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This Vegan Sour Cream Recipe requires just 5 ingredients and it turns out rich, tangy and creamy!
I’m so excited to share this Vegan Sour Cream Recipe with you guys! It’s heavenly! Plus, it’s so darn easy to make and it should be in everyone’s fridge.
Along with Vegan Cheddar Cheese and Almond Cream Cheese. All non-dairy, all delicious!
I started making my own sour cream because the store-bought varieties are lacking tang that the dairy variety has. The consistency is great for most of them, but they need to work on the flavor part.
I have a feeling that we’ll see better versions in the near future though. The vegan community is growing fast and many companies are paying attention. It’s a great time to be vegan!!
WHAT IS VEGAN SOUR CREAM MADE OF?
Believe it or not, it takes just 5 ingredients to make the creamiest and tangiest sour cream. Here’s what you’ll need: (*full amounts in recipe card below)
Raw Cashews
Unsweetened Non-Dairy Yogurt
Lemon Juice
Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt
ADD-INS AND SUBSTITUTES:
If you have lactic acid, you can use that in replace of the lemon juice. It adds a similar tangy flavor that cultured cheese has. I usually add 1 1/4 teaspoons. You may need to add a few teaspoons of water or non-dairy milk to make up the liquid portion of the lemon juice. Blend first and then decide.
If you’d like to add an extra hint of flavor to your vegan sour cream, adding granulated onion will do the trick. You only need a pinch.
WHICH BRAND OF NON-DAIRY YOGURT SHOULD YOU USE?
I prefer unsweetened So Delicious yogurt for its color, flavor, and thickness, but there are many brands that will work well too. Kite Hill is another nice option.
If you can’t find unsweetened non-dairy yogurt, you can use plain. Look for one that has the least amount of sugar to avoid a slightly sweet taste. Some non-dairy yogurt brands have an off-white color, which will make your sour cream slightly off-white. It won’t affect the tastiness though.
HOW DO YOU MAKE VEGAN SOUR CREAM?
The method is SO easy, just add all the ingredients to your high-powered blender. Then blend on high until creamy and smooth.
Now taste to see if it needs more lemon, salt or vinegar and add if needed. The consistency will be soft, but it will significantly firm up in the fridge.
Pour into an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 hours to firm it up. Give it a good stir after chilling.
Tips:
1 – If you’re unsure how salty or tangy you want the sour cream to be, it’s best to use less lemon, vinegar and salt to start. You can always taste and add more after blending.
2 – I get a perfect consistency every time with the listed ingredient amounts. However, If you feel your sour cream is too thick, you can add a few teaspoons of unsweetened non-dairy milk, yogurt or water to thin it out. Add more as needed but only a small amount at a time to avoid a runny consistency.
3 – The cashews must soak for a minimum of 6 hours or they will produce gritty results
4 – If you don’t have a high-speed blender, the consistency may not get smooth enough. You can try soaking longer to make the cashews really soft.
5 – I like to use Whole Cashews rather than pieces. The whole pieces are usually the best quality and fresh tasting. If the cashews are lower quality, they tend to leave an aftertaste in the sour cream. It shouldn’t taste heavily like cashews.
HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?
It stays fresh for about 4-5 days in the fridge, but I never make it that long. It disappears fast!
CAN I FREEZE IT?
Yes, it freezes well for 4-5 months. Just thaw in the fridge overnight. You may need to stir in a little water, non-dairy yogurt or milk to thin it out.
WHAT CAN I USE VEGAN SOUR CREAM FOR?
You can use it to amp up:
– Dressings
– Sauces
– Dips
– Soups
– Baked goods
– Ice cream
– Pancakes
Dollop it on Vegan Quesadillas, Baked Potatoes, Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos, Rice, Tomato Spinach Pasta, casseroles, Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili, and so much more!
Enjoy!
I’d love to hear from you
If you make this Vegan Sour Cream Recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
5-Ingredient Vegan Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews , soaked in water for 6 hours
- 1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt unsweetened (sub plain)
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (I usually add 2)
- 3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar , more to taste
- 1/2- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt , more to taste (I usually add 3/4 tsp)
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the cashews. Discard soaking water.
- Add all the ingredients to a high-powered blender (starting with the yogurt and lemon juice). Blend on high until creamy and smooth. This could take a few minutes. Scrape down sides as needed. Taste to see if it needs more lemon, salt or vinegar.
- Pour into an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 hours to firm it up. It will keep about 4-5 days.
