Homemade Sour Cream – 3 Methods
Have you ever wondered how to make sour cream, homemade from scratch? Today, I share with you my no-fail method using three simple ingredients along with three ways to make your own at home.
Buttermilk has now become an almost essential ingredient in the kitchen. It used to be on my weekly shopping list until I realized that I had to make it myself to save a few extra bucks.
Making sour cream is much easier than some might believes and is the same as making homemade buttermilk or yogurt! It can be made from either cow’s milk or goat’s milk. The best part is all you need to do is leave it overnight on the counter! The longer you leave the tangier the flavor. Also, using it is as easy as giving it a good stir and adding it to the recipe!
Why make sour cream at home?
- Apart from the fact that this rich tangy condiment is so simple and easy, it is also more affordable? But, also there are no preservatives or additives.
- You can use it in so many things from baking cakes to savory dishes such as casseroles and salad dressing.
- Use it in dips for a nice tang, in mashed potatoes or over baked potato. Garnish it over fruits with a drizzle of honey. Serve it with cakes instead of whipped cream
- It also makes a great dessert on it own. Take a cup of sour cream, drizzle some honey and sprinkle some chopped nuts and you have a perfect dessert or breakfast parfait.
- Sour cream is a great substitute for mayonnaise in many dishes, especially salad dressings.
- It gives the cakes a moist texture or soft crumb and the sourness blends all the different flavors beautifully. In fact, in some of my cakes, it’s almost like a secret ingredient that makes a huge difference in the softness and texture of the baked cakes.
- Below I have given you two techniques – the first technique requires the heavy cream to be boiled and cooled while the second does not need any cooking at all. It uses raw cream and a sour cream starter.
A few ways to make sour cream
- You can make sour cream using lemon juice, or you can make it using vinegar. Of the two, I prefer lemon juice as some vinegar can be a bit strong flavored. Both of these methods include heating the cream and bringing it back to the barely warm or room temperature, which is just right for the culture to multiply.
- But, you can also make sour cream from raw cream. This method involves buying a sour cream starter that has a strong active culture. You don’t need to heat the milk but it works best with room temperature milk.
Ingredients
- Heavy cream – use no less than 32% fat otherwise the sour cream will be thin consistency. The higher the fat the thicker the sour cream.
- Acid – use lemon juice or white vinegar. Personally, I always use fresh lemon juice but if you do use vinegar make sure to use white or flavorless vinegar.
- Milk – we use a small amount of milk and the main purpose of the milk is so we can combine the acid to make a lemon or vinegar mixture before adding it to the heavy cream. I highly recommend using whole milk, not skimmed milk.
How to make sour cream
1 & 2 – Using lemon juice or vinegar
- Place room temperature milk in a mason or glass jar. Add lemon juice or vinegar. Close the lid and give it a good shake.
Pro tip – if the milk was in the fridge, make sure to warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds so it’s not too cold. - Open the lid again. Now, add the room temperature heavy cream. Close the lid and give it a good shake again. Alternatively, use a whisk to ensure it is well combined.
Pro tip – it is important that the cream is almost room temperature (about 110F) If not warm it in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop. The cooler the cream the longer it will take for the bacteria to ferment. - Cover the jar with a kitchen towel, or use a breathable cheesecloth and rubber band.
Pro tip – we want the active culture in the milk to breathe and multiply so we need it to be covered but not sealed. - Let sit in a warm place for a minimum of 12 hours to a maximum of 24 hours. At this time – you should have a thick luscious sour cream.
Pro tip – depending on the percentage of fat in the milk and cream some whey would have been separated and resting at the bottom of the jar. This is normal. - Thicker sour cream – If you want thicker sour cream, pour the sour cream into cheesecloth to drain all the excess whey.
Pro tip – dry milk powder can also be added to the milk and cream mixture to improve the consistency of sour cream. - Cover the mason or glass jar with its own lid now and store it in the fridge to chill. The sour cream is ready to use. It will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Pro tip – the sour cream will thicken and mature, making it sourer over time as it cools in the fridge.
3. Using a sour cream starter
You can buy sour cream starter here
- Place raw cream in a bowl. Add one sachet of sour cream starter and mix well with a whisk. Let sit for 2 minutes then whisk well again
Pro tip – it is very important that the sour cream starter is well mixed with the cream so letting it rest and soak then stirring again helps. - Pour the cream into a mason jar and cover with a kitchen cloth or cheesecloth with a rubber band. Leave in a warm, dark place for at least 12 hours undisturbed or until it is set and tastes sour.
