I have been waiting for years to be able to enjoy some Honduran Crema, or Mantequilla Rala here in the U.S. The creams sold in stores here just don’t make the cut compared to the one we eat in Honduras. They’ve been good enough, but now that we make our own, we get a real taste of Honduran Crema at home
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What is Honduran Crema?
When people ask me what Honduran Crema or Mantequilla Rala is I always tell them it’s our version of sour cream. But I feel like that just doesn’t do it justice. It is used very much in the same way sour cream is used, but it is so much more flavorful. The consistency is also different as it’s thinner than sour cream, but what really sets it apart is the flavor.
Mexican Crema is similar to Honduran Crema but just doesn’t have the slight saltiness that Mantequilla Rala does. I’m telling you Honduran Crema is the bomb and it will make all your favorite Hispanic foods taste even better!
How to Make Honduran Crema
It took many tries to get it just right. My husband and I needed to get the saltiness level and consistency just right before sharing this recipe with you. It is unbelievably easy to make and I can’t believe we didn’t try sooner! Now, actual Honduran Mantequilla, when bought in Honduras is definitely not made the way we made it. It’s a long process involving cows, their fresh milk, and lots of skimming off of the cream that settles on top after it’s been resting for hours.
The ingredients for Honduran Crema are simple. All you need is sour cream, heavy cream and salt, that’s it! You simply mix all 3 together and you’ll have the best Honduran Crema you can make at home! The key was finding the perfect amounts of each ingredient to make it taste as authentic as possible. I believe we succeeded!
What Can I Use Honduran Crema For?
When we started making our own Mantequilla Rala, my kids went nuts using it on everything! They missed it so much and were so happy to finally have something almost exactly like the one back home. My little one eats it on tortillas and bread. He dips little pieces into it. One of our favorite ways to eat it is on Baleadas, another Honduran staple.
You can use Honduran Crema to top your favorite tacos or burritos. It’s also great on Taco Soup and Taco Pasta. When we make authentic Honduran Red Beans in the Instant Pot, we definitely have to make a batch of Mantequilla. Can’t have beans without it!
Essential Items
Here are some essential prep tools, utensils, and appliances I used to make this recipe.
Featured Items
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Honduran Crema is perfect on top of refried beans. A typical Honduran breakfast is eggs, refried beans topped with crema, sweet plantain, and soft cheese. Yum! We also like to top the plantains with Mantequilla Rala. The sweet and savory combo is to die for!
As you can see, the possibilities are endless. Basically, you can use it as you use sour cream, but expect a lot more flavor from it!
What will you top with Honduran Crema? I’d love to hear about it in the comments! I know you’ll love how easy it is to enjoy a taste of Honduras in your home!
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Honduran Crema
A BLEND OF SOUR CREAM, HEAVY CREAM, AND SALT
Essential Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream Daisy Sour Cream gives me the best consistency
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients (sour cream, heavy whipping cream, and salt) together in a small mixing bowl or large measuring cup.
- Pour into a squeeze bottle or sealed container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
Notes
If fat has separated from the heavy whipping cream. When opening the bottle of heavy whipping cream, if you notice that some of the fat has separated and floated to the top of the bottle, you can use a butter knife to scrape the fat off the sides of the bottle and mix it back into the cream.
I’m really looking forward to trying your “crema” recipe but I’m wondering what percentage of fat content the sour cream you use is? Thanks!!
Hi Twyla! We always use the regular Daisy sour cream, NOT the light version. Hope this helps!
This brought back memories of my mother making this cream when we were little. I saw crema hondurena in the supermarket, bought a package and was not impressed. This was a million times better.. thank you so much.
Hi Millie! Awe, this comment makes me smile! Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
I can’t wait to make this! I was married to a Honduran and still make and eat Honduran foods. One, because I like them, but also so my kids can continue experiencing their heritage. Besides using the mantequilla in baleadas, I love it with boiled guineos. Buen provecho!
Hi Katie! I hope you love the mantequilla! Let me know how it goes. My kids all love Honduran food and we are all happy when we can have some authentic food to remind us of Honduras! You should try my refried bean recipe, really good!
Hi Valerie. Yo soy un gringo, but my girlfriend is honduran. In the past, she bought what was the closest thing to honduran crema from the local hispanic supermarket, until I found your recipe. I haven’t told her exactly how I make it but she loves your recipe. We don’t eat baleadas without it. There’s always a half empty condiments bottle of it in the refrigerator and I love the fact that using Daisy sour cream like you suggest make it a very clean recipe without a bunch of words I can’t pronounce, unlike the crema my girlfriend was buying. Muchas gracias!!
Hi Chris! Your comment made me so happy! I am so glad that you and your girlfriend are enjoying the crema! My “gringo” loves crema on his baleadas as well! I really appreciate you stopping by the blog and writing such a thoughtful comment!
Do you also make cuajada? It is the one thing missing at our breakfast table.
Hi Jane! Unfortunately, cuajada is not something I’ve made. It’s a little elaborate. But man is it good!! Wish it was on my breakfast table as well!
I’ll give this a try. 🙂 I’ve been content with salted soured cream for years, but I can see how this could make it even nicer. Thank you for this!
Hi Alejandra! Hope you love it! Happy New Year!
Hello, I have a question. Do you really have to mix the heavy whipped cream till it is real cream or do you just have to mix it, so that it stays in its liquid form (around a few second?
I would appreciate your response:)
Hi Denisa! You only have to whisk everything until it’s is well combined. At most, 20-30 seconds. Enjoy!
Ooooh but I wonder if whisking the heavy cream until it’s thick and then adding the thick sour cream will make it butter like consistency…. Will just have to try….
Hi Gaby! Let me know if you tried the recipe!