You know that moment when you set something out at a party and three people ask where you got it? This is that recipe.
Homemade Boursin takes ten minutes and one bowl. Cream cheese and butter beaten together with garlic powder and dried herbs until the texture is creamy, slightly dense, and spreadable in the way that makes people reach for a second cracker before they’ve finished the first one.
It tastes exactly like the store-bought Garlic and Fine Herbs variety. It makes twice as much. And it costs a fraction of what you’d pay at the cheese counter.
Make it the night before a party and it gets even better as it chills. Serve it with crackers, swirl it into pasta, or stuff it inside chicken breasts. It does a lot of work for a five-ingredient recipe.
Use this homemade Boursin cheese in Boursin cheese pasta, Boursin chicken, or Boursin mashed potatoes.
What Is Boursin Cheese?
Boursin is a French Gournay cheese, a soft, spreadable, slightly crumbly cheese flavored with garlic and herbs. The original was created by François Boursin in Normandy in 1957. In France it’s an everyday grocery item. In the U.S., it sits in the specialty cheese section and costs around six dollars for a small five-ounce round.
Gournay cheese is made from cow’s milk and cream and has a texture that’s richer and slightly crumblier than cream cheese. Since it’s hard to find outside France, this copycat uses cream cheese and butter together as the base. The butter replaces the richness and the slight crumble that Gournay naturally has.
The result is close enough that most people can’t tell the difference, especially once it’s chilled and served at room temperature.
Why This Homemade Version Actually Works
Most herbed cream cheese spreads taste flat next to the real thing. This one doesn’t, and here’s exactly why.
The butter is not optional. Beating butter into cream cheese changes the texture completely. Cream cheese alone whips into something fluffy and frosting-like. Butter brings it back down to that slightly dense, barely crumbly texture that makes Boursin feel like actual cheese rather than a dip.
The herb blend matters more than you’d think. Boursin’s flavor comes from a specific combination of parsley, basil, dill, marjoram, and thyme, none of which is dominant on its own. Together they read as “complex and herby” in a way that one or two herbs never would.
Chill time is not optional either. Right out of the mixer, this tastes like well-seasoned cream cheese. After two hours in the fridge, the herbs hydrate, the flavors meld, and it tastes like Boursin. Make it the day before if you can.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what goes into this recipe and why each one earns its place.
Cream cheese (8 ounces, softened): The base and the tang. Block-style cream cheese works best here. Tub cream cheese has added stabilizers that change the texture. Pull it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you start. Cold cream cheese will not beat smoothly.
Unsalted butter (half a cup, softened): This is what separates this recipe from every other herbed cream cheese recipe online. The butter gives the finished cheese its signature richness and the slightly crumbly texture that makes Boursin feel like real cheese. Don’t skip it. Pull this out at the same time as the cream cheese.
Garlic powder (three-quarter teaspoon): Garlic powder distributes more evenly than fresh garlic and has a mellower flavor that works better in a spread. Fresh garlic can turn sharp and overpowering once the cheese chills.
Dried herbs (parsley, basil, dill, marjoram, thyme, one-quarter teaspoon each): This is the Boursin flavor profile. Each one is subtle on its own. Together they create that savory, complex herby taste that’s impossible to pin down but immediately recognizable.
Kosher salt and black pepper: Add the listed amount, then taste before serving. Butter varies in saltiness and cream cheese brands vary too. Adjust at the end.
Dairy-free option: Kite Hill dairy-free cream cheese and Miyoko’s vegan butter both work here and have been tested. The result is just as rich.
This recipe makes approximately one and a half cups, which equals roughly two standard five-ounce rounds of store-bought Boursin.
How to Make Boursin Cheese
Step 1. Bring the ingredients to room temperature.
Set the cream cheese and butter on the counter for at least 30 minutes before starting. This is not optional. Cold butter will not blend smoothly and you’ll end up with lumpy, uneven cheese. If you’re in a hurry, cut both into small cubes to speed things up.
