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Whether you’re hosting a wedding, a New Year’s Eve party, an awards show event, or just one heck of an elegant Tuesday, these fancy deviled eggs with caviar and crème fraîche make an easy and special hors d’oeuvre idea.
Why we love this recipe
Deviled eggs make a crowd-pleasing hors d’oeuvre or snack, even when they’re not the least bit fancy. For extra-special occasions, it’s nice to have an extra-special variation that’s ready to hobnob with the politest of company.
Caviar and crème fraîche make a classic combination to serve atop blini. Their flavors complement each other so well that the world loves to riff on them, topping everything from tarts to potato chips. Why not deviled eggs?
They’re:
- Totally elegant, with a nod to nostalgia
- Crowd-pleasing
- Make-ahead friendly
- Low-carb, keto-friendly, and gluten-free
- A truly easy addition to your next elevated event
Find all of our gourmet deviled egg recipes here. They all work well individually (and fully dressed by the chef) or as part of an epic deviled egg bar.
I first published this recipe here in 2019. I’ve since updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- You’ll start with a batch of perfect hard-boiled eggs. This reliable method yields eggs that are cooked just the right amount and easy to peel. The recipe card below includes full cooking instructions.
- Regular, good-quality mayo from the supermarket works beautifully in this nostalgic recipe. Or, if you’re really leveling up, make your own.
- Use a small shallot and mince it as finely as you can.
- Crème fraîche sounds fancy due to the French name, and it does kinda read as sour cream’s more elegant big sister. You can find it pretty easily in U.S. grocery stores, or you can make your own. See the FAQ section below to learn more.
- Buying caviar can be a little bit intimidating. The section below has a few tips. Tl;dr: Buy from a source you trust, find a variety you like (even if it’s not technically caviar), and enjoy!
Tips for buying caviar
Technically, caviar means lightly salted, cured sturgeon roe. The most-prized caviar comes from Caspian sea beluga, osetra, and sevruga sturgeon, in descending order. Caviar is pricey AF, and more important, all three of those sturgeon species are currently endangered.
So.
I suggest casting a wider net (if you will) of sturgeon species and even considering other types of fish roe for your caviar and crème fraîche deviled eggs. It’s important to shop from a source you trust, and beyond that, to keep an open mind.
The roe in the photo is paddlefish, and it was super.
You can learn more about how to buy caviar from Kenji Lopez-Alt’s interview with Alexandre Petrossian on Serious Eats.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make fancy deviled eggs with caviar and crème fraîche. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- First you’ll cook, cool, and peel the eggs. Slice them in half lengthwise, and gently remove the yolks.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the yolks with a fork.
- Add the mayo, crème fraîche, mustard, salt, and pepper and mix well until creamy. Stir in the shallot.
- Pipe or spoon the filling into the whites. Garnish each piece with a dollop of crème fraîche, a bit of caviar, and some snipped chive, and serve.
Expert tips and FAQs
Crème fraîche is heavy cream that’s been cultured and thickened by adding a fermenting agent and allowing it to sit at room temperature for several hours. Traditionally, crème fraîche has been made from unpasteurized cream that naturally contains the right bacteria to ferment it. In the United States, producers add fermenting agents to pasteurized cream.
Crème fraîche tends to be thicker, richer, and less tangy than sour cream, though the two ingredients are made through somewhat similar processes.
You can make your own crème fraîche by adding a tablespoon of buttermilk to one cup of heavy cream and letting it sit, partially covered, on the counter for up to 24 hours until it’s as thick as you like it. You can use a mason jar or a glass measuring cup. Or just buy your crème fraîche at the store.
You can boil, cool, and peel the eggs up to three days in advance. After that, it’s up to you how to proceed.
You could make the filling and keep it separate, with both filling and whites tightly covered in the fridge, up to two days in advance and assemble at the last minute.
Or you could even make the deviled eggs entirely up to two days in advance and just hold off on garnishing until right before serving.
Leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a week, as long as they haven’t been left out on a buffet for a long time.
More favorite elegant appetizers
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Fancy Deviled Eggs with Caviar and Crème Fraîche
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs
- ½ cup (124 grams) mayonnaise
- 6 tablespoons (90 grams) crème fraîche, divided
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 1 ounce (28 grams) caviar of your choice, or more if you like
- Snipped fresh chives
Instructions
- Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. See note 1 below.
- Arrange eggs in steamer basket, if using. Lower basket into water. Or use a spider strainer or large spoon to gently submerge eggs a few at a time until you've added them all.
- Set a timer for 12 minutes.
- When the water begins to bubble vigorously again, reduce heat to maintain a brisk simmer so the eggs don't jostle around too much.
- While the eggs cook, fill a large bowl halfway with ice water.
- When timer rings, pull eggs out of pot and plunge into ice water.
- Cool for 15 minutes.
- Peel carefully and give a quick rinse under running water to remove any remaining bits of shell.
- Slice each egg in half lengthwise and carefully remove yolks to a medium bowl.
- Mash yolks well with a fork.
- Add mayonnaise, two tablespoons of the crème fraîche, mustard, salt, and pepper and continue mashing and blending until yolk mixture is creamy.
- Stir in shallot.
- Using a piping bag fitted with a plain tip, a resealable plastic bag with one of the bottom corners snipped off, or a spoon, pipe or spoon the yolk mixture back into the egg halves.
- Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of crème fraîche onto each piece and top with a little bit of caviar. Garnish with a couple of snipped fresh chive pieces, and serve.
Notes
- If you have a collapsible steamer basket and would like to use it to lower the eggs into the pot, makes sure it fits snugly. A 7 ½ quart Dutch oven works well.
- Regular, good-quality mayo from the supermarket works beautifully in this nostalgic recipe. Or make your own, if you're really in the mood to level up.
- Mince the shallot as finely as you can.
- You can refer to the section of the post above to learn a few tips for buying caviar.
- Make-ahead options: You can boil, cool, and peel the eggs up to three days in advance. After that, it’s up to you how to proceed. You could make the filling and keep it separate, with both filling and whites tightly covered in the fridge, up to two days in advance and assemble at the last minute. Or you could even make the deviled eggs entirely up to two days in advance and just hold off on garnishing until right before serving.
- Leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a week, as long as they haven't been left out on a buffet for a long time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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