Pro tip – we want the active culture in the milk to breathe and multiply so cover but do not seal. - Place in the fridge for at least 3 hours before you use it. This sour cream will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Substitute for sour cream
- Yogurt works as a good substitute for sour cream in baking. If it still lacks that tartness that comes with sour cream you can add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to one cup of full-fat active bio Greek yogurt. Give it a good mix and wait 5 minutes.
Pro tip – make sure to taste the yogurt before you add any lemon juice because natural bio yogurt when kept long can be naturally sour. - In some savory dishes like casseroles, you can use cottage cheese and cream cheese. In fact, a combination of both gives the perfect sour cream texture.
- For sauces, you can use evaporated milk (unsweetened) – combine one cup of evaporated milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Wait five minutes for it to thicken before you use it.
Sour cream vs. creme fraiche
I get asked this a lot. I know this is confusing and often these terms are used interchangeably. And yet, sour cream and creme fraiche are not the same. While the ingredients to make them are quite the same, there are some differences. I don’t want to get into too many details, and yet here’s just one difference.
- Sour cream – has lower fat content than creme fraiche. I believe about 20% fat. Also, it has a distinct sour taste and acidity. That’s why it’s used in baking cakes and savory toppings such as baked potatoes but not on desserts. If you read the label you will often see that store-bought sour cream may have gelatin or artificial enzymes to stabilize it.
- Creme fraiche – has a much higher fat content so it’s a lot richer and creamier than sour cream. Of course, it’s not sour so it works beautifully on desserts. Also, soups and sauces will not curdle with creme fraiche because of the high-fat content.
Tips for success
- 1 tsp of cornstarch helps thicken 1 cup of sour cream. Adding too much cornstarch can make it very gummy.
- Temperature is important in making things like homemade yogurt from scratch or homemade sour cream. Now I don’t want to send you looking for a thermometer but it must be around 110 F which is close to body temperature. If it is heated to a higher temperature let it cool completely before you add the acid or starter.
- The second important thing in order to let the sour cream set is warmth and do not disturb. So, you must not peek. I know the first time is very difficult. We are very curious and excited to see if it is working.
- The active bacteria in there need to multiply and that happens only when it’s warm and untouched.
- I find the best place to set the sour cream untouched in the oven. Even when switched off the oven is naturally the warmest place in the house. Plus it will stay untouched.
- If you want to check after 8 hours – slowly open the jar and see. A slight jiggle will tell you if it’s set or not.
- In winter – I put the oven on at 100 F /50 C for just 5 minutes – then I switch the oven off and place the jar in there. Works every single time.
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Creative ways to use sour cream
Sour cream is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes. Here are some creative ways to use sour cream:
- Baked Goods: Add sour cream to moisten the cake, muffin, or pancake batter. Try it in traditional recipes like coffee cake or banana bread.
- Dips: Mix sour cream with fresh herbs, minced garlic, and spices to create a quick dip for chips or veggies.
- Sauces: Use sour cream as a base for pasta sauces. For example, blend it with roasted red peppers, garlic, and spices for a creamy pasta topping.
- Toppings: Sour cream can be flavored with herbs, spices, or fruit zest and used as a topping for baked potatoes, soups, tacos, or chili.
- Salad Dressings: Mix sour cream with a little vinegar, salt, and dill for a creamy salad dressing.
- Marinades: Mix sour cream with spices and herbs to marinate meats. It can make chicken incredibly tender and flavorful.
- Soups: Add sour cream to soups like tomato, mushroom, or borscht for extra creaminess.
- Smoothies: Add a dollop of sour cream to fruit smoothies for a tangy twist and creamy texture.
- Ice Cream: Believe it or not, sour cream can be an ingredient in certain ice cream flavors, adding tang and creaminess.
- Mashed Potatoes: Mix sour cream into mashed potatoes for a tangy and creamy twist.
- Stroganoff: Sour cream is a classic ingredient in beef stroganoff, giving it that distinct creamy texture and flavor.
- Desserts: Add sour cream to cheesecake recipes or as a base for fruit parfaits.
- Fermented Foods: You can use sour cream as a starter culture to ferment other foods, like certain kinds of cheeses or even some kinds of sauerkraut.
- Frozen Treats: Mix sour cream with fruit puree and a little sugar, then freeze in popsicle molds for a tangy frozen treat.
