Here Are the 10 Best Sour Cream Substitutes for Your Recipes

Sour cream is a fermented dairy product that is the result of bacteria souring pasteurized cream. The best sour cream substitutes are made from coconut milk, cashew milk, almond milk, and other milk substitutes.

Sour cream is a fermented dairy product that is the result of bacteria souring pasteurized cream. The bacteria produces lactic acid which creates a bitter, tangy taste. While sour cream is a popular ingredient for many recipes, you may want to consider a healthier or dairy-free substitute due to matters of taste, diet, or availability.  

Sour cream contains dairy, which you may want to avoid due to health or lifestyle reasons. If you have low levels of the enzyme lactase, you may experience difficulty digesting dairy products that contain lactose and would benefit from a dairy-free alternative. If you are experiencing acne, you may want to consider vegan substitutes as studies suggest that dairy consumption in children, adolescents, and young adults can increase outbreaks. Plant-based, dairy-free sour cream substitutes are also great if you are following a vegan diet.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk is made from the meat of a coconut. It’s high in calories and fat, but rich in other nutrients such as iron and vitamin C. Iron is good for energy, whereas vitamin C helps boost your immune system. 

You can replace sour cream in baking recipes with a cup of full-fat coconut milk and a tablespoon of lemon juice. For toppings and dressings, you can make cream from full-fat coconut milk and mix it with lemon juice, salt, and apple cider vinegar to replicate the taste and texture of sour cream.

Cashews

If you don’t have any nut allergies, cashew nuts can be a good sour cream alternative. Although cashews are high in calories and fat, they are full of protein, vitamins, and antioxidants. Cashews’ high fat content can also be attributed to unsaturated fats, which can improve blood cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation, and even stabilize heart rhythms.

To recreate the tanginess of sour cream, you can blend cashews with vinegar, lemon juice, and sea salt. Cashews work well as a substitute in any sour cream recipe, including soup, on baked potatoes, and in baking.

Almond milk

Almond milk typically consists of ground almonds, water, and other ingredients — what's added in usually depends on whether it's a commercial product or homemade. Almond milk is generally low in calories and high in vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that can help slow down cell damage. However, almond milk alternatives provide little protein and are unsuitable for people with tree nut allergies.

You can use almond milk curds as a base ingredient for sour cream substitutes, but almond curds are usually sweeter in taste. To combat the sweetness, you should combine almond milk curds with lemon juice and salt before using it in your recipes as a sour cream replacement.

Soy

Soy comes from soybeans. You can use soy to make a range of plant-based products, such as tofu. Soy-based sour cream substitutes usually have similar levels of fat and calories to sour cream. 

There are many soy-based sour cream substitutes on the market, but these commercial products often have added preservatives or sugar. However, a benefit of commercial soy-based sour cream is that you can use these products in recipes as an exact 1:1 substitute.

If you want to avoid extra unwanted ingredients, you can also make your own soy-based sour cream substitute at home. You can mix lemon juice, salt, and apple cider vinegar with silken tofu to create a healthier homemade alternative to use in your recipes.

There is a wider range of dairy-based sour cream substitutes available. Dairy is a great source of calcium and typically provides around a third of your recommended calcium intake. It's also rich in vitamin B12 which, alongside calcium, helps keep your blood pressure levels, bones, and muscles healthy. Some dairy-based sour cream alternatives can offer other health benefits, such as higher protein levels and probiotic microbes. Many sour cream alternatives also have lower levels of fat and calories, which make them a great substitute in healthy recipes.

Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt is an ideal substitute for sour cream because of its similar taste, texture, and versatility. It's a healthier alternative to sour cream as it has more protein but fewer calories and fat. Greek yogurt also contains probiotic bacteria, which is often called “good bacteria,” as it’s associated with good gut health and reduced inflammation.

It's easy to use greek yogurt as a sour cream substitute in any recipe. You can use it as a 1:1 replacement in baked goods, dips, dressings, and toppings, too.

Crème fraîche

Crème fraîche is a French ingredient that translates to fresh cream. It’s made from cream that, similar to sour cream, has been acidified by bacteria. However, the end result is less sour, thicker, and higher in fat and calories than sour cream.

Unlike cashews, the fat in crème fraîche is the saturated kind. You should try to avoid this type of fat in favor of the unsaturated variety, as it can help lower bad cholesterol and improve good cholesterol levels. This can also reduce the risk of heart disease. Crème fraîche, being a dairy product, also contains calcium and dairy protein, which can benefit your health.

You can use crème fraîche as a 1:1 replacement for sour cream in recipes, but you may want to add some extra lemon juice for more flavor. 

Cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is a curd cheese with a mild taste and creamy texture. Compared to sour cream, cottage cheese is lower in fat and calories and higher in protein. Additionally, it’s rich in vitamin B12, calcium, and riboflavin. Riboflavin is a B vitamin that is necessary for the development and function of your skin, digestive tract, and blood cells. One cup of cottage cheese provides 59%, 13.8%, and 15% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin B12, calcium, and riboflavin, respectively.

The high nutritional value, low fat, and low calories make cottage cheese a great sour cream substitute in healthy recipes. But because of its mild taste, cottage cheese needs extra lemon juice before it can be an effective sour cream substitute in recipes.

Cream cheese 

Cream cheese is a soft, mild cheese that is much thicker than sour cream. As cream cheese is high in fat, it may not be the best sour cream substitute for people who are on a diet. If you want to add more vitamin A into your diet, you may be interested in using cream cheese as a substitute since just 1 ounce provides around 10% of the recommended daily vitamin A intake.

Before you use cream cheese as a substitute for sour cream, you should thin the cream cheese with milk, buttermilk, or water. Generally, for every cup of sour cream required in a recipe, you only need to use 6 ounces of cream cheese. For a tangy taste, you can add more lemon juice.

Buttermilk

Buttermilk is a fermented dairy liquid that, traditionally, is a by-product of making butter from cultured cream. Buttermilk, like sour cream, gets its tangy taste from lactic acid. Like other dairy products, buttermilk is a great source of calcium. Previous studies also suggest that consuming buttermilk may have links to lower levels of cholesterol.

Buttermilk is only suitable as a sour cream substitute in baked goods and dressing recipes because of its liquid form.

Kefir

Kefir is a fermented milk drink. It has a sour, slightly fizzy taste due to the fermentation process. Like buttermilk, kefir is only suitable as a sour cream substitute in baked goods and dressings due to its thin, watery consistency. Kefir may still be a worthwhile sour cream substitute due to its range of health benefits.

This fermented milk is rich in calcium as well as probiotic bacteria. Studies also suggest probiotic microbes in kefir can help protect against viral infections. Additionally, kefir has low levels of lactose, which make it a suitable sour cream substitute for people with mild lactose intolerance as kefir generally doesn’t cause symptoms.

The best substitute for sour cream depends on your diet, health concerns, and recipe suitability. Some dairy and dairy-free sour cream substitutes, like Greek yogurt and cashew-based alternatives, are much healthier than others. Sour cream substitutes that are thinner in consistency are better for baking and dressing recipes, whereas you may need to thin down thicker sour cream alternatives before use. Taste also plays a factor as some substitutes are milder than sour cream and you may need to add extra lemon juice or other ingredients to recreate that bitter, tangy taste.

Before you switch out sour cream with a dairy or dairy-free substitute in your recipes, remember to check for any possible interactions with current medication or allergies. For any specific health worries, it’s best to consult a doctor or nutritionist before adjusting your diet accordingly.