Vegan (Dairy-Free) Sour Cream Recipe

Who doesn’t love that rich, creamy flavor that sour cream adds? While it’s actually not as bad for you as you probably think — a 2 tablespoon serving has about 60 calories and 5 grams of fat — it may be a no-go if you’re trying to reduce your dairy intake like me.

There are multiple ways that you can make vegan sour cream.

Easy, Nut-Free Vegan Sour Cream Recipe

If you need to make a sour cream substitute in a pinch, you may already have what you need in your fridge! Just mix up:

• 1 cup of vegan Greek yogurt (think Kite Hill and So Delicious)
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice 

That’s it! You’re all set.

5-Ingredient Vegan Sour Cream Recipe

Can you guess the base of this recipe? That’s right — cashews! Cashews are a staple ingredient in creamy vegan substitutes like sauces.

You’ll want to make sure to soak the cashews to soften them. There are two methods you can use.

• 1-4+ hours: Cover cashews with purified water. You’ll want to use twice the amount of water as the amount of cashews. Cover the bowl and let soak for 1-4 hours. In most cases, you’ll want to soak for more than an hour unless you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix. We soaked ours overnight and used a Magic Bullet.
• 10-15 minutes: If you don’t have time to soak your cashews, you can use the boiling method. Boil water and remove from heat for 1-2 minutes. Let cashews soak in the warm water for 10-15 minutes. Similar to the above, if you don’t have a high powered blender you’ll want to let them soak longer.

Once soaked, rinse the cashews and then gather your other ingredients and get ready to blend.

It’s best to use a high speed blender or food processor to make this vegan sour cream. While a regular blender will do the trick if needed (especially if you soak your cashews for longer), the consistency won’t be quite as smooth and creamy.

Add your cashews, lemon juice, water, apple cider vinegar, and salt to your blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Sour Cream Add-Ins

If you want to spice up your dairy-free sour cream, or turn it into a sauce, here are a few of our favorite additions:

• Cilantro – add to a salad or taco bowl
• Sriracha or paprika – turn that pizza or burrito up a notch
• Nutritional yeast – use as a chip dip or even on popcorn
• Spinach – add some extra vitamins to a delicious veggie dip 

Really, you can use this as a cheese alternative for many vegan recipes, especially if you add nutritional yeast!

It’s best used drizzled over a dish after cooking, as it can dry out if you bake it. My favorite way to eat it vegan sour cream is on blackened fish tacos!

Now time to get blending and get creative with this vegan, dairy-free sour cream recipe!

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5 from 2 votes

Vegan Sour Cream

This dairy-free sour cream is quick to whip up! Don't forget to soak the cashews beforehand (see methods above). We suggest preparing early so that you can let chill!

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 1 cup

Equipment

• Blender (ideally high powered)

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashews pre-soak beforehand
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Soak cashews using either the prolonged soak or boil method mentioned above. Drain and rinse them.
• Add cashews, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt to your blender. Blend until smooth, stirring as needed.
• Taste test! Add more water for a thinner consistency or more lemon juice if you prefer a more sour flavor.
• Chill for an hour before serving (optional).

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Vegan sour cream should last for around 5-7 days.