Homemade Vegan Sour Cream Recipe

Name: Homemade Vegan Sour Cream Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (, soaked overnight (see note, includes nut free idea)); 2 tablespoons blanched slivered almonds (, soaked overnight (see note, includes nut free idea)); 1 cup , plus 1 tablespoon water; 2 tablespoons lime juice ((see note)); 5-5 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar ((see note))

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A healthy homemade vegan sour cream using all whole foods. The flavor was perfected next to real sour cream for a great dairy free sub!

Spoon resting in a glass jar filled with sour cream

This recipe was originally published on 4/5/14

I love creating plant-based versions of my favorite staples, and sour cream is one of them. This version is my closest to the real thing I’ve made yet!

I have made SO many trials of sour cream. While creating a recipe for my plain yogurt (because none I can find out there replicate the stuff I used to eat as a kid!), one of my failed trials resulted in a pretty darn good sour cream! So here we are, sharing it with the world.

Ingredients

Luckily you don’t need too many ingredients to make your own dairy free sour cream, it’s a pretty simple recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:

Cashews
Slivered almonds
Lime juice
Distilled white vinegar

Bowls filled with ingredients to make a nut based dairy free sour cream

How to Make Vegan Sour Cream

It is so easy to whip this recipe up, you’ll never go back to store bought! Here’s what to do:

Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Let it set in the fridge over night.
Serve!

Serving suggestions

Sour cream is one of those things that just seems to go good on pretty much anything! Here’s some ideas of how to use this vegan version:

Serve with Mexican dishes such as vegan latkes, vegan nachos, vegan taquitos, and Mexican taco bowls
As a topper in soups like this tequila lime soup
A spread for sandwiches
A base for other dips, try mixing with my healthy vegan bean dip
Serve with oven fries as a dip
Mix it with my Mexican Cole Slaw for a creamy version

Tips and tricks

For the best vegan sour cream, keep these helpful hints in mind:

Don’t forget to soak the nuts even if you are using a high speed blender. It is part of the overall end flavor. You can soak the cashews overnight or boil them for 30 minutes if you forget.
Do not use lemon in place of lime. Lime is the key to get the perfect flavor.
Do not sub the vinegar with another kind. Apple cider vinegar is sweeter and not as tangy. The distilled white is key for the final result. If you sub it, the flavor will change. Add more vinegar if you want it more tangy but dairy sour cream is more of a neutral than sour flavor.
The more it sets the more cultured like it will get, I recommend overnight.
To make a nut free version, you can try subbing silken tofu for the nuts! Do the same amount, so 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons.
This will keep in an airtight container for up to 7 days in the fridge.
You can also freeze vegan sour cream for up to 3 months. The best way to freeze it is to cover the top of the sour cream itself with plastic so it touches it and forms a barrier from freezer burn.
The texture may change a bit if frozen, just whisk or blend the defrosted sour cream to get it back to the right consistency.

Common Questions

What is vegan sour cream made from?

There are loads of recipes out there for vegan sour cream, with a few different base ingredients. Often used are cashews, tofu, non dairy yogurt, coconut cream, and tahini. In this recipe I used cashews, almonds, lime juice, and white distilled vinegar.

What is a good vegan substitute for sour cream?

If you aren’t going to make your own sour cream, and need a quick and easy sub, the best thing I can think of is plain yogurt. Much like I said above when I shared this vegan sour cream recipe was actually a result from a failed vegan plain yogurt recipe trial, they are pretty close!

How long does homemade sour cream last?

Homemade sour cream will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Vegan Condiments

Finding solid plant based versions of traditional sauces and dressings can be tough. I’ve had a bit of success recreating the classic favorites into vegan whole food versions, here’s some of our favorites: