Ever been cooking and realize you don’t have one particular item? For me it always seems to be sour cream. I don’t use it very often, but when I need it for a recipe I never seem to have it on hand. Luckily over the years I have found some suitable substitutions. Here are my favorite substitutes!
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt tastes almost identical to sour cream and it makes an amazing substitute. It works well as a garnish, additive or even replacement for mayo.
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is a great substitute for sour cream in salad dressings, or to be mixed with herbs and lemon juice.
Heavy Cream
Heavy creams are the creamiest of all dairy products and it can replace sour cream easily. This type of replacement will add more fat than protein so keep that in mind when using heavy creams
Creme Fraiche
Creme Fraiche is a French creme based sour cream. It has more of a tangy taste than plain sour creams so it may not be the best substitute if you are looking for exact flavors but it can still function wonderfully in recipes
Buttermilk
Buttermilk has a similar tangy flavor to creme fraiche so it can be used as an alternative.
Mayo
Mayo is a great replacement for sour creams in dips and baked goods.
Ranch Dressing
Yes in a pinch, ranch dressing will work in some recipes. Just mix a little with the recipe (I use a separate small bowl) to try it first!