Notes
- If you're unsure how salty or tangy you want the sour cream to be, it's best to use less lemon, vinegar and salt to start. You can always taste and add more after blending.
- I get a perfect consistency every time with the listed ingredient amounts. However, If you feel your sour cream is too thick, you can add a few teaspoons of unsweetened non-dairy milk, yogurt or water to thin it out. Add more as needed but only a small amount at a time to avoid a runny consistency.
- If you don't have a high-speed blender, the sour cream may not get smooth enough.
- I prefer to use my high-powered blender over a food processor for this recipe because It yields smoother results.
- Some non-dairy yogurt brands have an off-white color, which will make your sour cream slightly off-white. It won't affect the tastiness though. I prefer So Delicious for its color and thickness.* If you can't find unsweetened non-dairy yogurt, you can use plain. Look for one that has the least amount of sugar to avoid a slight sweet taste.
- I leave the cashews in the fridge while they are soaking.
- Prep time doesn't include soaking time.
- Yields about 1 cup.
- If you have lactic acid, you can use that in replace of the lemon juice. It adds a similar tangy flavor that cultured cheese has. I usually add 1 1/4 teaspoons. You may need to add a few teaspoons of water or non-dairy milk to make up the liquid portion of the lemon juice. Blend first and then decide.
- The cashews must soak for a minimum of 6 hours or they will produce gritty results.
- For an extra hint of flavor, add 1/8 teaspoon granulated onion.
Tara
Perfect sour cream. Better than the store bought. My husband, who isn’t vegan, loves it!! I will win him over with these types of recipes!
I have used both almond and coconut yogurt and I will say the coconut yogurt was better for taste and texture.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Tara, I’m so glad it worked out for you. I prefer it with coconut yogurt too. Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Natalia
Deliciousness!! Thank you so much.
Melissa Huggins
You’re most welcome! So glad you liked it. 🙂
Shannon
I just made this and the texture is perfect! I accidentally bought unsweetened vanilla silk yogurt so it has a slight vanilla flavor. Oops!! Im going to make it again with the correct kind. I will still use this one but the vanilla flavor is a little odd lol
Melissa Huggins
Thank you for giving it a try! I’ve made the same mistake with flavored yogurt before. You’re not alone. lol! 🙂
Tamara Hanel
I made this twice. Once with Silk brand plain, but it wasn’t unsweetened. It was good. I tried it a second time, doubled the batch, and used So Delicious unsweetened along with the recommended onion powder. I much preferred the latter for both flavor and texture.
Thank you.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Tamara, I’m happy it worked out for you. Thank you for giving it a try and sharing your feedback 🙂
Janet
Really really good on my chili!!!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you for giving it a try! So glad you liked it 🙂
Jessie Furman
I LOVE this vegan sour cream recipe! I have made it twice Ann’s have dreamed about it many times. It is a perfect balance of tangy, creamy, and bright, while also maintaining a stand-alone texture. Last night I used it for vegan mushroom stroganoff, and tonight I put a big dollop over my black beans and rice.
I edit to improve most vegan recipes, but this one requires NO changes. It is 5 star perfect exactly as is. (Note: I used the higher quantity measurements when a range was suggested.)
Melissa Huggins
Hi Jessie, Yay! I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback 🙂
Adrienne Hubbard
I’m new to being a vegan. I thought I could never make my own sour cream but I would have to eat the fake stuff from the stores. This was so easy I just added a little bit more vinegar in lemon juice just a tad to make it taste even better for me. I love this recipe and we’ll make it constantly thank you
Melissa Huggins
Hi Adrienne, Congratulations on your new vegan journey! I’m so glad you liked the sour cream. Thanks for making it 🙂
Laura Kooris
This recipe looks so good. But everyone who is vegan or gluten free in our household cannot eat cashews! Will almonds work for that creaminess or another substitution? Please advise. It would be so fantastic to find a substitute for cashews since there are many people who cannot tolerate cashews besides us.
Thanks for the help and suggestions.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Laura, you can use blanched almonds, but the soaking time will be 12-16 hours or you can use macadamia nuts and soak for 4-6 hours. Silken tofu is another great option. I hope this helps. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
Lyn
Best vegan sour cream ever!! I used the lower amount of lemon juice and salt and LOVE it!!!
