Boursin Cheese Recipe
The first time I tasted homemade Boursin, it was a revelation! It’s super fresh and full of flavor without being too heavy. Plus, the method for making your own Boursin is super simple. Basically, all you have to do is make some homemade soft cheese (you just need milk, lemon, a saucepan, and a clean cloth). Then, you season it with fresh herbs and garlic.
The result is a soft cheese that’s full of flavor, with a firm yet creamy texture. I often serve it as an appetizer on homemade crackers or toasted baguette slices.
The Ingredients for This Boursin Cheese Recipe
The good thing is that you really don’t need much to make homemade Boursin. Here’s what you need:
- Whole milk – This is the main ingredient to make this cheese. Avoid using low-fat milk, you’ll lose out on texture and flavor.
- Crème fraîche – To give the cheese a rounder flavor and a creamier texture. You can replace it with heavy cream.
- Lemon juice – It’s the acidity that curdles the milk and separates the curds from the whey to make the soft cheese. You can substitute vinegar, but the taste may be stronger.
- Garlic, chives, and parsley — These will add flavor to your cheese to make it taste like Boursin!
- Soft butter (optional) — You don’t have to add it, but I always stir in a little soft butter at the end to give it a firmer texture, more like Boursin from the store.
- Sea salt and pepper
How to Make Homemade Fresh Cheese, Step by Step
Making your own soft cheese at home is actually quite simple: you curdle the milk, then drain it. It’s the same technique used to make homemade paneer or ricotta.
- Pour. Pour the milk and crème fraîche (or heavy cream) into a saucepan. Personally, this is when I add 2 to 3 whole garlic cloves. This will flavor the milk to evoke the taste of Boursin.
- Heat it up. Heat it gently until it simmers (around 190°F or 85°C), when it starts to steam, and small bubbles rise along the edges.
- Add the lemon and let it curdle. Turn off the heat, then pour in the lemon juice and stir gently. You’ll see the milk start to curdle. It will form clumps, and the liquid around it will turn yellowish and clear (that’s the whey). Let it sit for 15 minutes off the heat, until the curds have set properly.
- Drain it in a cloth. Remove the garlic cloves. Place a clean cloth over a colander set over a mixing bowl, and pour the contents of the pot into it to separate the whey. Let it drain for 30 minutes to 1 hour, then squeeze the cloth to remove the excess liquid.
Season and Shape Your Homemade Boursin
Now the hardest part is done! All that’s left is to season it and shape it nicely. To do this, make sure to wait until your soft cheese is no longer warm but has reached room temperature; otherwise, the herbs will “cook”:
- Mix the base. Put the drained cheese in a bowl, add the softened butter if you want a firmer texture, and mix with a fork. Don’t worry if it seems a little soft, it will firm up as it cools.
- Add the herbs. Stir in the finely chopped chives and parsley, the sea salt, and the pepper, then mix well.
- Define the shape. Line a small ramekin with a cloth, fill it with cheese, and press down. Let it set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more, then carefully remove it from the ramekin.
You can also simply serve your homemade Boursin in a small container with a lid.
Serving and Storing Your Boursin
At home, I almost always serve it as an appetizer, on homemade herb crackers or slices of toasted baguette. Take it out of the fridge 10 to 15 minutes before serving: it will be creamier and more flavorful at room temperature.
You can store your homemade Boursin with garlic and herbs in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container. Keep in mind that the more you drain your fresh cheese—making it “drier”—the longer it will keep.
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Boursin Cheese Recipe
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Ingredients
For the soft cheese
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 tbsp crème fraîche or heavy cream
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tbsp if you milk doesn't curdle immediately
For seasoning
- 2 tbsp butter soft, (optional, for a firmer texture)
- 1 tbsp chives finely chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley finely chopped
- Sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan, add the peeled garlic cloves, and bring to a simmer (190°F or 85°C) to allow the garlic to infuse its flavor into the milk.
- Pour in the lemon juice, stir well and let it sit for 15 minutes off the heat without stiring anymore, until the milk has curdled thoroughly.
- Once the liquid has turned a clear yellow-green color, place a clean cloth over a strainer set over a mixing bowl. Remove the garlic cloves.
- Pour the mixture through the strainer to separate the whey, then let it drain for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Next, squeeze the cloth to remove any excess liquid.
- Put the cheese in a small bowl and add softened butter if you like, then mix with a fork: it will firm up even more once it cools.
- Add the chives, parsley, sea salt, and pepper, then mix well.
- To create a nice shape, line a small ramekin with a cloth, fill it with cheese, and press down firmly. Let it cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more, then carefully remove it from the ramekin.
- Serve with toasted baguette or crackers.
Notes
Nutrition
Why Isn’t My Milk Curdling (and How Can I Fix It)?
If that happens, it’s no big deal; you can fix it! Usually, it’s because the milk wasn’t hot enough or it lacked a little acidity. Here’s how to fix it.
- The milk hasn’t gone bad. If this happens, return the saucepan to low heat and bring it back to a simmer. Add a little more lemon juice, one spoonful at a time, until you see lumps forming and the liquid becoming clear. Sometimes, very alkaline UHT milk doesn’t curdle as well as good fresh whole milk.
- The cheese is too soft. That’s because you didn’t drain it enough. Leave it in the cloth a little longer—or even overnight in the fridge.
