What can you replace the cream with if you want to lighten a gratin?

What’s better to comfort yourself when the temperatures plummet than to enjoy a good gratin? Whether it is prepared with potatoes, endive or cauliflower, it often requires a good dose of cream. Problem, this fat is not necessarily the most recommended and turns out to be rich in calories! Don’t panic, here are our ideas for replacing cream in your gratins!

You are about to make a vegetable gratin, and you realize that the recipe requires a pot of crème fraîche. Do you feel guilty? Don’t panic, there is a simple solution! Replace the cream with a béchamel sauce without butter: bring 25 cl of milk to the boil. Pour 15 g of flour into a bowl and dilute with a little cold water (these proportions are suitable for a dish for 2 people). When the milk comes to a simmer, pour in the diluted flour and mix vigorously to avoid lumps. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, until your sauce thickens. All you have to do is pour it over your preparation before baking.

This technique will allow you to “save” calories, without compromising on the flavor of your dish.

And if you are gluten intolerant, replace the wheat flour with rice flour or cornstarch (bonus, it thickens the preparation more quickly).

If you’re not a fan of béchamel, don’t worry, there are other solutions. You can therefore simply opt for low-fat cream. If classic cream contains around 35% fat, its “light” versions only contain 15%, or even 5%. A major asset! Your gratin will perhaps be a little less delicious, but you can compensate for the reduction in fat with a little more spices or aromatics (thyme, garlic, curry, the choice is wide!).

Vegetable “creams” can also come to the rescue. Made from soy, oats or rice, they contain on average 7% fat, much less than classic cream.

Another option is cottage cheese or natural yogurt. These two dairy products will provide taste and texture. Bonus, they’re also high in protein and calcium.