This vegan sour cream recipe is the best! This creamy dairy-free sauce can also replace goat cheese, ricotta and even mozzarella. It's easy to make, too. Recipe yields about 1 cup.
Recipe by Cookie and Kate on June 25, 2018
Prep time: PT10M
Total time: PT10M
Rating
4.7 stars ( reviews)
Keywords
sour cream, dairy free
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours if you do not have a high-powered blender*
½ cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more if needed
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Heaping ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Categories
Sauce
Cuisine
Vegan
Steps
If you soaked your cashews, drain and rinse them until the water runs clear.
In a blender, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and mustard. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. If you’re having trouble blending the mixture, or would prefer a thinner consistency, slowly blend in up to ½ cup additional water, as needed.
Taste and add an additional teaspoon of lemon juice if you would like more tang, or additional salt if a more intense flavor is desired. Serve immediately or chill the sour cream for later.
Leftovers keep well, chilled, for about 5 days. The sour cream will thicken up a bit more as it rests; you can thin it by whisking in a small amount of water later, if necessary.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
Calories: 99 calories
Carbohydrates: 5.5 g
Protein: 3.3 g
Fat: 7.8 g
Saturated Fat: 1.4 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 86.8 mg
Sugar: 1.1 g
Reviews
Connie on 2025-01-05 (5 stars): Turns out great and I use it for tacos, chili, and even lasagna (add vegan ricotta and cilantro to blender). I’ve added so many different spices to change the taste! Such a great versatile and multi-use sauce that you can def add your own touches to!
An Meersschaut on 2025-02-20 (5 stars): I never thought making vegan sour cream was this easy.
Thanks for sharing this recipe, Kathryne.
Tiffany Lynn Fricker on 2025-02-21 (4 stars): How long did you blend this for to get the smoothness? I soaked the cashews for 4 hours. I blended for 2 minutes and still have a grainy look and texture with a Ninja blender. I did add a bit more salt, water, and lemon juice for flavor.
Pashon Box on 2025-03-06 (5 stars): Turn out great, my family uses this in pasta dishes and for taco lettuce wraps. Delicious !! I haven't had a bad recipe yet from your site! I owe you tons of comments ..I will get to them eventually. Thanks for coming through yet again with a trustworthy recipe.
Erin on 2025-04-01 (5 stars): Better than sour cream, kids loved it!
Helen Butt on 2025-05-21 (5 stars): This is delicious, better than regular sour cream! Does it freeze well?
Dee on 2025-05-23 (5 stars): We really liked your sour cream. We liked it with more lemon juice.
Thanks for sharing
Clare on 2025-10-27 (5 stars): Love this recipe. Worked perfectly added nutritional yeast flakes. Smooth and delicious.
Used it in the vegetable enchilada bake.
This is another recipe I will keep making.
Rachel on 2025-12-08 (5 stars): Thank you Kate! The ready made options at the shops are both ultra processed and also pretty disgusting. This is delicious and healthy! I’m so grateful for your delicious recipes based on whole ingredients.
Lisa D on 2026-04-02 (5 stars): This is a shockingly delicious substitute for cheese! My boyfriend is having issues with dairy so I’ve been looking for a way to make his favorite foods with a non-dairy option. I have yet to find a plant based cheese that actually tastes like cheese. This is the closest I’ve found. I made the yummy roasted veggie enchilada casserole and used this sour cream in lieu of cheese (added nutritional yeast like Kate suggested). He thought it was ricotta! Next, I’m going to try drizzling it on mashed potatoes and on pizza. So good and simple to make.
