The best vegan sour cream: this dairy-free substitute is fantastic as an easy-to-make dip, spread or sauce. Make it in under 5 minutes from simple ingredients and and take dishes of your choice to the next level! Gluten-free and oil-free.
Before going vegan, I never really considered the possibility of making my own sauces. I just grabbed whatever caught my eye at the store. But, as I came to discover throughout my journey of eating exclusively plants, making your own is so much more fun! Homemade sauces taste better, not to mention the benefits of using fresh and wholesome ingredients.
That's where vegan sour cream comes in: you'll end up falling in love with it, just like I did! This is a great-tasting alternative to the dairy option that requires very little hands-on time.
About vegan sour cream
Have you ever just tried a recipe, fell in love with it, and proceeded to eat it every day for the next few weeks, sometimes more than once a day? Yep, that's me with this plant based sour cream alternative.
Store-brought versions are quite hard to find. I used to opt for plant based yoghurt as an alternative. But, making your own takes just 5 minutes and it's incredibly tasty. I used cashews for a creamy base, then used carefully-selected, yet simple ingredients to enhance the flavour.
The end result is perfectly tangy, smooth and flavourful sauce. Definitely good enough to eat by itself with a spoon!
Ingredients you'll need
You only need a handful of easily-accessible ingredients. These are:
- Raw, unsalted cashew nuts. If you don't have a high speed blender, soak them in warm water for at least 4 hours before making this sauce. Otherwise, an hour of soaking or 15 minutes of simmering in a saucepan is sufficient.
- Unsweetened plant based milk of your choice.
- Nutritional yeast - perfect for enhancing flavour.
- Apple cider vinegar.
- Whole garlic cloves.
- Freshly-squeezed lemon juice.
- Sea salt.
- Tahini.
And that's it!
How to make dairy-free sour cream
It couldn't be easier. Drain and rinse your cashews after soaking/simmering. Transfer them to your blender/food processor together with the plant based milk, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, salt and tahini. Stop to scrape down the sides if necessary.
When done, transfer to your serving dish, jar or container.
Tips and trick
- Make sure to soak the cashews properly, especially if not using a high speed blender. This will help get rid of any grainyness and make the sour cream as smooth as possible.
- Use raw cashews because the flavour of roasted ones is too overpowering for this recipe.
- If you have trouble blending or want a thinner consistency, add more plant based milk.
- Nutritional yeast is optional, but does make the final result incredibly tasty.
- Use good quality sea salt or pink Himalayan salt for the best flavour profile.
Storing vegan sour cream
This stays fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5-6 days. You can also freeze it in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months, leaving to thaw in the fridge overnight if you choose to do this.
Serving suggestions
There are so many ways to use sour cream! It's a famous topping for stuffed potatoes, and a great dip for just about anything: chips, vegetables, breadsticks, zucchini fritters, etc. As you can see in the photos and in the video, I used it as a dip for piroshki, and often stir it into pasta for a quick, easy and tasty meal.
It's also a great addition to tacos and burritos, a wonderful dipping sauce for cabbage rolls, and perfect for drizzling over crispy lemon potatoes. If you make your own vegan pizza, drizzle the sour cream on top or create a fun crust-dipping experience. Or, how about spreading a couple tbsp on sandwiches and wraps?!
Other vegan sauce recipes
Let me know in the comments: what's your favourite sauce to make at home? If you give this vegan sour cream a go, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@ohmyveggies) so I can see your recreations, and leave your feedback in the comments below together with a star rating!
Equipment
- High speed blender
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews (see recipe notes)
- 1 cup plant based milk unsweetened
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tbsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp tahini
Instructions
- Drain and rinse your cashews after soaking/simmering. Transfer them to your blender/food processor together with the plant based milk, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, salt and tahini. Stop to scrape down the sides if necessary.
- If you are having trouble blending, or want a runnier consistency, add more plant based milk.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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