What Is Sour cream and How Can I Use It?

If sour cream has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 2,449 recipes to try it in.

What is sour cream?

Sour cream is cream that has been thickened and soured by lactic-acid bacteria, the same kind of culture that turns milk into yogurt. The bacteria eat the milk sugar and throw off lactic acid.

That acid does two jobs at once. It tightens the proteins into a spoonable gel and gives the cream its clean, bright tang.

Standard full-fat sour cream runs around 18 to 20 percent milk fat. That fat is what makes it taste rich and behave well under heat, and it is the single biggest reason a tub labeled "light" or "non-fat" acts so differently in a recipe.

It sits in the same family as the rest of the cream lineup, a close cousin to crème fraîche but tarter and a touch thinner. Most cooks reach for it three ways: stirred into a batter, spooned onto something hot, or whisked into a sauce off the heat.

What sour cream does in cooking

In baking, sour cream is a workhorse. The acid tenderizes by slowing gluten development, and the fat coats flour so the crumb stays soft and moist for days. A spoonful turns dry muffins into tender ones, which is the whole point of Sour Cream-Peach Muffins.

It also reacts with baking soda, which gives cakes and quick breads extra lift while neutralizing any raw, soapy soda taste. That double job of tang plus leavening is why so many old recipes lean on it.

On the savory side it plays two roles. Cold, it cools and balances: a dollop on Sopa Azteca (Tortilla Soup) or chili tames the heat and adds body without watering anything down. Dill Dip in Rye Bread is built almost entirely on that cool, tangy base.

Hot, it enriches sauces and casseroles. Crack Potatoes folds it through cheese and bacon for a dense, creamy bake. Amazing Sour Cream Mushroom Quiche uses it to set a custard that stays silky rather than rubbery.

Pairing and the one rule that matters

The flavor sits well against food that is fatty or smoky or carries some chile heat. Potatoes, beef, smoked fish, paprika, dill, chives, and cucumber all love it. It is the standard finish on a baked potato and the cooling streak in a bowl of borscht or goulash.

Push it past a gentle simmer and the proteins seize and break into grainy curds while the fat weeps out, leaving a curdled, oily sauce. Stir it in at the very end, off the heat or at the barest simmer, and let the residual warmth carry it.

If you must hold a sauce hot, temper first: whisk a little of the hot liquid into the sour cream, then return that mix to the pot.

Full fat is far more forgiving here. The light and non-fat versions are thickened with starches and gums instead of fat, so they break faster and can turn watery when heated. For any cooked dish, reach for full fat.

What to use instead

Plain whole-milk yogurt is the closest everyday swap, one for one. It is tangier and looser, so for dips drain it through a cloth for an hour to thicken, and in cooked sauces it curdles even more easily than sour cream.

Crème fraîche is the upgrade. It is richer and less sour, and because its fat sits near 30 percent it can actually simmer without breaking, which makes it the better choice in a sauce you need to hold hot.

In baking, buttermilk can stand in when you need the acid and the soda reaction but not the body. Swap roughly ¾ cup buttermilk plus a little less other liquid for each cup of sour cream, since buttermilk is much thinner.

In a pinch, full-fat Greek yogurt is the most forgiving of all. It is thick enough to dollop straight from the tub.

Buying and keeping it

Reach for full-fat cultured sour cream with a short ingredient list: cream and live cultures, maybe a touch of enzyme. The fewer gums and starches, the cleaner it tastes and the better it cooks.

Keep it cold, at or below 40°F (4°C). Always spoon with a clean utensil, because double-dipping drags crumbs and bacteria in, and that is what makes a tub turn off early.

Sealed, it keeps to its printed date and usually a week or two past if it has stayed cold. Once opened, plan on about two to three weeks. A little clear liquid on top is just whey; pour it off or stir it back in.

Toss it when you see fuzzy or pink mold, smell anything sharp and yeasty beyond the normal tang, or find the texture gone curdled and watery. Sour cream does not freeze well: it thaws grainy and separated, fine stirred into a cooked dish but not for dolloping.

Types of sour cream

Specific kinds of sour cream and the recipes that use them.

Sour cream, light

Light sour cream is reduced-fat sour cream. Instead of being built entirely from cream, it is made from a lighter dairy base such as half-and-half or milk, with thickeners added to give it body.

It carries roughly 40% less fat than the full-fat version. That is why it pours and spreads thinner, and tastes a touch tangier and less rich.

For the full guide to culturing, tang, and uses, see sour cream. This page covers only what changes when you reach for the light version.

Sour cream, non-fat

Non-fat sour cream is the fat-free version. The cream is gone entirely, so the body and creaminess come from starches and gums rather than milkfat. It keeps the cultured tang of regular sour cream but tastes leaner, with a slightly gummy texture and a sharper sourness.

For the full story on what sour cream is and how to use it, see sour cream. Here we cover only what changes when the fat is removed.

Sour cream substitute

Sour cream substitute is whatever stand-in you reach for when the tub is empty. The goal is the same thing sour cream brings: a thick, creamy, tangy spoonful that loosens dressings and softens the edge of spicy or rich dishes.

Plain Greek yogurt is the closest swap, matching the tang and body nearly one for one. Cottage cheese blended smooth gives a milder, higher-protein version.

In a pinch, stir a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into a cup of milk for a thinner soured cream that works in batters and dressings.

Sour Cream & Wild Rice Soup is a good place to test a swap. For anything that simmers a long time, full-fat plain yogurt or real sour cream holds up best. For the full guide, see sour cream.

Soy sour cream

Soy sour cream is the dairy-free version, cultured from soy rather than cream. It is vegan and lactose-free, built to mimic the thick, tangy spoonful of the real thing. That makes it an easy swap for anyone skipping dairy.

Cold, it behaves much like sour cream. Dollop it on tacos or chili, and stir it into cold dips and dressings. Soy Sauerbraten shows it carrying the same tangy, creamy role in a savory dish.

Under long, hard heat it can thin, so add it near the end rather than boiling it.

For everything on texture and uses, see sour cream.

Tofu sour cream

Tofu sour cream is a homemade, dairy-free stand-in blended from silken tofu with lemon juice or vinegar for tang. There is no culturing involved, so it comes together in minutes in a blender. It is vegan and lactose-free, with a smooth body and a clean, bright sourness.

Use it cold, the way you would the real thing. Spoon it over tacos or chili, or stir it into cold dips and dressings. Carrot Cabbage Casserole puts it to work in a baked dish.

A splash of oil in the blend helps it stand up better to heat, since silken tofu alone can loosen when hot.

For the full picture on what it is replacing, see sour cream.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find sour cream: Sour cream is usually found in the dairy section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Sour cream is a member of the Dairy and Egg Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

Amount	Weight
1 cup	230 grams
1 tbsp	12 grams

What Is Sour cream and How Can I Use It?

Key Points