Dairy-Free Vegan Sour Cream

By
Ashley Adams
Ashley Adams
Ashley Adams is a restaurant professional and workshop instructor with a specialty in dairy-free cooking and baking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 04/12/22
Vegan sour cream

The Spruce

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 cup

When you think sour cream, dairy-free seems like the farthest thing from your mind, but vegan and dairy-free cooks can use this recipe as a fix. This dairy-free sour cream recipe is much better than the traditional tofu-based sour cream alternative, which often seems either a little too stiff or a little too "beany."

This recipe, however, needs a little bit of time to chill, so it is a good idea to make it the morning or night before you plan to serve it. If you have gone the store-bought route before with the Follow Your Heart, Tofutti, or Earth Island brands of vegan sour cream, this recipe will give you a similar taste and texture. It's rich, creamy, and smooth. Some vegan sour creams add cashews for a thicker, fuller taste for those who don't like to use soy, which is what we use in this recipe.

Enjoy your vegan sour cream on baked potatoes, nachos, vegan chili, soups, or to use as the base for a dip. It's as versatile as the dairy version.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 1 tablespoon water

  • 1/2 cup soy milk powder

  • 1 cup soy milk, or​ almond milk

  • 1 cup soy yogurt, unsweetened

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Gather the ingredients
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  2. In a small cup, mix together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.

    Mix together corn starch and water
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  3. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan off the heat. Add the soy milk powder and about 1/3 cup of the soy milk or almond milk, mixing until dissolved.

    Transfer to small pan
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  4. Gradually add the remaining soy milk or almond milk until the mixture is consistent.​

    Add remaining soy milk
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  5. Over medium-low heat, add the soy yogurt, salt, and lemon juice, stirring well to incorporate, and cook until mixture is thickened, for about 3 minutes.

    Add yogurt and lemon
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  6. Transfer to a heatproof dish, place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sour cream and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until cool and set.

    Wrap
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  7. Use in your favorite banana bread recipe or for vegan tacos.

Storing Vegan Sour Cream

Store-bought vegan sour cream may have a much longer shelf life and this because it has preservatives and thickening agents that are not used in this homemade vegan recipe. This vegan sour cream will last anywhere from four to 14 days in the refrigerator, depending on how long it's been left out or if it's been "contaminated" by saliva or other foods from a spoon dipped in its container. This vegan sour cream can be stored in the refrigerator, but cannot be frozen and thawed. It is best kept in an airtight plastic container on the refrigerator door. If your sour cream starts to become liquidy, stir it to combine before serving, just as you would regular sour cream.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
49 Calories
1g Fat
8g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 49
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 291mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 5mg 25%
Calcium 106mg 8%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 57mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)