Vegan Sour Cream, made with 4 ingredients and 5 minutes. It’s thick, creamy, tangy and the perfect substitute for dairy sour cream!
Do you miss sour cream? I used to love the stuff before I went vegan; a dollop here and there made food more delicious and satisfying.
Well now you can make your own dairy free sour cream with just 4 ingredients in minutes with simple ingredients!
Just like my Heavy Whipping Cream Substitute, Vegan Butter, Vegan Condensed Milk and Shreddable Vegan Mozzarella Cheese, this is a staple recipe you will want to have in the refrigerator at all times.
Vegan sour cream brands you can buy
If you don’t want to make your own at home, there are several options nowadays for dairy free sour cream at the grocery store.
None of them taste as good to me as this homemade version, but I have used Tofutti brand in the past, as well as Kite Hill, Simple Truth, Forager, Follow Your Heart and Good Karma.
Make my homemade version if you can; it’s so much better tasting!
Ingredients needed for sour cream alternative
- Raw cashews – Cashews are what gives this whole foods sour cream it’s creamy texture. If you can’t have cashews, you can try using slivered almonds instead. If you absolutely can’t have nuts at all, try making a tofu sour cream instead! Or make sour cream from coconut milk.
- Apple cider vinegar – or white vinegar or even more fresh lemon juice.
- Fresh lemon juice – You can also use 1 teaspoon of lactic acid for the signature “tang” if you have it.
- Optional: Unsweetened dairy free yogurt – This adds an extra creaminess and tang, but you can leave it out if needed. I like Kite Hill brand, but others work as well.
How to make vegan sour cream
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
- First, soak your cashews. I do this by pouring boiling hot water from my tea kettle over the cashews, then let them sit for about 5 minutes. They can sit for longer if you want, and if you don’t have a high powered blender I suggest you let them soak for an hour, to get them really soft for blending.
- Add ingredients to a high-speed blender. Drain the cashews, then add to a blender along with 3/4 cup fresh water, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and salt. A food processor might work, but it won’t get nearly as creamy.
- Blend until very smooth. Scrape down the sides of the blender as needed, and make sure there are no pieces of nuts left. It should be super smooth and not grainy at all.
- Add yogurt if desired. This last step is optional but will bring your sour cream to the next level! Pour the cashew mixture into a bowl, and stir in 1 cup of unsweetened non-dairy yogurt. It helps the sour cream be lighter in texture (more like real sour cream), and helps it to taste tangier.
Can you make it without a high-speed blender?
It is possible, though it will probably be grainier and not as smooth as mine. If there’s one thing you should invest in as a vegan home cook, it’s a high powered blender. I love, love, love my Vitamix and can’t live without it!
If using a regular blender or food processor, soak the cashews for a long time, an hour in hot water. That will soften them up even more so they will blend better.
Variations
- Green chile sour cream – Add a can of green chiles when you blend everything together for a delicious variation.
- Sriracha sour cream – Sometimes I add a teaspoon or two of Sriracha for spicy sour cream. This also goes great on nourish bowls.
- Cheesy – Add about 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast for a slightly cheesy flavored sour cream. A little onion or garlic powder will also add a bit of flavor.
Frequently asked questions
- What brand of non-dairy yogurt should you use? I used Kite Hill brand unsweetened almond yogurt. It’s my favorite for this sour cream, and other recipes where I use yogurt to cook, like these Vegan Sour Cream Enchiladas. It’s also very white, so it helps make your sour cream super white, just like real sour cream.
- How long will cashew sour cream keep? I have found that it will keep about 1 week in the refrigerator, in a covered container. This recipe does make quite a lot, so freeze some if you want.
- Can you freeze it? Yes, it freezes quite well. I often freeze my cashew based sauces and dressings with no issues. You can freeze a portion in a freezer friendly container, or even pour into an ice cube tray, then pop them into a freezer bag once frozen for single serving portions.
What goes well with vegan sour cream?
You can use this dairy free sour cream anywhere you would use regular sour cream! From burritos, enchiladas and tacos to buddha bowls, chilis and soups, the possibilities are endless. It’s the perfect topping for any of the following recipes and more.