- The cheese is too crumbly or dry. That’s because you either stirred it too quickly or heated the milk too much. Stir in a spoonful of crème fraîche, heavy cream, or a little softened butter; that will bind everything together and restore the creaminess.
How to Vary Your Homemade Boursin
Once you know how to make soft cheese, you can experiment with other flavors. Here are a few ingredients you can add to flavor your cheese differently next time:
- Finely chopped shallot
- Cayenne Pepper (or Espelette Pepper is what we use in France; it’s milder)
- Other herbs: dill, tarragon, chervil.
- Chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- Nuts or dried fruits: walnuts, hazelnuts, raisins, cranberries, or dried apricots, finely chopped.
And if you like this kind of homemade herb spread, check out my garlic and herb butter.
FAQ about Homemade Boursin
Store-bought Boursin is a soft cheese made from cow’s milk and cream, flavored with garlic and herbs (chives and parsley), and seasoned with salt and pepper. This homemade version uses the same basic ingredients: milk, cream, garlic, chives, parsley, salt, and pepper. But it contains no preservatives or additives!
Yes. Lemon is generally used to curdle the milk, but you can substitute white vinegar (about the same amount). The taste will be a little different, just a tad more neutral. What matters is the acidity, which causes the milk to curdle.
You can store it in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container. Since it’s homemade and contains no preservatives, it’s best to eat it within a week.
No, I wouldn’t recommend freezing your homemade Boursin. When you thaw it, the fresh cheese will release water and become grainy.
I recommend using whole milk, preferably fresh. It will curdle better and give you a creamier cheese than low-fat milk. If you can get farm-fresh milk (just make sure to boil it first), that’s even better!
looks yummy 😋 I can’t wait 2 try this recipe. thank u 4 sharing. God’s peace be with u.
Thank you 🙂
Brilliant and super easy
Thank you, Phyllis!
Love this recipe and this site! Thank you for all of your information you provide for us
Thank you so much, Tricia!
Thanks for the recipe, is there something I can do with the drained liquid?
Yes, as I answered to Sandy : you can use it as a replacement for milk in any recipes. Since it will have a mild garlic taste, I recommend for savory recipes like my savory loafs either with tuna or zucchini, or oven in my the zucchini waffel recipe that you can also make in a pan if you don’t have a waffel maker.
I will definitely be trying this recipe, and will post again with results
Thank you, Carol!
love it
Thank you 🙂
This was lovely and very easy to do. I did need to add more salt though, to bring out the flavour but that’s just personal
Thank you, Shelley! No worry, you can add a bit more salt!
Did the Boursin recipe weekend just gone in my opinion it taste better than the massed produced Boursin thank you
Thank you so much Gregg!
Great recipe. I will definitely give it a try.
Thank you, Haroon!
Thank you so much for your recipe. Safe to say I learned Boursin from you, made it for the first time, introduced it to my fam & we love it! 🫶🏻
Thank you so muc Fivi! So happy you and your family liked it 🙂
Thank you so much for the recipe. Safe to say I learnt about Boursin from you, made it for the first time, introduced it to my fam & we love it!
Delicious creamy flavoursome
Thank you 🙂
thank you, I will give this a try. Everything home made is better.
Thank you, Roger! Let me know whn you try it.
Thank you SO much for the Boursin recipe! Haven’t had a chance to make it yet but when I do I’ll drop another comment!!! It looks delicious!!!
🩷💕🩷💕🩷
Thank you, Dawn! Of course, feel free to drop another comment when you tried it!
Thank you so much. Can’t wait to try this!
Thank you, Gillian!
Thank you for sharing! Will try it!
So cool! Let me know when you try it!
This sounds amazing! What can I do with the liquid milk after draining besides discarding it? Thanks! ~Sandi
Hi Sandi, you can use it as a replacement for milk in any recipes. Since it will have a mild garlic taste, I recommend for savory recipes like my savory cakes either with tuna or zucchini, or oven in my the zucchini waffel recipe that you can also make in a pan if you don’t have a waffel maker.
can not wait to try it looks easy and delicious
Thanks, Gregg!
This looks so easy! I can’t wait to try it, Boursin has been my favourite cheese since I was a young woman 😁
Thank you, Marion!
So easy to make far better than supermarket bought 👍
So happy you liked it!
I can’t wait to try this recipe.
So simple, and so fresh!
Thank you, Pamela!
Perfect recipe
Thank you, Dani!
Can’t wait to try this on my Bunco group.
It looks very easy and delicious!
Thank you, Catalina! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Fantastic thank you.X
Thank you, Mekanie! Let me know if you try it 🙂
looking forward to trying this! looks so much better than store bought!
Thanks Ruth!
Can’t wait to make this I’ll
Be back to leave a full
Report once made xx
Thank you so much for the Recipe i love to make Thinge on my own to know Whats inside. And i love the flavor from fresh homemade Food.
I will definitely make this, merci!
Thank you, Clare!
Are there any uses for the liquid that’s been strained out?
Yes, of course, you can use the whey (it’s super rich in proteins and contains almost no fat) to cook grains like rice or my polenta or savory galettes to add more proteins. Or you can use it into pancakes, oatmeal or smoothies. However, it might have a light garlic taste 😆
It looks easy and delicious! I will make it at once!
Parece fácil e deliciosa… vou fazer em breve!
Thank you Beatriz 🙂