Homemade Boursin is a creamy garlic and herb cheese spread that’s impossible to resist. It may just be the perfect appetizer! Grab some of your favorite keto crackers and let’s dig in.
This homemade Boursin recipe is quite honestly the reason I married my husband.
Sounds melodramatic, doesn’t it? And yet, when a man brings a keto friendly appetizer with this much flavor into your life, you know he’s a keeper!
In all seriousness, he introduced me to the joy that is homemade Boursin cheese. His family made it all the time when he was growing up and it quickly became a family favorite for us too.
And now I am offering this recipe for public consumption. Trust me, that is a very big deal!
Legendary Keto Cheese Spread
When I call this homemade Boursin legendary, I am not really exaggerating. We always make it to serve and share during the holidays.
And it’s become legendary among our friends. It is oft-requested for any gatherings or parties, and there’s always someone who hovers over the bowl, hardly letting anyone else near it.
That someone might be me, on a few occasions.
What is Boursin cheese?
You have probably seen the real Boursin in the cheese aisle of every grocery store. In case you haven’t tried it, let me enlighten you.
Boursin is a type of Gournay cheese that is soft, creamy, and slightly crumbly. François Boursin, a cheesemaker from Normandy, France, started adding garlic and herbs and it quickly became world renowned.
This homemade Boursin recipe uses cream cheese as the base, rather than the classic Gournay cheese. Most of us don’t really have access to plain Gournay cheese, so using cream cheese makes easier and less expensive.
Ingredients for homemade Boursin
My husband never measures anything when he makes Boursin, so it changes a bit every time. He really does everything to taste, and you can too. The basic ingredient are as follows:
- Cream cheese
- Salted butter
- Garlic
- Italian seasoning OR chopped fresh parsley – sometimes a little of both!
- Salt
- Cracked pepper
- Dash of hot sauce
Recipe tips
Boursin is really ridiculously easy to make and comes together in 10 minutes flat. Here are my best tips for getting it right:
- Softened ingredients. You really want both the cream cheese and the butter to be quite soft, but not melted. Unwrap them and place them in a bowl while they are still chilled, then let them sit until room temp. If it’s a bit chilly in your house, consider zapping them in the microwave for 10 seconds or so.
- Add plenty of garlic. We like our super garlicky, and usually use 4 large cloves. I prefer using a garlic press to get very small bits of garlic throughout the spread.
- Add your choice of herbs. Real Boursin takes parsley and chives but we’ve come to love it with a bit of dried Italian seasoning.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Saltiness is a matter of preference so be sure to go with less and add more to your liking.
- Dash of hot sauce. This is Tim’s unique spin on homemade Boursin. It doesn’t make it hot or spicy at all, it just really brings out the flavor.
- Serve at room temperature. Although you want to store the cheese spread in the fridge, it tastes best and spreads best at room temp.
How to serve homemade keto boursin
You may be wondering about those lovely little crackers that I paired with my Boursin cheese. They are from Real Phat Foods and they are honestly the BEST packaged keto crackers around.
I’ve tried all the other brands of keto crackers out there and some of them are pretty good. But they can’t hold a candle to the super thin, super crispy almond flour crackers from Real Phat.
I’m kind of obsessed with the Rosemary crackers, to be honest!
And RealPhat is offering all my readers 10% off with code FOODDREAMER!!! Check them out below.
You can also serve Boursin with toasted sesame keto crackers, or on fresh veggies as little keto cucumber bites, perhaps with a little smoked salmon on top.
Or mix it into creamy mashed cauliflower for incredible flavor!
I also love to smear it on leftover prime rib after our Christmas dinner. It’s so good with thinly sliced roast beef.
Storage information
Homemade Boursin will last in the fridge for up to two weeks, as long as your ingredients are fresh. We make a big batch and simply store it in a covered container.
However, I do recommend serving it at room temperature, as it’s easier to spread and more flavorful.
More delicious keto appetizers
- Cheesy Keto Stuffed Mushrooms
- Buffalo Chicken Sausage Balls
- Fried Broccoli Cheese Bites
- Cheesy Keto Sausage Dip
- Fathead Crackers
Homemade Boursin Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese well softened
- ¼ cup salted butter well softened
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or chopped fresh parsley)
- ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until well combined and smooth.
- Beat in the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and hot sauce until well combined.
- Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
Sue says
Wow, what a lovely easy recipe this is and I had all the ingredients on hand. Thank you.
Carolyn says
Glad you liked it!
gloria guffey says
I just made this for Christmas but i am worried it is not spreadable enough. What can i use to thin it out or get it creamier?
Carolyn says
Let it sit at room temperature, it should be plenty spreadable. It’s not a dip, though. It’s meant to be like a softer cheese.
gloria guffey says
thank you
Elaine says
In the late 19880s or early 99s a friend from gave me a packet of dried herbs with instructions to whip them into 8oz of softened butter & 8 oz of softened cream cheese. When the packet ran out I kept the label that listed the herbs used.
The store bought version is slightly similar to what I remember but your (husband’s) version sounds simpler than what Ive tried on my own. Maybe less is more & the hot sauce will add a bright twist. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait to try it!
Carolyn says
Enjoy!
Natasha says
Making this homemade Boursin Cheese is such a game changer! Loved it and will definitely be using this recipe all the time.
Toni says
Thank you so much for this! I had no idea it is so easy to make your own Boursin Cheese!
Valentina says
This homemade Boursin cheese recipe is so delicious and easy to make! Love this as a spread when having guests!
Terry Marks says
I love cream cheese, but wonder how it would be made with goat cheese.
Susan says
I have always loved Boursin, though I haven’t eaten it in years. I’m very glad to see this recipe. I do have a question, though: could I use garlic powder in place of the raw garlic? I ask because I can’t digest raw garlic. Thanks.
Carolyn says
Totally! It’s not quite the same but it will do. 🙂
Mearced says
Looks so yummy! I miss cheese but need to figure out a non-dairy option to this.
GEORGENE HARKNESS says
If you look at the cost of Boursin cheese in the store, the value of this recipe is increased by a factor of several dozen! I didn’t really know it was made with cream cheese, or I’d have tried to make it myself. Now that I know how it’s made, I won’t have to feel guilty for using it in my recipes!
Many thanks!
Lori Kaumans says
I’ll definitely be trying this! When I was a kid, whenever my mom hosted a party she would make a spread using cream cheese, butter, and garlic. She would then spread it on small, thin sliced, rye bread. It was always a favorite. Seeing this recipe reminds me of that and how good that was. Now I’ll use it on keto crackers or even veggies. Thank you!
Judith says
Oh, how I loved those little party the sliced. They always had such delicious foods placed on thrm!
Tarah says
Omg! I have been wanting to make a homemade version of this. Thank you so much! So excited to try it out. The name brand is so expensive.
Carolyn says
Enjoy!!! This stuff is one of our all time favorites.