Vegan Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- OPTIONAL: 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy yogurt
Instructions
- Quick soak the cashews: Bring a few cups of water to a boil (I use my tea kettle for this). Add 1 1/2 cups cashews to a measuring cup and pour the boiling hot water on top to cover. Let them soak for 5 minutes, or 1 hour if you don't have a high powered blender.
- Drain the cashews and add to high powered blender. Now add 3/4 cup fresh water, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and salt. Blend until very smooth.
- Pour the cashew mixture into a bowl and stir in in the unsweetened yogurt. This is optional, but it brings the sour cream to another level in terms of texture and flavor.
- Use immediately, or transfer to a small covered container and refrigerate. It will thicken up as it chills. The sour cream will keep for about a week. You may also freeze this if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- May also soak the cashews overnight in water. I can never usually remember to do this so I use the quick soak method!
- If you do not have a high powered blender like a Vitamix, you may need to soak the cashews even longer to get a smooth cream, an hour or so.
- Add a can of green chiles to make a green chile sour cream, or a teaspoon or Sriracha hot sauce for spicy sour cream.
My husband is severe lactose intolerant so, he needs alternatives. One Sunday I came across your recipe & decided to make it. One taste and he said “you don’t have to worry about buying me “sour cream” anymore. This is allI need. I told him he has to make it going forward. That wasn’t a problem for him. Every other week for the past year, he has made his “sour cream” and enjoys every bit of it. He is even quick to mention when he needs more cashews 🤭. Thank you!
You bet, Michelle! How wonderful your husband found a sour cream recipe he loves! I appreciate you taking time to share your wonderful review and feedback! I hope you enjoy your journey through my recipes! Happy cooking to you AND your husband!
Outstanding. This was simply lovely. I ended up soaking for 24 hrs and starting with boiling water but other than that I followed your recipe. No yogurt needed, but I will mix some in to half the batch to see how it is.
I may add a touch of lactic acid to the next batch just to see, but in any form this one’s a keeper.
Thank you so much!
Hi Diane. I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I love sharing! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and review! Happy cooking to you!
Heya! This looks delicious. How much does it make? I see one comment that says a serving size is 2 Tbls, and one that says 1/2 cup… thoughts?
It depends on if you add the yogurt or not for one thing. Once you make it, if you divide it by 8, that is your answer. I don’t personally measure my food like this so I don’t know for sure, but I believe a serving is a few tablespoons, maybe a little more than that.
I don’t have a high speed blender so I ground up some fresh cashew butter at my local WinCo. Do I still need to somehow figure out how to soak the raw cashews that are now ground up into butter? I thought I would be saving myself a step & some work by grinding up the raw cashews ahead of time but now I’m not so sure. Any ideas? Thanks!
Hi there, I’ve never made this with cashew butter so I can’t be much help. But no, you would not need to soak the butter. I hope it turns out okay for you!
Do you think it would be possible to freeze the leftover sour cream?
I think you could freeze it, yes, though I’ve never tried it. It might be a little grainy when you defrost it, but you could probably just blend it again if that’s the case.
I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I’ve tried this recipe a couple of times and it looks nothing like your amazingness! Mine is darker and its runny. I put it in the fridge and I’m hoping that it will stiffen up a bit. I also pretty much only taste yogurt. Please help me! Thank you!
Oh that doesn’t sound good! Are you following the recipe exactly? Using raw cashews? Using a high powered blender? I would double check your ingredient amounts and make sure you have everything right. It should be very white, I don’t know what would be making yours dark.
How does this hold up in a hot recipe like white chili?
It’s a fantastic topping for chili!
I make it all the time. AMAZING
What is the substitute for cashews? I am allergic to all nuts.
Hi Elizabeth. I think you could probably substitute silken tofu for the cashews here. I used to make a tofu based sour cream and it was pretty darn good! Just use way less water as well, you probably won’t need hardly any at all. Hope that helps!
Thank you for the recipe, this is about the 40th time i have made this, without the yogurt, and it come out great, thick, tangy, perfect on potatoes, also used in a salad dressing mix with chipolte peppers garlic, onion, ACV, lime, the sour cream works great in it and tames the heat down. I go to your site many times just to get ideas of what to eat each week, its all good, never had a bad recipe.