- Cocktails: Incorporate sour cream into creamy cocktails. For example, blend it with lime juice, tequila, and simple syrup for a tangy, creamy margarita.
Remember, when cooking with sour cream, it can curdle if heated too quickly. It’s best to add it at the end of the cooking process or temper it by slowly adding some of the hot liquid to the sour cream before incorporating it into the dish.
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Make your own
- How to Make Yogurt or Greek Yogurt
- Evaporated Milk Recipe (2 Methods)
- Homemade Condensed Milk (2 Ways)
- Homemade Dulce De Leche (2 methods)
- and Homemade Caramel Sauce or Creamy Caramel Filling
- Homemade Butterscotch Sauce
- Homemade Whipped Cream – 4 Methods
- or How to Make Stabilized Whipped Cream (5 Methods)
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Frequently asked questions
Sour cream is a rich and tangy condiment. It is a fermented cream made by adding lactic acid bacteria to the whipping cream and left to multiply over a few hours similar to making yogurt. The bacteria is left at room temperature to ferment and thicken the cream naturally. Often store-bought sour cream will have artificial thickeners added to it which makes homemade more desirable. It is a gluten-free product and perfect for so many things from cake batters, to onions dips and sandwich spreads.
Homemade sour cream will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. But, like all dairy products, you must take extra caution and follow all food safety measures required to keep them fresh. For example, keep all dairy products must be stored in the refrigerator at all times.
The milk was warmer than room temperature. Keep milk at no more than 110F just like when using yeast for bread. Lemon makes a hot milk split. It separates the whey from the milk solids. You can still use this split milk but not for the sour cream.
You have to let the cream sit untouched for a minimum of 12 hours so the bacteria can multiply.
The milk was cold when you started out or the place you kept it was not warm enough for the bacteria to set. Find a warm place like the oven and let it sit for a few hours more.
As the bacteria multiply the sour cream becomes sourer. By 12 hours if the sour cream is set – place it in the fridge – this will slow the process. The longer the sour cream sits untouched in the warmth the more mature the bacteria so the sourer the sour cream.
To make dairy-free or vegan sour cream use thickened coconut cream. Place the can of coconut cream in the fridge for a few hours. Once chilled scoop the top most thick cream. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice and leave for 10 minutes. This is then ready to use in any recipe that calls for sour cream.
Making lactose-free sour cream is easy and can be just as satisfying as traditional sour cream. Here’s a basic recipe for lactose-free sour cream using lactose-free milk and lemon juice. You will need
– 1 cup lactose-free heavy cream (make sure it’s pure cream without any additives) + 2 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar
Method
– Pour the lactose-free heavy cream into a bowl.
– Add the lemon juice or white vinegar and stir gently until combined.
– Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let it sit at room temperature for about 24 hours. This allows the mixture to thicken and develop a tangy flavor.
After 24 hours, check the consistency. It should have thickened and taken on a tangy flavor similar to sour cream. If you want it tangier, you can let it sit for another 6-12 hours.
– Once you’re happy with the consistency and flavor, transfer the sour cream to an airtight container and refrigerate.
– Use within one week.
Note – If you want a thicker consistency, you can strain the sour cream through a cheesecloth placed over a strainer. This will remove excess liquid and make the sour cream thicker.
If you’re looking for a non-dairy alternative, coconut milk is a great choice. Replace the lactose-free cream above with full-fat canned coconut milk. The method remains the same, but the end result will have a slight coconut flavor.
Yup! You can also make lactose-free sour cream using lactose-free yogurt as a starter. Replace the lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of lactose-free yogurt and follow the same process. This will introduce beneficial probiotics to your sour cream.
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How to Make Sour Cream
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Ingredients
Sour cream using lemon juice
- 1 cup (240 ml) Heavy cream
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Milk
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
Sour cream using vinegar
- 1 cup (240 ml) Heavy cream
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Milk
- 2 tbsp White vinegar (distilled vinegar)
Sour cream from raw cream
- 1 quarts (1 liter) Heavy cream
- 1 packet Sour cream starter
Instructions
Using lemon juice or vinegar
- Place room temperature milk in a mason or glass jar. Add lemon juice or vinegar. Close the lid and give it a good shake.Pro tip – if the milk was in the fridge, make sure to warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds so it's not too cold.
