
Last Updated on November 18, 2021 by Betty Davies
Deliciously creamy and slightly sweet, these basil mushrooms are a quick to make veggie side dish, or serve them up as a sit down appetizer with some toasted bread. They come together quickly and easily in one skillet and are wonderfully indulgent. They’re great paired with a tasty steak.

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Creamy and indulgent, these basil mushrooms have a hint of sweetness to them thanks to some fresh herbs. I’ll never turn down some delicious mushrooms, and these make for a great veggie side dish!
Made with whole mushrooms that are tender and juicy, and covered in a rich creamy sauce with hints of garlic and basil, this is one addictive recipe!
Be sure to try my Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms and Mushroom Gravy too!
Why you will love this recipe!
- Quick and easy: Simple to prep and quick to cook, these make for a great last minute side to accompany your meal. They are ready to serve in less than 15 minutes.
- One pan: All cooked in a skillet on the stovetop, even the clean up is a breeze!
- Dietary info: These basil mushrooms are low carb and keto friendly, vegetarian and gluten-free.

Ingredients
- Oil and butter: For cooking. Any high heat oil like canola or vegetable will work well. Butter helps to add some richness.
- Mushrooms: I like to use whole button mushrooms for this recipe, but you could easily use larger sliced mushrooms like cremini or even portobello.
- Garlic: Garlic and mushrooms just work! Use freshly minced garlic for the best flavor.
- Cream: Heavy, or whipping cream that is 35% fat creates a thick and delicious creamy sauce.
- Mustard: I like to add a little Dijon mustard for some added tang, but this is optional and the recipe still works great without it.
- Basil: Use fresh basil leaves for the best flavor. Chop finely to add to the sauce, plus a few extra for garnish.
How to make creamy basil mushrooms
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- Brown the mushrooms in a skillet (photo 1).
- Add in the garlic, cream. mustard. Bring to a simmer an let the cream thicken (photo 2).
- Stir in fresh basil and serve (photo 3).

Recipe Variations
These garlic and basil mushrooms are pretty simple to make with just a few ingredients. You could swap the basil for other fresh herbs like tarragon, parsley or dill. For a dish lower in fat and calories, you can replace the cream with half and half.
Frequently Asked Questions
Italian sweet basil, the one commonly found in stores, is what I used in this recipe, but you can easily use other varieties to suit your tastes. Try it with:
Thai basil – has a liquorice type flavor and a little spice.
Lemon basil – for a hint of citrus flavor.
Lime basil – with hints of lime and quite sweet.
Greek basil – this has an earthy spice to it.
There are so many varieties of basil (up to 150!), so have fun with all of the different flavors!
Fresh basil is best used in this dish, it’s stirred in right at the end of cooking so that it doesn’t overcook. If you only have dried basil, stir in a tablespoon just before you add the cream so it has chance to cook and release its flavor.
Once cooked and cooled, these mushrooms will keep well in the fridge an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in a skillet to serve. When the sit, the cream sauce may thicken, you can stir in a little milk to loosen it back up when you reheat.

Serving Suggestions
These creamy basil mushrooms are great served as an appetizer with toast, they are so full of flavor they easily stand on their own. As a side dish, they are really wonderful paired with steak. Try them with:
Recipe Notes and Tips
- You can make this recipe with whole or sliced mushrooms.
- Brown the mushrooms before adding the cream, this helps to add flavor and get rid of excess moisture.
- Use a large pan and don’t overcrowd the mushrooms. If you add too many mushrooms to a small pan they will steam rather than brown and can turn soggy.

More Vegetables Side Dishes
If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating and a comment below!

Creamy Basil Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 8 ounces whole button mushrooms (227g)
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- ½ cup heavy or whipping cream (35%) (120ml)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, plus a little more for garnish (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Heat the oil and butter in a skillet on a medium high heat.
- Once hot add the mushrooms with a little salt and pepper.
- Cook until they start to brown, stir occasionally (about 5 minutes)
- Add in the minced garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
- Add in the cream and mustard to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer til the cream sauce has thickened, this only takes a couple of minutes.
- Take off of the heat and stir in the fresh basil.
- Serve with more basil to garnish.
Notes
- You can make this recipe with whole or sliced mushrooms.
- Brown the mushrooms before adding the cream, this helps to add flavor and get rid of excess moisture.
- Use a large pan and don’t overcrowd the mushrooms. If you add too many mushrooms to a small pan they will steam rather than brown and can turn soggy.
2 Comments
Kristina
December 29, 2021 at 3:57 amEasy to make and oh so yummy!
We didn’t have heavy cream – so used 2/3 milk and 1/3 butter to create our own. Worked out well! Such a delicious side dish!
Betty Davies
December 29, 2021 at 5:58 pmAh so glad you enjoyed them Kristina! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