I am thrilled that you are loving this recipe, as well as others! I’m glad my site provides you with lots of meal ideas! Thanks for your fantastic feedback and review!
When I search for something on Pinterest and a your recipe is an option, that’s what I make. It’s always good! I don’t even like sour cream, but need it for a sauce I make for tacos… I’m eating this out of the blender!
Hi Kristie! How terrific that you love the sour cream! Thank you for your wonderful feedback, it means a lot to me! I appreciate you using my recipes, and am thrilled you are loving them! Happy cooking!
Made this tonight to have with my Mexican vegan mince for dinner. It is amazing! I used half a cup of coconut yoghurt and 1 and a quarter TBSP of apple cider vinegar and was perfect! Thank you!!!
You are welcome, Angela! How wonderful that you loved the sour cream! Thanks for your fabulous feedback and review!
In my non-vegan life, I didn’t eat sour cream (or cheese). Soooo happy I found this. It’s amazing!!! I never thought I’d ever eat sour cream in my life, but nachos finally just got a whole lot tastier. Super Bowl Sunday with your vegan sour cream & vegan nacho cheese is simply THE best! Thank you!!
That is Awesome! I’m so thrilled you loved the sour cream recipe! Thanks for your great feedback!
Mele Kalikimaka Nora! You are my Christmas hero. That sour cream recipe “broke da mouth”! Top notch! It made my spicy vegan enchiladas much easier to eat.
I’m so happy I found this recipe. Thank You!
Happy New Year!
Hi Mindy. Thank you for your lovely island greeting and holiday wishes! I’m thrilled that you found my recipes as well, and that you love the sour cream! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback! Happy New Year to you as well!
I have made this recipe a few times and I omit the vineager and add 2 more tablespoons of lemon juice. It still tastes like sour cream. Although this batch I didn’t add enough salt.
So good and so easy even without the optional yogurt! I will be making this many more times!
I’m glad you loved the sour cream, Heather! Thanks for your fabulous feedback!
What can you use instead of cashews if you can’t have nuts?
My sour cream recipe cannot be made without nuts, unfortunately, but this one can.
Have you ever tried using white beans?
My daughter is very allergic to cashews. When I make a recipe calling for cashews, I sub soaked, blanched slivered almonds. I think they work great.
Thank you. It’s a great recipe and extremely easy. The taste is amazing. Putting it on my Vegan Chili.
You are welcome! I’m glad you love it! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
I made your sour cream recipe and it was delicious. I didn’t have yogurt, but it was thick and creamy without it. It was even better the next day since it had thickened even more and the flavors had a chance to develop. I’m already making a second batch after two days, I used it on almost everything. I’m anxious to try another recipe since I had your chickpea meatloaf and that too was exceptional. I’ve made it several times already. Thank you again for sharing your talents.
A very appreciative Nancy
Hi Nancy. I’m so glad you have loved my recipes so far! I hope you will enjoy your journey through them all! Please reach out with any questions you may have! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback! Happy cooking!
I was skeptical at first but, I literally just made this sour cream recipe and wow if you don’t have any idea what real sour cream tastes like you would not know the difference. I can’t wait to try this as a creme sauce on my vegan enchiladas tomorrow, if there is any left.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! I’m so glad you are loving the sour cream! There are so many ways to use it! Have fun, and lots of happy cooking!
The best chili ever! So tasty and nutritious! I now double the recipe, I then freeze it. Great when you need a quick supper! I love how the tofu is prepared, I am thinking that it would be great to add to your spaghetti sauce… for sure, I will try it. And I make my own tofu with homemade soy milk… unbeatable! Love it! ❤️❤️❤️
A-amazing!!! My dairy-free sauce list is now complete. What kind of magic is this?! So simple yet the perfect sour cream (even without adding a dab of Kitehill sour cream). I think after several hours for flavors to fully incorporate this will be over the top. Thickness level can be personalized depending on how much water is added.
How much is one serving
There are 8 servings total. To be totally accurate, you could divide it all into 8 servings. I believe it’s a couple of tablespoons for 1 serving though. Thanks!
Made without yogurt, added garlic powder. Delish & simple.
So much can be added for the meal type. Our potatoes/skins are scrumptious!
Thank you for sharing your great review!
Simple and Delicious. Thank you.
Deeeeelicious!!!