5-Ingredient Vegan Sour Cream

This Vegan Sour Cream Recipe requires just 5 ingredients and it turns out rich, tangy and creamy!

Course Condiment, Spread

Cuisine Oil-free, Vegan

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings people

Calories 76kcal

Author Melissa Huggins

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)

US Customary - Metric

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.

Nutrition