- Open the lid again. Now, add the room temperature fresh cream. Close the lid and give it a good shake again. Alternatively, use a whisk to ensure it is well combined. Pro tip – it is important that the cream is room temperature (about 110F) If not warm it in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop. The cooler the cream the longer it will take for the bacteria to ferment.
- Cover the jar with a kitchen towel, or use a breathable cheesecloth and rubber band. Pro tip – we want the active culture in the milk to breathe and multiply so we need it to be covered but not sealed.
- Let sit in a warm place for a minimum of 12 hours to a maximum of 24 hours. At this time – you should have a thick luscious sour cream. Pro tip – depending on the percentage of fat in the milk and cream some whey would have been separated and resting at the bottom of the jar. This is normal.
- Thicker sour cream – If you want thicker sour cream, pour the sour cream in cheesecloth to drain all the excess whey. Pro tip – dry milk powder can also be added to the milk and cream mixture to improve the consistency of sour cream.
- Cover the mason or glass jar with its own lid now and store it in the fridge to chill. The sour cream is ready to use. It will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.Pro tip – the sour cream will thicken and mature, making it sourer over time as it cool in the fridge.
Using raw cream and starter culture
- Place raw cream in a bowl. Add one sachet of sour cream starter and mix well with a whisk. Let sit for 2 minutes then whisk well againPro tip – it is very important that the sour cream starter is well mixed with the cream so letting it rest and soak then stirring again helps.
- Pour the cream into a mason jar and cover with a kitchen cloth or cheesecloth with a rubber band. Leave in a warm, dark place for at least 12 hours undisturbed or until it is set and tastes sour.Pro tip – we want the active culture in the milk to breathe and multiply so cover but do not seal.
- Place in the fridge for at least 3 hours before you use it. This sour cream will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- 1 tsp of cornstarch helps thicken 1 cup sour cream. Adding too much cornstarch can make it very gummy.
- Temperature is important to make things like homemade yogurt from scratch or homemade sour cream. Now I don’t want to send you looking for a thermometer but it must be around 110 F which is close to body temperature. If it is heated to a higher temperature let it cool completely before you add the acid or starter.
- The second important thing in order to let the sour cream set is warmth and do not disturb. So, you must not peek. I know the first time is very difficult. We are very curious and excited to see if it is working. The active bacteria in there needs to multiply and that happens only when it’s warm and untouched.
I find the best place to set the sour cream untouched in the oven. Even when switched off the oven is naturally the warmest place in the house. Plus it will stay untouched. If you want to check after 8 hours – slowly open the jar and see. A slight jiggle will tell you if it’s set or not.
In winter – I put the oven on at 100 F /50 C for just 5 minutes – then I switch the oven off and place the jar in there. Works every single time.
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
I haven’t yet made this, but after looking at a number of other sites, your information was the most complete, offered the most options and answered my main question which was how to thicken it if I wanted to. Nice work Veena
Thank you, Tara
I’ve made sour cream with both lemon juice and vinegar. However, I’m curious if I could make it using some other ‘starter ‘ sour cream… like a person would do yogurt or sour dough?
Yes, you should be able to make it with bio culture yogurt just as we make yogurt with milk and cream instead of all milk. But, that would be more like making Greek yogurt.
What can one do when the store shelves are out of sour cream? Make it yourself.
I used the lemon juice version and it is fantastic. I also used the 100 degree oven method to finish the culture. When using the oven for other food, I place the container on the stovetop, which stays warm. When I’m using the stove and oven, I set the container next to the coffee maker, which in my house is on during all waking hours LOL…….I use these methods for rising bread and feeding sourdough starter, so it wasn’t too scary.
Obviously, this home made sour cream is superior in flavor to even the best store brands. But the extra bonus is when the sour cream is freshly cultured, it is easier to decant into condiment squeeze bottles. The sour cream thickens a bit everyday, and the squeeze bottles make it easier to control portions.
I don’t know. If I can get into the habit of making it each week, I may dump the store brands.
Thank You very much for this tutorial.
Thank you for the lovely feedback Carol.
Mam in India it’s very difficult to get dairy whipping cream. Can I make this with fresh cream which is 20-25% fat content? Please reply mam.
You can Suchismita, but it won’t’ be as thick as the one you see in my pictures. But, it should work with any dairy whipping cream.
I have used Amul heavy cream.It is quite thick and creamy to begin with.Sour cream using it should be of same thickness as shown in the demo.I plan to make one soon for use with baked potato skins I am going to make.