Step 2. Beat the cream cheese and butter.
Add both to a large bowl. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for one to two minutes until just combined and slightly fluffy. Stop here. Do not keep going.
Step 3. Add the herbs and spices.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add all the garlic powder, dried herbs, salt, and pepper at once. Blend again for about one minute until everything is evenly distributed. Scrape down the sides once more and give it a final quick mix.
Step 4. Taste and adjust.
This is the most important step most people skip. Butter varies in saltiness and herbs vary in potency. Taste the cheese right now. Does it need more salt? Another pinch of garlic? A little more dill? Adjust before it goes in the fridge.
Step 5. Chill.
Transfer to a serving bowl or airtight container and refrigerate for at least two hours. This is where it goes from good to great. The herbs hydrate, the flavors meld, and the texture firms up into something that actually resembles Boursin. I make this the night before and it’s noticeably better.
Step 6. Serve.
Pull it out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before serving so it softens back to spreadable. Cold Boursin straight from the fridge tears crackers apart. Give it time to come back to room temperature.
The One Thing That Ruins Homemade Boursin
Overmixing can ruin it. That’s the only way this recipe goes wrong.
Once the butter and cream cheese are combined and fluffy, and once the herbs are evenly distributed, stop. Continuing to beat aerates the mixture past the point of no return. You end up with something light and whipped, like herbed cream cheese frosting. It’s not bad. It’s just not Boursin.
One to two minutes to combine the base, one more minute for the herbs. Set a timer if you need to. The texture you’re looking for is creamy and slightly dense, not airy and fluffy.
If you accidentally overmix, refrigerate it overnight. The chill helps the butter re-solidify and the texture firms up, which helps. It won’t be exactly right, but it’ll be close enough to still be worth eating.
Flavor Variations
The base recipe copies the classic Garlic and Fine Herbs Boursin. Here’s how to recreate the other store varieties, plus a few originals.
Classic Garlic and Herb (this recipe): Use as written. This is the one.
Extra garlic: Increase garlic powder to one teaspoon and add a pinch of onion powder.
Shallot and chive: Swap the dill and marjoram for one tablespoon of dried chives and a pinch of dried shallot or onion powder. Milder and slightly sweet.
Pepper: Add one teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper to the base recipe. This version on crackers is exceptional.
Cranberry and rosemary: Fold in two tablespoons of dried cranberries and one teaspoon of fresh rosemary. Good for the holidays, unexpectedly good on a cheese board in August.
Fig and balsamic: Stir in two tablespoons of fig jam and one teaspoon of balsamic glaze at the very end. Fold, don’t beat. You want ribbons of sweetness, not a uniform mixture.
Texture Tips That Make a Difference
Room temperature ingredients matter. Cold butter will not blend smoothly.
Cut the butter and cream cheese into cubes to speed softening.
Stop mixing once herbs are incorporated. The texture should be creamy but not airy.
If chilled, let it sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
These tips make it the perfect addition to my fall charcuterie board or alongside any of these gluten-free appetizers.
How to Serve Homemade Boursin
The obvious answer is crackers. But this cheese does a lot more than a cheese board.
As a spread: Set it out at room temperature with crackers, sliced baguette, crostini, or raw vegetables. Cucumber slices, celery, and endive leaves all work as vessels if you want something lighter than crackers.
As a dip: Thin it slightly with a tablespoon of warm water or olive oil and it becomes a loose, scoopable dip for a crudité platter.
On a cheese board: Shape it into a ball or log by lining a small bowl or measuring cup with plastic wrap, pressing the cheese in firmly, and refrigerating until set. Unwrap onto the board and roll in fresh chopped herbs or cracked pepper for a presentation that looks like you bought it at a specialty shop.
