Is Sour Cream Dairy?

Find out if sour cream has dairy, what the main ingredients are, dairy-free sour brands, and how to make your own dairy-free sour cream at home.

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If you’re a fan of sour cream and are just getting started with a dairy-free diet, you may be wondering how this ingredient will fit into your new diet.

As with any changes to our diet, it’s important to know which ingredients are safe to keep in and which we want to avoid. In a dairy-free diet, it’s important to know what dairy ingredients are and where to find them, so it’s easy to steer clear of them.

It’s also important to know if an ingredient has dairy while following a dairy-free diet, so you can be prepared with some alternatives when a recipe calls for that ingredient. You can easily make substitutions so you don’t have to go without your favorite foods.

In this post, we’re going to talk about what sour cream is, the main ingredients, and discuss how this food fits into a dairy-free diet. We’ll also talk about if you can buy or make your own dairy-free sour cream, and wrap the post up with some dairy-free sour cream brands to look for at the store.

What is sour cream?

Sour cream is a fermented product, where cow’s milk cream is fermented with lactic acid bacteria. Over time, this bacteria naturally makes the cream sour in taste and thickens the cream.

This ingredient is often used as a condiment to add to the top of tacos, Mexican dishes, casseroles, soups or chilis, and in as a spread. Sour cream is also used in many baked goods recipes, like sour cream cake, cheesecake, or muffins and quick breads to add some tangy flavor and a moist texture to the treat.

Read on: Is cheesecake gluten-free?

Sour cream ingredients

Sour cream is made of cream or milk and lactic acid bacteria, which is used to help sour and thicken the cream, resulting in a tangy flavored cream that’s used as a topping or ingredient in baked goods.

Though the ingredients will vary by brand, the main ingredients you’ll find in most popular sour cream brands from the store are:

Cultured cream, skim milk, vitamin A palmitate or other enzymes.

What is dairy?

Dairy is a term used to describe any food that comes from animal milk, such as cream, cheese, yogurt, and butter.

Though dairy is the term for ANY animal milk products, most folks reference dairy in relation to cow’s milk products. Sheep’s milk or sheep’s milk cheese is a dairy product, but we don’t often think of that when discussing dairy in the U.S.

Read on: Is milk gluten-free?

Is sour cream dairy-free?

No, sour cream contains dairy ingredients in the form of cream or milk. If you follow a dairy-free diet, this is a food you’ll want to steer clear of.

Read on: Is sour cream gluten-free?

Can you buy dairy-free sour cream?

You can find dairy-free sour cream options at the grocery store. There are a few brands that use different plant-based ingredients to create delicious dairy-free substitutes for sour cream that are useful in many recipes.

Later on in the post, we’ll go over some specific brands to look for next time you’re out shopping for this ingredient.

Can you make dairy-free sour cream at home?

You can definitely make your own dairy-free sour cream at home using non-traditional ingredients. This is my dairy-free sour cream recipe that I like to use in dips, as a sandwich spread, and on tacos.

Here are a few ways to substitute and create your own dairy-free sour cream to use in your favorite recipes and on top of your favorite dishes.

Dairy-free Greek yogurt
Homemade coconut based dairy-free sour cream (coconut cream mixed with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt)
Homemade cashew based dairy-free sour cream (cashews mixed with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt)
Homemade soy based dairy-free sour cream (silken tofu mixed with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt)

Read on: Dairy-free yogurt: what you need to know

Read on: Is tofu gluten-free?

Is sour cream vegan?

No, since sour cream is made of cream or milk, it is not a vegan product. A vegan product would be one without any animal or animal products. Dairy is considered an animal product, so it’s not a good choice for a vegan diet.

Brands of dairy-free sour cream

If you’re looking for an alternative to sour cream in your favorite recipes or to use on top of chili, tacos, or in dips, try one of these dairy-free sour cream brands you can find at the store.

Some use a base of tofu or soy, while others use cashews or even beans as a base.

If you’ve been wondering how sour cream can fit into your dairy-free diet, I hope this post has helped you get all the information you need to make an informed decision.

There are a few great brands of dairy-free sour cream you can buy at the store, but also some super simple homemade options that only call for a few ingredients. Either way, on a dairy-free diet, you don’t have to go without this tasty ingredient!

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