Dairy Free Sour Cream
The cool, creamy taste of sour cream is something many people miss when going dairy free. But don’t worry, I have several super easy dairy free sour cream recipes that will satisfy the fiercest of cravings and will make your meal complete.
To make dairy free sour cream you basically just start with a creamy, non-dairy neutral base then add some lemon juice to give it that classic “sour” taste. I have 3 bases that I typically use: coconut cream, cashews, or plain non-dairy Greek yogurt. Let’s examine each one.
Coconut Cream Sour Cream
Coconut sour cream is super easy and uses only 2 ingredients: coconut cream and lemon juice. This is my recipe of choice when cooking. Not only is it super easy, but it adds a creamy, smooth tasting sour cream flavor and no one would ever guess it’s dairy free! This version can also be used as a dip, but I personally tend to prefer the cashew version for dipping.
Cashew Sour Cream
Cashew sour cream is my dairy free sour cream of choice when used as a topping or a dip. To me, it tastes the closest to “real” sour cream when eaten plain. There are a few drawback though:
- If you don’t have a high-powered blender, it won’t be smooth.
- It’s made from nuts which many people have allergies to.
- It’s a bit more labor intensive than the other versions.
It can also be used in cooking, but I tend to use the coconut cream method when cooking because it’s so much easier. Sometimes getting out my blender just seems like so much work, lol!
I didn’t post the cashew version below because I always use the Cashew Sour Cream from My Whole Food Life and I can’t do any better than her recipe – but the coconut cream and non-dairy Greek yogurt versions are below.
Non-Dairy Yogurt Sour Cream
When baking, I prefer to use dairy free sour cream made from non-dairy Greek yogurt because it has a perfect, thick consistency. It also adds a nice taste to baked goods. I’ve never had much success using cashew sour cream in baking. Coconut cream can be a good option when baking, but I’ve found that the consistency varies too much – which can sometimes produce poor results. I’ve tried plain non-dairy yogurt, but it was too runny (at least the brands I tried) so I would stick to the Greek Style yogurts.
To me this version does have a slight aftertaste, for this reason I usually only use it for baking. The aftertaste is undetectable in baked goods though, and lends a perfect texture and tartness.
Looking for more paleo & dairy free recipes? Check these out!
No-Bake Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake
Easy Peasy Dairy Free Sour Cream
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Ingredients
Non-Dairy Yogurt Sour Cream Ingredients:
- 6 oz. SO Delicious Dairy Free Plain Yogurt Greek Style
- 3/4 Tsp. Lemon Juice more to taste (fresh is best!)
Coconut Cream Sour Cream Ingredients:
- 1/2 C Coconut Cream place full fat canned coconut milk into the fridge for 6 hours to overnight and scoop out the coagulated cream. I only recommend Thai Kitchen or Sprouts brand as others may result in a funny aftertaste or off texture
- 1 1/2 tsp. Lemon Juice
- Pinch salt
- Filtered water
Cashew Sour Cream
- Cashew Sour Cream click link for the recipe
Instructions
Non-Dairy Yogurt Sour Cream Method:
- Drain off any excess liquid from the yogurt.
- Stir the yogurt and lemon juice together in a small container.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (preferably longer) before using.
Cashew Cream Sour Cream Method:
- Gently Combine the coconut cream and lemon juice. If the cream is too thick or hard to combine, add filtered water as needed to achieve the right consistency. Taste and add more lemon juice if needed. Stir in the pinch of salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary.
pin sour cream for later:
Kathryn
March 24, 2019 at 1:50 amHi! I looked through the comments but didn’t see anyone who asked how long the coconut sour cream is good for. My son can’t have cashews, soy or dairy, so I’m wondering how long the coconut version will stay good in the fridge!
