Substitutes for sour cream

Sour cream substitutes

Sour cream adds fat, moisture and acidity that keep baked goods tender and give dips their body. For dips choose a thick swap; for baking a thinner one works.

What sour cream does

Sour cream is thick, tangy cultured cream. It adds moisture, fat and acidity that keep baked goods tender, and cools and enriches dips and sauces.

Quick reference

SubstituteAmount
Plain whole-milk yogurt 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurtper 1 cup sour cream
Evaporated milk with lemon juice or vinegar Sources vary0.9375 cup evaporated milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegarper 1 cup sour cream
Light cream with lemon juice Sources vary0.9375 cup light cream + 1 tbsp lemon juiceper 1 cup sour cream
Buttermilk and butter Sources vary¾ cup buttermilk + ⅓ cup butterper 1 cup sour cream

When the substitute matters

  • Dips and toppings: whole-milk or Greek yogurt, cup for cup.
  • Cooked sauces: stabilise yogurt with cornstarch so it does not split.
  • Baking with no yogurt in the house: sour evaporated milk or light cream with lemon juice.

The substitutes, in detail

Plain whole-milk yogurt

Amount: 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt per 1 cup sour cream

Every source gives 1 cup for 1 cup. America's Test Kitchen specifies whole-milk yogurt.

  1. For cooked dishes, the North Dakota State chart stirs 1 tablespoon cornstarch into each cup of yogurt to stop it separating.

Best for

  • dips
  • toppings
  • cakes
  • muffins
  • quick breads

Not for

  • nonfat or low-fat yogurt

What changes

A little tangier and less rich than sour cream. America's Test Kitchen notes cakes and muffins may come out slightly drier.

Sources: Land O'Lakes·America's Test Kitchen·North Dakota State University Extension·Saskatchewan Health Authority (provincial government health agency, Canada)·Betty Crocker

Evaporated milk with lemon juice or vinegar

Amount: 0.9375 cup evaporated milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar per 1 cup sour cream

Sources vary

Purdue fills to 1 cup with evaporated milk after the lemon juice; Colorado State adds 1 tbsp vinegar to a full cup.

  1. Put 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup and fill to 1 cup with evaporated milk.
  2. Let stand about 5 minutes, until it thickens.

Best for

  • baking
  • sauces

Not for

  • dips and toppings that need a thick texture

What changes

Thinner and less rich than sour cream, with a similar tang.

Sources: Purdue Extension·Colorado State University Extension

Light cream with lemon juice

Amount: 0.9375 cup light cream + 1 tbsp lemon juice per 1 cup sour cream

Sources vary

Saskatchewan Health Authority fills to 1 cup with cream after the lemon juice (it also allows vinegar). Land O'Lakes adds 1 tbsp lemon juice to a full cup of light cream.

  1. Put 1 tbsp lemon juice in a measuring cup and fill to 1 cup with light cream.

Best for

  • baking
  • sauces

What changes

Rich and tangy, but thinner than sour cream.

Sources: Land O'Lakes·Saskatchewan Health Authority (provincial government health agency, Canada)

Buttermilk and butter

Amount: ¾ cup buttermilk + ⅓ cup butter per 1 cup sour cream

Sources vary

Saskatchewan Health Authority and Mississippi State use 3/4 cup buttermilk and 1/3 cup butter. North Dakota State and Utah State use 7/8 cup buttermilk or sour milk with 1/3 cup butter; Purdue uses 7/8 cup sour milk with 3 tablespoons butter.

Best for

  • baking

Not for

  • dips and toppings

What changes

Supplies the tang and fat of sour cream in baking, but is pourable rather than thick.

Sources: Saskatchewan Health Authority (provincial government health agency, Canada)·Mississippi State University Extension Service·North Dakota State University Extension·Purdue Extension

Don't use

  • Nonfat or low-fat yogurt

    America's Test Kitchen says they are too lean to replace sour cream.

  • Cashew cream in baked or cooked dishes

    Food Network says it works best where the sour cream isn't baked or cooked, because results vary a lot.

How we source this

Each swap is backed by at least two independent sources, including a test kitchen, university extension service or product maker. The amounts replace one unit of the original ingredient and do not work in reverse. See the full source list.

Sources

Related substitute pages