In my search to find a vegan sour cream alternative, I have tried many a recipe but they all had something missing. Or they were soy based, and I want to have a soy and dairy free sour cream. But this recipe is the best ever, really!
I made one with soaked cashews, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar - didn't like it.
Another with soaked cashews, lemon juice and nutritional yeast - didn't like it.
Finally I used soaked cashews and almonds, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and nutritional yeast -LOVED IT!!!!
It's smooth, creamy, flavorful and super versatile.
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You can use it in stroganoff, on top of soups, chillies, salads, tacos and sweetened with a bit of agave or maple syrup it's a great fruit and dessert topping.
I used it when I served up these soft tacos, I didn't mention it wasn't the real thing, and no one was the wiser. Give it a try, take an empty, cleaned sour cream container and fill it with this stuff and see what happens.
The Best Vegan Sour Cream
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Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked
- ¼ cup raw slivered almonds
- ¼ cup lemon juice about 2 small lemons
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon himalayan sea salt
Instructions
- Place cashews and almonds in a bowl and cover with purified water. Soak overnight, if you want this goodness sooner, soak for 2 to 3 hours.
- Drain and rinse well and place in blender.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. You may have to stop and scrape down the sides occasionally or add a bit of water as needed.
- Taste and season with more salt if needed.
- Transfer to glass container and store in fridge. Use within a week or two.
Nutrition
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Suze says
THE best for sure! I’ve tried so many recipes and this is THE winner 🏆 🥇 🙌 ❤️ THANK YOU so much for sharing, Celeste!! Sending major gratitude your way!
Celeste says
Thank you so very much Suze for sharing your thoughts about this recipe. I’m glad it works well for you!
Chelsea says
This is hands down the BEST sour cream I have ever tried. You have no idea how thankful I am for your recipe - I make it weekly! Thanks so much xox
Sandi says
The nuts are soaking as I write!! Hubby will appreciate this as he is SO lactose intolerant (I'm just outright allergic) that any small amount of dairy (and he LOVES sour cream!) will give him sneezing fits and a runny nose. You will have made his day with this recipe. Up to now I've only made 'cheese' with cashews (which is great!), so this is a welcome addition to my 'alternative repertoire' of recipes. Thanks so much!!
Mandi Frazzitta says
Celeste! This changed my new vegan life! Thank you so much! It's AMAZING! The only thing I did was hold back a little on the lemon juice and vinegar after reading the reviews just to be safe. So I ended up with like a half a 1/8 of lemon juice in the measuring cup and I used only a teaspoon of vinegar and everything else the same! PERFECTION!! SO happy 😁😊💛💚🌱✌
bianca milke says
I've been making your recipe on a weekly basis for a long time now! It's our favorite, thank you so much!!!
Celeste says
Bianca thank you for leaving your comment. It's so nice to know that you are enjoying the recipes you find here on my site. I look forward to sharing more with you.
Corrina says
I really wanted to like this but it just didn’t turn out. It smelled like pure apple cider vinegar and was too runny. Not sure what I did wrong lol!
Celeste says
Corrina, I'm sorry it didn't turn out for you. You might try adding your liquid in smaller amounts to get the consistency that fits your taste.
bianca says
You definitely need to blend it for awhile. I use a Vitamix and blend it for at least 3 minutes.
Janie says
Wow- this really is magnificent! But why is mine not bright white like your pictures?
Celeste says
Mine was an off-white color, I think the lighting in my photo is changing the color.
Elizabeth Robinette says
I just made this yesterday for me and my family to enjoy with some Vegan enchiladas, and it did not disappoint! VERY tasty!
Celeste says
I'm so glad it was a hit with you and your family. Thanks for leaving the comment.
Jb dja says
Can't believe i can make a vegan sour cream! This is my first time and it turned out really really good! Thanks for this recipe! 😉
Celeste says
I'm so glad you like it. Thanks for leaving your comment to let me know how it worked for you.
Piya says
I just tried this recipe for the first time and I am so impressed! I ended up adding a pinch of food-grade lactic acid and a splash of rice wine vinegar (what can I say? I like my sour cream REALLY SOUR!). Although my initial taste test wasn't exactly what I would have expected from dairy sour cream, when I added a dollop to a bowl of black bean soup I was pleasantly surprised! Both taste & texture were SPOT ON! Thank you for this recipe!
Celeste says
I'm so glad to hear that you gave this recipe a try and it worked well for you. You are making my mouth water just thinking about your Black Bean soup with a dollop of this Vegan Sour Cream. Thanks Piya for sharing your experience.
Brie says
I just made this and could only taste very sour and very salty. What am I doing wrong?
Celeste says
Hi Brie, sorry it didn't work for you. You be putting too much acid and salt in your recipe. Try adding the acid in small amounts and taste testing until you get the desired amount for your taste. We all have different taste, for example my daughter can eat the same dessert and she thinks it's too sweet, but for me it's fine. Different tastebuds.
