Boursin Cheese: What It Is, Flavors and Substitutes

The name belongs to one brand, not to a style of cheese, so other garlic-and-herb spreads are cousins rather than the same product. Because the seasoning is already inside, one 5.3 oz package works as a spread, a pasta sauce and a dip base.

Boursin cheese at a glance

Here is Boursin cheese at a glance, based on the brand's US product page, history and FAQ.

Where Boursin cheese comes from

Boursin cheese comes from Normandy, where François Boursin, a local cheesemaker, opened a cheese factory in Croisy-sur-Eure, in northern France, in 1957. For the garlic version he started from Gournay, a traditional soft cheese, and borrowed the idea from fromage frais, the party dish of garlic, fresh cream, soft cheese, herbs, salt and pepper. More Normandy cheeses, from Livarot to Pont-l'Évêque, are in the guide to the cheeses of Normandy.

Boursin's own history says the garlic flavor began with a newspaper error. In 1961 a French paper reported that Boursin had launched a garlic cheese, which did not exist yet, and readers wanted it anyway. After about two years of work, Garlic & Fine Herbs came out in 1963.

Today the US site lists Boursin among the brands manufactured by Bel Brands USA Inc., a subsidiary of Bel Groupe.

What Boursin cheese is made of

Boursin cheese is made of pasteurized cultured milk and cream plus seasoning, and the ingredient list for Garlic & Fine Herbs reads: pasteurized cultured milk and cream, dried garlic, salt, white pepper, potassium sorbate (a preservative), parsley and dried chives.

Two details stand out. The "fine herbs" are parsley and dried chives, nothing more, and the garlic is dried, which tastes rounder than a raw clove.

A 2-tablespoon serving (29 g) has 120 calories, 11 g of fat (7 g saturated), 170 mg of sodium and 2 g of protein, and the package holds about five servings. That works out to roughly 38 percent fat by weight, a few points above USDA's entry for cream cheese, which lists 34.4 g of fat per 100 g. The sodium gap is wider: USDA's cream cheese comes to about 91 mg in 29 g, so Boursin carries nearly twice the salt.

Boursin cheese flavors in the US

Boursin cheese flavors in the US, as the brand's site lists them today, start with Garlic & Fine Herbs and run to newer ones such as Black Truffle & Sea Salt.

The same list adds Garlic & Fine Herbs Bites, Crumbles in Garlic & Fine Herbs and Caramelized Onion & Herbs for scattering over salads, pizzas and tacos, and a Dairy-Free spread covered below. Flavors rotate, so a store shelf can differ from this list.

How to use Boursin cheese

Use Boursin cheese cold as a spread, or stir it into something hot and it becomes a sauce. For spreading, take the package out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes ahead so it softens, then set it on a board with crackers, baguette slices, cucumber and radishes, with a crisp white or dry sparkling wine alongside.

For a pasta sauce, toss one 5.3 oz package with 8 to 12 oz of hot, drained pasta and about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water until it melts into a garlicky cream sauce. For a baked version, set the whole round in a dish with a pint of cherry tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic and 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, bake at 400°F (200°C) for 25 to 30 minutes until the tomatoes burst and the cheese slumps, then stir it through cooked pasta.

Smaller jobs suit it too. Fold a few tablespoons into mashed potatoes in place of some butter, whisk a spoonful into soft scrambled eggs off the heat, stuff it into chicken breasts or mushroom caps, or loosen it with a splash of milk for a dip. The cheese dips guide has more ideas.

What to substitute for Boursin cheese

The best substitute for Boursin cheese is plain cream cheese mixed with garlic powder, parsley, chives and white pepper, because that is close to the label's own list. Dried garlic is what Boursin uses, so garlic powder matches it better than a raw clove, which bites harder.

A good starting point for one 5.3 oz package is 5 oz (140 g) of softened cream cheese beaten with 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon each of minced parsley and chives, a pinch of white pepper and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon fine salt. Chill it for 30 minutes so the flavors settle. The salt matters because cream cheese has far less of it, as the numbers above show.

Other swaps change the texture or the richness.

Boursin cheese mistakes that cost you flavor

Boursin cheese mistakes that cost you flavor usually come down to labels, temperature and heat, and each has a quick fix.

Boursin is a brand, not a cheese style

Boursin is a brand, not a cheese style, so a label that says "Boursin-style" promises little. Milk, fat, salt and herbs vary from maker to maker, so read the ingredient list and taste before you build a recipe around a stand-in.

Boursin cheese should not sit out all evening

Boursin cheese should not sit out all evening, because Boursin's FAQ says to refrigerate it whenever it is not being eaten and to leave it unrefrigerated for no longer than 2 hours. Put out what you need, keep the rest cold, and use the package by the date printed on it. The guide to storing soft and hard cheese covers wraps and fridge spots.

Boursin Dairy-Free is a different product

Boursin Dairy-Free is a different product, not a lighter version of the cheese. Its base is coconut oil with starches, pea protein and potato protein, and 2 tablespoons (29 g) has 90 calories, 8 g of fat (7 g saturated) and no protein, against 2 g in the original. The brand calls it vegan and gluten free and says it is made at the Follow Your Heart plant in Chatsworth, California; the best vegan cheeses page compares it with cashew-based spreads.

Heating Boursin cheese too hard

Heating Boursin cheese too hard turns a smooth sauce greasy, because the cheese is mostly fat and softens at a low temperature. Stir it into hot pasta with a splash of cooking water, or bake it gently, instead of boiling it in a pan.

Questions about Boursin cheese

These are the questions about Boursin cheese that come up most.

Is Boursin cheese the same as cream cheese?

Boursin cheese is not the same as cream cheese, though both are soft cheeses made from milk and cream. Boursin is richer and saltier, and its garlic and herbs are built in.

Is Boursin cheese pasteurized?

Boursin cheese is pasteurized in its Garlic & Fine Herbs version, whose ingredient list starts with pasteurized cultured milk and cream, so check the label on other flavors. If you are pregnant, the cheese in pregnancy guide explains what to look for on a soft cheese label.

Can you melt Boursin cheese?

You can melt Boursin cheese into a creamy sauce by stirring it into hot pasta or baking it with tomatoes. It softens rather than stretches, so do not expect it to string like mozzarella.

Can you freeze Boursin cheese?

You can freeze Boursin cheese, but the texture usually suffers. The brand's FAQ does not address freezing, and soft, high-fat cheeses tend to turn grainy after thawing, so freeze it only for cooked dishes such as pasta sauce, not for spreading.

Is Boursin cheese French?

Boursin cheese is French by origin: François Boursin opened his factory in Croisy-sur-Eure in 1957. The US site does not say where each package is made, so check the label.

Your first Boursin cheese

For your first Boursin cheese, buy a 5.3 oz Garlic & Fine Herbs, let it warm up for 20 to 30 minutes and serve it with crackers and cucumber. Next time, bake it with cherry tomatoes and toss it through pasta, or mix the cream cheese version when the store runs out.