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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 ¼ 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
- ¾ cup raw cashews , soaked in water for 6 hours
- ½ cup non-dairy yogurt unsweetened (sub plain)
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (I usually add 2)
- ¾ teaspoon apple cider vinegar , more to taste
- ½- ¾ teaspoon sea salt , more to taste (I usually add ¾ 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 ¼ 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 ⅛ teaspoon granulated onion.
Scott Ambrose
This recipe was the perfect accompaniment to our first post-Coronavirus dinner gathering (more than 18 months overdue). I made an all-Vegan dinner consisting of three different kinds of vegan tamales, guacamole, various salsas, refried beans, and Mexican rice with veggies . . . the vegan sour cream was excellent, and everyone enjoyed it, saying how much it tastes like real sour cream. I've made it three times in the past two weeks (and the first time was a double batch!), and the latest was used as a topping for a Vegan Borscht I made yesterday. Thank you for sharing (I've also shared your recipe numerous times already).
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Scott! Thank you so much for the review - that sounds like a great meal! We are so happy to hear that you all enjoyed the sour cream and thank you for sharing it too! 🙂
Kristina
I always wanted to try making vegan sour cream and today while I was making my kickass vegan chili I thought, now is the time!! Omg, it was a winner all around the table, next time I will double the batch. Thank you for this!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Kristina! We are so happy to hear that you all loved the sour cream recipe! Thank you for giving it a try! 🙂
Margaret Davis
So easy and oh so good! Thank you
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Margaret! Thank you so much for the review! We're so happy you loved it:)
Chahna
A must try!! I made it for my jackfruit tacos and it was definitely the star of the show. Even my non vegan brother loved it so it’s perfect for everyone, just don’t tell them it’s vegan before they try it ;). THANK YOU FOR THE RECIPE
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Chahna! We're so glad to hear that even the non vegans liked it! Thanks so much for trying it out 🙂
Kelly
This is the vegan sour cream that I’ve had - homemade or store bought! I’ve made it several times and it always comes out great. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Kelly! We are thrilled to hear that, thank you so much for giving it a try!
Diane K
Absolutely delicious, was eating it off a spoon before refrigerating and almost couldn't stop 🙂
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Diane! It is hard to resist isn't it? We are so happy to hear you loved the recipe so much, thank you for giving it a try!
Naomi
Delicious and so easy to make. Soaked cashews in hot water only while getting other ingredients out. Have a vitamix that I knew would blend it smooth. Used 2 TBS lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt and extra heaping tbs of my non-dairy unsweetened yogurt. Tasted great! Thank you for this recipe.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Naomi! Thank you so much for sharing, we're happy to hear you loved the recipe 🙂
Hannah
Amazing, I made this this morning to have with my vegan nachos tonight. I was a bit hesitant at first as a lot of other homemade vegan versions of dairy based products usually don't turn out well, however this "sour cream" was next level. Will defiantly be making another big batch.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Hannah! We are so happy you loved the recipe and glad to hear that this will be a repeat recipe for you! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Lisa S
I’ve made this recipe a few times - just as suggested comes out great every time. I also used the so delicious unsweetened yogurt. Thank you!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Lisa! We are so happy to hear you loved the recipe and that it has become a go-to! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Alex
Love it! I am an avid sour cream lover, literally will put it on ANYTHING! I was worried I wasn’t able to find a vegan substitute to satisfy my sour cream cravings but this is wonderful and super easy to make! Thank you for this!!!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Alex! We are so happy you loved the recipe for this delicious vegan substitute! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Cap'n Dave
Haven't tried this yet, but will most definitely be doing so very soon (like next Taco Tuesday, for example?). I followed the link over from your Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos - I have everything for the tacos, missing the yogurt for the sour cream, and do want to get some red cabbage and radishes - all of which I was meaning to pick up when last I was at Walmart and didn't. D'oh!
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 🙂
Diana
What am I doing wrong? Tastes off but I can’t figure out what to add more of. Maybe it’s the yogurt I used? Sprouts was out of the sodelicious so I used Oatly nondairy yogurt. Could that be it? Maybe more lemon? I’m not sure!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Diane, I haven't tried Oatly yogurt but it could be the culprit. How does the yogurt taste by itself? If it has a strong flavor, it could be overpowering the other ingredients. The SoDelicious yields a neutral flavor when it's blended with the other ingredients. Can you find a different brand of coconut yogurt? I hope this helps.