Cassidy
March 24, 2019 at 1:09 pmHi Kathryn! The coconut version should stay good in the fridge for around a week. I hope you like it, let me know what you think 🙂
-Cassidy
Tiffany
November 11, 2018 at 9:54 pmI’ve used the yogurt version of this recipe and I love it. Thank you for sharing <3 This is by far my favorite vegan sour cream 😀
I have been using Kite Hill's plain yogurt (they don't sell the plain So Delicious where I live), it's a bit watery because I have trouble getting the extra liquid out, but it doesn't bother me too much. Half the time I don't refrigerate it either, because I don't plan ahead lol.
Cassidy
November 11, 2018 at 11:01 pmThank you Tiffany, I’m so happy you like it!!! Thanks for letting me know the Kite Hill’s plain yogurt works well, I’ll have to try that!!!
-Cassidy
Megha
January 12, 2017 at 7:44 amHi, i don’t get So Delicious here, so is it ok if I use normal Greek yoghurt? Like cows milk Greek yoghurt?
Cassidy
January 12, 2017 at 2:32 pmWhile I haven’t tried it, I’m pretty sure cow’s milk yogurt should work fine 🙂
-Cassidy
Megha
January 12, 2017 at 2:35 pmGreat, thanks a lot.
Liz
November 17, 2015 at 2:15 pmI have dairy free regular unsweetened yogurt, would that be ok?
Cassidy
November 17, 2015 at 2:26 pmYes it should work, but it might not be as thick 🙂
Rachel
February 17, 2017 at 9:05 pmI just tried the regular unsweetened yogurt straight out of the container on my chicken fajitas and really liked it. A little runny but delicious! Thanks to the author for recommending the brand. I love having this guilt-free alternative to sour cream that I can pile on. I didn’t use lemon juice but was already using Taco Bell salsa verde.
Catherine Brites
September 16, 2015 at 4:41 pmLoved it! We used it in a shrimp salad that calls for sour cream but my hubby can’t have anything with even a trace amount of milk product/byproduct. We also have the challenge of gluten free for my daughter. Fortunately there are so many more options out there than there was 4 years ago.
The easier the recipe the better for me. 🙂 The title is perfect BTW. 🙂
Cassidy
September 24, 2015 at 8:43 pmThanks so much Catherine! I’m happy it worked for you 🙂
Ruth
December 5, 2014 at 7:02 amThank you for replying. I didn’t think about other food sensitivities. I have looked around on the website and haven’t seen the link you referred to about the cashew based sour cream. Can you let me know where it is?
Cassidy
December 5, 2014 at 1:38 pmHi Ruth – the link is right above the picture of the yogurt! But I went ahead and added another link at the bottom of the first paragraph so it would be easier to find 🙂
meridia
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Debbie
March 14, 2014 at 6:47 amThank you so much for posting this. My husband can’t have dairy, and I needed sour cream for
an ingredient in a gluten free cookie recipe. Just so excited about it, and can use it on tacos, and add seasonings to it for dips. Awesome !
amy lynn
April 10, 2014 at 2:15 pmThank you for sharing this, I have been eating So Delicious’s coconut “ice cream” (isn’t So Delicious So great?! I’m so happy there are so many non-dairy choices available now) for a while and thought one of the flavors had a sort of sour cream-y taste.
I am looking for a dairy and soy free sub for sour cream in cupcakes, so I guess not quite what you are doing here. I wonder if anyone else has used the yogurt w/o the lime for baking? I’d love to hear if anyone has, or what subs have worked. 🙂
@Debbie, how did your cookies turn out? I’d like to know about a baking experience.
Cassidy
April 13, 2014 at 3:18 pmHi amy lynn!
While I haven’t tested this recipe extensively in baking, I have successfully used it in my poppyseed bundt cake recipe.
I hope this helps and you enjoy my recipe 🙂
-Cassidy
amy lynn
April 17, 2014 at 2:49 pmHi Cassidy!
Thank you so much for responding, I appreciate it! I will check out your bundt cake (poppyseed, yum!), and i imagine if it worked there, it might do the trick in my cupcakes!
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