Corinna says
Hi all,
Unfortunately it didn't turn out as expected. First of all it is way to sour and I followed exactly the recipe, then it isn't white like on the picture , more mustard , I think caused of the nutritional yeast. Sorry to say, we didn't like it at all and I used my thermomix, which makes usually fantastic cream out of cashew nuts...any thoughts whats the mistake ?
Celeste says
Corinna, I'm so sorry this recipe didn't work for you. You can try using less vinegar and use macadamia nuts instead,they blend a bit smoother. I will myself do some testing and update any changes. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me.
Heidi says
Tastes pretty good, but mine was not as white as yours. How did yours get to be do white with the nutritional yeast in it?
Celeste says
I'm glad to hear you like it. Mine was an off white color, I think that the computer makes it look whiter than it really is.
Bobby says
It ended up tasting too vinegary for me. This was my first vegan sour cream, so I don't know if I'll try it again, but if I do, I'll either leave the vinegar out, or use less.
Still edible though, it's just that no one would mistake it for the real thing.
thanks!
Celeste says
Hi Bobby, thanks for giving it a try, if you do decide to make again you may want to reduce the finger or lemon juice.
Kathryn Grace says
This looks wonderful. I am putting it on my list of vegan condiments to try. I've tested enough now to be pretty certain we will love this one. I expect it to become a staple. Thank you.
Celeste says
Thanks Kathryn, Please let me know how it works for you.
John says
Love mushroom stroganoff and need sour cream I can add to the gravy which is then thoroughly heated. Well this heat well?
Celeste says
I have never used it in a hot dish, however, I don't see why it wouldn't work. I would test it in a small portion first to see how the acids in the sour cream reacts when heated.
ashley says
Hi,
Can this be used as a sour cream substitute in baking? I have an old thanksgiving cornbread recipe I miss! So excited to try it otherwise too!
Celeste says
Sour cream is used in baking to add moisture, adding this will add moisture however, it may also change the density. I would give it a test bake before baking for guest. I'll be giving it a try.
Sarah says
Just wanted to say a big thank you!! Great stuff.............. x
Celeste says
Sarah you are so welcome, I'm glad you like it. Because that's what it's all about, sharing what I hope can be helpful and useful to others.
Cath says
I'm a beginner, so all of this is amazing, wonderful a more than a little overwhelming! Firstly, thank you! Then secondly, how long will this last in the fridge?
Celeste says
I will last about 7 to 10 days. Mine didn't last that long I sweeten it a bit and use it on fresh fruit.
Thanks for stopping by.
Tara B says
My mom (her name was Celeste too!!!!) used to make a very simple, yet fabulous fruit dip mixing sour cream with brown sugar or just dipping strawberries into sour cream and then into brown sugar. It was delicious! I finally made the jump to vegan and I am having a lot of fun trying to "veganize" old favorites. I'm so thankful I took the plunge and got a Vitamix off of craigslist, it's been a great help! Thanks for sharing, I can't wait to try it out!
Celeste says
It took me a while, but I finally purchased a Vitamix, and it has made all the difference in how easy recipes come together.
Enjoy!!!
michele schroder says
Definitely trying this one. You wouldn't happen to have a good mayo recipe without tofu.
Celeste says
Thanks, I hope you like it, I love this stuff. I don't have a mayo recipe just yet, but I'm playing around with a recipe and it does not include tofu. I think it will be up on my blog in a few weeks.
Christine says
I just found out I am lactose intolerant, and I love sour cream! Going to try your recipe, it looks so much healthier! Thank you for sharing and Co-hosting WW!
kayla says
everyone who tells me they're lactose intolerant, i reply "it's because you're not a baby cow" 🙂 you'll find that life without dairy is actually much easier than you can imagine and so much healthier for not only you, but the planet 🙂 you also will no longer be supporting the cruelty in the dairy industry. good luck! 🙂
Celeste says
I'm still on my journey to being completely dairy free, I occasionally eat cheese. However I have been experimenting with several different vegan cheese recipes and my cravings for cheese is less and less each day. When I create a recipe I think of how I can do it using whole plants seed or nuts, healthier for all.
Aliyanna says
I make something very similar to this....but have one ingredient that makes it so much more
creamy......Macadamia nuts!!! I had read about it but wasn't really sure, til I tried it....it really does make it creamier!
Celeste says
That sounds delicious, I'll have to give it a try next time I make this.
Deana says
Do the macadamia nuts need to be raw?
Celeste says
Deana the nuts don't have to be raw, however, roasted nuts may change the flavor. Have fun and enjoy!
Pamela says
I had to give up dairy, but only used avocados as a cheese substitute. I'm looking forward to making the vegan sour cream. The tacos and the sour cream look delicious.
Celeste says
Thanks Pamela, I hope you like it as much as I do.
Jenna says
I would have never thought this was possible. How awesome. Thanks
Celeste says
Thanks Jenna, I hope you like it, I love this stuff.