Melted into things: This is where it really earns its place. It melts beautifully and instantly creates a creamy, herby sauce. Swirl a scoop into hot pasta water and it becomes the sauce. Stir it into mashed potatoes instead of butter and cream. Stuff it inside chicken breasts with spinach. Add a spoonful to scrambled eggs right at the end of cooking.
The spreadable version and the melted version taste different in the best possible way. Both are worth making.
Recipes That Use Homemade Boursin
This is the recipe that makes all the other Boursin recipes possible. Here’s where it goes next.
Boursin Cheese Pasta – The TikTok pasta that went everywhere. Stir a scoop of this into hot pasta water and it becomes the sauce.
Boursin Chicken – Creamy, saucy chicken dinner that comes together in one pan.
Boursin Stuffed Chicken – Stuff it inside chicken breasts with spinach and mozzarella.
Boursin Mashed Potatoes – Stir a scoop into mashed potatoes instead of butter and cream. The upgrade is immediate.
Storage and Freezing
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to five days. The flavor is best after the first two hours of chilling. Before serving, bring it to room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes so it softens back to spreadable.
Freezer: This cheese freezes well for up to three months. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then store in a zip-top freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The texture will be slightly softer after freezing but the flavor is unaffected. If using it in a cooked recipe like pasta or stuffed chicken, the texture difference won’t matter at all.
Variations
Dairy-free: Use dairy-free cream cheese and vegan butter. This was tested with Kite Hill cream cheese and Miyokos butter.
Adjust herbs: Swap herbs to recreate other Boursin flavors.
Add fresh chives for a brighter finish.
Homemade Boursin Cheese FAQs
Up to five days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving so it softens to spreadable.
Yes. Omit the added kosher salt from the recipe if you do. Taste at the end and add more if you need it.
Yes. Use two to three times the amount of fresh herbs as the dried amount called for. Dried herbs are more concentrated. Fresh parsley and fresh chives are both excellent here.
The flavors need time to develop. If it tastes underwhelming right out of the mixer, refrigerate it for at least two hours before deciding to adjust. The herbs hydrate and the garlic deepens significantly once it’s had time to sit. This is the most common reason people think the recipe didn’t work.
Yes, for up to three months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge. The texture may be slightly softer after freezing but the flavor is completely unaffected.
Close. The store version uses actual Gournay cheese as the base, which has a slightly more complex tang. This version uses cream cheese and butter, which comes remarkably close. Most people cannot tell the difference, especially once it’s been chilled overnight or melted into a recipe.
The butter. Whipped cream cheese has no butter, which means it stays light and fluffy. Adding butter brings the texture down to something denser, richer, and slightly crumbly when cold. That’s what makes Boursin feel like real cheese rather than a flavored dip.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More Appetizer Recipes
Boursin Cheese
Save this Recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon EACH: dried basil, dried dill, marjoram, dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the softened cream cheese and butter to a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes, until combined and slightly fluffy.1 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and all of the spices. Blend again for 1 minute until they’re evenly distributed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.3/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley, 1/4 teaspoon EACH: dried basil, dried dill, marjoram, dried thyme, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Transfer the boursin cheese to a serving bowl and serve right away at room temperature with crackers, chips, or veggies. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. Allow the dip to warm slightly before serving to soften or use it immediately in your favorite recipes like boursin chicken or boursin cheese pasta.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Dip Recipes
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Can it be frozen?
Hi there! Boursin keeps well in the freezer for between 3 and 6 months and should be defrosted in the fridge overnight. Just know that the texture may become slightly softer after freezing. The flavor will not be affected, though.
Thank you so much
This recipe is super delicious
With Doritos ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Made three batches lol friends
Got it first
This cheese and the chicken
Easy delicious awesome
Friends were shocked to
See dinner we made your
Perfect recipe me following
Steps 👍👍👍👍👍
You are a awesome blogger
Recipes are fast easy delicious
I’m a cook now
Thanks again for sharing 🥰
Thank you!! This is the best comment! Thanks for taking the time to share.