Thanks so much. This will be a new staple in my house.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Lyn, such a nice compliment! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Gina Claerbaut
Oh. My. Goodness. This is the best vegan sour cream recipe I have ever tried! I am putting it on everything! Eggs with salsa and this ‘sour cream’. Blackened mahi fish with green beans…and of course, this amazing ‘sour cream’. Not just for tacos. 😍😋 Love, love, love! Thanks so much for this recipe!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Gina, This is such a nice compliment! Thank you for giving it a try and sharing your feedback. I’m glad you’re getting good use out of the sour cream. I put it on everything too! 🙂
Sophia
Is it possible to use almonds (or another nut) in place of the cashews? I am allergic to the mold on the cashews…
Melissa Huggins
Yes, you can use blanched slivered almonds instead, but you’ll need to soak them 12-16 hours to fully soften. I just pop them in the fridge the day before. You can also use macadamia nuts and they only need to soak 4-6 hours. You may need a splash more yogurt or liquid to thin. These options will add a hint of flavor from the nut, but it’s not that noticeable. I hope this helps. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Christina Boothby
This is amazing! I’m always hesitant to try vegan versions of traditionally dairy-based foods, because they’re rarely as good as the dairy version, not the case with this sour cream! Myself and my two picky girls both liked this better than regular sour cream! Dairy based sour cream is great for topping foods but tastes pretty nasty by itself. This is amazing all by itself! We were literally licking the bowl after dishing it out. I did soak the cashews for 24 hours because I have a cheap blender, but it came out perfectly smooth and creamy as promised, and was incredible on top of the chili we had for dinner! I used exact portions from the recipe and used So Delicious brand unsweetened coconut yogurt for it, and it blended up in less than 3 minutes. Definitely exceeds expectations!!!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Christina, this is the nicest compliment! I’m so glad you and your girls liked it so much. It’s a family favorite over here, too. Thank you for giving it a try and sharing your feedback. 🙂
Nancy
I would like to know if I could just use store bought almond milk for the recipes- cream cheese and sour cream? And how much? Please email me
Aljerome Harvey
Can this sour cream be used in a vegan cheese cake recipe?
Melissa Huggins
Hi there, I haven’t tried it, but it could work. It’s hard to tell without seeing the recipe. Does it call for a lot of sour cream?
Alex
Hi,
Do you think that by adding some nutritional yeast it would make it taste a bit more “cheesey”?
Melissa Huggins
Sure, you can add a little bit for a cheesy flavor. It will change the color a little, but it will still be delicious! 🙂
Terri H.
This recipe is absolutely perfect!! My daughter and I usually get Follow Your Heart brand sour cream, but we don’t have it locally (almost an hour drive one way). So we decided to make it ourselves, and it turned out better than we hoped, and better than the store brand!!! So I just wanted to thank you for this great recipe, and I’ll be sure to follow you and your recipes in the future…
Melissa Huggins
This is such a nice compliment! Thank you! I haven’t tried the Follow Your Heart sour cream yet, but I heard it was good! Our Whole Foods carries it but it’s also an hour drive. 🙂
Kay H
This is better than dairy sour cream! Best recipe I have found.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kay, I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you so much 🙂
Rhoda
Amazing! This is my new go to sour cream recipe and it perfected our qunioa tacos last night. Thank you!
Marielle
Any idea for a substitute for cashews? I’m allergic but can’t seem to find a vegan sour cream recipe that does not include them.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Marielle, I haven’t experimented with any other substitute for this recipe. I’d imagine blanched almonds would work pretty well though. You would have to soak them much longer though (16-24 hours). I’ve seen recipes online that use coconut milk or tofu. That could be a nice option for you too. I hope you find something that works. Thank for stopping by 🙂
Normie
Hi, my hubby is also allergic to nuts. Do you think pumpkin seeds/pepitas would work instead? I made an Alfredo sauce using soaked pumpkin seeds the other night and it was really creamy.
Pauline
I’ve seen pine nuts used in place of cashews in sour cream.
Melissa Huggins
I haven’t tried this recipe with pumpkin seeds. I’d imagine it would work, but I’m unsure of the taste and consistency. I think it’s worth a try though. I’d love to hear if you give it a try. Then I can chare the results here. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
John
I love this sour cream, I made it with the fajitas. So good in so many ways. I can’t believe I get to have non processed sour cream thats soy free!!!
Liv @ What Liv Likes
Yum! Sour cream is one thing I miss from time to time. Growing up in a German household we ate a lot of it! I usually shy away from using cashew bases as cream subs but I think I’m going to give it a try for nostalgia.
Liv | http://www.whatlivlikes.com