How To Make Sour Cream

$1.42 recipe
by Monti - Budget Bytes
4.60 from 5 votes
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There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of a recipe that calls for sour cream and opening up the tub only to find it’s almost empty or worse- there’s mold all over it. Luckily, if you’re out of sour cream, you can make your own! All you need is two ingredients and a lot of upper body strength. (I’m exaggerating about the need for muscle tone. I can do it, and I haven’t worked out since the 90s.)

What is sour cream?

First things first- there are two types of sour cream: cultured and acidified. Without getting too sciency, cultured sour cream is made with bacteria, while acidified sour cream is made with an acid. Fun fact: many store-bought sour creams aren’t made from cream at all. They’re made with milk that’s thickened with artificial ingredients. Homemade sour cream doesn’t have artificial thickeners so it will be a little runnier than what you’re used to, but the flavor will be spectacular!

Making Sour Cream From Scratch

Since you probably don’t have a vial of lactic bacteria in your pantry, you’ll need heavy cream and an acid. I like using vinegar, but you can also use lemon juice or buttermilk. You’ll also need a mason jar or another air-tight container. To make sure the container is squeaky clean, boil it for a few minutes, let it cool, and then add your cream and acid. Then cover and shake it (or blend it) until it thickens. That’s it. You’ve made sour cream.

To Ferment Or Not To Ferment

I’m a pretty impatient person, so if I’m using the sour cream for a batter or a dip, I add it a few minutes after I’ve made it because its primary purpose is to add creaminess and flavor. It’s not the star of the show; it’s a background singer. (Like the one chick in Destiny’s Child whose name no one ever remembers.) Now, if it’s the Beyonce of your dish, you’ll want to let it sit for a day on your counter to let the cream ferment and thicken and then refrigerate. To keep it 100, I usually skip fermenting it and just put it in the fridge to thicken overnight. It still tastes great.

How long does it last?

That depends on you. It’s best to store the sour cream in the back of your fridge, not the fridge door, where temperatures fluctuate. If you clean your container well and keep the sour cream at 40 degrees, it should last about two weeks. To keep it fresher longer, store it upside down so it isn’t affected by air. When the cream falls to the lid of the jar, it creates a vacuum, which slows down mold and bacteria growth. You can use this nifty trick on all dairy products that come in a container or a jar. I’m looking at you, cottage cheese.

Some of the things you can make with sour cream

Don’t limit your sour cream to just a topping for baked potatoes or a heap of nachos. It works magic in all sorts of dishes. You can use it in sweet and savory preparations to add tang, moisture, and tenderize. It’s the little cream that could.

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How To Make Sour Cream

4.60 from 5 votes
If you've run out of sour cream and don't want to run to the store for more—you can make it at home with just two ingredients: heavy cream and vinegar!
Overhead shot of a wooden bowl with sour cream in it that's topped with chives and is surrounded by potato chips.
Servings 1 cup
Prep 5 minutes
Resting Time 12 hours
Total 12 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup heavy cream ($1.40)
  • 1 Tbsp vinegar ($0.02)
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Instructions 

  • Add the cream to a mason jar or other airtight container.
  • Add the vinegar to the cream. (Or whatever acid you decide to work with.)
  • Close the container and shake it for a minute or two, until the cream thickens.
  • Use the cream right away or leave the jar on your counter overnight to ferment and thicken.*

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Notes

*Leave it out on your counter overnight if you want tangier, thicker sour cream. I usually shake it and pop it in the fridge, where it will thicken in a few hours.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 812kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 7gFat: 86gSodium: 65mg
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How to Make Sour Cream – Step by Step Photos

Add the cream to a mason jar or other airtight container.

Add the vinegar (or lemon juice) to the cream.

Close the container and shake it for a minute or two until the cream thickens.

Use the cream right away or leave the jar (with the mouth covered in cheesecloth or other lightweight cloth and secured with a rubberband) on your counter overnight to ferment and thicken.

Overhead shot of a wooden bowl with sour cream in it that's topped with chives and is surrounded by potato chips.

Now your deliciously fresh homemade sour cream is ready to use in your favorite recipe!

Here are some great recipes to use up your sour cream:

Looking for more easy how-to’s? Check these out:

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  1. I’ve tried the ones where they add milk, not do good! This is the easiest and has the thickness I love!

  2. I tried this out for the first time to go along with the slow cooker taco chicken bowls, as I now live somewhere I can’t access lactose-free sour cream. Thank you! I used unfiltered apple cider vinegar, as that is your best bet for getting a vinegar that will ferment anything, and it didn’t add any perceptible off flavour.

    If you are on the west coast of America and lactose intolerant, look for Green Valley Organics brand – their fermented products are fantastic, and along with Mexican food (and easily-found ingredients to make semi-authentic Mexican) are one of the very few things I miss after having relocated to the UK. ; )

  3. You can also do the old trick of making your own buttermilk for recipes with the lemon juice. Love how it starts thickening up immediately ❤️❤️❤️