheese, dill weed, basil, thyme, parsley, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Blend seasonings in, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Spoon the cheese dip into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
- Bring the cheese and butter to room temperature for easy creaming. Unwrap the cream cheese bricks and butter and place them in a bowl while they’re still cold. Rest for 2 hours while they warm to room temperature.
- While the Boursin cheese spread is stored in the refrigerator, let it sit for 20 minutes before serving at room temperature for easy dipping.
- Make homemade Boursin ahead of time. This allows more time to let the flavors from the herbs and spices meld with the cream cheese, resulting in a more complex flavor.
- Line a small bowl with plastic wrap before filling for easy removal when making a cheese ball.
- Make a cheese log shape by wrapping it in plastic wrap and twisting each end.
